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*NaomiMannequeen* · 05-24-2024, 02:02 PM

You’d never expect during a normal hockey game where a teammate scores a hat trick and also has an assist to be one that you’d be at risk of losing, but this was no ordinary game of hockey. The Simulation Major Junior Hockey League finals, game 5 sees the Québec City Citadelles facing off against the Maine Timber once again. With only 56 seconds left on the clock in the 3rd period, Gewmba Stolemamoney had managed to bring the game back within one, a 6-5 lead for the Citadelles.

Losing this game wasn’t going to be the end for the Citadelles. With a 3-1 series lead, they had games in hand, multiple tries to eliminate Maine from cup contention and win the cup themselves. Something just… didn’t feel right about that though. At least not to Citadelles captain Frøya Solberg. They had to win tonight. She needed the team to win tonight. A feeling welled up inside of her. She needed to end this game, put it out of reach, and make sure that the cup came home. She had 20,000 fans in attendance all waiting for their Citadelles to hoist the cup, or hope that the series would go back to Maine. Pressure coming from the crowd in the form of boos after the Timber goal felt overwhelming, but that feeling welling up inside was giving her a surge of energy.

As the 3rd line of 3WW Wingmate Roc, Johnny Patey V2 and Nor Ge got off the ice, Frøya heard the coach call out “SSD!” It was time for Frøya to get on the ice for the last minute of play. Her sister Sonja Solberg jumped on the ice, as well as the “D” part of the “SSD” line, Céleste Desjardins, the teammate who had put up three goals that night already. Skating to center ice, Frøya knew this was going to be the biggest faceoff of her career. Overall she hadn’t been doing great this playoffs in the faceoff circle so the pressure mounted more and unfortunately, it got to her. Losing the draw, Frøya skated back towards the defensive zone to try and amend her mistake as Maine’s goalie skated off for them to get the extra skater. A small poke check from teammate Leo Roze in the defensive zone allowed Céleste Desjardins to get a takeaway on the opposing Maine forward. With a quick pass to Frøya, the game was once again on her stick.

Turning around before starting to skate up center ice Frøya sped up the neutral zone with unrelenting haste. Like a woman possessed by natural instinct, a need that had to be fulfilled, she went beyond her limits for but a moment. She waited for the Timber defense to bite on her attack to push towards her to give them less time to react to the shot that was coming. As soon as they did, she felt her opportunity arise and launched a wicked wrist shot from the line straight into the empty net. It wasn’t the prettiest goal of her career, it wasn’t going to be on many highlight reels, it wasn’t likely to be the game winner either, but it felt like the dagger that they needed to finally seal this one away.

There were 40 seconds left on the clock. One more faceoff at least. 40 seconds of defense left to play. Defense? No. Québec needed to push even more, to have absolute certainty that there wouldn’t be another chance from Maine to come back. Finally winning a faceoff in what felt like forever the puck made its way to Juan Tymer who quickly passed it to Sonja Solberg to skate it up the neutral zone.Entering the offensive zone, Québec played it slow but perfect, not giving Maine a single chance to breathe. The entire team was feeling what Frøya felt; the hunger for another goal, the hunger to finally get that cup that they’d been trying so hard to get for the past 4 seasons. The clock wound down rather quickly, and Québec had actually managed to get their 42nd shot on net. Frøya’s focus was immaculate. She hadn’t realised the game was over until she noticed all other players on the ice standing up, her teammates rushing towards each other to celebrate the victory. Frøya stood there for a moment out of breath as she looked back on what it took to get here to get to this moment. With her sister checking up on her, Frøya finally snapped out of it and joined her teammates in victory.

The feeling was surreal. Frøya had won gold at the WJC before, but nothing compared to this. Though with the joy of the cup win, the bittersweet thought of having to part ways with many of her teammates, that feeling churned down deep to Frøya’s core. She turned to her sister for a moment and simply uttered in her native tongue.

“I’m hungry for more. Let’s get another one while we’re up in Calgary, alright?”

“Just one? You and I both know we’re not going to be satisfied with just one more.”

“You’re right, let’s make a mark people won’t ever forget.”

Satisfied for but a moment with their hopes and dreams, the sisters began to celebrate with the team anew. As per hockey tradition, Frøya was handed the cup first, and despite how much she wanted to indulge in this victory, to sink her teeth into the cup, Frøya skated over to her teammate in Song Ju-Gong, the goalie who most definitely had brought them this far and handed him the cup while sharing a few words.

“For watching our backs throughout the entire season and playoffs, even though this game was rough, you deserve to raise it first.”

Ju-Gong nodded, though the humble man that he was skated over to whom he believed was the game’s MVP, rightfully so. Alternate captain and noted goalie lover Céleste Desjardins was offered to raise the cup with Admiral Song, though ultimately they refused, also insisting that Song deserved the first lap with the cup. Finally with both the captain and one of the alternate captains telling him that he should enjoy the moment, Song Ju-Gong finally raised the cup in victory.

The cup would take laps around the team until it finally made its way to Sonja and finally back to Frøya who took it with her sister, both of them holding one side of the trophy.

“To our first of many,” Frøya said with a cheerful smile.

“You know it!” Sonja responded with a wink

And thus ended the chapter of the Solbergs’ junior careers. With a win finally obtained for the Norwegian girls, there was one thing that had been confirmed: Their hunger was not satisfied and it may never be satisfied, but now they look towards the SHL to continue their feast...