Breaking the ice
He sat on the wooden bench, meticulously wrapping the blade of his stick with black tape, his mind entirely locked into the strategy for the night.
"Looking sharp, Cap," Ryan Cooper said, sliding onto the bench beside him, already fully geared except for his helmet. Ryan, a forward with a permanent smirk and a fiercely loyal streak, nudged Adrian’s shoulder. "Titans are favored by three points tonight. Let's go out there and bury them."
Adrian offered a rare, calm smile, not breaking his rhythm. "The points don’t matter if we don't control the neutral zone, Coop. Keep your head up. They’re going to play dirty tonight."