There is a last for everything in this world. We knew when we headed to play the Foxboro Warriors at the Canton Ice House on Feb. 28 that this could be one of those days. We had hopes though. Anything was possible.

I was playing goal in my last ever Abington High School hockey game. We lost. It was probably the most devastating game I have ever played, too. The emotions in the locker room after the game were so saddening. A strongly bonded team, losing the last game that we would ever play again with each other.

But, I do not regret any of it.

It was the most fun season out of the four I played in high school, and I would not want to do it with anyone else. I pushed myself harder than ever, strove for greatness, and achieved something so memorable. I made great friends, went to many pasta parties, and served as a mentor to the younger people on the team.

Ending the season in playoffs, knowing that I might never step foot on the ice again to play a competitive hockey game, is the most heartbreaking thing ever. The time flew by and it was over just like that, with me whispering to myself the words, “It’s over, my hockey career could be over.”

I remember watching each year as the seniors above me played their last games too, whispering the same things to themselves. And  now I was finally in the exact same situation.

It was a remarkable season for everyone, though, and we all knew it. One thing that will never disappear from this school is the team achievements we passed this year, overcoming all negative assumptions going into the season. 

What makes my last hockey game even more surreal, however, is that COVID-19 came along and took away the spring sports season too. Feb. 28 was not just my last high school hockey game; it was my last high school game of all. Stolen from my hands.

Sometimes, life takes shots at you that you just cannot save.