Penalty Shot Read online

  “I — I think it’s sprained, Coach,” he said weakly.

  “Kevin, help Jeff into the locker room,” Coach Wallace said.

  “No,” Kevin said in a low voice.

  Shocked, Coach Wallace stared at him. “What do you mean, no!”

  “Not until he confesses.”

  The coach looked baffled. “Confesses what? What’s this all about?”

  “Confesses that he put a bunch of mean notes threatening my dog in my locker! I’ve been getting one every day this week!”

  “What?”

  This time, it wasn’t the coach who had spoken. It was Bucky Ledbetter.

  Coach Wallace turned to him. “Do you know what’s happening here, Bucky?” he asked.

  Bucky swallowed hard. “I — I’m not sure. I mean, I know a little of it, but that’s all.”

  Coach Wallace continued to look at him. Bucky dug his skate into the ice. “I should have said something sooner, but I didn’t know how. And I thought it was only that one time. I didn’t know it had been going on longer.”

  He looked up and shot a glance at his brother.

  The coach caught the look. So did everyone else. Hayes stood there, his head hung low.

  “It was me,” he mumbled. Then he lifted his head. “But I only put one note in Kevin’s locker. One! I don’t know where the other ones came from.”

  Jeff moved forward. “There were no other ones. Kevin and I just pretended there were, hoping you’d come forward to deny it.”

  “And it worked,” Kevin added.

  Jeff nodded. “You got pretty good at my handwriting, Hayes. But how?”

  “I — I found part of a composition you’d written in my sister’s trash can. I traced some of it. Changed words from what you had written until it was the note Kevin got.”

  Bucky cut in. “I caught him doing it,” he confessed. “I should have stopped him, but he told me it was just a joke. By the time I realized it wasn’t, it was too late.”

  Jeff shook his head. “You might have gotten away with it, Hayes. But you forged my writing again, didn’t you? By replacing my good composition with one you had tampered with?”

  “Yeah.” Hayes sounded defeated. “I grabbed your draft out of your notebook while you were giving the real one to the substitute. Then I just changed a few things and switched them later that week.”

  “Why’d you do it, Hayes? What did I ever do to you?”

  Then it all came out. “You stood in my way. I didn’t make the team last year because of you. Then you got thrown off and I was still sitting in the stands! Now this year, when you shouldn’t have even been allowed to try out, you’re playing first string.”

  “But you made the team this year and you’re subbing in all the time!” Jeff said in amazement.

  “Yeah, but how long can that continue? We all know there’s a better player just waiting for me to slip up.” Hayes’s eyes slid over to Sam Metcalf.

  Sam looked startled. “Gee, Hayes, I guess I can’t deny that I’d rather be a full-time player than an alternate. But I want to earn my uniform, not get it because someone was thrown off!”

  Coach Wallace put a heavy hand on Hayes’s shoulder. “Hayes, I think you better go to the locker room. I’ll be there in a moment. The rest of you, set up a shooting drill.”

  Hayes slumped, then skated slowly away. The other boys silently shuffled into place for the drill. Once it was going, Coach Wallace started toward the locker room.

  Jeff broke out of his line and caught up to him. “Coach, what are you going to do with Hayes?” he asked.

  The coach shook his head. “What do you think, Jeff? I can’t let him off the hook.”

  Jeff looked the coach in the eye. “Please don’t kick him off the team,” he said quietly. “Hayes made mistakes — big ones — but I can understand what made him do it. I — I know what it’s like to worry about keeping your place on the team. And I’d hate for him to go through what I went through last year.”

  Coach Wallace studied Jeff for a moment. Then he said, “Well, since you were the person most likely to be hurt by what Hayes did, what would you suggest I do?”

  “I know Hayes has to be punished. But couldn’t you switch him to 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 that you 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

  Saturday 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 waiting for 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 to the 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 later sent it sailing into the goal!

  Sticks waving madly in the air and cheers erupting from their throats, the Blades crowded around Jeff to congratulate him. Then they quickly got into position for the next face-off.

  Jeff turned his head slightly as he waited for the whistle. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kevin give him a thumbs-up sign.

  Jeff knew that even if the Blades didn’t win the game, he was going to go home happy.

  When the ref took position for the drop, Jeff couldn’t control himself.

  “Let’s go, you guys!” he yelled. “Let’s show ’em who’s boss!”

  “Heads-up playing!” Kevin joined in.

  “Dig in!” echoed Shep.

  The whistle blew. The puck dropped. Bucky missed it this time, but Shep acted quickly and intercepted a pass the Jets center tried to make to his wing. Shep skated forward a few feet and passed to Chad.

  Chad took long, smooth strokes, carefully controlling his speed and the puck. It seemed as though he were taking his time, that he didn’t really care if he brought the puck into scoring position or not.

  But his lazy attitude was deceptive. When a Jets defenseman attacked, Chad made a sharp lateral move. The Jets player had so much forward momentum that he rocketed right into the boards behind Chad.

  Chad skated calmly forward a few more feet, heading straight toward Bucky.

  Jeff knew what was coming. And sure enough, no more than six feet in front of the goal, Chad and Bucky passed each other almost shoulder to shoulder. The puck slipped from Chad’s stick to Bucky’s. Bucky took up the left-wing position while Chad, pretending to have the puck still, stopped abruptly as if he were about to shoot.

  The Jets were fooled for no more than a second. It was long enough for Bucky to sneak into position for a shot on goal. But his attempt failed when the puck ricocheted off the goalie’s pads and onto the waiting Jets stick.

  Back and forth the play went. By the end of the first period, the shots-on-goal statistics showed that both teams had had many chances to score. But the board still read Blades 1, Jets 0.

  At the start of the second period, Coach Wallace subbed in a few players. Jeff and Bucky came out. Sam and the second-string center went in.

  Bucky moved close to Hayes on the bench.

  “Listen, little brother,” he said. “I hope you can follow Jeff’s lead and forgive me.”

  Hayes stared at his brother.

  “For razzing you so hard the beginning of the season,” Bucky continued. “I think maybe it had something to do with what you did, huh?”

  Hayes shrugged. “Maybe a little,” he said. “But no one can take the blame for what I did but me. And at least I’m still part of the team. Sam and Jeff just better look out next year, that’s all!”

  Jeff grinned at him. “I’ll give you a run for your money, just you wait,” he promised. “Now let’s stop all this true-confessions stuff. We’ve got a game out there to win!”

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  Miracle at the Plate Soccer Duel

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  Nothin’ But Net Stealing Home

  Penalty Shot The Submarine Pitch

  Prime Time Pitcher The Team That Couldn’t Lose

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  PENALTY SHOT

  Who is Sabotaging Jeff?

  Jeff Connors is psyched to be back on the Winston Blades hockey team. He had to turn in his uniform last year when his grades in English slipped below eligibility level. This year, he’s determined not to let that happen, even though it means working with a tutor. But when one of his carefully composed papers is mysteriously replaced by another that’s sure to get him a failing grade, Jeff finds himself in hot water again. Can he find out who is sabotaging him in time to save his place on the team?

  Matt Christopher is the name young readers turn to when they’re looking for fast-paced, action-packed sports novels. For a listing of all the Matt Christopher titles, please see the last pages of this book.

  * Previously published as Crackerjack Halfback

  ** Previously published as Pressure Play