Jelgava U-18 {3 - 3} Riga U-18 
2:37 left in the third period. 

Roze took a deep breath as he looked up at the scoreboard. He took one more breath as he glided slightly forward into his spot. They were in the offensive zone and he was closest to the boards, his shot never great so if the puck squeaked out to the center his defensive partner would get the shot off instead. The ref skated up, looked at both centers, and dropped the puck, Roze’s center won, and the puck slipped right to his Defense partner, he hit a one timer that just missed the goal, Roze’s right winger grabbed the rebound and rang it around the boards attempting to change the side of attack, but Riga’s left winger intercepted. Jelgava stayed in the zone pressuring but Riga kept possession. 
Roze knew he shouldn’t but he glanced up at the time,
1:53 left. 
Riga’s center got possession near the blue line, Roze skated backwards while his D partner went in for the puck

He missed 

Riga’s center passed to their right winger as he started bringing the puck, Roze went to stop him. 

“COME ON LEO” 

He wasn’t sure yelled it, but he was skating as fast as he could and eventually met the right winger at his own blue line, Roze went to poke the puck away from him but in less half a second the puck slid between his legs and the winger was past him, as he tried to turn fast enough to make another play his edge went out and he fell to one knee.
An embarrassing show of defense as he was then powerless to stop the winger from burying the puck. 

The goal horn went off as Riga swarmed their goalscorer. Roze started skating off the ice 

“I thought you were going pro big man what happened?” Roze looked at the Riga player but didn’t let his anger get the better of him. He stepped off the ice and the puck dropped with barely any time left.


A day later Roze sat in a small room watching film from the game. His personal coach Valters Denisova watched with him. “You played well, +1 in a game you lose is nothing bad, but that final play.” 
“I know.”
“You don’t know, because if you knew you wouldn’t have let it happen.”
“It’s not that easy I tried-“
“I know it’s not that easy but it doesn’t matter if it’s easy or not. What matters is what you do.”

Roze looked up a bit confused at that statement.
Denisova continued “look kid, not to be mean but you’re slow, you’re never going to be fast. Don’t try to play like someone with speed.”
Roze chuckled a bit. 
“I’m serious, you’re 6’4 and still growing. You can’t try to play the speed game you’re going to lose everytime.” 
Roze’s slight chuckle went to a mood of annoyance. “I know my own weaknesses.”

Denisova rewinded the tape by a couple seconds. “Apparently you don’t.” 

Roze rolled his eyes at that.

Denisova took a couple steps closer. “You need to cut him off here, you can’t try to out skate him. You’re lucky you even got that close to him before he was able to gain distance. You know exactly where he’s going, to your net. You need to make you’re in between him and your tendy.”

“I was!”

“Not really, you’re approaching him the side, we want him approaching you head one. It’s harder for him to get around you and it’s easier for you to respond to whatever he does. You want him coming to you, let him show his cards and respond to it. When you’re coming in like you did he knows you only have one choice and he has ten things he can do.”

Roze stayed silent as Denisova went on his tirade

“You have the stick length to surprise players, no matter how many times you do it they’re going to underestimate how long your reach is because it’s so much longer than they’re used to.”

“If I try too hard with my stick I always get called.”

“When you’re not infront of them. Again, once your beside or behind you’re getting those penalties but if you’re in front you’re not going to hook them, and if you trip him there? It’s better than a goal. You’re a defensemen, you’re allowed to take penalties okay.” 

Roze nodded as Denisova stayed quiet for a little bit to let Roze think about all the information he was giving him. 

Denisova spoke up again, “Also, why did you make no contact in this play?”

“I don’t know.”
“That’s what I’m here for then, I can’t explain why you didn’t make contact but you should have. You need to use your size to your advantage, you can’t try to play around it you have to play into it. Be strong, make contact, make these kids scared when you’re closing in on them.
Okay? Now. I want to-“

Denisova’s phone goes off and he walks over and takes the call 
“Hey… yeah I’m with Leo…”

Roze starts to lose focus, and starts thinking about hockey, what he did wrong in the game and what he could do better. 

“Hey, Leo, I need to go, planning shit.”
“What’re you planning?”
“Some shit with the wedding got messed up.”
“Wedding? You didn’t tell me you were getting married?”
“I told your dad, he didn’t inform you?”
“Nope, we’re invited?”
“Of course kid, your dad knows he probably got busy with some clients or something.”
“Yeah probably…”
“Sorry to cut our last session so short.”
“Last session?”
“Yeah I need to head back to Montreal soon. You really haven’t been paying attention to anything I say” Denisova smiled slightly after saying that 
“I listen to your coaching.”
They both laughed. Denisova walked over, “Hopefully I see you again soon, if you make it to a game make sure you let me know.”
“I have to focus on school so it’s going to be hard. 
“I know, kid, I know. We’ll start up again next offseason.”

They shook hands as Denisova packed up and left, Roze waited for a little bit and then left as well. Roze’s phone went off and he checked his text
“Hangout tonight. My place.” The text was from his defensive partner. He turned his phone off as he went home. 

A couple hours later he was still studying tape by himself, a couple phone calls came through but he ignored them all. He wasn’t ready to go out, he had to focus on honing in his skill if he wanted to be drafted into the SMJHL in two years time. 

“You know you can do more than just watch your film right?” Roze’s mom said as he looked over to her, he didn’t say anything before looking back at the video. She sighed and walked away.

The next morning he was first to morning skate, his team trickled in after.
“You ghosting us now.”
“Sorry Tomas, I was busy.” Roze replied 
“all good, maybe next week.” Tomas replied as he started to put on his gear.

The locker room erupted in talk as everyone discussed their weekends but Roze just sat there not talking, whenever someone asked him a question he would give a quick response and then return to silence. 

This would continue for a couple days before Tomas came up to him.
“Hey man you doing alright?”
“Yeah I’m fine” Roze responded, setting down his gear.
“I know you’re usually quiet man but you've been more so, what’s up?”
“Roze looked over. “I watch my film every game but still I make similar mistakes, how am I supposed to be drafted if I keep doing that.”
Tomas stopped for a second and just thought, Roze looked down breaking eye contact. Tomas then spoke up 
“Leo you’re the only one here getting scouted regularly, you have a SHL player personally coaching you, you’re by far the best player on this team.” 

Roze smirked a bit “you guys do kinda suck.” He joked 
Tomas let out a small laugh. “Don’t take yourself too serious man. Play for the love of the game not for glory.”
“You’re pretty smart Tomas.”
Tomas smiled at Leo “Yeah I get that a lot. Now, let’s get on the ice big man, we gotta get rid of those ‘mistakes’ you are talking about.” 

During the season, Roze flew to Montreal a couple of times to see Densiova play, and once to go to his wedding. 

“How’s your season going?” Denisova asked him.
“Come on man this is your wedding let’s not talk about hockey.” Roze responded 
“It’s my wedding so answer the question.”
“It’s going well, no major mistakes that lose a game so far.”
Denisova smiled, “good! Now I did see-“
Someone called for him “COMING! We’ll talk later.” 
Denisova patted him on the shoulder and walked away, they didn’t talk later. 

Eventually Roze flew back home to Latvia and got back to work playing 
His 16-year old season in the Latvian U-18 league went well, but not perfect. Jelgava ended up 3rd in the country but would end up getting knocked out of the playoffs in the semifinals.

Roze was one year away from his SMJHL career starting.