Character on Ice

"Character on Ice"

There were only two minutes left in the final period of play. It was the Jr. Pee Wee championship game between the Hawks and the Wings. Ryan Wester, the Wings defensive right-winger was totally focused on what he had to do.

The Hawk’s were up by a goal. Billy Fischer, the Wing’s best player, and Ryan’s best friend, had just been buried head first into the boards by one of the Hawk’s biggest players. When Billy hit the boards he was injured, and he had to be taken off the ice.

Ryan had seen the whole incident and knew that the hit was not a fair check. It was done deliberately to put Billy out of the game. It was a high stick to the back of Billy’s head from behind, and the officials just did not see it happen.

Ryan also knew why it had happened. Number twenty-three Eric Storm was the player who did it. He was a good player, but Billy had pretty much kept him from anywhere near scoring a goal. Heck, Billy and Ryan had kept him wrapped up and bothered so much that he hardly even got the puck.

Eric was the type of kid who didn’t show much sportsmanship; in fact he was just not a very nice boy.

Ryan could feel the heat in his chest rising up inside of him. He had to focus on his play and not let what Eric did take him off his game.

Ryan had been taught different than Eric. He was coached to play with intensity, but the essence was on being a good sportsman and treating others like you would want to be treated. Ryan played hard, but he played within the rules. Winning wasn’t everything to Ryan, however playing his best was. Ryan knew that if he let himself get mad at what had happened to his best friend, he would not stay focused on the game. If he didn’t stay focused now, they would not stand a chance to tie it up and go into overtime.

Ryan whispered to himself, “Ok Ryan, keep it in the zone. Lay a body on anyone who tries to get it out of here and find your wing or center open for the shot on goal.”

Just as the whistle blew to set up the face off, Eric skated up to Ryan and slammed his stick hard onto the creas between Ryan's glove and forearm pad. It really hurt, but Ryan was ok.

“Took out your punk friend, and your next if you get in my way!” Ryan didn’t say a word. In fact he didn’t even acknowledge the comment or the hit on the outside, but on the inside it really bothered him.

What bothered Ryan more was in his spirit than physically. Ryan was fighting to stay away from the "bad dog" spirit that wanted to rise and rule him.

“Spud!” came the loud voice from the stands…”Stay focused!” It was Ryan’s dad. His voice snapped Ryan right out of the rage he was starting to feel. It re-focused him on what he had to do.

The face-off was in the Hawk’s zone, and Ryan and Bobby Najar were back just inside the blue line awaiting the toss down. Ryan knew what to expect from Billy when they were playing together. They had played defensive left and right wings for so long together that they knew almost what each other were thinking. Now Ryan found himself with a partner who he did not know much about, and it was going to be the biggest two minutes of the year.
“Hey Bobby!” Ryan yelled over the cheering crowd. “We can’t let the puck out of the zone! I have number twenty two, you take thirteen, and lay body on him if he tries to break! No body gets by us with the puck!”

Bobby nodded, but Ryan could tell that he was a little nervous.

The official slammed the puck onto the ice, and the Hawks center Greg Whittigar sent it straight out to Eric. Eric turned and headed for the blue line but Ryan was already there to meet him. Thud! You could almost fell the hit as Ryan slammed into Eric and took the puck. Eric regained himself and skated after Ryan who had circled tightly into the right corner near the goal line. Ryan stopped and turned just in time to see Eric coming at him hard. Ryan skated hard and faked behind the net, slammed on the brakes, and reversed direction back towards the corner. Baboom! Eric, who had made a bee-line for Ryan, hit the boards hard and went down.

Ryan saw Billy out near the blue line and passed him the puck, then worked his way through the middle.

As Ryan worked into the middle he felt a hard slam against the side of his helmet that sent him down to the ice. Ryan didn’t have to look to see who it was who hit him; he knew that it was Eric.

Ryan bounced back up quickly and skated out towards the left side near the blue line across from Billy. Billy sent the puck over as Ryan saw Jason Raymond, the wings center, working to his side of the net. Ryan sent the puck in to Jason just as Billy broke in towards the goal. Ryan took off towards where Billy had left and worked his way towards the goal.

Jason hit Billy with a hard pass, but Casey Stevens of the Hawks had him fronted and was ready to stop Billy from any shot on goal.

Ryan slapped his stick hard into the ice, and Billy set the brakes on and turned and shot the puck out to Ryan.

Eric, who was totally unfocused on his game because of his anger, burst out towards Ryan.

One of the Hawks players, Jeremy Thompson was already fronting Ryan, but Eric didn’t care. Eric came hard around Jeremy towards Ryan with only one thing on his mind.

Ryan saw Eric coming and knew that with Eric and Jeremy both out on him someone would be open.

Eric came hard at Ryan. Ryan faked right, and then went back left hard and fast. Eric sailed by out of control. Before Jeremy could get into position Ryan saw Jason break for the goal.

Ryan laid out a beautiful pass to Jason, which met him in stride as he was coming across in front of the goalmouth.

Just as soon as Ryan had passed the puck to Jason he took off for the net hard. Jason cupped the puck first towards the goal, and then just as Casey Stevens of the Hawks came to check him he back handed the puck to his left and broke toward the right side of the goal.

Jason lifted the puck for the upper right corner of the net and it dinged off the bar and floated in the air just in front of the goal.

Hustling into position Ryan was right there to get it. He caught the puck with his glove hand and knocked it down to the ice in front of him. Ryan went right, then left and just as he felt a stick hooking him from behind he let a backhand shot go off towards the upper left corner of the goal. Ryan was spun around from the hooking stick of none other than Eric, and went down hard and into the boards with a Thud!

Just as Ryan was hitting the board he heard the sweetest sound of all-the whistle signaling a goal.

Ryan started to bounce up to celebrate with his teammates just as Eric shoved him back down into the ice.

Ryan could only feel sorry for Eric now. Eric had totally taken himself out of the game with anger and rage.

Eric was cursing and slamming at the back of Ryan's helmet with his gloved fists. Ryan knew that his teammates would be coming hard to crush Eric so he quickly got up and skated away from Eric to celebrate with his teammates.

Ryan heard the whistle again and he knew what this one was for. Eric was now out of the game for at least two minutes if not for the rest of the game with a misconduct penalty.

Ryan, Jason, Billy and the other teammates broke from their celebration. The officials were escorting Eric over towards the penalty box as he stared glaringly at Ryan. Ryan just shook his head.

Ryan skated over to the bench for a much needed line change. Eric was inside the glass penalty box still yelling at Ryan and spitting onto the glass towards Ryan. Ryan just ignored it, and relished in the jubilation of his teammates and coach.

After Ryan settled down on the bench he began to feel sorry for Eric. Why would anyone act the way he was acting? Ryan knew that God was talking to his heart even now in the middle of the battle to pray for Eric. Ryan silently asked God to give him the chance to say something after the game to help Eric. Maybe Eric had bigger problems that made him act that way.

Ryan found himself glancing up at his dad who was standing up screaming and beaming with pride and giving the thumbs up sign. Ryan thanked God silently for giving him the peace that he had in his heart, and for the goal to tie the game.

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