Equestria Hockey League Part XVII – Semifinals: Game 2
by XFizzle
The Ponyville Golden Leafs were back home in Ponyville awaiting to hit the ice to even up their series with the Cloudsdale Red Wings. Winter was in its final day with spring quickly arriving. Waking up later than usual, Twilight Sparkle drowsily glanced at the calendar to see what day it was. Encircled and in bold, black letters read “WINTER WRAP-UP”.
“Oh I completely forgot that winter wrap up is today! Ugh, I’m going to be late!”
Twilight galloped around her bedroom to grab her multi-team leader vest and her Golden Leafs hat and scarf and bolted out the door. When she arrived at town hall, the rest of her teammates were there in their respective vests. The other Ponyvillians were already hard at work helping to clean winter away. Twilight stood with her friends who were being instructed by Mayor Mare.
“It is quite alright. Your team has a very important game coming up. We do not expect you to help us as we learned from the last winter wrap up how to be organized. Really, conserve your strength. You have helped Ponyville enough by lifting the town’s spirits and inspiring the ponies to work harder!”
“All right! I’m going back to sleep then,” said Rainbow as she began to fly away.
“WAIT!” yelled Twilight, biting Rainbow by the tail to anchor her back to the ground. “That’s very thoughtful of you, Mayor, but we have a duty as Ponyvillians to help with the wrap up. We are a part of the community and we would feel awful if we didn’t lend our hooves to help.”
Applejack trotted up next to Twilight. “Darn tootin’! It just wouldn’t be fair to the ponyfolk if we skipped out on them.”
“Are you sure? It would mean a lot if you could help, but the town understands if you need to practice,” responded the mayor.
Fluttershy interjected, “Oh yes, we would be delighted to help. There are a lot of critters that need to be woken up.”
“And there are a lot more birds to build nests for this year,” replied Rarity.
The mayor had a relieved look upon her face. “Excellent. I will inform the interim team leaders to expect your help. On the town’s behalf, I greatly appreciate your kindness and valor. We will be behind you with one-hundred percent support at the game.”
“No problem, Mayor! We’ll get this winter wrapped up in no time!” shouted Rainbow who came around to the idea and accepted the challenge.
“Yay! I’ll get my skates!” squealed Pinkie.
With that, the Golden Leafs split up to join their usual teams with Twilight overseeing the entire process. The animals were awoken, clouds were pushed away, the ice was melted, birds nested back in the trees, and the farmlands were cleared and sown. Winter gave way to spring and Ponyville was green once again. Despite finishing even quicker than the previous year, the Golden Leafs were exhausted and decided to cancel their brief run-through of game two. The team hit the hay early in order to recuperate for their big day.
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Dawn cracked on game day and the sun shone as bright as ever. Even though the town worked exceptionally hard the day before, Ponyville was painted royal blue and gold in honor of their hockey team. Despite the fact that their team was facing elimination, Ponyvillians maintained confidence and hope that the series would soon be tied. As per the usual, Twilight gathered the team at the treehouse to relax and stay loose before heading for the arena.
When it was time to depart, Twilight had a surprise for her friends.
“I was going to wait to give you all these, but since this might be our last day in the playoffs, I decided it wouldn’t hurt. I made them myself!”
Twilight levitated a bag over to her and unveiled its contents. They were pendants with each teammate’s cutie mark inside the Golden Leafs’ logo. Spike’s had a gleaming amethyst stone while Sweetie Belle’s had the Cutie Mark Crusader patch. The team admired and adored their gift, even Big Macintosh and Spike who had received more masculine looking necklaces.
“Thank you, darling! This is exquisite!” exclaimed Rarity.
“No kidding! This is awesome!” seconded Rainbow.
Twilight blushed. “It’s nothing, really. Just something to commemorate this season and our togetherness as a team.”
Applejack proudly put her pendant on. “That’s mighty thoughtful of ya, sugarcube.”
“Group hug everypony!” yelled Pinkie.
The Golden Leafs gathered in the center of the room to share a giant hug, except Big Mac and Spike who looked on with glowing smiles.
Rainbow trotted to the door and whipped it open. “Now that the mushy stuff is taken care of, let’s hit the arena and tie this baby up!”
“Yeah!” responded the others.
Together, the Golden Leafs marched out of the treehouse and proudly strolled down to Ponyville Pond ready to take on their biggest challenge.
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A tunnel of screaming fans lined the entranceway to the arena. The Golden Leafs strolled through the fans and gave them all hoof bumps and waves as they passed through. When it was time to enter the building, the Leafs gave one final wave to their loyal supporters. Once the team passed the threshold and were on their way to the locker room, their lightheartedness and warm feelings quickly hardened into serious focus. When they arrived at the locker room, the doors were shut and bolted to dispel any distractions.
Inside, the team went through their dressing ritual, with no one deviating from the usual routine for superstitious reasons. Once ready, Twilight trotted to the front of the room to deliver what could be another final speech of the season.
“Team, great moments are born from great opportunity. And that’s what we have here tonight. That is what we’ve earned here tonight. A game. If we play them ten more times, they might win nine. But not this game. Not tonight. Tonight we skate with them. Tonight we stay with them and we shut them down because we can! Tonight we are the greatest hockey team in all of Equestria. We might not have been born to be hockey players, but we are now and we are here tonight. This is our time. Their time is almost done. It’s going to be over soon. I’m tired of losing to the great team the Red Wings are. Forget them. This is our time! Let’s go out there and take it! If you aren’t going to remember anything I’ve just said, then only remember this. When you put on this jersey, you represent yourself, your teammates, and this great town. The name on the front is a lot more important than the one on the back. We’re taking this thing back to Cloudsdale. Let’s go out there and give it everything we’ve got!”
Instead of jumping up and feeling rah-rah, the intense Leafs sat quietly and focused. Each gave Twilight a small nod to show their reception of her inspiring words. The one-minute horn blared inside the rink area, prompting the team to rise up together and march toward the doors. The Leafs blew past the EqSPN crew, who wanted a pre-game interview, and continued toward the ice. Ponyvillians were roaring from their seats for their team’s entrance. Ponyville Pond was making noise for their Golden Leafs and erupted when the door opened releasing the Leafs to the ice. The team bolted around their end of the ice while the Red Wings emerged from their locker room. The wild cheering turned into vicious booing for the opposition as both teams were now encircling their respective sides.
During warm-ups, a calming sight caught the Leafs’ eyes. Seated in the front row adjacent to the Leafs’ bench sat their families: Granny Smith with Apple Bloom, the Dashes and Fluttershies (wearing Golden Leafs jerseys), Rarity and Sweetie Belle’s parents, the Pies, and Twilight’s parents. The Leafs broke concentration to happily acknowledge their families but quickly regained their focus, skating even harder. When the pre-game countdown clock ran out, the lights dimmed and the introductions started drawing another roar from the crowd.
Mr. Cake belted out the starting lineups and charged the crowd up even more. When the lights returned, a rousing “GO LEAFS GO!” chant filled the air. The teams’ reserves took their places on the benches while the starters lined up for the opening faceoff. Pinkie and Scootaloo gave their ready signal to the referee who was standing before Spitfire and Rainbow. The puck dropped and the Leafs’ elimination game began.
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Nerves were visibly high for both squads as the first couple possessions broke down into sloppy passing and turnovers. Cloudsdale was the first team to noticeably control the puck and brought it into the Ponyville zone. Soarin and Applejack were together along the right wing boards battling for the puck. Soarin broke through and passed it to the corner for Spitfire who had Rainbow right on her tail. Those two fought for the puck as Gilda and Rarity came closer to help out. While taking plenty of small jabs in the back, Spitfire kicked the puck back along the boards to Soarin who re-engaged in his battle with Applejack. Applejack poked and prodded away but couldn’t grab the puck. Soarin shot the puck back to the corner but was still being held up against the glass by Applejack. As play went on, Soarin tried getting loose but was kept close. The referee looked over, saw Soarin’s struggle, and flung his hoof up in the air. Once the Leafs touched the puck, play stopped and the Red Wings were about to enjoy their first power play of the evening.
“Ponyville, number 88, two minutes for holding.”
Applejack gave her argument as she drifted into the penalty box. Big Macintosh came off the bench for Rarity before the faceoff dropped to Pinkie’s right. Rainbow won the puck back to Fluttershy who slapped it off the glass. Unfortunately for the Leafs, Ditzy was hugging the boards and kept the puck in the zone. Ditzy passed off to Soarin on the right wing who passed it right back to Ditzy when Big Mac came over to apply pressure. Ditzy passed over to Pucks at the other point while Soarin broke for the crease. Gilda got separation from Rainbow and was open on the left wing boards. Pucks passed to Gilda who then tried zipping a pass to Soarin at the top of the crease. The Leafs all collapsed in on Soarin, leaving the point open. Soarin was able to flop the puck out to Ditzy who cranked up a shot. The puck shot off her stick like a laser beam right into the top corner of the net, just above Pinkie’s glove. The goal light illuminated and was accompanied by a disappointing groan from the crowd as the Red Wings came together at Ditzy.
”Red Wings power play goal scored by Ditzy Doo, assisted by number 96, Soarin, and number 44, Gilda.”
Applejack frowned while exiting the penalty box and rejoined her team at center ice. Rarity was back in and Rainbow won the faceoff. The Leafs were eager to go on offense and tie the game in order to get the crowd back into the game. Once in the Red Wings’ zone, the Leafs’ offensive pressure was meager and quickly broken down due to poor passing. Cloudsdale rushed back up the ice and were back in the Ponyville end. The Leafs stuck with their pony-on-pony defense and tried forcing the Wings to cough the puck up. The Wings countered with quick passes and stout play along the boards, easily fending off the Leafs’ prodding and poking. The puck was on the right wing boards with Soarin and Applejack battling again. Applejack was able to come away with the puck but had her pocket picked by a swooping Spitfire. Spitfire cruised down the slot, drawing in the Leafs’ defense, before kicking it back out to Pucks at the blue line. As Spitfire left the crease, Soarin came in and reclaimed his post at the top of the crease with Twilight trying to push him away. Pucks saw Rainbow closing in on him and ripped off a shot. Soarin nudged Twilight away just enough to tip his stick up to get a piece of the shot. Soarin’s deflection caused the puck to rocket upwards into the top of the net. Pinkie’s water bottle popped off, signifying another Red Wings goal. The crowd voiced their displeasure toward the Wings while they celebrated again.
”Red Wings goal, scored by number 96, Soarin, assisted by number 5, Pucks, and number 13, Spitfire.”
The Leafs found themselves in an early 0-2 hole and it was about to get worse. When play resumed, the Leafs got into the Cloudsdale zone but were only able to muster up one shot. Cloudsdale grabbed the rebound and were working their way into the Leafs’ end. An errant pass by Gilda to Spitfire came to Twilight and she tried passing up to start a rush. Spitfire chased Twilight down and pressured her into flinging the puck up and over the glass, just before the blue line. The crowd was booing again as the referee called a penalty and directed Twilight to the penalty box.
“Ponyville, number 42, two minutes for delay of game.”
Twilight shook her head as she went into the box and Big Macintosh was back on for the penalty kill in Rarity’s place. Rainbow won the ensuing faceoff and the Leafs dumped the puck down to Scootaloo. The Wings regrouped to form a rush but Rainbow blazed in to cut down the passing lane, dumping the puck back down again. This time, the Wings made it into the zone and set up their power play formation. After a few passes, Gilda had the puck and fired wide of the net, allowing Fluttershy to grab the puck and fling it down the ice once more. Thirty seconds remained on the Wings’ power play and fifty seconds remained in the period. Scootaloo came up to pass the puck to Spitfire to lead a final power play series. Spitfire carried the puck in over the blue line and made a beeline for the left wing boards. Rainbow and Big Mac came over to cut her off, leaving Ditzy an open lane to the net. Spitfire passed right through the two Leafs to Ditzy who barreled in on net. Fluttershy shifted over to cut her off, but by doing so left her post open for Gilda to sneak in the backdoor. Right when she received the puck, Ditzy shot off a one-timer. Pinkie made a great kick save but couldn’t control the rebound. The puck caromed off Pinkie’s pad and landed right onto Gilda’s stick. With a quick slap, Gilda put the puck home, expanding the Wings’ lead to three.
”Red Wings power play goal, scored by number 44, Gilda. Assisted by Ditzy Doo, and number 13, Spitfire.”
The Leafs’ overzealousness of covering Spitfire left them vulnerable and the Wings made them pay. The crowd fell silent, stunned by the first period onslaught by Cloudsdale. The remaining 25 seconds of the period ran out with little action. Beaming with confidence, the Wings quickly headed off the ice while the Leafs gathered at their bench. The Leafs’ families all stood up and were tapping on the glass to show their support but the team continued on their path off the ice.
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The mood was tense and on the verge of accusatory in the locker room. The Leafs were dumbfounded as to how they started off so slow and allowed Cloudsdale to take a 3-0 lead. Twilight trotted over to Pinkie to surprise her with a lineup change.
“Sorry Pinkie, but I have no other choice. Sweetie Belle is going in for you for the rest of the game.”
“What? Aww come on Twilight, I can turn it around, I promise! I’ll bake you a caaaakeeee.”
Guilt weighed down on Twilight’s heart as she didn’t want to pull her friend. Twilight let out a sigh. “We need Sweetie Belle in net. It will force us to focus harder on defense to keep this game from spiraling out of control. I’m sorry, Pinkie.”
Pinkie crossed her forelegs and pouted. She started taking off her pads as Twilight went to Sweetie Belle. “Alright Sweetie, we’re counting on you to help stop the bleeding. We’ll do our best to keep the puck away from you.”
“Okay, boss!” squeaked Sweetie Belle with a salute. She proceeded to put on her pads with Rarity’s help.
Twilight informed the rest of the team of the change. “Alright team, Sweetie Belle is going in for Pinkie-“
“What?!” shouted Rainbow and Applejack.
“I know, but desperate times call for desperate measures. We need to slow the Wings’ roll and try to chip away at their lead. It may look daunting, but all we need is to get one goal to get some momentum back on our side. This game is far from over.”
“But Pinkie has been our goalie all year!” exclaimed Rainbow.
“I know, but with Sweetie in net, we’ll have no choice but to focus on defense. We’re also going to hit more. We let Cloudsdale skate right by us. If we can rattle them, we can force turnovers and get chances. Let’s tighten up and hit somepony!”
The team let out a half-hearted “Yeah” as they stood up to go back out on the ice.
Twilight tried to flash a smile but the Leafs trotted right past her.
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The second period began with Ponyville Pond resembling a library more than a hockey rink. The fans were unenthused since they weren’t given a reason to cheer yet. The Leafs tried applying their strategy on the Wings to attempt to spark something. Soarin carried the puck into the Ponyville zone and was met with a giant Applejack check. The puck came to Spitfire who dumped it into the corner and chased after it. When she arrived there, Rainbow caught up and squeezed her against the glass, creating a little stir from the fans. One well-placed poke check later, Rainbow had control and led a Leafs rush on offense. Rainbow tried taking on the Wings’ defense on her own by dancing through the zone. She deked around Ditzy, dodged a check attempt by Gilda, and went flank-to-flank with Pucks. Rainbow soon ran out of space and drove a shot wide, eliciting an “Oooooooh” from the Leafs faithful. The Wings regrouped and started their charge back on offense. Their rush was stopped short at center ice thanks to a well-timed check on Gilda by Rarity of all ponies. The Leafs were starting to gather up some steam as they truly controlled the puck for the first time in the period.
Applejack dumped the puck behind the net for Rainbow to pick up. Rainbow fended off Pucks to keep play alive, slapping the puck around the boards to Rarity. Gilda came in for a revenge hit but Rarity got the puck off in time to Fluttershy. Fluttershy held the puck since none of her teammates were open. Feeling the pressure from the Wings’ defense, Fluttershy tried shooting the puck but whiffed. Spitfire dove in and took the puck away, sprinting off to a breakaway. The crowd stood as Spitfire closed in Sweetie Belle. Sweetie stayed in the net and awaited Spitfire’s maneuvers. Spitfire kept the puck steady as she closed in on the crease. Sweetie skated up a tiny bit to try to cut off some of the angle. Spitfire came in on the left, leaning away from the net. When Sweetie followed her, Spitfire quickly moved the puck right and extended her stick out, as if she was tucking the puck around Sweetie. The puck slid into the net for the Wings’ fourth goal of the evening as Spitfire was met by her teammates at the boards. Twilight and the Leafs looked down in disappointment because they were now in a deeper hole.
”Red Wings goal, scored unassisted by number 13, Spitfire.”
The crowd woke up but it wasn’t for cheering. With a loud swarm of boos ringing out, Twilight skated over to the referee to call timeout. The Leafs met at the bench as Twilight made a second lineup change.
“Sorry Fluttershy but we’re going to have Big Macintosh come in for you. It’s not because Spitfire took the puck from you. We just need a more physical presence, that’s all. You’ve been a great defensepony and teammate.”
With tears starting to well up in her eyes, Fluttershy quietly nodded and took her place on the bench next to Pinkie and Spike. Big Mac lined up with the Leafs for the next faceoff, hoping to provide a spark despite the 4-0 deficit. Rainbow won the faceoff and the Leafs were in the Cloudsdale end. Applejack had the puck on the right wing boards with Soarin nudging her. Big Mac skated in from the point to come to his sister’s aid. Big Mac forcefully tore the puck away from Soarin and now held it against the boards. Interested in challenging the stallion, Gilda flew in to battle Big Mac. Gilda gave Big Mac a cross-check in the back, then another, and another, and another, but Big Mac wouldn’t have any of it. He rumbled out of Gilda’s pressure but she kept him pressed against the glass. Despite being held, Big Mac kept his hooves moving. The referee finally noticed Gilda’s hold and was ready to call a penalty. Soarin came in to take the puck away but the whistle blew. The crowd finally gave out a cheer as the referee announced the call.
“Cloudsdale, number 44, two minutes for holding.”
Gilda angrily stormed toward the penalty box while both teams lined up for the faceoff next the Scootaloo. Rainbow won the faceoff back to Twilight, allowing the Leafs to set up their power play formation. The Leafs needed to score on this power play if they wanted to have any shot at coming back. Twilight passed to Rarity, who took the other spot on the point, and then Rarity passed to Big Macintosh on the left wing boards. Rainbow tried slicing down the center but was covered tightly by Spitfire. Big Mac passed back to Rarity with Rainbow continuing her stride to get open. Rarity swung the puck back over to Twilight who held it for a bit. Rainbow hesitated for a moment then blasted to the top of the crease, fooling Spitfire. Twilight fed Rainbow the puck through the Wings’ box formation. Rainbow quickly fired on net as she was pushed away by Pucks and Ditzy. The puck zinged into the top left corner before Scootaloo could even move her blocker. In one second, the mortuary-like silence of Ponyville Pond exploded into a wild yell as the Leafs were finally on the board. Rainbow danced off to the corner and awaited her teammates for the goal celebration.
”PONYVILLE POWER PLAY GOOOOOAAAALLL!! Scored by number 20, RAAAAAINBOOOOW DAAAAASHHHH!! Assisted by number 42, TWIIILIIIGHT SPAAARKLEEEE!! And number 9, RAAAAARITYYYY!!”
Gilda exited the box with a slam of her stick against the door. The Red Wings lead was now three with the Leafs looking to chip away even more before the second intermission. Less than a minute remained in the period as the faceoff took place at center ice. Rainbow outhustled Spitfire and kicked the puck back to Big Macintosh. He immediately slung the puck back up to Rainbow who skated right through the Red Wings forwards. Rainbow rumbled her way toward the net with Pucks and Ditzy trying to poke the puck away. Rainbow wound up to shoot but was knocked over by Pucks at the last second. Falling to the ice, Rainbow fired off an odd shot. The puck fooled Scootaloo, but it clanged off the post. The crowd jumped up at the scoring attempt and let out another “Awwww” when it missed. The final seconds of the period ticked away with the score remaining 4-1 in favor of Cloudsdale. With momentum ever so slightly shifting over to the Golden Leafs’ side, they were given a hearty round of applause by their fans when they left the playing surface. The Leafs felt better about themselves and held their heads high when they entered the locker room.
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Instead of giving new instructions of inspirational words to the team, Twilight told her crew to freshen up and to then come out into the hallway. Slightly confused, the team complied and found themselves back near the rink. Even though there were only zambonis on the ice, Leafs fans were still making noise. A small section started a “GO LEAFS GO” chant with the rest of the arena joining in. Twilight raised her hoof to the sky.
“Hear that? These fans, our fans, are still cheering for us. Even though we’re losing by a lot, they still believe. They have faith. They know we have the talent and ability to come back.”
“They are makin’ a lot of noise still. That’s amazin’,” said Applejack in awe.
“Absolutely admirable. They love us, they really love us!” said Rarity in agreement.
“We gotta do everything we can to keep them cheering! We’re all in this together!” exclaimed Rainbow.
“Right! We only have ten minutes left. Ten minutes to leave everything out on the ice. Let’s give them everything we got. No regrets, no thinking what could have been. If we give one-hundred percent, there will be no uncertainty when it’s all over. Let’s do it for OUR FANS! FOR PONYVILLE!”
The Leafs all stuck their sticks in the air. “FOR PONYVILLE!”
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Refocused with the crowd doing their best to spur them on, the Golden Leafs came out with a strong start to the third period. The Wings could not move the puck and found themselves either on the ice or on the glass from the Leafs’ hitting. The Leafs were in the Cloudsdale zone looking to chip away at their 4-1 deficit. Rainbow was challenged by Spitfire behind the net and tried moving along the boards. Seeing Rainbow struggling, Applejack came by and set a pick on Spitfire to spring Rainbow loose. With room to move, Rainbow peeled around the net but was tripped up by Spitfire who reached through Applejack’s pick. Rainbow crumpled to the ice, prompting the referee to blow the whistle for a penalty. With momentum inching closer toward the Leafs, the crowd’s applause drowned out the ref’s announcement.
“Cloudsdale, number 13, two minutes for tripping.”
The faceoff was off to Scootaloo’s left and won by Soarin. The Wings dumped the puck down for Sweetie to retrieve it and pass up to Rainbow. The Leafs hung back by the blue line and entered when Rainbow sliced down the middle. Rainbow drew in the Wings’ box defense, then kicked it out to Big Macintosh who was covering the point. With the Wings’ defense drawn in, Applejack found a lane to the net and parked herself in the crease. When Big Macintosh ripped off a shot, Rainbow dodged out from the middle, leaving space for the puck the fly through. Applejack saw the shot the whole way and got her stick on the puck, redirecting it through Scootaloo’s five-hole for a very crucial goal. Leafs fans leapt to their hooves with the goal horn bellowing out and the Leafs coming together to celebrate.
”PONYVILLE POWER PLAY GOOOOAAAALLL!!! Scored by number 88, APPLEEEEJAAAACK!! Assisted by number 8, BIIIIG MAAAACINTOSHHH, and number 20, RAAAAINBOOOOOW DAAAASH!!”
Seven minutes remained in the game as the teams reset at center ice with a “GO LEAFS GO!” chant echoing to the rafters. This time Cloudsdale won the faceoff and controlled the puck in the Leafs’ end, hoping to tack on an insurance goal. The Leafs tried playing physical but the Wings squirted by with their speed. Spitfire passed to Gilda in the left corner and Gilda tried using her strength on Rarity to get to the net. Rarity couldn’t hang on, leaving it up to Big Macintosh to come over and cut the griffon off. Before Gilda was met by Big Macintosh, Soarin snuck behind Twilight and called out to Gilda. Gilda quickly forced the puck over and it landed on Soarin’s stick, just out of Twilight’s reach. Soarin had to settle the bouncing puck down before shooting, giving Sweetie Belle time to move over. By time Soarin fired away, Sweetie Belle came over the top of it and clamped down, preventing what could have been a devastating Wings goal. The crowd yelled their approval as play was stopped. Sweetie was given plenty of love taps on the pads while the Leafs set up for the faceoff. Rainbow won the draw and the Leafs were back in business.
In the Cloudsdale end, the Leafs played along the boards and were able to hold off the Wings’ pressure. Twilight had the puck at the point with both Rainbow and Applejack trying to gain access to the crease. With nowhere to go, Twilight attempted to shoot. At the last second, Spitfire dove and poked the puck away, knocking it away toward center ice. Twilight and Spitfire were now in a race for the loose puck with the others quickly giving chase. Twilight and Spitfire went flank-to-flank with the puck inches away from them. Spitfire got to the puck first but in a very smart and skillful move, Twilight adjusted and slid her stick behind Spitfire’s legs to scoop the puck right out from under her. When Twilight stole the puck away, Rainbow did a 180 and sprinted to the blue line. Twilight zinged over a pass right onto Rainbow’s stick, giving her an open path to the net. The crowd jumped up with hope coursing through their veins as Rainbow had herself a breakaway. Rainbow reared her head back for a slap shot, drawing Scootaloo out of the crease. On the follow-through, Rainbow faked the slap shot and swiftly dove to the right, leaving Scootaloo out to dry. With the net now wide open, Rainbow slid the puck in and crashed into the boards. Ponyville Pond erupted once more and the Leafs smothered Rainbow in the corner.
”PONYVILLE GOOOOOOAAAAALLLL!!! Scored by number 20, RAAAAAINBOOOOW DAAAAASHH!! Assisted by number 42, TWIIILIIIGHT SPAAAARKLEEE!!”
The once daunting 4-0 deficit was now 4-3 with four minutes remaining. Among the raucous yelling, a very audible “GO LEAFS GO!” chant stirred back up as the Wings called a timeout to recollect and regroup. When the Wings gathered at their bench to talk, the fans near the glass directed their shouting toward them, hoping to give them hearing troubles. After a few minutes of talking, the referee came over to break up the timeout. The Wings met the Leafs at center ice and play resumed with both teams placing everything on the line.
The puck bounced back and forth over center ice with both teams barreling into the offensive zone then getting denied by the defense. The Wings were more conservative in their approach, holding onto the puck longer and playing keep away as the Leafs tried forechecking and forcing a turnover. The Wings’ keep away strategy helped burn two minutes off the clock, leaving just that, two minutes left. Sweetie Belle had just made another crucial save and stopped play. During the stoppage, Twilight quickly gathered her team for a new direction.
“When we hold the puck in the Cloudsdale end, Sweetie, you’re going to the bench for Fluttershy. We’re going for the extra attacker. Everypony got it? Also Rainbow, this is a VERY important faceoff. You have to win it!”
“Yes sir!”
Rainbow narrowed her eyes and licked her lips before bending in for the draw against Spitfire. When the referee started his motion to drop the puck, she placed her stick right under Spitfire’s and won the puck back to Twilight. Twilight passed up to Applejack who crossed center ice. The crowd’s yelling picked up when they saw Sweetie Belle scoot toward the bench for Fluttershy. A bit frazzled, Fluttershy nearly tripped while jumping over the bench but she recovered and was in on the Leafs’ offensive charge. The Wings came up and challenged the Leafs’ puck holder, forcing a long string of passes with no shots. Finally, with an open lane, Big Macintosh ripped a shot from the point. The puck was blocked by one of Pucks’ legs, causing him a great deal of pain. The ricochet took the puck out of the zone, heading down toward the empty net. Rainbow blasted off along with Spitfire to chase down the puck with the fans eagerly looking on. With the comeback on the line, Rainbow found an extra gear and boosted herself past the Wings’ center, taking the puck away and rushing back on offense. A roar erupted from the crowd when Rainbow retrieved the puck and started up their “GO LEAFS GO!” chant. Rainbow passed to Applejack who dumped it into the corner for Big Macintosh to rumble in and take it. Big Macintosh took on Ditzy, Soarin, and Gilda while trying to bust open from the corner. Finally, with a giant push, Big Macintosh came out of the corner and passed it to the open point. Twilight wasn’t going to make it, so she dropped her stick to yell to Fluttershy.
“FLUTTERSHY, YOU TAKE IT!!”
Running on pure adrenaline and with her nerves pounding on her like a thousand hammers, Fluttershy jumped up to retrieve the pass. Heart bursting and ears ringing, Fluttershy closed her eyes and ripped a shot on net. Scootaloo came over and put her glove up attempting the catch the blazing puck. The puck glanced off the glove and found its way to the back of the net. The roof almost tore off Ponyville Pond as all the fans jumped ten feet up in the air and yelled their lungs out. Fluttershy opened her eyes to see a horde of blue jerseys engulfing her and hugging her down to the ice.
”PONYVILLE GOOOOOOAAAAALLLL!!! SCORED BY NUMBER 0, FLUTTERSHY!! ASSISTED BY NUMBER 8, BIIIIG MAAAACINTOSHHH!!”
The Leafs peeled away from their celebratory pile while the Wings turned stoic and unemotional. Fluttershy took her seat back on the bench and was hugged by Spike and Pinkie while Sweetie Belle shuffled back into the net. Thirty seconds were all the remained and the key now was to not allow a breakdown before time ran out. Luckily, Rainbow won the faceoff again and the Leafs held on for the overtime period. Leafs fans remained standing and wildly yelled when the period horn rang out. The Leafs waved their sticks up in the air as they left the ice to whip up the fans even more. Both teams went off to their respective rooms to freshen up and refuel for sudden death.
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No words were spoken during the intermission. Each and every one of the Leafs did what they needed to do to prepare for the new period. Their excitement from the game tying goal dissipated quickly and they refocused greatly. In the other locker room, the Wings followed suit with each player retooling and not saying a peep. Both teams knew what was on the line. For the Wings, a trip to the Celestia Cup Finals hung in front of them, while for the Leafs, their season and all the effort, blood, sweat, and tears they had invested in the season hung in front of them. When the intermission clock wound down to zero and the horn rang, both teams stood up and marched back out onto the ice with quiet intensity.
---
Not one fan was seated as the Wings and Leafs met at center ice for the faceoff. Ponyville Pond was vibrating from the deafening atmosphere as the referee slammed the puck down to begin overtime. Rainbow bested Spitfire again and won the faceoff back to Big Macintosh. Big Macintosh fired the puck into the corner for Rainbow and Applejack to chase after it. A giant scrum of Leafs and Wings converged at the corner, breaking out into a feisty scrap for puck possession. The puck jostled back and forth from a Wing possessing it to a Leaf possessing it. Finally, the puck squirted out to Rarity who had kept her distance from the pile-up. With only Gilda between her and the net, Rarity quickly fired a shot. The puck beat Scootaloo’s glove but she was bailed out by the post, with an enormous clang ringing out. The puck found its way back into the corner scrum where the Wings and Leafs did battle again. Finally, Spitfire used her agility and puck control skills to squeeze out of the Leafs’ grasp.
Gary Horne on the call: “Here come the Wings on offense after the Leafs ALMOST put the game away with a post-rattling shot. Spitfire passes to Gilda in front of the bench and she dumps it into the corner. Spitfire charges in and beats Twilight Sparkle to the puck as the Red Wings set up along the perimeter. Spitfire holds off Twilight and passes off to Pucks at the point. Soarin rushes to the front of the net. Here comes Rainbow Dash and Applejack to pressure the Wings’ shooter. Pucks and Ditzy switch points clearing up room for Pucks to fire a shot. The puck bounces off Soarin and is somewhere in the Ponyville crease! Sweetie Belle can’t find it! Neither can the Wings and the Leafs! A giant pile is forming in the crease trying to find the puck! The puck finally squirts out and Ditzy Doo is swooping in AND SHE SCOOOOOREEEESSS!! THE RED WINGS HAVE SCORED IN OVERTIME TO ADVANCE TO THE CELESTIA CUP FINALS!! Ditzy Doo sifted through the scramble for the puck and slammed it home to send Cloudsdale onto the next round!”
The Red Wings tackled Ditzy Doo into the corner and were celebrating exuberantly while Ponyville Pond stood in complete silence. With one shot, the Leafs’ season was demolished. All the time, effort, energy, and dedication spent trying to be a successful hockey team was taken away in one moment. In front of the net, every Leafs player laid flat on the ice, face down. After a minute of letting everything all sink in, the Leafs slowly and tearfully pulled themselves up off the ice surface. Rainbow, Applejack, Big Macintosh, and Spike had quivering, disappointed frowns on their faces. Twilight, Rarity, Sweetie Belle, Fluttershy, and Pinkie were completely distraught as tears flowed down their faces like five running faucets. The crowd snapped out of its silence and was now supporting their team with loud applause. Cloudsdale had already lined up at center ice for the post-series hoofshakes. The Leafs sadly made their way to center ice and began exchanging the traditional pleasantries.
Spitfire was first to greet Rainbow and whispered in her ear, “Keep your heads up. You guys are going to be great.”
“Thanks. Good luck,” responded Rainbow tersely.
The remainder of the hoofshake line concluded the same way, with Wings players telling the Leafs that their future is bright and the Leafs wishing the Wings good luck in the finals in return. At the end of the line, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle came together to share a giant hug. From the crowd, Apple Bloom pounded on the glass rapidly to show her support for her two friends. The Wings bunched up together one last time to share helmet taps before heading off to their locker room to party.
The Leafs stopped dead in their tracks and looked around the arena with their vision clouded by tears. Ponyville Pond, still at full capacity, rewarded their team with a very boisterous, sustained round of applause for everything the team had done for the season. After hearing the fans’ appreciation and seeing their families’ warm, loving faces smiling back at them, the Leafs wiped the tears from their eyes and started waving back. The applause grew louder as the team stood along the center ice circle. Together, they all raised their sticks to the sky then slapped them down onto the ice, drawing more applause. Drifting toward their locker room, Twilight and company finally cracked an overwhelmed smile, their tear ducts having dried out. The applause and cheering from the crowd could still be heard down the hallway and into the locker room as Ponyville showed they truly loved their Golden Leafs.
---
The smell of sweat and the sound of loud sniffling filled the air in the locker room. Many of the girls tried holding it together while they cleaned up but found themselves taking on tears again. When the team was out of their uniforms, Twilight tried to gather up her composure to address her friends.
“I *sniff* just wanted to *sniff* say-“
Suddenly, a giant burst of light came from the center of the room. When the light dimmed down, Princess Celestia proudly stood before them with a caring smile on her face. She trotted up to each pony and gave them a consoling nuzzle.
“Fear not Golden Leafs for you have very much to be proud of. You have brought a community together and you gave thousands of ponies hope and courage. The hard work and dedication you exhibited all season was admirable and inspirational. I am very proud of you all. I was not wrong in granting you a team.”
Twilight and friends looked up to the princess with slight smiles and flush cheeks. Twilight trotted up to her mentor and hugged her.
“Thank you, Princess. We’re glad we didn’t disappoint you.”
“You’re very welcome. Remember to always give your all and to be the best team you can be. Twilight, I shall be looking forward to you report on teamwork and friendship.”
Twilight nodded to her team. “No need Princess. I think we’re ready to deliver it now.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. Spike, take a letter please!...Oh, right.”
Everyone laughed as Twilight blushed in embarrassment. “The Ponyville Golden Leafs learned a variety of very valuable lessons from this season. We learned that when responsibility is thrust upon you, you have to take action and perform to the best of your ability, even if you have to learn about the responsibility first.”
Applejack took over the report next. “And that when yer learnin’ somethin’ new as a team, you have to have patience ‘cause not everypony is going to pick it up right away. Also, when you face some rough times or face somepony who isn’t followin’ the rules, you have to keep yer cool and make the right decisions.”
“Yeah, and you have to remember to sit back every once in a while to have fun and enjoying your time with your friends. Sure you can have some friendly competition, but at the end of the day, a real team gets the job done while having fun,” continued Rainbow.
“And when somepony or some team is receiving unfair treatment, you must handle the situation with poise and class, not lowering yourself to childish complaints,” said Rarity.
Pinkie bounced in front of Rarity to keep the report going. “Also when your friend is hurt, you have to stick up for them and help them out!” Pinkie playfully nudged Fluttershy as she spoke, referring to the Fillydelphia incident.
Fluttershy smiled and then reached over to pat Sweetie Belle on the head. “And if you see somepony else being hurt, you must try to lend a helping hoof because no pony should ever be hurt by others.”
Twilight nodded and finished it off. “Finally, when working as a team, there are going to be some rough times where things won’t always work out. In those times of trouble, you have to come together to wrinkle out any problems or issues while not letting your emotions get the best of you. Underneath the jerseys, and pads, and skates, we’re all still best friends and with our friendship, no problem will ever be too great to handle as long as we care for each other and work together!”
Princess Celestia nodded with a grin. “Very well, Ponyville Golden Leafs. You have clearly demonstrated that you learned many lessons as a team and that those lessons have strengthened the bonds of your friendship. I must go now. Congratulations on your season and good luck next year.”
“Thank you, Princess!” yelled the Leafs as she disappeared in another flash of light.
---
The Cloudsdale Red Wings went on to face the Canterlot Equestriens for the Celestia Cup after Canterlot dispatched the Appleloosa Black Apples in two straight games. The thrilling Celestia Cup Finals came down to a deciding game five where Canterlot did the unthinkable and won in Cloudsdale to capture their all-time leading 25th Celestia Cup. Equestriens’ goalie Pony Joe was the Colt Smythe Trophy winner (Finals MVP) after posting two shutouts in the series.
At the EHL Awards Ceremony, the Golden Leafs were in attendance to support Rainbow Dash’s winning of the Calder Maremorial Trophy for best rookie. Spitfire received the Hart Maremorial Trophy for league MVP, Sheriff Silverstar received the Norris Maremorial Trophy for best defensepony, and Bloomberg won the Jenneighs Trophy for best goals against average among goalies.
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Epilogue
Back at the EHL offices, Gary Bettpony was closing up the building for the summer. With the Celestia Cup making the rounds in Canterlot and the EHL Draft a month away, it was time for the league to go on a short hiatus. Gary closed his office door and locked it, with the noise of the lock echoing through the hallway. As the Commissioner trotted his way toward the exit, the lights suddenly flicked off.
“That’s strange. Is there a power outage?”
Gary pulled a flashlight from his briefcase and turned it on. Right as he was about to leave the building, the main doors were bolted shut and an eerie red glow emanated from the receptionist’s desk. Gary saw that the glow was from the telephone. Confused and slightly apprehensive, Commissioner Bettpony answered the phone.
“H-hello? Who is this?”
“Why hellooo Commissioner Bettpony! I certainly know who you are, but I’m quite sure you do not know who I am.”
“Who is this?! What are you calling for?”
“What am I calling for? Let me put it this way. Do you remember the lights turning off just now?”
“Did you do that? Turn them back on whoever you are!”
“As soon as I snuffed out the lights, did you feel helpless and confused?”
“Well, yes, but damn it! Show yourself!”
“That little trick is just a very teeny tiny sample of my power. I thrive off causing confusion and making ponies feel terribly helpless. As for showing myself, well just turn around.”
Commissioner Bettpony took in a giant gulp and slowly turned around. Towering before him was a very tall, snake-like creature with limbs composed of all sorts of various species. Beside him was a shadowed pony accomplice. With no time to react, Commissioner Bettpony dropped the phone and yelled in absolute horror. In a giant flash of light, the frightened EHL Commissioner was encased in stone. The mysterious figure and his companion laughed boisterously at their overtaking of the EHL’s leader.
“The EHL is about to enter a world of chaos. The great and powerful world of Discord.”
To Be Continued in EHL Season Two
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Three Stars from Cloudsdale @ Ponyville
* Ditzy Doo (CRW)
** Spitfire (CRW)
*** Rainbow Dash (PGL)
EHL Semifinals (Home Team in CAPS)
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(1) Cloudsdale vs. (4) Ponyville
(Cloudsdale wins 2-0)
Game 1: CLOUDSDALE 3, Ponyville 2
Game 2: Cloudsdale 5, PONYVILLE 4 (OT)
(2) Appleloosa vs. (3) Canterlot
(Canterlot wins 2-0)
Game 1: Canterlot 2, APPLELOOSA 1
Game 2: CANTERLOT 4, Appleloosa 2
Celestia Cup Finals (Home Team in CAPS)
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(1) Cloudsdale vs. (3) Canterlot
(Canterlot wins 3-2)
Game 1: CLOUDSDALE 5, Canterlot 2
Game 2: Canterlot 3, CLOUDSDALE (2 OT)
Game 3: CANTERLOT 4, Cloudsdale 0
Game 4: Cloudsdale 6, CANTERLOT 3
Game 5: Canterlot 2, CLOUDSDALE 0