BLPA Magazine

9 | BLPA MAGAZINE
Love Between the Pipes, Cont.
I’ve ever made, next to agreeing to marry Ross. Through
them, I got actual goalie training and improved. Ross
was tapped to be a defensive coach. Before you knew it,
Ross and I were team extreme. I played a few seasons
for The Lady Reds then I switched to The Phantoms out
of Massachusetts in the South Shore Women’s Hockey
League. Ross continued to coach and I continued to get
better. So much so, that the men’s leagues back in Rhode
Island started to take notice. It probably had less to do with
my ability and was more about my availability, but it was
a chance for Ross and I to play together, something we
haven’t stopped in over two decades.
On September 12, 1998, Ross and I said I do in front of
nearly one hundred of our closest family and friends. He
became my permanent teammate, no take backs. He’s
my best friend, my coach, my defense and my biggest
champion. We have been playing hockey together for
nearly 25 years. Usually, we’re on the same team. There
was a season or two when we were on opposite sides,
which always made it interesting. Both teams would
spend the preceding week chirping about Thomson versus
Thomson, totally over hyping the situation. Game time,
his team would routinely set him up with scoring chances
because we all knew he could deke me out of my skates.
My response? “If you score on me here you’re not scoring
at home Thomson!” Yes, I belted that out in front of
everyone. No, it never stopped him.
Unfortunately, injuries and age are catching up to us.
We’ve started slowing down, stepping back from playing
hockey every night to now only playing once or twice a
week. We just can’t compete with those young legs. Also,
neither of us wanted to end our “career” on a COVID note;
not playing anymore needs to be our decision, not the
result of a pandemic.
A tournament in Nashville on the same day as our 22nd
wedding anniversary was just too awesome to pass up.
That completely sums up who we are as individuals and as
a couple. I’ve always said, the family that plays together,
stays together. We played five games of hockey in 24
hours and while we didn’t run away with the tournament,
we did land a Championship win which felt really good!
We met so many new people, including a few from North
Carolina, and made so many new friends. That joy would
be short-lived, however.
If you ask me what the first thing I remember after the
accident was, I’d tell you it’s the silence. For a brief
moment, there was a vacuum and I couldn’t hear anything.
Then, chaos erupted around me like someone turned the
stereo on, full volume. Ross was asking me if I was ok
while getting himself out of his seat. We landed on the
driver’s side, so he was trying to keep from falling on to
me. Ever the protector, he popped open his door to check
if there was smoke or fire coming from the engine. Then,
he focused on me, knowing we had time. I couldn’t get
out and the shakes started, rendering me useless. Ross
managed to tilt the steering wheel away from my lap but
I started to panic because I couldn’t move. I remember
telling him, “I’m stuck! I’m stuck!” Ross, my stalwart
Marine, calmly told me to undo my seat belt.
Oh.
Two hours later, we were back on the road in a ten-foot
box truck. Not. Even. Kidding.
There were no cars, SUVs or even a Prius - nothing -
available for rent in the entire City of Asheville so we
ended up at a nearby UHaul. We were still four plus
hours from home and it was still raining and now Ross is
driving us home in what can only be described as overkill.
Honestly, for a hot minute I thought he might toss me in
back with all our gear, and everything that we removed
from his SUV. (Yeah, it was totaled). But, I’m his goalie and
his wife so he’s gotta forgive me, right?
In the end, I rode up front and after the adrenaline and
shock wore off, all was right in our world, even if we were
driving home in a $362 rental that we only got a $30
reimbursement for. And that really says it all, doesn’t it?
Ross is, and always has been, my defense, my champion,
my protector. Doesn’t matter if he’s blocking a clapper or
pulling me out of our totaled vehicle. He takes care of his
goalie, even after 25 years.