The things you do for those you love.
This weekend I went to not just one or two hockey games; I went to THREE! And now I have major bleacher butt. You might even be able to see the lines still imprinted on them.
This is Steve's first year not coaching hockey after college and he's missed it dearly. He's been able to keep up with it through recruiting for UWEC's Women's program but it's not quite the same for him.
So we had to make up for lost time. Thus jamming it all into one weekend.
I shouldn't complain though b/c I had a lot of fun. Friday night we headed to River Falls to watch the UWEC Men's Hockey team in their first playoff game. So I put on my normal hockey clothes of my black lounge pants, Nike Underarmer, and Northface vest with a scarf. Grabbed my huge fleece blanket that my Grandma gave me a few years back and some money for Hot Chocolate.
The game was really good. Well at least that's what I observed and Steve confirmed. My observations aren't always trustworthy though. You'd think after watching 3 years of Steve's collegiate career and three more years of his coaching career, I'd have hockey down.
Not so much.
I do have the overall concept, off-sides, and icing down pat. Took me a while with the whole icing thing though. I even have some of the correct lingo going; Power Play, Penalty Kill, Slap Shot, Top Bunk, 5 hole, glove vs stick side, Duster, Bender, Coast-to-Coast, Sieve, you know the important stuff.
I'm even following the puck now. Two years ago, I'd never see a goal. That thing just moved way too fast with way too many players in my way. I always thought they should make the puck Neon Green. But now, I see about every 8 out of 10 goals. I'm even getting to know when it's a good goal vs one that the goalie probably should have stopped.
But then Steve screwed it all up.
He tried to confuse me. He started telling me tactics and plays and to follow this guy and that guy... Dude... I'm just trying to focus on the puck! He kept steering my vision away from it. I get it. I'm a woman and I can multi-task but not in this case buddy. So while I was starting to recognize tactics and why this guy was shifting here, I didn't catch too many goals that night.
But I did enjoy my hot chocolate.
Then the next day I put on my usual with a different colored Nike Underarmer and scarf to go catch two more games. The Gopher's Women's Hockey team and the UWEC Men's team again. Steve and I made the mistake thinking the game was at 3 when really it was at 4. But that mistake was glorious. We walked around campus, grabbed some appetizers at Applebees, grabbed a coffee at Starbucks and just chilled, you know chilled being all romantic. Then we headed to the game.
I don't know why we don't catch more Gopher games of any sport but we don't and when we do we love it. We even enjoyed watching the pep band! Some goofy funny cats they have there.
Unfortunately we had to leave the game early and head back to River Falls to catch the men's game again. This time Steve was even more into the game and left me be until I'd pester him with questions. Why they don't send a skater weak side or I don't get the penalty... that wasn't a penalty? Sometimes my mind just gets fried after some intense games. And intense it was.
I even got nervous for them. Like seriously nervous. I was on the edge of my seat with eyes glued to the rink. I told Steve my heart was even racing for them. Which is weird b/c I know no one and usually hockey isn't that big of a deal to me. I guess Steve has rubbed off on me now though or the three games in one weekend has made me a hockey fan.
Anyways, UWEC won and they are headed on in the playoffs. So we celebrated with some Dairy Queen and Grey's Anatomy when we got home. :)
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