I got into two more fights and won both. I looked online and I now had a fight card. It made me laugh. It bothered Alex when he saw my black eye and split lip, the last time we were on web cam. I told him it was nothing, I was fine.
The Peat’s house was a regular hang out for the team. I started to wonder what their grocery bills were really like. They always had the cupboards and fridge stalked, knowing the team was always hanging out there. They were two of the most generous people I had ever met.
I had been running after our night practices, and it was dark early now and getting much colder. I usually ran alone, unless I could convince one of my teammates to join me.
The last two nights I got a strange feeling while I was jogging. I kept turning around, but I didn’t see anyone. I was starting to wonder if I was just being paranoid. I would suddenly feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I would turn again, and nothing! Maybe my mind was playing tricks on me. I had been stressed lately. School, hockey, missing Alex and my family. I shook it off.
Then I considered that Toronto was a big city; although it didn’t have near the crime rate of the big U.S. cities. There was still a great deal of crime happening in the city. We lived in a nice area, but you never know. I was always told to follow my instincts about things like this. I don’t know why I was shrugging it off. I chopped it up to stress and me just being fatuous.
I left the house around 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday night. I started my usual running route. I got that feeling I was being followed again. When I was about twenty minutes into my run, I turned and there was a guy jogging, not that far behind me. Panic shot through my body. Then I took a second look. He looked harmless enough. I continued my run. He kept pace with me around seventy yards back. There was nothing unusual about another jogger on this route. I tried not the think about him.
Thursday, was a repeat of Wednesday. The same guy was jogging on the same route. This time he was about fifty yards back from me. He was closing the distance between us. I told myself it was just a coincidence. He really did look harmless. He was about twenty years old. He was average looking. No alarm bells went up. Maybe they should have. Maybe it was because for so long we were all taught about Stranger Danger. Creepy old men who wanted to give us candy. This guy was just an ordinary guy. I shrugged it off once again.
We had games both Friday and Saturday. We won both. I got 3 points for the weekend. No goals. I had completely forgotten about the guy on my running route.
Monday, during school lunch; I noticed that the same guy from my running route was hanging around the school. He could know someone from the school I thought to myself. Then I noticed he wasn’t talking to anyone. He just kept wandering around. I saw him again after school. Now the alarm bells went up. I was starting to get nervous. Maybe my first instincts were correct, and something was wrong with this guy. He looked so normal. My better judgment took over. I should be concerned.
I asked Joe if he would walk me home. I explained about the creepy guy who seemed to be following me. He agreed that it was a good idea that he walked me. We didn’t notice him on the walk to the Peat’s. Yet I still got the feeling I was being followed.
I wasn’t the only one who felt it. Joe kept glancing around as we walked. The hair on my arm and the back of my neck was standing up. I knew I wasn’t being paranoid anymore. This guy was actually stalking me. When Joe and I arrived at my place, I offered him to come in. He declined. He was going to meet some girl he had met at a party, and take her to dinner. I wished him luck and thanked him for walking me home.
I decided that I needed to tell Moose and the Peat’s about what was happening. All three of them were very upset. Mr. Peat went out and bought me some personal protection spray. I guess they didn’t have mace here, but it was something similar to mace. Moose insisted on running with me that night. I kept to the same time to see if my stalker would be there following me. We didn’t see him.
I thought maybe I was starting to imagine it. Moose told me, I most likely wasn’t. That he had dealt with a few female stalkers in the past. He was worried for me, because I was a girl; and guy stalkers were a lot more brutal to deal with.
I didn’t want to tell Alex about my stalker, because he didn’t need to be worrying about me. I kept it to myself. It was a joke in the locker room, but every one felt it could become a problem for me. They were all concerned, coach especially. He was such a wonderful man. You could see how much he cared about all his players.
It had been almost a week. There was no sign of my stalker. I hadn’t gotten that nervous feeling on my runs with Moose.
I decided I would run alone tonight. Moose was gone out. Besides he really hated running, and I hated to burden him. Cathy didn’t like the idea of me running alone. She even offered to come with me. She was so adorable. I loved her dearly. She had become family to me. I assured her it was fine.
I started out on my usual route a little later than normal. It was almost 8:30 p.m. I thought maybe that would throw him for a loop, if he really was following me. It didn’t! About ten minutes into my run, I noticed him. I rounded the corner quickly and jumped the fence in the back yard of the house on the side street.
I watched through a crack in the fence as he past and continued on the route. Once I thought he was out of sight I climbed back over the fence and turned the corner to head home. He was standing there, blocking my path.
I could fight. I knew how to defend myself, but I was caught off guard and just stood there frozen.
He just stared at me. Looking right through me with his dark eyes. To me they looked black as coal, probably due to the fact that I was so scared. He stood in front of me for almost a minute. Not moving, not saying a word. My breathing got heavy and I felt like I was going to collapse.
Then he took his finger and slid it across his neck; like you would do to motion killing someone, by slicing their throat. I took a step back, my eyes wide, full of fear. He snarled at me and took a step forward.
I heard my name being called. “Chrissy, Chris.” I recognized the voice, it was Moose. I couldn’t open my mouth to answer him.
My stalker must have heard Moose calling my name. He shot off like a bat out of hell. I collapsed to the ground in tears. Moose rounded the corner and saw me there.
“Chris, what happened?” He grabbed me and pulled me up off the side walk. I couldn’t answer. I couldn’t move. I was frozen.
He leaned me on his shoulder and tried to help me walk, but I couldn’t walk. He picked me up and cradled me in his arms, and started walking towards the house. I was cold now, the wind had picked up. I buried my head into his chest and shook with fear. Tears flowed from my eyes.
Cathy and Harry were out of their minds with worry. I managed to pull myself together by the time the Peats called Coach and the police. I repeated the story so many times I was numb. I couldn’t really give a good description of the stalker. I knew he was in his early 20’s, about 6’0”, 190 lbs. Other than that all I could remember were those eyes. Eyes that were so full of hatred for me.
Coach wanted me to take a break, and stay away from the rink for a while. He was scared for me. I told him no way that some creepy stalker was going to stop me from achieving my goals.
We all came to an agreement that until this stalker was caught, I was not to go any where alone. Someone was to always be with me. I could deal with that.
I couldn’t sleep that night. His face haunted my thoughts. I knocked on Moose’s bedroom door. He invited me in. I sat on his bed and asked. “Have you ever had a stalker this violent before Kyle?”
“Yes, but it’s different for a girl. There are so many more things that could happen to a girl being stalked than a guy.” He started to rub my back to comfort me.
I shuttered at the thought of what could have happened, if Moose had not come looking for me tonight. “Thanks Moose. For coming to look for me.”
“You are like family to me Chris. I would kill someone if they hurt you.” He pulled m
e into his arms. “Just sleep here tonight. Try not to think about it all. You can’t allow it to consume you like this.”
His cell phone went off and I jumped. He grabbed it fast. It was his girlfriend, Lena. He told her what had happened and she insisted on coming over. Her and I had gotten a lot closer. We had hung out several times and she had introduced me to her friends. They liked to party hard. Too hard for me. They seemed nice enough though.
She showed up at the house in about fifteen minutes. She wasn’t shocked to find me in Moose’s bed. She crawled into bed and held me. I fell asleep between her and Moose.
When I woke up I giggled. This was odd. I crawled over top of them to get out of the bed. I went back to my own room and back to sleep. It was early, maybe 5:00 a.m.
Alex had gotten wind of what was happening with my stalker. The other guys, not knowing about us had mentioned it to him. He called me right away. I told him it was nothing to worry about. That Erik Wilson our teammate, and Alex’s best friend, was making a big deal out of nothing. He didn’t need to worry. I wasn’t going any where alone from now on. He told me that his last game would be this Friday and that he would be back Saturday night. I reminded him that we were away this weekend and wouldn’t be home until Sunday. It made him feel better to know that I would be out of town, where my stalker couldn’t get to me.
On the roadie we took a beating, only winning one game. During the second period I was asked to do my first television interview. I was nervous. Coach told me to just be myself. I skated to the booth after the buzzer sounded. I sat down and the announcer clipped a microphone to my jersey. He told me to relax.
“Joining me now is Christine Matthews, the sixteen year old female, left wing player from the small town of Dryden, Michigan. She just started her OHL career this season, playing with the Toronto Gophers. She already has an assist in tonight’s game. Thanks for joining us Christine.” The announcer said.
“Thanks for having me.” I answered him smiling. Then we started the interview.
Tell us what it’s like to be a female hockey player in the OHL? Any negatives?
I have been very fortunate to be able to play the sport I love dearly. I also owe Ben Killerman a great deal, for being able to over look the politics of having a girl on his team. It has been an honor to learn from someone as talented as Ben. As for the negatives, it’s been a hard road trying to prove that I am good enough to play in the OHL. Many of the guys and fans were not happy in the beginning. My teammates however, were very welcoming. They made me feel like part of the team immediately. My teammates and I have mutual respect for each other. I also have a great team captain, Kyle Schneider, who took the time to make sure my teammates and I always have open communication.
Why Hockey? And why not stay with a woman’s league?
I have always loved hockey since I can remember. It’s the greatest sport in the world. I did play with girls up until this season. This is the first year I have played on a guys hockey team. It’s much faster, harder hitting and I love it. My goal of course, as with all the guys who play the sport, is the NHL. The only way I can prove myself is to play in a guys league. Prove I’m strong, fast, and tough enough. I definitely have size on my side and I am a fast skater. I have been holding my own out there along with my teammates. Stats wise I am sitting in the middle of the board.
Who is the hockey player you most look up to?
Most people roll their eyes when I answer this question. I look up to Toby Chalke. He played with the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1970s and is now their GM. I suppose the main reason he became my hero, was when I found out that nobody wanted to draft him. He is a diabetic. After all the NHL teams passed him over at the draft for something as silly as being a diabetic, the Flyers took a big chance on him. He had to prove himself. He was also fast and tough. He was fearless. Some people think of him as a dirty player. I think he did what he had to do to get the job done. He did it well. I like to think of myself as the female Toby Chalke. I don’t have diabetes, my disability to many in hockey, seems to be the fact that I am a girl. I hope I have started to prove myself to all these critics.
How is it being away from home?
It’s great. I’m loving it. I miss my family and friends, that goes without saying. However, the experience has been amazing. My billets, Cathy and Harry are two of the most generous, outgoing people I have ever met in my life. They are family to me.
What advice would you give to girls out there who want to play in a boys league?
I would say never give up on your dreams. Hockey is a tough game. You have to have a thick skin. If you want it bad enough then it’s always there for the taking. You might have to give up a lot to get it. To me so far, it’s been worth it.
Thank you Christine and good luck with the rest of your game.
Thanks.
Peterborough had beaten us badly on Sunday 8-3. We arrived back in Toronto in the middle of the night on Sunday. Alex was waiting at the rink to drive me back to the Peat’s.
Moose seemed grateful, he wanted to go to Lena’s for the night. Lena and him had worked through their issues. Things were going good between them. I had been tagging along with them most of the week. He deserved a break.
On the drive home I told Alex about my interview. He told me that he had watched it. He thought I handled the questions extremely well for my first interview.
When we got to the Peat’s the lights were off. They were obviously sleeping. I invited Alex in for a little while. He didn’t want to let go of me. It was nice to have his arms around me. His kisses were more passionate than usual. He must have really missed me. He only stayed for an hour and then I insisted he leave. I didn’t want him to fall asleep and the Peat’s find out that he stayed over.
Michigan
The next few weeks passed without incident. My life was almost back to normal. Alex had become my running partner and drove me to and from school as well as practices daily.
This weekend we would be in Michigan. My parents had promised me that they would be at the game. Coach told me I would be playing this game, but I would sit out the Erie, P.A. game.
I got the feeling Coach suspected something going on between Alex and myself. Since we always kept things professional he didn’t say anything to us about it. Coach was a very observant man. You couldn’t get too much passed him. He never gave anyone a hard time about things unless he saw it becoming a problem. I figured he realized Alex and me were being responsible about the situation, or he would have made an issue about it.
I was excited to have my family watch me play. My parents said they would make sure they were in Saginaw the night before. Saginaw had a good team this year. They had only lost three games. It would be a close game.
I left tickets for my family at will-call. I got them good seats behind our bench. I hoped that my brothers wouldn’t try to hard to embarrass me. My father mentioned that he warned them not to. I still worried. My brothers weren’t known for listening to my parents. Phil had told me a few days earlier that Tyler was working on some hilarious signs to hold up. I could only imagine what they said.
In the first period the score was 2-1. Our one goal coming from Joe Sim. I managed a fluke goal from a dump-in that fooled the Saginaw goalie with two minutes left in the first period. The game was tied.
I hadn’t noticed my family sitting in the stands. I had been too focused. I took a glance up before skating off the ice and noticed Tyler’s sign. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Actually it was lame and unimaginative for him. It read ‘I thought these were football tickets’.
In the second period our team managed to generate a 3-on-1, and my attempt pass to Mitch went into the net off the skate of a Saginaw defender for an unassisted goal. Two fluke goals, but I wasn’t complaining and neither were my teammates.
In the third, Alex picked up a huge rebound off the goalie, spun around and beat him on the far side. Late in the third we were not winning the battles along the boards. Th
en suddenly with 38 seconds to go Welsh picked off the top corner as he and Alex were skating in on a 2-on-1. Moose got the other assist. The game finished sweet and we won 5-2. I was third star. It would have been nice to be first. Our goalie (Plouffe) got first star, he stopped 42 shots.
I met my parents out front after the game. They watched me sign some autographs and take pictures with fans, before they approached me. I gave them all great big hugs.
“I’m so proud of you Christine.” Dad beamed with pride. “I was amazed with your playing. I never thought a girl could play so well. I am happy to say you have proven me wrong.” He admitted and hugged me again.
Mom didn’t want to let go of me. I introduced my family to Alex, Moose and Myles. My mother noticed the way I had introduced Alex, she asked me if I liked him. I said that we were just very close friends. No need to get her worried.
I mentioned the stalker incident to my father when my mother was out of ear shot. He was worried. I told him not to worry, that everything was being handled. I told him it was very common for most of the guys to have stalker run ins from time to time, that this wasn’t anything new.
My brother Tyler was complaining to me about his sprained arm and how he wasn’t able to work out or play any sports.
“Awww, I’m sorry to hear that Tyler, would you like me to get you a straw, so you can SUCK IT UP!” I gave him a slight push jokingly.
He laughed. So did my father.
We weren’t staying in Saginaw for the night. We had to head out right away to Erie, P.A. I kissed them all goodbye, and thanked them for coming to my game. Mom told me that she had taken many pictures and she would tag me in them on Facebook. She was so happy for me.
When we boarded the bus I sat with Alex. It was late and most of us were going to end up sleeping for a good portion of the seven hour bus ride to Erie. I pulled out my blanket and covered us both up. He let me put my feet across his lap. My head was resting on my pillow, which was leaning against the side panel wall. Just him touching my feet gave me shivers. I loved being with him. It never mattered what we were doing. As long as he and I were together that was all that mattered.