Transitioning from the Toronto Furies to the Brampton Thunder was not easy. I was joining a new team with new coaches and players who had already played together for a good part of the season. I was once again a new player fighting for a spot on the team that already had six defenders. Although the team welcomed me with open arms, there was naturally some tension.
My first two games for Brampton were against the Calgary Inferno. In the Jan. 18 game, I scored my first point. I got an assist on the tying goal that allowed my team to go into overtime. Though we lost the game 3-2, the comeback was good, to say the least.
Brampton has more systems than Toronto, so it took time for me to adjust and learn. The two games against Calgary gave me a sense of the team’s character and skill, how the coaches acted and what they expected from me.
We lost both games to Calgary, but I came out of the weekend feeling more comfortable playing with the team and with a better grasp of the systems. I was ready for our next two big games against Boston.
Throughout practices that week, I slowly started to fit in and started feeling like part of the team. I could not wait for the weekend, as I would play some of my formal rival opponents including a few former Harvard University players. I also looked forward to seeing the Boston Blades coach Digit Murphy, whom I had always admired.
The weekend started off on a good note as I was placed in the starting line up. I love starting games and could feel my adrenaline pumping. This was going to be good. After losing both games against Calgary, our team needed to get some points.
In the Jan. 25 game, I scored the winning goal in the third period and recorded two assists. I scored right off the draw. The center won the face off back, I deked a couple of players and scored top corner. It was my first goal for Brampton, and it could not gave come at a better time, as it helped us win. Boston is currently second in the league, so it was a big win for us.
Not only did I prove to myself to my team and coaches, I also won over the fans. As I left the rink, young fans asked for my autograph, a moment I will never forget.
We lost our second game against Boston, but we were still pretty happy. The weekend proved that I can be an impact player when given the chance.
I was really looking forward to our next two-game series at Montreal.
Montreal was the top team in the league and had posted a 13-3 at that point, so we knew it would be a tough weekend. We changed our strategy, but were ultimately unsuccessful as we lost both games. Despite our losses, we mastered our systems, which will hopefully help us move forward.
This weekend we play Toronto, the game I’ve been waiting for. I have a lot to prove. Let me just say this: I will give it my all, doing my best to ensure the two wins. These two games are really important for our team to make the playoffs and every point counts from here on out.
