Hockey Nightmare

Our league logo! DVCHC!

So last night I played the game of my life! Our hockey team had a scrimmage against the wonderful St. Joe's team who is new to our league next season and wanted some practice. Of course I couldn't resist a chance to show off my lack of hockey skills so I went, expecting the rest of our team, oh, lets say 20 or so girls, would be there. When I jumped in the van ready to go, I was quickly informed that our six person van contained the entire team, minus our goalie. 6 players....to play three 17 minute periods of hockey....that equals ONE person getting to rest at a time. Now I'm not sure if you're familiar with hockey but normally there are three lines of offense (3 players each, a center and two wings) as well as 2 or 3 pairs of defensemen. Yeah, we had 6 people for the entire game and we had butterflies. We all agreed that this was the most nervous we had been before a game the entire season, and it was just a scrimmage!!

Anyway, we get out on the ice and tried to scrap together a meager excuse for a warm-up with only six people for drills. Then they state that it's time for the national anthem...sung by their acapella group. Oh, did I mention the 200+ fans at this stadium?? Plus, the game is located at the Class of '23 rink in the center of Philly. Like, we didn't even have this many fans at our Hagerstown playoffs for like 10 teams combined. So yeah, intimidation to the max. I digress though. The voices from their acapella group were heavenly. I mean this officially made the game legit. We trembled on the blue line, facing our stars and stripes not daring to look back at the army of 20-30 girls waiting to crush our souls.

After that we met back up at the bench to have a chat with our coach and an NHL sounding announcer voice booms over the loudspeaker.  He announces all of our names, I mean we only had 6 people so that pretty much was our starting lineup. Then they make a big show out of the St. Joe's lineup and they skate around on the ice when their name is called. Ok, I didn't have a problem with this at all. It was actually kind of nice, and I was happy for them that they were so excited and our scrimmage meant so much to them. Maybe they were just looking at their odds.

So after the ridiculously professional game announcements I was expecting fireworks and the whole nine yards. Well, no fireworks, but this old man in a suit comes out with a player helping him out to center ice....for the ceremonial first puck dropping. Yeah, no joke. One of our girls went out to take the 'face-off' and posed for pictures. We pretty much made history for them.  So at this point we're all freaking out and on the verge of nervously puking. We realize the game is starting and I go out on the first face off of the game, something I've never done before. Usually I'm on the third line so this was a rare opportunity that I fully took advantage of.

The game progressed and for not having practiced in about a month or two, the six of us were holding up pretty well. I'm pretty sure I had a 10 minute continuous shift. Bottom line, my thighs were on fire. Their obnoxious fans were beating on the plexiglass boards the entire game....yeah I'm not joking they stood up the ENTIRE GAME to pound like savages looking for blood. I felt like a gladiator in the colosseum who fans cheered at whenever I made a wrong move or missed a shot. Stress level over the roof? Check. Heart rate beating inhumanly fast? Check. Can't feel my legs anymore? Check. Sweating shotgun shells? Check. (get it? like instead of sweating bullets, i was sweating shotgun shells? ok nevermind)

We end up winning 3-1. I'll be honest, my goal was to just complete the game. We were all in a state of delirium afterwards and couldn't believe that we somehow managed to hold up and even win! I left feeling better about myself and our combined efforts to come out and beat our newest addition to the Delaware Valley Collegiate Hockey ....C....something. I forgot what the last C stands for but in short, the DVCHC! Of course we all went out to dinner afterwards and I realized something.  No matter how much more skilled the other girls were than me, and no matter how little experience I have compared to them, I mattered. If I hadn't been there, no one would have gotten the chance to rest. We may not have made it with the same 5 players playing the entire game, but we did it with 6.

Check out Villanova's Hockey Team here!

I consider myself lucky to be able to play college hockey, something a Californian never really aspires to. I have had amazing opportunities and this game just confirms that. What originally seemed like an impossible battle, became a historical achievement. We survived. We did it. WE WON!!!

Bottom Line = YOU MATTER! No matter how insignificant you might feel, no matter how better someone else is at something than you, you matter. You make a difference and people depend on you. It took an experience like this for me to realize this. Take time to think about who you matter to as well as who in your life matters to you.

-Stephanie, WWT