Keela Gendron
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Period #3
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           February 23, 2003

      “Ok girls, quiet down and listen up!”  Coach Skip shouted over us chatting girls.
“This is your day, your day to show Vermont just how well you can shine!”  It was the day of the Girls U15 Hockey State Championship.  It was my team, Essex, against Woodstock. We were all in the locker room listening to Coach Skip preparing us for our game.  I could hear the Zamboni on the ice.
      “We aren’t ready to give up our winning streak, are we!?”
    “NO!” We shouted right back at him.  Skip kept talking to us for awhile.  It was then that I could no longer hear the Zamboni, and I knew it was time.  As I walked out into the rink with my team, I saw the huge crowd all bundled up together.  They were all there to see the exciting game.  I stepped out onto the ice and it all began.  
    On the bench, there were mixed emotions.  We were all excited, nervous, and anxious all at once with different thoughts tossing around in our heads.  We then scored 1…and 2 extremely exciting goals.  It stayed that way until we let down just the tiniest bit, and Woodstock too scored 1...and then 2 goals to tie it all up.  That just turned my stomach even more!  When the buzzer rang at the end of the game the scored sadly hadn’t changed.  For that reason there was over-time.
    “Next goal wins, Coach.”  The ref informed us.  Trying to calm my zooming nerves, I kept cheering my team on.  Our strongest line was out to play harder than ever to get a goal!  The puck was dropped and the battle for Champion continued.  It went back and forth for about a minute, when Brianna, my teammate, got a breakaway.  She skated straight down the far boards, through each Woodstock player.  Everyone including me was on the edge of their seat waiting for what seemed like the slowest seconds to pass by.  Brianna was building more speed and confidence as she went.  She was finally approaching the goalie, who was more ready than ever for the shot.  Brianna shot the puck, high and hard.  My heart stopped and my stomach twisted as far is it could go…and the puck incredibly went right over the goalie’s shoulder and hit the net!  We all jumped over the boards and piled on top of Brianna, screaming and crying and letting our held up emotions go! 
No one could believe it.  We were the first Essex girls to win the state championship, and not to mention we were undefeated throughout the season in Vermont, another first.  This was incredible!  It was an unbelievable miracle.  I had to take about a minute to realize that we actually did it.  We played out hearts out completely and it paid off BIG time!  I learned that if you want something so badly and you work your heart out then it can be a whole lot more than a dream.  I know that that game will stay in my heart forever, and the lesson will help me in the future.