Penalty Shot by Matt Christopher

alternate instead of kicking him off the team altogether?
     He’s really shaping into a good player, and if he gets a season of practices under his belt, I bet he could be a real asset
     to the team next year. Plus, maybe if the other guys see thatyou and I are willing to give him another chance, they’ll forgive him, too. I know I’ll never forget that you gave me another
     chance.”
    Jeff held his breath while the coach thought it over. Then he nodded. “Okay, Jeff. If Hayes is willing to move to alternate,
     then I’ll let him stay on.”
    “Great!” Jeff cried. “Thanks, Coach!”
    “Don’t thank me. It’s your plan. And I’ll be sure Hayes knows it. Now get back out there. We’ve got a game this Saturday and
     I want all my players to be prepared!”

22
    S aturday morning, the snow was flying thick and fast. Mr. and Mrs. Connors drove Jeff to the rink. Even Candy decided to watch
     the game.
    The first thing Jeff noticed when he came into the locker room was that Sam Metcalf was in uniform. And that Sam looked unhappy.
    “I just don’t feel right, wearing this,” he said to Jeff. “I didn’t really earn it.”
    A lull in the chatter made Jeff and Sam turn. Hayes had come in and was walking straight toward them.
    “You deserve to wear that more than I do,” he said. “You’ve been practicing just as hard as any of us.”
    Hayes turned to Jeff. “Coach told me what you said. Thanks for giving me another chance.”
    “Hey, I know what it’s like to feel insecure about something. For me, it’s writing. And dogs, too, I guess, though I’m getting
     over that with help from Kevin and Ranger. For you, it was your ability to play good hockey. But both of us are improving.
     And don’t forget, next year Bucky and the other ninth graders move on to high school, which means there will be a few more
     open spots on the team. Who better than you to fill one of them?”
    Hayes cracked a small smile. “Yeah, good point. Well, good luck in the game. Show those Groveland Jets who’s boss!”
    Ten minutes later, Jeff was on the ice waitingfor the referee to drop the puck for the face-off.
    The whistle blew and the puck hit the ice. Bucky gained control immediately and shot the disk to Jeff. Jeff captured it and
     took off into the attack zone.
    From behind him, Kevin called out, “I’m with you if you need me!”
    Jeff spotted Chad skating neck and neck with his Jets defenseman. Then he broke free and skated quickly toward the goal. With
     a smooth move, Jeff sent the puck sailing to his stick.
    But it was picked off before it reached Chad. The Jets defender dodged around Chad and made a move toward the Blades goal.
    He hadn’t reckoned on Shep, however. The powerful defenseman slipped in, stole the puck off a bad tap, and passed it cross-ice
     to Kevin.
    Kevin protected the puck by skating close to the boards. Jeff took up position directly in front of him. With a backhand sweep,
     Kevin sent the puck skimming up to Jeff’s waiting stick.
    Jeff spotted Bucky skating alongside him. “Three!” Bucky yelled, signaling that they were in prime position to put play number
     three into motion. With a nod of acknowledgment, Jeff sent the puck to Bucky, then set off.
    All Jeff had to do was work his way to about six feet in front of the net and a little off to the right side. Kevin would
     come skating by him as though he were going to take a pass from Bucky. But he’d let the puck go by him. Then Jeff would grab
     it, spin around, and slap one into the net. The surprise element was crucial if the play was to succeed.
    Everything happened exactly as it should have. Jeff got into position. Bucky held on tothe puck. When Kevin made his move, he gave no indication that he was even aware of Jeff’s presence. But in contrast to the
     last game, Jeff knew this was just a ruse. Kevin was playing his part perfectly.
    And it worked! Kevin shot past Jeff just as Bucky let the puck fly. Jeff stopped it and a second