After the Thanksgiving break classes at Eden Hall didn't actually
begin until Tuesday morning. The Eden Hall students used Monday to get
settled back into the dorms. Most of the local Ducks got to the dorms
early to beat the crowds. By midmorning, the out of state Ducks started to
reappear. Coach Bombay had scheduled a practice at three o'clock that
afternoon and they wanted to get settled back in before the practice.
By noon, when the Ducks headed over to the school cafeteria for lunch the only Duck still missing was Adam. Not all of the Ducks who had been away knew about what had taken place over the break with Adam and his family. Fulton had told Portman, Connie had filled Julie in, and Averman had told Goldberg while they were getting unpacked in their dorm room. Dwayne, Russ, Ken and Luis had not been filled in yet as they weren't rooming with a Duck who knew what had taken place.
"So where is Banksie anyway?" Russ asked as he sat his tray down at the table where the rest of the Ducks were already sitting.
"Steve said he hasn't shown up yet," Guy said. He had talked to Steve briefly before the group had left the dorm for lunch.
"Is he still playing tomorrow night?" Dwayne asked.
"Yes he is," Connie told him.
"Relax guys, He'll probably show up at practice with Bombay," Charlie said. He had talked to Adam the night before and he knew that Adam was planning on spending some time with his mother today while his Dad was at work.
"Why with Bombay?" Russ asked.
"You guys don't know what happened with Adam and his family over the weekend?" Charlie asked. Russ, Dwayne, Ken and Luis all shook their heads no so Charlie filled them in.
After lunch the Ducks split int groups and headed off in different directions. Charlie caught up with Linda and spent the afternoon until practice with her. Linda even walked with Charlie over to the ice arena.
Coach Bombay worked them hard during the two hour practice but then it was their first practice in about a week and the only one they would get before their first playoff game which was incidently up against Blake. At the end of the practice Coach Bombay brought them all in to have a talk with them.
"I've already talked to O'Rion about your first game against Blake. We all know you can score goals against this team. This time around however, you guys can't let down. You have to play strong defense tomorrow night no matter what position you're in. And you need to forget about that first game. You've all come a long way this season and you guys are capable of beating Blake as long as you don't defeat yourselves." Gordon had made eye contact with each of his players during his little speech and could see the determination in each of their eyes.
"Okay, this is the starting line-up for tomorrow's game. Julie you'll be the starting goalie and Russ, Charlie, Guy, Connie and Averman. And Adam," Bombay said reading the surprise in everyone's reaction to the starting line up, "Just because I don't have you starting don't think I'm not going to let you play. You will play at some point tomorrow." He had thought a long time about the decision of whether or not to have Adam start the game. He had finally decided against it as it was the first game that Adam would be skating in since being injured.
"Now go relax and have some fun tonight and I'll see you at the game tomorrow," Bombay told his team.
The Ducks headed for the locker room to change out of their hockey gear. Afterwards, Bombay drove Adam, Charlie and Guy over to the dorms, the others all had other plans. Charlie and Guy helped Adam carry his stuff up to his room and get settled back into the dorms. They were all anxious about the game the following night.
"Oh, please don't tell me that you are looking for scouts again," Charlie told Adam as they stepped onto the ice for warm-ups the next night.
"No," Adam said cracking a smile at Charlie's comment. "I was looking for my mother and brother. They said they were coming to the game tonight."
"Then they'll be here, relax" Charlie told him pulling his helmet down and skating off.
By the time the game was starting Adam still hadn't been able to locate his mother and brother in the stands. As the whistle blew he gave up looking and focused on the game. Charlie got knocked down on the face off and the other team got control of the puck. As the Blake offense got near the Ducks goal they passed the puck to their center who took a shot. Julie stopped the puck with her stick and Averman got a hold of the puck.
The Ducks cleared it out of their defense zone and headed down toward the Blake goal. Russ, Guy and Charlie kept passing the puck off amongst themselves. Finally, Charlie passed the puck to Russ and Russ had a shot at the Blake goal. The Blake goalie however deflected the puck.
The first period went on like that. First one team had the puck and then the other. Bombay put Adam in near the middle of the period. The first period ended with neither team scoring.
The second period went much like the first period. Neither team could seem to score a goal although the goalies on both team had plenty to do with all the shots that the teams got off. At the end of the second period the game was still scoreless.
Gordon used the break between period to encourage his skaters. They were doing a great job out there even if they hadn't been able to score. He knew now was a critical time for them. If they got discouraged and let down then the game was going to be over and they would be eliminated in the first round.
After the Coach's pep talk in the locker room the team came back onto the ice fired up. Adam took center ice for the start of the third period. As the referee blew his whistle Adam batted the puck over to Guy. Guy headed down ice with the puck. When he saw the two Blake defense players directly in front of him he passed the puck back to Adam. With the Blake defense out of position to block Adam he had an open shot at the goal which he took. The puck went by the Blake goalie and into the net. The Ducks and their fans in the stands started cheering.
"Way to go Adam," yelled a voice from the stands.
Adam looked in the direction of the voice and scanned the crowd as he headed back to center ice. After a few moments he spotted his brother standing in the stands cheering. His mother was sitting next to Anthony, clapping but much less vocal than her son even though she was smiling proudly.
On the next face off Blake got control of the puck. Once they got down into the Ducks defense zone they were unable to get a open shot. It was Fulton who finally got the puck away from Blake sending one of their players down to the ice. As he passed the blue line he passed the puck over to Guy. Guy got the puck and headed down ice with it only to be knocked down by two of the Blake players. The puck sailed across the ice towards the boards under neither teams control.
Adam was able to reach the puck first and managed to pass it over to Fulton before getting slammed into the boards by one of the Blake players. As Adam got to his feet he heard the sound of another goal being scored as Guy got the puck past the Blake goalie.
Both teams switched players for the next face off. After scoring those first two goals early in the period the Ducks were unable to get any more goals. However, they were still keeping Blake from scoring and so the score remained two to zero in favor of the Ducks.
With three minutes left in the game Adam was once again out of the ice, this time with Charlie and Averman skating offense with him. The Ducks offense managed to get the puck into the Blake's defense zone and keep it there. Both Charlie and Averman took a shot at the goal but the goalie kept the puck from actually going into the net. Adam couldn't seem to get any clear shots on Blake's goal as the players from Blake were keeping him covered. But then he managed to slip by a double team by Blake and Charlie now seeing his teammate open passed the puck over to him. Adam got the puck and took a shot at the goal. The puck went into the goal just as the buzzer rang ending the game three to zero.
Charlie and Averman both rushed over to congratulate Adam. Before long the rest of the team were down with him. They had won their first playoff game. They wouldn't know what team they faced in the second playoff game until Thursday when the other first round games had been completed.
After the game, Coach Bombay took the entire team, along with Anthony and Angela Banks, and Casey Conway, out to the ice cream parlor to celebrate the win.
"Something going on between your mother and the Coach again Charlie?" Averman asked as they sat at the group of tables they had pushed together eating their ice cream.
"I'm not sure," Charlie said glancing over to the counter where the three adults were sitting. Anthony had chosen to sit with Ducks and was talking to Dwayne about country music a subject that with the exception of Adam none of the Ducks ever wanted to talk about and even Adam wasn't into it that much.
Charlie's step father hadn't yet returned when he had left for Eden Hall Monday morning. He had called Saturday night and talked to Charlie's mom briefly. As far as Charlie was concerned he could stay away.
"Yeah, maybe you can go back to being the Coach's pet," Guy said with a smile.
"I don't know he has Adam to contend with now," Averman chimed in.
"Very funny, Averman," Adam said from his spot across the table from Averman. He picked up a napkin, wadded it up and threw it across the table at him. The napkin went past Averman and hit the wall.
"It's a good thing you play hockey better than you throw," Russ told him.
The bantering went on for the rest of the night. It was around ten o'clock when the Ducks were finally dropped back off at the dorms. Having classes the next morning they all head straight for bed.
"Thanks for coming," Adam told Anthony as he said good-bye to his brother and mother outside of the dorm building.
"No problem," Anthony told him. "I wish I could stay for the rest of play-offs but I have my own classes to attend. Good Luck, Adam."
"Thanks," Adam said. He gave his mother a quick hug good-bye and then headed inside and up to his room. Steve was already asleep so he tried to be quiet as he got ready for bed.
On Friday night the two semi-final games of the play-offs were played. The one game was Sutton Academy against Adam's High. The second game took place at Eden Hall and put the Ducks up against Jefferson Academy again.
The Ducks had just as hard of a game against the Jefferson Academy Flames as they did in the last game against them. Both teams were doing well and were able to score but the Flames always seemed to be one goal ahead. With a minute left in the third period Charlie got away on a break away. He took the shot and the puck sailed into the goal tying the game eight to eight as the game ended.
To settle the game the two teams went into a shootout to determine the winner. The Flames went first and Julie was able to stop their first player from scoring. Connie went first for the Ducks and the puck hit the goal post and was deflected away from the goal. The second player for the Flames missed the goal altogether. The Flames goalie blocked Dwayne' shot. Julie blocked the third skater for the Flames. Charlie was next for the Ducks. His shot also hit the goal post and was deflected away from the goal. The fourth skater for the Flames had no more luck than any of the others who went before him as Julie caught the puck in her glove. Guy took his shot next and the Flame goalie knocked it away with his stick.
As the final skater for the Flames took his place center ice everyone got quiet. Most of the Ducks were holding their breath. The skater for the Flames circled once and then started toward the Ducks goal with the puck. He took his shot and Julie used her stick to knock the puck away from the goal. The Ducks all let out a sigh of relief.
"It's up to you Adam," Coach Bombay said as Adam stepped out on the ice to take his shot. "You can do it."
"Come on Adam," the rest of his teammates said.
Adam took a deep calming breath as he pulled his helmet down and headed for center ice. Adam nodded as the referee gave him the instructions and dropped the puck on the ice. Adam circled once to pick up speed and then headed down ice with the puck. As he approached the Flames goal he lined up the shot and sent the puck toward the Flames goal. Like Connie's and Charlie's shots the puck hit the goal post but instead of deflecting away from the goal the puck bounced off the goal post and into the net. The Ducks had won their second game of the JV league play-offs. They would play the winner of the Sutton Academy/Adams High game the next night.
Adam was instantly surrounded by his teammates as the Ducks came out onto the ice to celebrate the win.
By noon, when the Ducks headed over to the school cafeteria for lunch the only Duck still missing was Adam. Not all of the Ducks who had been away knew about what had taken place over the break with Adam and his family. Fulton had told Portman, Connie had filled Julie in, and Averman had told Goldberg while they were getting unpacked in their dorm room. Dwayne, Russ, Ken and Luis had not been filled in yet as they weren't rooming with a Duck who knew what had taken place.
"So where is Banksie anyway?" Russ asked as he sat his tray down at the table where the rest of the Ducks were already sitting.
"Steve said he hasn't shown up yet," Guy said. He had talked to Steve briefly before the group had left the dorm for lunch.
"Is he still playing tomorrow night?" Dwayne asked.
"Yes he is," Connie told him.
"Relax guys, He'll probably show up at practice with Bombay," Charlie said. He had talked to Adam the night before and he knew that Adam was planning on spending some time with his mother today while his Dad was at work.
"Why with Bombay?" Russ asked.
"You guys don't know what happened with Adam and his family over the weekend?" Charlie asked. Russ, Dwayne, Ken and Luis all shook their heads no so Charlie filled them in.
After lunch the Ducks split int groups and headed off in different directions. Charlie caught up with Linda and spent the afternoon until practice with her. Linda even walked with Charlie over to the ice arena.
Coach Bombay worked them hard during the two hour practice but then it was their first practice in about a week and the only one they would get before their first playoff game which was incidently up against Blake. At the end of the practice Coach Bombay brought them all in to have a talk with them.
"I've already talked to O'Rion about your first game against Blake. We all know you can score goals against this team. This time around however, you guys can't let down. You have to play strong defense tomorrow night no matter what position you're in. And you need to forget about that first game. You've all come a long way this season and you guys are capable of beating Blake as long as you don't defeat yourselves." Gordon had made eye contact with each of his players during his little speech and could see the determination in each of their eyes.
"Okay, this is the starting line-up for tomorrow's game. Julie you'll be the starting goalie and Russ, Charlie, Guy, Connie and Averman. And Adam," Bombay said reading the surprise in everyone's reaction to the starting line up, "Just because I don't have you starting don't think I'm not going to let you play. You will play at some point tomorrow." He had thought a long time about the decision of whether or not to have Adam start the game. He had finally decided against it as it was the first game that Adam would be skating in since being injured.
"Now go relax and have some fun tonight and I'll see you at the game tomorrow," Bombay told his team.
The Ducks headed for the locker room to change out of their hockey gear. Afterwards, Bombay drove Adam, Charlie and Guy over to the dorms, the others all had other plans. Charlie and Guy helped Adam carry his stuff up to his room and get settled back into the dorms. They were all anxious about the game the following night.
"Oh, please don't tell me that you are looking for scouts again," Charlie told Adam as they stepped onto the ice for warm-ups the next night.
"No," Adam said cracking a smile at Charlie's comment. "I was looking for my mother and brother. They said they were coming to the game tonight."
"Then they'll be here, relax" Charlie told him pulling his helmet down and skating off.
By the time the game was starting Adam still hadn't been able to locate his mother and brother in the stands. As the whistle blew he gave up looking and focused on the game. Charlie got knocked down on the face off and the other team got control of the puck. As the Blake offense got near the Ducks goal they passed the puck to their center who took a shot. Julie stopped the puck with her stick and Averman got a hold of the puck.
The Ducks cleared it out of their defense zone and headed down toward the Blake goal. Russ, Guy and Charlie kept passing the puck off amongst themselves. Finally, Charlie passed the puck to Russ and Russ had a shot at the Blake goal. The Blake goalie however deflected the puck.
The first period went on like that. First one team had the puck and then the other. Bombay put Adam in near the middle of the period. The first period ended with neither team scoring.
The second period went much like the first period. Neither team could seem to score a goal although the goalies on both team had plenty to do with all the shots that the teams got off. At the end of the second period the game was still scoreless.
Gordon used the break between period to encourage his skaters. They were doing a great job out there even if they hadn't been able to score. He knew now was a critical time for them. If they got discouraged and let down then the game was going to be over and they would be eliminated in the first round.
After the Coach's pep talk in the locker room the team came back onto the ice fired up. Adam took center ice for the start of the third period. As the referee blew his whistle Adam batted the puck over to Guy. Guy headed down ice with the puck. When he saw the two Blake defense players directly in front of him he passed the puck back to Adam. With the Blake defense out of position to block Adam he had an open shot at the goal which he took. The puck went by the Blake goalie and into the net. The Ducks and their fans in the stands started cheering.
"Way to go Adam," yelled a voice from the stands.
Adam looked in the direction of the voice and scanned the crowd as he headed back to center ice. After a few moments he spotted his brother standing in the stands cheering. His mother was sitting next to Anthony, clapping but much less vocal than her son even though she was smiling proudly.
On the next face off Blake got control of the puck. Once they got down into the Ducks defense zone they were unable to get a open shot. It was Fulton who finally got the puck away from Blake sending one of their players down to the ice. As he passed the blue line he passed the puck over to Guy. Guy got the puck and headed down ice with it only to be knocked down by two of the Blake players. The puck sailed across the ice towards the boards under neither teams control.
Adam was able to reach the puck first and managed to pass it over to Fulton before getting slammed into the boards by one of the Blake players. As Adam got to his feet he heard the sound of another goal being scored as Guy got the puck past the Blake goalie.
Both teams switched players for the next face off. After scoring those first two goals early in the period the Ducks were unable to get any more goals. However, they were still keeping Blake from scoring and so the score remained two to zero in favor of the Ducks.
With three minutes left in the game Adam was once again out of the ice, this time with Charlie and Averman skating offense with him. The Ducks offense managed to get the puck into the Blake's defense zone and keep it there. Both Charlie and Averman took a shot at the goal but the goalie kept the puck from actually going into the net. Adam couldn't seem to get any clear shots on Blake's goal as the players from Blake were keeping him covered. But then he managed to slip by a double team by Blake and Charlie now seeing his teammate open passed the puck over to him. Adam got the puck and took a shot at the goal. The puck went into the goal just as the buzzer rang ending the game three to zero.
Charlie and Averman both rushed over to congratulate Adam. Before long the rest of the team were down with him. They had won their first playoff game. They wouldn't know what team they faced in the second playoff game until Thursday when the other first round games had been completed.
After the game, Coach Bombay took the entire team, along with Anthony and Angela Banks, and Casey Conway, out to the ice cream parlor to celebrate the win.
"Something going on between your mother and the Coach again Charlie?" Averman asked as they sat at the group of tables they had pushed together eating their ice cream.
"I'm not sure," Charlie said glancing over to the counter where the three adults were sitting. Anthony had chosen to sit with Ducks and was talking to Dwayne about country music a subject that with the exception of Adam none of the Ducks ever wanted to talk about and even Adam wasn't into it that much.
Charlie's step father hadn't yet returned when he had left for Eden Hall Monday morning. He had called Saturday night and talked to Charlie's mom briefly. As far as Charlie was concerned he could stay away.
"Yeah, maybe you can go back to being the Coach's pet," Guy said with a smile.
"I don't know he has Adam to contend with now," Averman chimed in.
"Very funny, Averman," Adam said from his spot across the table from Averman. He picked up a napkin, wadded it up and threw it across the table at him. The napkin went past Averman and hit the wall.
"It's a good thing you play hockey better than you throw," Russ told him.
The bantering went on for the rest of the night. It was around ten o'clock when the Ducks were finally dropped back off at the dorms. Having classes the next morning they all head straight for bed.
"Thanks for coming," Adam told Anthony as he said good-bye to his brother and mother outside of the dorm building.
"No problem," Anthony told him. "I wish I could stay for the rest of play-offs but I have my own classes to attend. Good Luck, Adam."
"Thanks," Adam said. He gave his mother a quick hug good-bye and then headed inside and up to his room. Steve was already asleep so he tried to be quiet as he got ready for bed.
On Friday night the two semi-final games of the play-offs were played. The one game was Sutton Academy against Adam's High. The second game took place at Eden Hall and put the Ducks up against Jefferson Academy again.
The Ducks had just as hard of a game against the Jefferson Academy Flames as they did in the last game against them. Both teams were doing well and were able to score but the Flames always seemed to be one goal ahead. With a minute left in the third period Charlie got away on a break away. He took the shot and the puck sailed into the goal tying the game eight to eight as the game ended.
To settle the game the two teams went into a shootout to determine the winner. The Flames went first and Julie was able to stop their first player from scoring. Connie went first for the Ducks and the puck hit the goal post and was deflected away from the goal. The second player for the Flames missed the goal altogether. The Flames goalie blocked Dwayne' shot. Julie blocked the third skater for the Flames. Charlie was next for the Ducks. His shot also hit the goal post and was deflected away from the goal. The fourth skater for the Flames had no more luck than any of the others who went before him as Julie caught the puck in her glove. Guy took his shot next and the Flame goalie knocked it away with his stick.
As the final skater for the Flames took his place center ice everyone got quiet. Most of the Ducks were holding their breath. The skater for the Flames circled once and then started toward the Ducks goal with the puck. He took his shot and Julie used her stick to knock the puck away from the goal. The Ducks all let out a sigh of relief.
"It's up to you Adam," Coach Bombay said as Adam stepped out on the ice to take his shot. "You can do it."
"Come on Adam," the rest of his teammates said.
Adam took a deep calming breath as he pulled his helmet down and headed for center ice. Adam nodded as the referee gave him the instructions and dropped the puck on the ice. Adam circled once to pick up speed and then headed down ice with the puck. As he approached the Flames goal he lined up the shot and sent the puck toward the Flames goal. Like Connie's and Charlie's shots the puck hit the goal post but instead of deflecting away from the goal the puck bounced off the goal post and into the net. The Ducks had won their second game of the JV league play-offs. They would play the winner of the Sutton Academy/Adams High game the next night.
Adam was instantly surrounded by his teammates as the Ducks came out onto the ice to celebrate the win.