Rhys
The second period ended with the score still locked at zero, and the frustration was already starting to settle deep in my bones.
No matter how hard we pushed ourselves out there, we just couldn't seem to break through the Falcons' defense.
Their positions kept changing every few minutes, making it almost impossible to predict where the openings would be, and Damian was everywhere at once — blocking passing lanes, forcing turnovers, and generally making it feel like we were skating uphill the entire time.
By the time we entered the third period, the game was still sitting at 0-0. This felt like our last real chance to avoid heading into a penalty shootout, but every time we managed to get near their net, either our shots were sailing wide or their goalie swallowed them up without much trouble.
