Panic in Pittsburgh by Roy MacGregor

Author:Roy MacGregor [MacGregor, Roy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-77049-424-4
Publisher: Tundra
Published: 2013-10-08T04:00:00+00:00

14

It was Saturday, the second-last day of the Peewee Winter Classic, and the Screech Owls were one game away from the final. They had played exceptionally well, even without Travis Lindsay in the lineup, but now they were about to meet the Portland Panthers to decide who got to play for the Winter Classic championship.

The Owls knew the Panthers well. They had beaten them and been beaten by them in past tournaments. They had even got to know some of the players – Jeremy Billings, the slick little defenseman, and Stu Yantha, the tall and powerful center – and had come to like and respect them.

Sarah was wearing the C. She had worn it before, so this was nothing new. She’d been the Owls’ first captain, but the C had gone to Travis when she went to play for an all-girls team, and it had stayed with Travis after she returned. They were both team leaders, and if there could have been two C’s, Sarah and Travis would have been the two Owls wearing them.

She was beside Sam, the two of them dressing quietly in the huge football-team dressing room at Heinz Field. The other Screech Owls were scattered about, none of them – not even Nish – talking while they readied themselves for what they knew was going to be a very tough, hard-fought game.

Most were fully dressed and finishing up tightening their skates when Muck came in and stood at the center of the room. It seemed he was about to make one of his special “speeches” – always using as few words as possible, always seeming slightly taken aback that he had to say anything at all. Muck wasn’t one for inspirational speeches. He also believed that players decided games, not coaches. He was unusual in that way, and the Owls loved him for it.

Muck cleared his throat.

“It’s a big game, kids. You know that. You don’t need to be told what to do or what to think. You know what to do, and if you haven’t already been thinking about this all day, you’re not hockey players. You don’t need any more coaches than you already have – but this game we’re going to add one, if you don’t mind.”

“Who?” Fahd cried out.

Muck gave him a withering look. He then turned to the door, where Mr. Dillinger was standing with a grip on the handle.

Mr. D opened the door and in walked Travis. He was wearing his Screech Owls tracksuit and he was smiling through a deep blush.

The Owls’ dressing room burst into cheers and screams of “Travis!” They rushed their red-faced little captain, high-fiving and fist-rapping with him, all of them so excited to see him back he couldn’t get a word in himself.

Mr. Dillinger put his fingers in his mouth and blew his trademark shrill whistle.

“Listen up, now!” he shouted. “Travis will be on the bench this game, but he won’t be able to play until we get back home and he gets cleared.

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