Later that evening I was finishing styling my hair when my dad walked in from a dinner with Herb.

"You look nice. Headed out with the boys?" he asked me.

"Yeah, Jimmy Craig is going to be here in a few minutes to walk me over to the bar. I guess most of the guys are hanging out there tonight." I said. I spun around in the mirror admiring my flare-leg jeans, baby-doll tank top with frills on the straps and flowers down the front and sandals. "How do I look?"

"Like a dark blonde Ferrah." He said with a wink. "Have fun tonight, but behave yourself."

"I try dad!" I said with a smirk and he laughed. There was a knock at the door.

"Hey Jim, come on in." I said opening the door for him. I hugged my dad goodbye. "Don't wait up." And headed out the door with Jim.

When we walked in the bar, I immediately noticed that there was a table of boys from Minnesota and across the room was a table of players from Boston. Most of the boys from both sides seemed to be working on those psychology tests that Herb had given them.

"Nice to see the boys from Boston and Minnesota are trying to get acquainted." I said sarcastically as Jim and I made our way to the bar.

"If they don't learn to get along it could be a very long seven months." Jim said then ordered us both a beer.

After our drinks arrived we walked over to the "Minnesota Table" to talk with some of the guys. I recognized most of them from studying files. Buzz Schneider and Bah Harrington were teasing Phil Verchota because he was already done with his psychology test. Jim decided to hang with that group for awhile. I told him I was going to hang out at the "Boston Table".

I made my way across the room to the "Boston Table". "Hey can I sit with you guys?" I asked.

"Sure, you're Coach Craig Patrick's daughter?" Ralph Cox said as I sat down next to him.

"Yeah, you can call me Chevon." I said and smiled at him.

"I'm…" Eruzione started but I cut him off.

"I already know who you all are." I told him. "You're Mike Eruzione, Boston University." I said and shook his hand across the table. I looked at the man sitting next to him. "You're Dave Silk, Boston University." I shook his hand and he smiled at me. I looked to the attractive blonde I had seen to talking to Jimmy Craig earlier outside the locker room. "You're Jack O'Callahan, Boston University." Jack stood up so he could shake my hand. I turned to Ralph sitting next to me. "And you're Ralph Cox, UNH."

"Wow!" Ralph said.

"Don't be so impressed. I had to look over all the players files this afternoon." I said with a wink.

"You get stopped by a policeman but you know you're not at fault. Do you state your disagreement right away?" Silk read from his test. "He's got 300 of these things."

"It's a test Silky. You've taken one or two before!" Eruzione told him with a smile.

"Not to play hockey, I haven't" Silk said.

"Can you even read, Silky?" O'Callahan asked and everyone snickered.

"HEY RIZZO!" we heard from behind us. We all turned and saw Rob McClanahan waving at Eruzione from the doorway. Mark Johnson was with him. "What's going on?"

"Mac!" Rizzo said with a smile and nod. McClanahan and Johnson continued through the bar to talk with some of their friends. I noticed O'Callahan making a face. "Easy big guy" Rizzo told him.

"You know, I dunno how you two can sit in the same room as that clown." O'Callahan said to Silk and Rizzo.

"Let it go! It's over! Let it go." Rizzo said trying to calm him down.

"What's going on here?" Ralph asked. I had a suspicion.

"OC's got a little unfinished business over there." Silk said nodding towards McClanahan.

"Not for long I don't." OC said.

"Hey what'd I tell you man?" Rizzo said getting flustered.

"McClanahan, you're not still going on about the 76 play-offs are you?" Ralph asked OC. "Come on OC that was like 3 years ago."

"You know what Coxie; let me ask you a question. Why'd you wanna play college hockey?" OC asked Cox.

"Well isn't it obvious, for the girls!" Cox said with a smile. We all chucked except for OC.

"I'm serious Coxie, why'd you wanna play college hockey?" OC asked again.

"Cause I love to play hockey alright." Cox said. "I wanna go to the NHL just like everybody does."

"Well I wanted to win a national championship." OC starts. "That pansy over there cheap shots me; I get tossed out of the game. He steals the ring right off my finger. How would you feel?"

"Everyone was throwing cheap shots that night." Rizzo said.

"You know, Rizzo, it's funny you say that because I was just wondering what side you were on." OC said.

"I'm on your side." Rizzo protested.

"You know it really seems that way." OC said sarcastically.

"Relax, okay." Cox said.

"I'm not doing this right now." OC said picking up his psychology test. "I'm outta here."

"Where you going?" Rizzo asked him.

"To my room, is that alright with you, MOTHER?" OC said and then turned and left.

"Let him go." Silk said to Rizzo.

I tuned out as Cox talked about OC having so many penalty minutes. I wondered if OC was going to able to control his temper and learn to get along with people from Minnesota. Somewhere in the conversation I heard Rizzo saying that he and OC had roomed together at college and had got a room together at the hotel and wanted to room together when we got to Minnesota to start training.

"Chevon, you going to travel with us?" Cox broke me from my thoughts.

"Yes, my dad and I will be with the team every day from now until the end of the Olympics." I told him.

"Won't you miss school?" Silk asked while getting another drink.

"I graduated in May. I was actually looking for a job when Herb offered me this for the next several months." I told them. "And it sure as hell beats sitting at home alone for seven months."

"It's just you and your dad?" Rizzo asked. I nodded. "Where is your mom? Don't you have any brothers or sisters?"

"My mom died when 14 months old. I was the only child. So it's just been dad and me ever since." I explained to them.

We talked for about another half hour before Rizzo announced that he was heading back to his hotel room. He wanted to relax and check on OC. I stayed to talk with Cox and Silk-who was getting a little drunk. Jim Craig came over and said he was leaving. He asked if I wanted him to walk me back to the hotel. I declined saying that I was having fun and would be fine.

"Coxie, I think we need to cut off drinks for Silky. He is getting tipsy and a little loud." I said.

"Yeah, you're right. Let's have him drink a few glasses of water before we try to get him back to the hotel." Cox said.

Cox and I were able to get Silk to drink one glass of water, but his laughter was getting so loud that we decided to just take him back to the hotel.

"I'll help you get Silk back to the hotel. Do you know what room is his?" I asked standing up and putting Silk's arm around me as I put my arm around his waist.

"He is rooming with me." Cox said as he supported Silk's other side and we headed out of the bar.

We managed to get Silk across the parking lot and into the hotel lobby. He was walking okay; it was just he kept laughing. Finally we stopped outside the room Cox said was his and Silk's. I continued to hold Silk up while Cox checked his pockets for the room key.

"I MADE THE TEAM! TEAM USA!!!" Silk started yelling.

"Silky will you be quiet. You'll wake the whole building!" I told him while Ralph still looked for the keys.

I heard the door behind us open. Rizzo stepped out of his room. Apparently he had been attracted by all the noise. "Damn Silky, you just had to get drunk." Rizzo told him.

"I MADE THE TEAM!" Silk yelled again.

"No you didn't, you may be one of the 6 cut." I said to Silk. "You would be on a plane to Boston right now if Herb saw this."

Ralph finally got the door open and with Rizzo's help, I dragged Silk into the room. We led him towards a bed so that he could sit down.

"You know Chev, you're cute." Silk said and giggled as I motioned for him to sit on the bed.

"I bet you say that to all the coach's daughters." I said and rolled my eyes. "Remind me to tell you said that when you sober up."

Silk held my wrist and pulled me onto his lap. "I'll be Santa, now tell me what you want for Christmas." Silk said and started laughing.

Rizzo pulled me off Silk's lap. "Silky let the nice lady go and you sober up." I smiled a thanks at Rizzo.

"Can you handle him from here, Coxie?" I asked. Ralph nodded. "Then I am going to head back to my room.

I walked into the hall and Rizzo was right behind me, he started to go into his room but stopped. "Hey, Chev." He called after me.

"Yeah, Rizzo." I asked turning to face him.

"Do you want me to walk you back to your room or anything?" he asked. I smiled at him.

"No. My room is close by. I'll be fine, but thanks for asking."

"Listen, Silky is a really nice guy, he just acts silly when he is drunk is all." Rizzo said.

"I like Silk. Seems like a good guy." I said and smiled at Rizzo.

"He is a great guy. I would hate to see him get in trouble. Ummm……you're not going to tell Brooks or your dad about this, are you?"

"Nah, there may be a time I need you boys to keep a secret for me." I said with a wink. Rizzo smiled at me. He had a great smile, lit up his entire face. "See you at practice in Minnesota! Goodnite!" I said and walked back to my room. I did not know that behind me Rizzo was smiling as well.