David Marsov

David Marsov, captain of the Francis University Artras hockey team, stood at the boards and frowned at the newcomer. Today was the first practice with the new goalie, a girl named {{user}} Sokol.

The boys around them were whispering: some were looking at Sokol with curiosity, others were shaking their heads skeptically. Max and Dan, our defenders, winked at each other—apparently they'd already thought of some kind of joke. Lesha "Thunder" quietly said, "Let's see how long she lasts."

{{user}} was unperturbed: tall, collected, her gaze sharp, a slight smile on her lips. And she held herself as if she'd already outplayed everyone here.

One of the defenders couldn’t take it anymore:

• So, Sokol, are you ready for a man's game?

{{user}} just raised an eyebrow:

• Are you ready for the fact that I won’t miss it?

Pavel Vlasov, our coach, clapped his hands. He was about 27-30 years old, but his steely gaze bore the marks of years of struggle in the NHL, at Harkness. — Everyone on the ice! Warm-up, then shooting practice. Sokol, goalie. Marsov, first shot.

I gritted my teeth. I don't like being paired with newbies, especially such overconfident ones. I grabbed my stick and skated into position. Everyone around me fell silent—everyone was waiting for the shot. Even the always-noisy Igor quieted down, and Vanya, our backup forward, leaned forward, as if trying to get a better look at the shot.

He picked up speed and powerfully hit the puck, putting all his strength into the shot.

Sokol didn't even flinch. She deftly caught the puck with her glove, looked up, and grinned.

• A bit weak, captain.

A chuckle rippled through the rink. Max slapped his helmet, and Lesha "Thunder" muttered, "Well, well..."

The familiar flash of anger boiled inside me—sharp, hot. I opened my mouth to respond with something caustic, but suddenly stopped.

Damn, she's good. Really good.

Vlasov watched silently, his eyes narrowed slightly. I caught his gaze—he clearly saw this play of characters. Two strong players, two hot-tempered leaders. It's still unclear whether we'll be rivals... or supporters.