Equestria Hockey League Part XV – Quarterfinals: Game 3
by XFizzle
On the eve of the most important game of their young careers, Twilight Sparkle and the Ponyville Golden Leafs were putting the finishing touches on what could potentially be their last practice. The main objective was to pound the Rangers with physicality and to stifle them with tight defense. Toward the end of practice, Rarity began to feel a throbbing pain in her hooves. She skated off to the side boards and plopped herself down to take her front skates off. Concerned, Twilight rushed over to see what was wrong.
“What’s wrong, Rarity? Are you hurt?”
“Oh Twilight, I shouldn’t have done it. I thought I was going to be okay! I had no idea it would come back to haunt me so!”
Twilight was greatly confused. “Just what are you talking about?”
“Well I received an extremely important order for twenty hockey jersey dresses. I would have declined but the money was just too good to turn down. The dresses were very intricate and they put my poor hooves through torture! I hoped that my hooves would recover in the morning but they were still sore much to my dismay. Oh Twilight, I’m ever so sorry! And in excruciating pain, but still sorry!”
By this time, the rest of the team had skated over to listen to Rarity’s plight. Rainbow was not enthused with Rarity’s decision. “What?!? You KNEW we had a very important game coming up! What were you thinki-“
Applejack clunked Rainbow on the helmet to get her to hush up. Rarity’s face flushed with guilt before she lit up with an idea. “I know just the thing that will fix this problem. Why not let Big Macintosh start in my place? He’s been next to unstoppable when he’s on the ice. I am perfectly willing to sit this next game out for us to have the best chance at winning.”
“Are you sure you want to do that, Rarity? You’ve played every game so far and this could be our last game this year.”
Rarity hesitantly looked at her bruised hooves and then up at her friends. “Yes, Twilight. I will do whatever is best for the team. If that means I must sit out, then sit out I shall.”
Twilight then turned to Big Macintosh. “Do you feel you can take over for Rarity?”
In his steely cool demeanor, Big Macintosh let out a snort and nodded. “Yes ma’am. I’m ready. Sure as sugar.”
“Then it’s settled. Big Macintosh will fill in for Rarity. Now we can really bring the pain to the Rangers!”
While the Golden Leafs congratulated Big Macintosh on his promotion, Twilight used her magic to bring out bandages and she wrapped Rarity’s hooves. With practice over, the Golden Leafs retreated into the locker room to freshen up and to go about the rest of their day.
---
Later in the evening, the Golden Leafs were requested to arrive at Sugarcube Corner for a pep rally of sorts hosted by their fan club. When Twilight and friends entered the bakery, they were enthusiastically greeted by forty of their biggest fans. The Golden Leafs were treated like celebrities as everyone wanted either a picture with them or an autograph. There were Golden Leafs cakes and cupcakes, royal blue and gold streamers and balloons, and a giant poster decorated and signed by every member of the Leafs’ fan club. Twilight and company were overwhelmed and deeply moved by this display of fandom. Near the end of the event, the Golden Leafs all sat at the front of the room like a panel. Unbeknownst to them, they were about to learn about how much they’ve impacted their fair town.
The fan club president stood in front of the panel and addressed the team. “We are very grateful that you could enjoy this wonderful evening with us tonight. We love the Golden Leafs and we appreciate all the hard work and effort you have displayed over the long season. Before you go into battle tomorrow night to keep the season alive, we have a few fan club members here who want to share something with you.”
The Golden Leafs looked at each other and shrugged as a stout, older stallion made his way toward them. He was wearing a “Dash #20” jersey and took his hat off to talk to the team.
“Hello team. My name is Gerry and I just wanted to tell you how much the Golden Leafs have given me the motivation to wake up every morning. I have been unemployed for several months now with no light at the end of the tunnel. Every day I would sink lower into debt with numerous bills and rent payments. I almost lost everything but I kept fighting on because you guys keep fighting. I’ve watched every one of your games and the way you ponies play bring a smile to my face. Whether it’s Rainbow’s puck skills, Applejack’s big checks, or Pinkie’s timely saves, I have been proud to call myself a Golden Leafs fan. Those Fillydelphia games changed my life when you came back from that big score to win at the buzzer. When I saw you give everything you had to get back and win that game, it sparked something within me. I stopped feeling sorry for myself and I went out to find work.”
The stallion’s voice began to crack and tears were starting to well up in his eye. “Now, I am proud to stand before you all tonight and say that I’ve been working for a month now and I am pulling myself out of the hole. I saw that you never give up so I never give up. Thank you for inspiring my life and go Leafs.”
Applause filled the room as a few of the girls were about to cry themselves from the story. Rainbow called Gerry back up to the table and signed her name right on the front of his jersey for him. More applause rang out as a teenage colt was next to share his feelings.
“WOOOOOO!! Golden Leafs rule! You guys kick flank! Destroy the Rangers WOOOOO!!”
Laughter and applause cropped back up as the colt ran up to Applejack for a hoof bump. Applejack stood up and happily obliged, making the colt squeal on the way back to his seat.
Next, a mother and her daughter stepped up to the Golden Leafs. The filly was shy but her mother pushed her forward to talk. “I want to thank you for being good role models and because you are girls who play hockey tough, I started to play hockey myself. I’m not very good but someday I hope to be a Golden Leaf too.”
A loud “Awwww” rang out along with applause as the filly trotted up toward the team. The Golden Leafs walked around the table to take a group picture with the young girl and all gave her a hug.
Seeing that the night was getting late, Twilight took center stage and stood before the large gathering. Moved by the fans’ care and support, Twilight’s voice quivered as she addressed the club. “Thank you all for coming and for supporting us not only tonight but over the entire season. We didn’t know that we meant so much to all of you. Tonight was a very touching and memorable experience that we will always remember and treasure. We will do our very best tomorrow night to take care of business. We will be a team you can be proud of. Thank you again and goodnight!”
Twilight and the team waved goodbye as they left. The Leafs fan club raucously pounded their hooves on the tables to a “Go Leafs Go!” chant. The Golden Leafs retired to bed early with their souls illuminated by the inspiring stories they heard throughout the night. Twilight and her crew increased their focus and determination so that they would not disappoint their resilient fans.
---
After a full night of sleep, dawn cracked on game day; the day where the Ponyville Golden Leafs could either extend their season or could have their dreams come to a crashing end to an emerging bitter rival. In order to keep everyone calm and loose, Twilight arranged for the team to spend the afternoon and watch movies at the treehouse. A couple of side-splitting comedies later, the time had come for the gang to march down to their battlefield where they would close out their war. The fanfare leading to the arena began as soon as Twilight’s door. Forming a path on each side, Ponyvillians lined the streets leading to Ponyville Pond. When Twilight and friends stepped out, a giant swell of applause began at the start of the line. The applause followed the Golden Leafs as they marched toward the arena. Twilight and friends held their heads high and were beaming with pride as they processed through the sea of rabid fans. When Ponyville Pond drew closer, the applause intensified into cheering and hollering. The Golden Leafs all turned around to give a final parting wave to their loyal fans before entering the arena.
---
The Golden Leafs donned their armor with quiet focus, turning the locker room into a peaceful sanctuary. With plenty of time remaining before hitting the ice, a colt wearing headphones and a battery pack trotted into the room. The colt had a press credential in his mouth that read “EqSPN”. Twilight was about to escort the young man out before he yelled back toward the hallway.
“Yeah I found her! We need her now?? Alright, I’ll grab her! Hey you’re Twilight Sparkle right?”
Twilight snarled back, “Yes. What do you want? My team is trying to prepare for a very crucial game tonig-“
“Good, come with me, you’re on the air in two.”
Twilight’s irritation quickly gave way to bewilderment as she was pushed toward the hallway. Bright lights and cameras crowded around Twilight as she tried to make sense of what was happening. When she snapped out of her small daze, she turned around and smacked into a tower of fur. Shaking her head, Twilight looked up and saw a giant grin staring back down at her. The furry tower was a bear, an older bear with a head of slicked back grey hair. He was holding a microphone and put his arm around Twilight.
“Heya kid! Ready for your first big interview?”
“Uhh, I guess so. No offense, but who are you?”
The production colt from earlier clopped his hooves together to get their attention. He pointed to the cameras and mouthed the words “On air in four…three…two…”
All cameras fixated upon Twilight and a red light illuminated on the center camera to indicate it was rolling.
“Hello hockey fans, I’m Beary Melrose and I am here with Ponyville Golden Leafs captain Twilight Sparkle. So captain, what does your team need to do tonight to put this series away?”
Twilight stammered and began to sweat. “Uhh, we need to come out physical and knock Manehattan off the puck. If we can hit them around, we feel we can control the game.”
“A few days ago in practice, Rarity went down with some hoof-related injuries. Any update on her status tonight?”
“Uhh, Rarity elected to give up her starting role to Big Macintosh for tonight.”
“How do you feel he will fit in with your lineup and what sort of production are you looking for him to provide?”
Taking a giant gulp, Twilight continued with the interview. “I think he will fit in just fine. He’s a hitter and he’s solid all around. We’re looking for him to provide us with some strong play and maybe generate some offense while staying sharp on the penalty kill.”
“Finally, what has this season meant for not only your team but for this city?”
“For the team, this season has been magical. We’re just a bunch of friends who were given a team out of the blue and I feel we’ve done a job well done. Sure we’ve had our ups and downs but in the end, it’s all about friendship and teamwork. As for the city, Ponyville is such a great place to represent. The fans are resilient, loyal, and supportive. Just the other night we were invited to a pep rally and everyone in attendance had an inspiring story to tell about how we’ve lifted their spirits. It’s for them that we’re going to come out here and fight tonight.”
“Thank you, captain. Good luck out there tonight.”
“Thanks, Beary.”
Twilight quickly scampered back to the locker room as Beary wrapped up the segment. “That was Golden Leafs captain Twilight Sparkle who will shortly lead her team to the ice for a game three showdown. Now back to tonight’s commentators, Gary Horne and Filly Clement. Guys?”
---
Back from her interview, Twilight stood at the front of the room and was ready to deliver what could possibly be her last pre-game speech. Each of her teammates leaned in to listen intently.
“Tonight, there’s no turning back. We are standing at the edge of the cliff. Are we going to let the Rangers push us off? Or are we going to jump back and reclaim our ground? You know, history spoke of a great explorer stallion. When he and his crew reached shore on a new, foreign land, he told his men ‘queme los barcos.’ In their language at that time, he said ‘burn the boats’. They gave themselves no way out. There was going to be no looking back no matter what danger they encountered be it from the wildlife or the inhabitants. That is going to be us tonight. We are going to ‘burn the boats’ because we will forcibly take what’s ours. I said before game one that this was going to be a war. Well tonight, the war will be finished. When the smoke clears, we WILL be the last ones standing. Are we ready to finish this fight?”
“Yeah!”
Twilight stomped both front hooves down on the floor hard. “I SAID ARE WE READY TO FINISH THIS FIGHT?!?”
“YEAH!!” yelled the Golden Leafs as they jumped from their stalls.
“Bring it in. We will fight as a team. We will sweat as a team. We will bleed as a team. We will WIN! AS! A! TEAM! Team on three!”
“One…two…three…TEAM!”
---
Ponyville Pond buzzed and whirred like a well-oiled machine. The tension palpable, the atmosphere electric. Blanketing the seats was another “Blue Out” with each Golden Leafs fan pumping gold-colored pom-poms into the air as the clock ticked down to game time. When the buzzer sounded to bring the teams out onto the ice, the first of many cheering eruptions rang out. Manehattan came out first for introductions and were voraciously jeered and booed. The Rangers proceeded to zip around their end with great quickness and focus. For Ponyville’s introductions, the arena was so loud that fillies and mares had to cover their ears. The local heroes were given a fitting welcome from their dedicated fans.
With the lights back up, the arena rocking, and both teams staring a hole through each other, the deciding game was ready to commence. Octavia and Rainbow bumped helmets while awaiting the referee’s goalie check. With the clack of the puck on the ice, the elimination game began.
---
Octavia and Rainbow clashed, kicking and poking at the puck before it finally squirted out toward Manehattan. Hitting immediately came into play as Applejack plowed over Bon Bon after she had passed off to Vinyl Scratch. Vinyl Scratch was rocked herself by an aggressive Fluttershy at the blue line. Rainbow swooped by to take the puck through the neutral zone where she then was flattened by Lyra who was cutting through the center. The crowd’s cheers popped louder with each check as Manehattan carried the puck into the Ponyville zone. Lyra dumped the puck into the right corner for Scratch. Fluttershy shoved Scratch into the boards as they tussled for the puck. Octavia came in along with Applejack to claim the puck. Applejack got some shots in on Scratch while Octavia did the same to Fluttershy. The puck squirted out toward Octavia who was rammed into the glass by Big Macintosh. Big Mac grabbed the puck and skipped it ahead to Rainbow who tried to take it into the Manehattan zone by herself. Bon Bon and Trixie were back and sandwiched Rainbow down to the ice to stop her charge.
Two uninterrupted minutes had already melted off the clock as the Rangers controlled the puck back into the Leafs’ end. The Rangers moved quickly now as to avoid the Leafs’ crushing hits. Octavia had the puck behind the net and passed it to Lyra on the left boards before Twilight could pressure. Lyra was met by Big Mac who was forcibly imposing his will on the smaller and weaker Lyra. Lyra desperately flung the puck toward the center where it was intercepted by Rainbow. Before Rainbow could head up ice, Trixie closed in to steal the puck back. Scratch got herself open in the backdoor to receive Trixie’s pass. With a wide open net in front of her, Scratch flicked the puck on net. Pinkie dove to her left and stuck her stick out in hopes of making a save. The puck catches Pinkie’s stick blade and deflects up into the air, eliciting a giant roar from the fans. Fluttershy claimed the puck upon its landing and passed it to Applejack heading up ice.
The Golden Leafs brought the puck in and worked around the boards with the Rangers tightly defending them. Rainbow held the puck in the left corner, fending off Bon Bon. With Big Mac coming in to help, Rainbow kicked the puck to him. Big Mac barreled his way toward the middle but was double teamed. Mac saw Applejack open along the boards and passed to her. Scratch came in to challenge Applejack, leaving Fluttershy open at the point. Applejack shoved the puck to Fluttershy before absorbing a Scratch hit. Fluttershy saw an open lane to the net and fired. Rainbow crashed the crease with Bon Bon right on her. The puck glances off Bon Bon’s skate and slips right past the unsuspecting Dr. Whooves into the net. All of Ponyville Pond jumped to their hooves with a roar as the goal light shone like a beacon and the siren sounded.
”PONYVILLE GOOOOAAALLL!! Scored by number 0, FLUTTERSHYYY! Assisted by number 88, AAAAPPLEJAAACK! And number 8, BIIIIIG MAAAACINTOSH!”
The Golden Leafs finished up their celebration and headed for center ice for the faceoff. The Rangers had a meeting at their net before coming toward the center. The “Blue Out” was still buzzing and pumping their pom-poms as play resumed. Rainbow won the draw back to Twilight who fed it right back to Rainbow. Frustrated from the fluke goal, Bon Bon thrust her stick at Rainbow’s skates to get at the puck. Rainbow tumbled over and lost the puck, instantly prompting the referee to hold his hoof up and blow the whistle. The arena’s buzz ripened back into cheering with Bon Bon heading to the penalty box.
“Manehattan, number 20, two minutes for tripping.”
Twilight quickly ran down the power play strategy with her team before the referee called both teams for the faceoff. Octavia won the faceoff back to Trixie who dumped the puck down to Pinkie. Pinkie skated behind to grab the puck and to pass it to Twilight. Twilight tried passing the puck back into the Manehattan zone but it was too hot for Applejack to handle, ending up on Scratch’s stick. Scratch fired back down for Pinkie to retrieve again. This time Rainbow tried bringing the puck in. Rainbow broke right down the center hoping to draw the defense in to open up the perimeter for her teammates. With a well-timed poke, Octavia stole the puck from Rainbow and dumped the puck back down again. Precious seconds were slipping away from the Golden Leafs’ power play as they tried to establish some offense. This time, Big Mac brought the puck in and whipped the puck around the boards to Applejack. Big Mac parked himself in the crease to screen Dr. Whooves while the Leafs moved the puck around. Big Mac held steady as Trixie tried to push him away. Twilight ripped a shot from the point but it was blocked by a diving Lyra. Pinkie slapped her stick on the ice for the final seconds of the penalty before coming out to get the dumped puck.
”Manehattan returns to full strength.”
A “GO LEAFS GO” chant broke out as Applejack tried bringing the puck into the Rangers’ zone. Octavia and Scratch double teamed her and Octavia came away with it. Knowing Fluttershy was back, Twilight took a gamble and came up to head Octavia off. Twilight was able to steal the puck and she quickly shoved it forward to Rainbow who flew into the zone and slashed through the center. Instead of deking her way to the net, Rainbow caught the Rangers’ defense by surprise by performing a shoulder shake to freeze them and then firing off a slap shot. Dr. Whooves raised his glove hoof but was too slow. The puck clanged the back brace of the net and shot back out, lighting up the lamp and sounding the siren. With the arena exploding with more cheers, Rainbow drifted off to the corner to await her teammates to celebrate the goal.
”PONYVILLE GOOOAAALLL! Scored by number 20, RAAAAINBOW DAAAASH! Assisted by number 42, TWIIIILIGHT SPAAAARKLEEE!”
Dr. Whooves slammed his stick on the crossbar in frustration as the Rangers bent over to catch their breath. The Leafs finished up their celebration and were ready to resume play again. With a pivotal 2-0 lead in the elimination game, the Golden Leafs controlled the puck and let the first period run out. They were ushered off the ice to a standing ovation from their fans, clearly pleased with the first period effort. Twilight led her team back to the locker room to rest for the intermission.
---
The Golden Leafs were confident about their start but were not ready to let up. Twilight stressed for her team to double their effort and to push for more goals as no lead was safe until the clock reads 0:00. The intermission provided a good breather because fatigue was slowly creeping in from the Rangers’ hits. Mostly refreshed and ready for more, the Leafs stepped out for the second period.
---
The second period got off to a quick start with Manehattan applying full pressure in all areas of the rink. They blitzed on the forecheck, buzzed around the neutral zone, and rotated and maneuvered all over the offensive zone, giving Ponyville a fit and forcing them to give up the puck. When Ponyville did have the puck in the Rangers’ end, Rainbow fumbled the puck and had her pocket picked by Octavia. With a wide open rink on the way to Pinkie, Rainbow dove to poke the puck away. Rainbow’s stick caught Octavia and tripped her up. The referee’s hoof flew up and play stopped when the puck landed at Pinkie. Trixie rushed over to the referee to plead for a penalty shot but nothing doing.
“Ponyville, number 20, two minutes for tripping.”
The crowd perked up to cheer on the penalty kill unit. Twilight, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Big Mac gathered at the faceoff circle to discuss the next two minutes. The Rangers came up for the faceoff and play resumed. Octavia won the draw back to Bon Bon who shoveled it over to Trixie. Scratch and Lyra switched wings, cutting through the Leafs’ box and mixing the defense up. Now on the left boards, Scratch received the pass and bringing in both Twilight and Applejack to defend. Scratch quickly passed back to Trixie who already wound up for the one-timer. The puck jumped off Trixie’s stick and zoomed in toward the corner. Octavia skated by at just the right moment to screen Pinkie, allowing the puck to pound the net for the power play goal. A groan bellowed out as Trixie jumped toward the boards in celebration. The Rangers smothered her and they cut their deficit to 2-1.
”Manehattan goal, scored by number 4, Trixie, assisted by number 66, Vinyl Scratch, and number 20, Bon Bon.”
Rainbow smacked her stick upon exiting the penalty box. The arena atmosphere cooled down to a low murmur as play resumed. Rainbow dug in to rip the faceoff away from Octavia and handed it back to Twilight. Almost immediately, Big Mac fiercely smacked his stick on the ground calling for the puck. Twilight gave it up and Big Mac went to work. Using his amazing strength, Big Macintosh gritted his teeth and plowed right through the center of the Rangers’ zone. Bon Bon and Trixie closed on him but they could not force him off stride. Big Mac rumbled to the crease and shot the puck like a cannon right into Dr. Whooves. The Doctor got his glove on the puck but the force drove his hoof into the net. The jolt of the shot made him release the puck, giving Ponyville a quick response to the Rangers’ power play goal.
”PONYVILLE GOOOAAALLL!! Scored by number 8, BIIIG MAAAACINTOSHHH! Assisted by number 42, TWILIGHT SPAAAARKLEEE! And number 20, RAAAAINBOW DAAAASHHH!
Like a spark, the crowd was back into full blown party mode. Applejack hugged her brother as the rest of the team came in to congratulate him for the goal. Trixie hit herself in the helmet with her stick in frustration. The one-goal lead was expanded back to two with three minutes left in the second period. The next faceoff, the Rangers won the faceoff and trampled into the Ponyville end. Trixie reached into her game two bag of tricks and parked herself in front of Pinkie, facing face to face. Trixie waved her stick all about to distract Pinkie as the Rangers scrambled around to generate offense. The Rangers fired off a couple shots but could not get it past Pinkie who fought off Trixie’s distraction. The faceoff stayed in the Ponyville end and was won by the Rangers. Again, Trixie got in Pinkie’s face and flailed about. Twilight saw Trixie out from the corner and charged at her with a full head of steam. With a big push, Twilight knocked Trixie to the ice luckily as the puck came to her, so no penalty was called. The crowd cheered Twilight’s hit as the Golden Leafs shot the puck out of their end. Octavia and Rainbow were now in a hoof race to the other end, hoping to get an icing call or to prevent it respectively. The final thirty seconds of the period ticked away as the two racers rushed past the Manehattan blue line. With an extra burst of effort, Rainbow cut off Octavia to nab the puck away, negating the icing. Applejack was trailing the play and was now coming in through the middle wide open. Rainbow saw Applejack and passed it quickly. Leafs fans all stood up to watch the play as Applejack received the puck with a slight breakaway. Applejack snapped the puck off but was desperately knocked away by Dr. Whooves at the last second with his blocker. The crowd let out an “Awwww” and the second period came to a close.
The Leafs were loudly applauded off the ice again with a 3-1 lead and only ten minutes left until their season can be extended. Smiles were glowing on the Leafs’ faces as they stepped off the ice while the Rangers had bitter scowls heading into the intermission.
---
Twilight kept her troops focused as they entered the locker room. When everyone was settled at their stall, she stood at the front of the room. “Alright everypony, just ten more minutes. TEN more minutes. We were lucky to get a goal back after the Rangers’ goal. We can’t let up. Now, we know the Rangers and how they are. They’re going to be in super desperation mode. Expect to take some unclean lumps from them. No matter what tricks they try to pull, DO NOT let them get under your skin. We need to stay mentally tough and worry about our play. We have this!”
Rainbow stood up and joined Twilight’s side. “DARN right we do! Just picture this. The game is over, our fans are yelling their flanks off, and off in the corner, Trixie is crying her eyes out. The Rangers go home while we get to keep playing. Just keep that picture of Trixie’s crying loser face in your memory and we’ll win this!”
Twilight nodded with a smile. “The key this final period is poise. Hooves in, poise on three!”
The Leafs jumped out of their seats and merged at the center with their hooves in. “One…two…three…POISE!”
---
Ponyville Pond roared when the Leafs made it back onto the ice. The blue sea was rolling and the gold pom-poms were pulsating. The Rangers stepped onto the rink to a swell of boos. The clock set to 10:00 and the referee stood at center ice with the puck. With the electricity back in the air, both teams met at the center for the faceoff. Slammed with authority, the puck was in play and the third period was on.
Manehattan won the faceoff and deployed their desperation strategy on offense: firing the puck from all angles and storming the crease for rebounds. Bon Bon had the puck at the blue line and shot with reckless abandon. The puck bounced off Pinkie’s chest and landed in the crease where Scratch came in to try to knock it home. Luckily Fluttershy reached it first and slapped the puck away out of danger. The Rangers reset on offense and Lyra ripped a tight angle shot from the side. Pinkie moved over to hug the post but the shot skipped wide to Octavia behind the net. Octavia skated away from Fluttershy and peeled toward the net to fire another shot which Pinkie stopped. Pinkie held on to blow the play dead which was rewarded with a rousing cheer by the hometown crowd.
The ensuing faceoff was won by Rainbow and the Leafs tried to take the puck out of their zone. Manehattan stayed up on the forecheck and forced Rainbow to cough up the puck. Rangers swiftly moved back into the Leafs’ zone with intensity in their strides. Bon Bon carried the puck past the blue line and shot again. Lyra and Scratch blitzed the crease and out-powered Twilight and Fluttershy. Pinkie couldn’t corral the puck and left the rebound lying off to her side. Lyra dove toward the puck and shoved it in the net. The crowd’s buzz died as Lyra was pounced on by her joyous teammates.
”Manehattan goal, scored by number 10, Lyra, assisted by number 20, Bon Bon.”
With the game back to a manageable 3-2 deficit, the Rangers began to unleash their nastiness to turn the momentum. On the faceoff, Octavia collided with Rainbow and gave her a tiny headbutt to win the puck from her. When the puck was in the corner, Lyra fended off Big Mac with some hidden jabs from the butt of her stick. The Leafs tried to suppress their irritation and stayed strong. The Rangers kept slapping the puck from all angles and crashing the crease for rebounds, spraying Pinkie with ice nearly every twenty seconds when she came up with big saves.
When play resumed, the Leafs finally won control of the puck and tried anchoring themselves in the Rangers’ end to increase their lead and to melt time away. The puck was in the corner with Applejack and Scratch tussling for control. The scrum moved along the right wing boards close enough for Fluttershy to help out. Despite the two Leafs, Scratch came out with the puck and led the Rangers back on offense. Scratch dumped the puck into the corner for Octavia to swoop in after it. Fluttershy closed in along with Rainbow to fight Octavia for possession. Away from the play, Trixie skated out of position and drifted near Twilight. When the puck squirted out toward Twilight, Trixie snuck up behind her and stuck her front leg out to clip Twilight. The referee didn’t see Trixie’s slew-hoof and play resumed with the crowd yelling for a penalty. Even though the referee didn’t see the dirty move, Fluttershy did. Twilight weakly skated after the puck but her knees were jarring with pain. After a Pinkie save on Lyra to stop play, Fluttershy angrily mumbled under her breath.
“Trixie has been a thorn in our side for far too long. It’s time to take out the trash. She won’t hurt anyone else ever again!”
Twilight worked her legs out to regain feeling and to continue on. When the referee was ready to drop the puck, Fluttershy looked over to Trixie who had a giant, smug smirk on her face. Octavia won the faceoff back to Bon Bon while Fluttershy locked her sights on Trixie. Unfortunately for Trixie, Bon Bon passed it to her with an angry Fluttershy rumbling forward. When Trixie received the puck, she looked up and her face turned white as a ghost.
”YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR CRIMES AGAINST INTEGRITY AND SPORTSPONYSHIP!”
WHAM! Launching like a loaded missile, Fluttershy and her rage wrecked Trixie to an enormous cheer from the crowd. With the puck flopping at Trixie’s skates, Rainbow glided in and picked it up for a breakaway. Leafs fans jumped up to watch Rainbow come in on Whooves. Rainbow pulled the puck left, then right, then left, then out forward. Whooves leaned forward for the puck, but Rainbow quickly pulled it back in. Rainbow danced around Whooves’ leg and pounded the puck into the net. Ponyville Pond’s roof blew up from an explosion of cheers as Rainbow flung herself into the glass. The Leafs rushed in to mob her in the corner as the Rangers gathered around their fallen captain.
”PONYVILLE GOOOAAALLL!! Scored by number 20, RAAAAINBOW DAAASHHH!”
Trixie was seeing stars as she gingerly stood up from the hit. Her teammates helped bring her to her hooves as the crowd continued celebrating. With only two minutes left, the Rangers’ future was looking bleak. Manehattan called time out to allow Trixie recovery time and to pull Dr. Whooves for an extra attacker with their season on the line. When it was time to resume play, Leafs fans were still standing and broke out a “GO LEAFS GO” chant. Blues, a playoff roster addition, came on for the Rangers as the sixth pony. The faceoff dropped and was won by the Rangers. Octavia brought the puck in and kept Rainbow at bay for her team to set up on offense. Blues went to the front of the crease to screen Pinkie as Octavia passed over to Scratch. Scratch wanted to shoot but Applejack hit the ice to block. Scratch saw Bon Bon open and shoved it over. Bon Bon immediately ripped off a shot and the Rangers crashed the net. The puck hit off Blues’ leg and came right to Octavia off to the side of the net. Pinkie tried diving over but Octavia slapped the puck in for a very critical goal with a minute left. Ponyville Pond hushed a little bit as the Rangers’ finished off their short celebration.
”Manehattan goal, scored by number 14, Octavia. Assisted by number 20, Bon Bon.”
Twilight quickly gathered up her team to calm their nerves and to finish out the final minute. The faceoff set back up at center ice and the crowd perked back up. Octavia won the pivotal faceoff and the Rangers rushed the Leafs’ zone in hopes of tying the score up. Octavia dumped the puck into the corner for both Blues and Scratch to scrum for it against Twilight. Applejack came in to help and the puck jumped back and forth from stick to stick. Finally, Applejack dug in and valiantly pulled the puck out. The Rangers quickly backpeddled as Applejack passed the puck up to Big Macintosh. Big Mac grabbed control and barreled through center ice as three Rangers ganged up on him to cut his stride off. Thirty seconds remained and an empty net was waiting off in the distance. Big Mac battled off the Rangers’ force and kept driving at the net. A fourth Ranger jumped in on the big guy but was no use. With a heroic blast, Big Macintosh blasted the puck into the empty net to put away the game for good. The crowd jumped and exploded with a deafening cheer that was heard miles outside the arena. Big Macintosh skated toward his teammates and they collided for a giant celebratory hugging pile at center ice. From the bench, Spike, Rarity, and Sweetie Belle were jumping up and down and trading hugs. On the Rangers’ side, they all collapsed to the ice in devastation. They buried their heads into the ice as Ponyville kept going bonkers.
”PONYVILLE GOOOAAALLL!! Scored by number 8, BIIIIG MAAAACINTOSHHH! Assisted by number 88, AAAAPPLEJAAACK!!”
Twenty seconds were all that were left on the clock. The Rangers took extra time pulling themselves up to the center circle as a new chant rung out through Ponyville Pond.
“WE WANT CLOUDS-DALE!” *clop clop clop-clop-clop*
“WE WANT CLOUDS-DALE!” *clop clop clop-clop-clop*
“WE WANT CLOUDS-DALE!” *clop clop clop-clop-clop*
Both teams were finally set at center ice with the electricity pumping through the atmosphere. Rainbow won the faceoff to Twilight who retreated back behind Pinkie. The Rangers didn’t give chase. The crowd counted down with the clock as the Leafs began to bunch up at their net. “FIVE…FOUR…THREE…TWO…ONE!”
With the final horn, the series victory celebration began. The Leafs tossed their sticks up into the air and shook their helmets off to bombard Pinkie in net. Spike, Rarity, and Sweetie Belle jumped from the bench to join in as fireworks exploded overhead and streamers fell to the ice. The Rangers were back down on the ice and despairingly came to grips with their season coming to an end. When the Leafs got up from their celebration, they began to line up at center ice to exchange the traditional hoofshakes after a playoff series has ended. The Rangers, sniffling and pouting from the loss, came up and formed their line. Trixie wanted no part of the tradition and began skating toward the locker room. However, when the rink door toward the hallway opened, Gary Bettpony stood up tall and blocked Trixie’s path. He angrily narrowed his eyes and forcefully pointed back toward the ice. Trixie flashed an uneasy, apologetic smile and quickly stumbled back toward the lines with her tail between her legs. The Leafs and Rangers crossed at center ice, exchanging hoofshakes with the arena still rocking. Trixie reluctantly went through the line and cordially congratulated the Leafs. When the shakes were done, the Rangers sadly drifted off the ice while the Leafs skated up to the boards and waved to all their fans. The fans responded in kind and gave their heroes a raucous round of appreciative applause. Leafs fans started trotting for the exits as the team went off for the locker room.
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In the locker room, the Leafs popped open bottles of sparkling grape juice and began spraying each other and partying. Music was blasting, laughs were ringing out, and many hugs were shared as the celebration went on into the wee hours of the evening. Not wanting to disrupt the party, Gary Bettpony handed an arena worker a scroll to give to the Leafs. Twilight stepped away from the group and read the message.
Congratulations on your first series win. Your semifinal series against Cloudsdale begins in a week. The semifinals are also a best-of-three with games 1 and 3 in Cloudsdale. Congrats and good luck.
Twilight tucked the scroll away and returned to the party, electing to address the next round with her team later.
The Golden Leafs dodged a bullet and won with their best effort of the season so far. The celebration was well deserved, but their business was far from over. Cloudsdale, a rested, experienced, and poised team, now awaited the Leafs. Ponyville played the Red Wings very tough in the regular season, but will they be able to get over the hump and defeat Cloudsdale in the playoffs?
To Be Continued
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Three Stars from Manehattan @ Ponyville
* Big Macintosh (PGL)
** Rainbow Dash (PGL)
*** Fluttershy (PGL)
EHL Playoff Schedule
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(4) Ponyville vs. (5) Manehattan
(Ponyville wins 2-1)
Game 1: PONYVILLE 3, Manehattan 2 (OT)
Game 2: MANEHATTAN 4, Ponyville 1
Game 3: PONYVILLE 5, Manehattan 3
Semifinals (Best-of-3)
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(1) Cloudsdale vs. (4) Ponyville
Game 1: @ Cloudsdale
Game 2: @ Ponyville
Game 3 (if nec.): @ Cloudsdale
(2) Appleloosa vs. (3) Canterlot
Game 1: @ Appleloosa
Game 2: @ Canterlot
Game 3 (if nec.): @ Appleloosa