Page 17 of Not in the Plans (London Lightning #1)

Chapter Fourteen

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T he first game of the season is finally here. It’s always my favorite time of the year.

There’s no wins and losses yet. Everyone is starting out as equals. We’ve got a clean slate and have the entire season laid out ahead of us.

The guys are all joshing around together in the visitors’ locker room. Hard folding chairs sit between metal lockers. Harsh overhead lights glare down on us.

The sense of excitement and nerves is palpable.

“All right, men. Are you ready?” I call out.

“Hell, yeah!”

“Let’s fucking go!”

“We’ve got this!”

Cheers echo all around me in the locker room. It’s the kind of energy I love seeing before a game. Practice has gotten better since our bonding event. We still have a long way to go, but I like what I’m seeing.

“Edinburgh has a good team. I’m not going to deny that. I want you to use everything we’ve learned in practice and work together as a team. ”

I look around the room and take in my team. A frenetic energy is coursing through them. “We’re ready. Go out there and play your game. Don’t try to do anything extra or fancy. Just do what you do.”

Jack and Alfie are nodding along next to me as I finish my pregame speech.

Simmons pulls everyone together in the center of the room. “You heard Coach. Play our game and do what we do. Lightning on three. One, two…”

“Lightning!”

Guys grab their sticks and helmets and head down the tunnel toward the ice. Seeing as how this is my very first EIHL game, I don’t know what I’m in for.

But what I see when I get out there shocks me.

The arena is smaller. I knew that. But based on Liv’s emails, I assumed it would be a crowd of a dozen or so people.

This? This is not that.

The entire place is packed to the brim with people as boos ring out to signal our arrival. Signs are held aloft for the various members of the home team. The Eagles logo is splashed across every surface in black, yellow, and white.

“Damn.”

“Not quite the NHL?” Jack asks as we take our positions on the bench.

“More people than I thought.”

“Really?” he asks, looking thoroughly confused.

I nod. “Liv made it sound like there wouldn’t be anyone here.”

“Edinburgh brings in a pretty large crowd. But there’s a good number of Lightning fans here for an away game. They believe we are going to turn this team around.”

“Damn right we are.”

Because I want nothing more than to prove to Liv that we can do it. That we can be a team like Edinburgh and bring the people in.

The music changes and the crowd gets louder. In the small space, it causes my ears to ring. Edinburgh takes the ice to raucous applause and cheers.

Before the game starts, the UK’s national anthem plays throughout the arena. That’s something that is definitely going to take some getting used to.

Before I know it, the puck drops and the game starts.

Within seconds, it’s easy to see why Edinburgh is one of the top teams in the league year in and year out.

Even with the progress we’ve been making in practice, we can’t keep up.

In what seems like no time at all, the Eagles get an easy pass and are flying toward our end of the ice.

Snapping my eyes to Simmons, he tightens up.

I can see him reading the winger but before we can make a move, the puck is flying over his shoulder, lighting the lamp.

Fuck.

I glance at the scoreboard—they scored in under two minutes. It could be a very long night if it continues like this.

When play resumes, our guys are on top of them, but it’s hard to steal the puck and get into their zone.

McCord intercepts an easy pass and takes off on a breakaway, but their goalie is primed and ready. He snatches the puck out of thin air before it can cross the goal line.

“That’s okay, boys. That was a great play. Let’s draw up more plays like that—good defense and we’ll capitalize on it.”

I walk up and down the bench encouraging everyone as the lines change. We have a few more missed passes, and another easy goal slips in, but the guys are skating better together.

Before the first period ends, their hard work finally pays off. With a slick defensive move, Gavin shoots the puck up to McCord. With Jessup, another winger, skating with him, the two of them are able to work together to score.

“Hell, yeah!” I pump my arm as the guys all stand to bang their sticks on the boards. “Great job!”

When the horn sounds, I’m happy as the guys file into the locker room.

“Alright, men. That was a great first period. You made the necessary changes on the ice to clean up play. They might have gotten off to a fast start, but Simmons?” I look around for our goalie. “Simmons. You shook off that first goal and are looking sharp. Keep it up.”

Jack and Alfie talk with their respective lines before intermission ends. When we’re walking out toward a clean sheet of ice, confidence is oozing from the team.

“They’re doubling up on McCord when he’s out there,” I point out to Jack when play resumes.

Jack nods. “Let’s see if we can keep them busy enough to get the puck into the net.”

“Let’s tie this baby up.”

It’s as if putting it out there makes it happen exactly like I drew it up. McCord gets double-teamed, giving our other winger the chance to break into their zone. Their defenders realize too late he doesn’t have the puck and Jessup slides it into the goal with ease.

“Way to go! Way to finish! Keep following the puck like that, boys. You’re doing great.”

I keep up the encouraging words as the second period turns into a battle. The Eagles keep firing away at Simmons, but he’s hanging tough.

“Alright, come on. Come on,” I’m muttering to myself .

Another line change and it seems the longer we skate, the faster and harder we pound away at them.

We end the second period tied, and heading into the third, the energy is high. But Edinburgh comes out firing on all cylinders.

Simmons lets in an easy goal and it amps up the Eagles. From there, it’s hard for us to keep up. The guys are giving them everything they’ve got, but it’s to no avail.

The game ends 4-2 in favor of Edinburgh.

Heads are hanging as the guys skate off the ice toward our locker room. I’m already making mental notes about where we can work in practice to improve.

“Men, that was a hard-fought game. The score might not have turned out in our favor, but I am pleased with everything I saw. You played hard all game long. Simmons, you blocked over twenty shots. From the league’s top team.

I want you to be proud of yourself. We’ll study film, clean up some things in preparation for tomorrow’s game, okay?

I want an early night from all of you. No going out and getting pissed. ”

“Oooh, look at Coach with the slang,” someone chirps.

“Alright, alright.” I laugh. “Hit the showers and get cleaned up before we head out.”

Even though we lost, I feel good about what I saw. We worked as a team out there. Sure, there were some sloppy passes and missed opportunities, but you can’t turn one of the worst teams around overnight.

But I’m excited with our potential. About where I see this team going.

And I, for one, can’t wait to share that with a certain brunette in the business department when I return on Monday.