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She ditched her senior prom and instead went to a Stanley Cup Finals game

The Centreville High School senior's beloved Washington Capitals had been battling the Tampa Bay Lightning to make it to the Stanley Cup for the first time in 20 years.
Credit: Emma Von Hoene

CLIFTON, VA (WUSA) - A crazy thought crossed Emma Von Hoene's mind as she daydreamed during her high school government class last month.

The Centreville High School senior's beloved Washington Capitals had been battling the Tampa Bay Lightning to make it to the Stanley Cup for the first time in 20 years.

"What if the Caps actually make the Stanley Cup?" Von Hoene recalled thinking. "I realized Game 3 of the Stanley Cup for the Caps would be the same night as my [senior] prom."

Von Hoene thought some more: "What if I ditched prom for the Caps game?"

That fleeting thought is now a reality.

After the Caps beat the Lightning in a heart-stopping Game 7, Von Hoene announced on Twitter that she would be skipping senior prom to attend Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, the first home game in the series for the Caps.

Credit: Emma Von Hoene

"It took a while for me to confess to my friends that I'm skipping prom for the Caps," Von Hoene admitted.

She had promised her friends months ago that she would go to prom with them, considered by many to be one of the important teenage rites of passage.

She even had her dress picked out and ready to go.

"You should've seen their faces," Von Hoene said, imitating a look of disgust. "They were really disappointed."

But at least one of her friends was supportive.

"I knew how much she loves the Caps," Neelanshi Saxena. "She's never been happier so I'm just happy she's happy."

Credit: Emma Von Hoene

Von Hoene's announcement via Twitter has since received more than 1,200 likes, and while she's at the game, her friends will pose for prom photos holding a Caps jersey dedicated to Von Hoene.

"Tomorrow, I'm just so excited about the atmosphere there," Von Hoene said. "I'm really looking forward to just wearing my jersey and rocking the red tomorrow."

Credit: Emma Von Hoene

Van Hoene even brought her dress to take pictures outside Capital One Arena in it. She forgot to take off her pearl necklace before going into the game.

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