Personal Narrative-Lemieux Ice Center

Stepping out onto the ice, hearing the roar of the crowd, knowing that this was the end; the conclusion of the months of battling, surviving injuries and most importantly becoming one. This day was different, and the anticipation boiled inside of me, just hours ahead of the PIHL Championship game and the potential of being the best. I packed my bag as soon as I got home, and the lumbering bag seemed light as a feather. The game was held at the newly constructed Lemieux Ice Center and for this reason a certain expectation arose. This was the very rink that the Pittsburgh Penguins practiced and trained at every day. Only one other team was permitted to play on this ice surface which led to the realization that this might be my one and only chance.

"Beaver" I said, eyes raised in utter confusion. Never before have I been questioned upon entering a rink, but instead was usually just taken as a regular. The security guard then proceeded to lead myself and a few teammates through the winding maze of hallways, that would eventually lead out to the rink itself. The smells of cleaning supplies and the newly laid rubber floor hit my nose, immediately reinforcing that this was the big leagues. Everything was professional and up until this point. However this rigidity didn't last because as soon as I stepped into the locker room the noise coming from the speakers hit me like a brick. The boys were dancing and everyone was trying to put themselves in the correct mindset. "Just go out there and do what you know you can." Coach exclaimed. Throughout the year our team had steam rolled most other teams and on top of an 18 game winning streak we realized that coach was right; if we just play our game the good things will come. So one by one we jumped onto the ice, hearing the crunching beneath our feet, this was it, the final