The other half is being mental. After getting slammed, shoved, kicked and slashed a little too much at last night’s D league game, I was sitting on the bench rather subdued at the end of third period, watching as we failed to score a goal to tie up the game in the last 20 seconds. When the buzzer sounded, a player on the opposing team shot the puck into the net long after the goalie had skated away. Now, imagine me, sitting placidly, taking a sip of water when all of a sudden, my entire team leaps over the boards, skates to the middle of the ice and starts pummeling the living snot out of this guy and the other team. I choked, dropped my water bottle, and jumped to my feet, smiling crookedly. They’re really beating the crap out of each other! I thought, leaning over the boards. I was enthralled.
The best thing about boys is they do the dumbest things. I was a little depressed after first period, when Hattrick got boarded by this guy who claimed he “couldn’t stop.” She was out for the rest of the game (with what we later discovered was a separated shoulder), and being the only other woman on the team, I was starting to suffocate from the overflow of testosterone and macho macho hee haw that got worse as the game progressed. After twelve minutes of penalties and door slamming and cursing, I was pleased to see them finally take their gloves off and start decking each other while I stood on the bench and laughed. When the beatings subsided, I made my entrance by skating up to a guy wearing a red Team Canada jersey who was still panting from the battle, and saying “I like your jersey.” “Thanks,” he said, smiling sheepishly, and quickly skated away. I love boys.
I’m still leery about this league and the probability of making it to the end of the season alive. If anything, at least I won’t be afraid of the girls at Ice Oasis anymore.
