As senior Trevor Rogers was taxied onto the Montgomery Field runway, he took a deep breath.
“Montgomery Tower, Cirrus six-three-zero-sierra-foxtrot holding short two-eight right for an eastbound departure,” he said into the radio.
“Six-three-zero-sierra-foxtrot clear for eastbound departure two-eight right,” the tower crackled back.
For the roller hockey boys, it’s all about trust.
They trust that their teammates will be in the right place on the rink. They trust that, once they pass the puck, their teammates can, and will, make the shot. They trust that if a play turns sour, their team will be right there behind them to back them up.
However, for seniors Dylan Dixon, Kyle Clements and Willy Morrison, it’s more than just trust. It’s chemistry. It’s knowing one of them will be there to receive a pass, even without checking. It’s knowing that, when one of them takes it to the net, someone will drop back to play D. It’s knowing that someone has their back, no matter what. It’s the kind of chemistry that takes years to build.
Sophomore Lois Kim smacked against the rink floor.
During her first game of her first year of roller hockey, she was flattened by the largest player on the opposing team. “Decked,” she called it.
In the final round of nationals, the game was tied at zero. Despite going into double-overtime, both teams remained scoreless. The Dallas Texans and San Diego Surf were heading to penalty kicks. After six players from each team took their individual shots on goal, the game remained tied at 5. As the next player for the Texans started toward the goal, senior Ariana Zargarian’s mind was blank.