I never got to comment on this weekend and give my general thoughts on the season because as soon as I got home from my capital district trip on Sunday, I learned that my home was still without internet access from the storm a week ago. Anyway, we are still without cable and internet but I'm at the public library now so I figured I'd get this in.
I don't think I have ever had such a bittersweet feeling after a sports season. When I made this thread ("Albany? This is the year"), I have to admit that although I wanted it to happen, I was skeptical as to whether or not it was more fantasy or more reality. As soon as I saw the team play that first weekend against Maine and after speaking with a lot of the players and the coach, I truly believed that this was going to be a special year. I say bittersweet instead of just sweet because I think this team was good enough to reach the national tournament and to come so close leaves a bitter taste. I can confidently say that I will never step foot in Fort Wayne, Indiana but I wanted to be there (or St. Paul, Albany, Worcester) so badly this weekend. After we beat St. Lawrence, I started to look at airfares to St. Paul and Fort Wayne. As early as November, I was even looking at hotels in those locations but I guess it just wasn't meant to be. However, looking back on the season as a whole and seeing what this team accomplished, it is very sweet.
To Schreibz, Waks, Mario, Wally, Lareau, Shaffer, Christo, and Pudge: It was a helluva run over these last four years. I remember going to games our freshman year and sitting in the front of section Q (I moved to the back starting sophomore year
) and thinking how tough it was going to be rooting for such a terrible team. Then every year after that. The school went farther than any year in history. In 2008, Union managed to get the 4th seed and the first round bye before being swept in the 2nd round. In 2009, Union managed to barely get home ice before winning a playoff series for the first time and then taking Princeton to 3 games in the ECAC Quarterfinals. This year, the team reached new heights. The highlights of the season for me include the first weekend sweep of Maine, the win over RPI on January 16th where Messa was well overcapacity (that night, Union reached #7 in the PWR!), Senior Night victory over Quinny 7-3 (LET'S GO SENIORS DA DA DADADA), the entire playoff series vs. Quinny (5 OTs then coming back to win the next two), and then the win over St. Lawrence in the ECAC Semi-Finals. In the finals, Cornell was just too strong and I felt like we never got any momentum going. After all, with 8(?) penalties being called against us, that was kind of tough to get anything going. Anyway, I think the future of the team is bright despite losing so many talented players this season. We still have Keith and Corey in goal. We still have Brock, Coburn, Stu, Juice, Forgaard, Reid, and JS on D. We still have Prezzy, Boileau, Luke, Zajac, Welsh, Bootsy, Kelly, John and Wayne Simpson, Yanovitch, Pallos, and Bodie on offense. It will be tough for me to be as big a fan and for me to go to as many games since I will be 150 miles away from Messa Rink as opposed to 150 yards from Messa Rink but I will do my best to stay up to date.
It has been a great run and it has been great talking Union hockey with all of you.
LET'S GO UNION DA DA DADADA...for life.
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