The Sabretooths were actually a good team, or at least good enough in their league. Measured passing, strong counterattack on the break, which kept them in goal danger as much as the Bears. Jared couldn't help but worry about the center, a guy named Jacob Jacobs, who was impressive; he was outskating the Bears defensemen, and rattling Carl. The guy was good, but he seemed unwilling to pass; their star.

By the second period, Dubois made his decision; "Jared, you played d-man before, right? And you can take a hit and give one back?" 

It was between shifts, and Dubois obviously heard the tales, "Yeah, coach."

"Good," Dubois said, "because I need you to play two with whatever line is up against this Jacobs kid. I know that means less goals, but fuck goals if we lose in defense, you got me?" Dubois rarely cussed; it was serious.

"I can do it coach." 

"Good, then you're the goon for this game. I want their center guy rattled, he's the danger man. When he comes in, you climb the wall, got it?"

It wasn't expected; Jared was clearly the pivot of action for the Bears, and a goal machine for them, but he dropped back on the next shift the other team was confused by his position; he'd drive the passing, but focused on Jacobs, who seemed surprised that someone else had at least the same footwork, but playing a defensive role. 

"Why did the coach take Jared out and put him in the back like that," Heather Voss wondered aloud, "is it because he was going to outshine Gabe or soemthing?"

Moira gave her a strange look, "No, it's because whoever that kid is in the other side's center is, he has to be contained."

"But don't they have guys that do that as their primary position, Moira" asked Rick, who was there on a date with her; it wasn't like you could stop a hockey mom from going to the rink, even a reluctant one like Moira, so he was there, dealing with the cold.

"Sure, but they need someone that can skate but can stop this guy without fouling him and getting put in the penalty box, because then the Bears go down a man. I guess the coach decided on Jared." 

Meanwhile, Jacob Jacobs tried to veer off Jared with a sudden cut right, which Jared mimicked; mistake made, Jacobs kept the puck and Jared smashed him to the boards with an applause fom the hockey-savvy, including Moira who was shouting, over the din, "That's why coach put him there!" 

Much of it involved good judgment; Jared putting the pressure on Jacobs was fixing a problem; double cover Jacobs and you left gaps for others. But Jacobs was clearly used to a game of skill over grit, a David Livingston on ice, looking for help to clear his own that wasn't coming. 

Finally, after a couple shifts like that, a Sabretooths player got too eager to stop Jared, and did a high-stick move; in the penalty box. Jared climbed over the wall the moment Jacobs did and watched with satisfaction as first line put in a penalty goal with Gabe in the center where Jared usually was whole Van Voss, Heather's brother got put in on the right wing.

The Bear roared twice more.

At the end of the game, with Jared keeping Jacobs bottled up beautifully and without fouling, the first home game ended at 3-1. As they were touching gloves at the end, Jacobs came up to him, "That was a good game."

"Good game bro," Jared echoed.

"Where did you come from? These guys didn't have a guy that could skate like you."

"Massachusetts," Jared told him, "Captain a Malden Catholic last year."

"Damn, go figure. How'd you get here?"

"Mom got a position at Fresno tenured." 

"Cool, bro, you're graduating this year right?"

Jared was confused but answered, "Yeah, I am, but why do you want to know?"

"It means that I only have to worry about you -this- season, dude."

After that convo and another handshake, the team shuffled into the locker room; Gabe had a goal and two assists to his name, statistically outperforming Jared and came up to his locker, "uh, no hard feelings right? I mean, no one else was gonna stop that JAcobs guy, we all know that, but there will be talk. You really don't mind?"

"Hell no, Gabe, Bobby Orr was a defenseman," and Bobby Orr was the god of all Boston hockey, which meant that being d-man was not some slap in the face, "and I'd only be pissed if you were making stupid plays. We're here to win this brother, so stop worrying and focus on the team, I have your back. You aren't fucking me man, remember that pass? You had a 50-50 on the shot, but you gave it to me because you know I had an angle. That's this game -- goal scoring is important but good passing and positioning is what makes that happen."

-- 

"I know Dubois was a good coach that'd put out a solid team, but apparently the Bears wet from pussies to Punisher. Did you see that guy that went from center to d-man? I mean, Bears are good, but that kid improved the same overall stats in both positions; pass accuracy and possession unbelievable. I mean, good goal and all that, but he orchestrated the shift every time he was on. They've got some good players out there, but that one's the standout."

"I was here for Jacobs," the man in the fleece jacket said, "because they've been looking at him since last season, but whose this kid who marked him?"

"Jared Landry, new to the school, but look at last year's season with a guy by his name; captain of a team in Massachusetts and a hell of a player."

"No shit," said the man, looking at the computer screen, "Rudy, what I saw out here was so good that I thought that maybe we need to talk to Louie Molineaux, and see if he's always that good."

"Straight to the draft?"

"I'll tell you after more games; but we're going to definitely start attending Buchanan games."

-- 

Jared never got to attend an after-game party here besides the football one a Ricki Trenton's, but he practically was frog marched to this one; not at the Trenton house because apparently 'Colt' Trenton was there; instead, it was a Gabe's more modest but still swank house, which still had standard issue equipment; pool, hot tub.

He was barely in the door leading to the patio where the party was underway, including...

"So, you're the infamous Jared Landry," muscular dude that looked like a football type, lineman. But he was shaking hands with deceptive strength and putting a beer in Jared's hand, so he figured on a friendly. And the guy was manning a grill, heaped with cooking meat; hockey was a calorie burner and Jared could feel the salivation starting.

"Andy Trenton, Ricki's brother, but everyone calls me Andy Boy here, cause I used to be the squirt in class. It's a pleasure to meet Buchanan's new hardass in chief," the state heavyweight wrestling champ from last year told him, as he released the hand and tuned over some kielbasa and sucked down a beer. "Gotta say, I'm impressed with -all- your footage, man, but on skates? I never thought Buchanan would be a threat on ice, but it looks like you handle yourself on any surface. So what's up with that anyway?"

Oh shit, it was friendly but Ricki's brother apparently wanted the whole story and didn't seem like a guy that got put off much...