Norwich Hockey 2019-2020 ... The Road to Buffalo

[NUProf]

Re: Norwich Hockey 2019-2020 ... The Road to Buffalo

Not going to lie, between my job, the inconvenience of the Mountain Time Zone to East Coast watching (getting home at 7 on Fridays means the games are over), and having two little toddlers running around, I haven't watched as many games this year as I have in the past. But, I've followed along as I've always done. As much as I love the Cadets (as evidenced by my presence on this forum), I never thought I was would be this heartbroken over the season ending like this (not that I ever imagined this). PuckVoice is right, a loss would have been much better. Never even having the opportunity is crushing.

Mountain time makes the Friday games hard to see, for sure. My granddaughters' Friday swim practices usually end 5:30 or 6:00 and we get to do the transportation on Fridays. I guess watching two 8 year olds swim laps is good, and I wouldn't miss it for the world, but it means I miss a lot of NU hockey.

[Fishman'81]

Re: Norwich Hockey 2019-2020 ... The Road to Buffalo

Fish, I used the RP! system to get the numbers of the teams SOS rankings. It appears that you used the Krach system, which would account for our differences. Like you said, "It doesn't matter, though" and that is the unfortunate truth. Have to figure out what to do for the next 3 Saturday nights...I was not ready to be done with the "hockey season". The ultimate "we got screwed" in the NCAA Div III Championship process, and this was not a joke. All of Div III teams, staff and fans got screwed by a virus- Covid 19. It basically has got all of the USA as hostages and the economic impact will be HUGH. In my head, that is one of the worst results of the virus (Surpassed by the deaths and and the number of people suffering from it.), however in my heart, it is the cancellation of the 2020 Div III NCAA Championship.

I was crestfallen that my personal Super Bowl(s) went straight out the window last night, but in the cold morning light, I admit that this is the very least of our worries. Our economy will suffer a collapse, and we have no one with Brain Cell One in the White House.

Truly scary times.

[PrezdeJohnson09]

Re: Norwich Hockey 2019-2020 ... The Road to Buffalo

I went down to Kreitzberg to pick some equipment this afternoon ... what did I see? The Norwich women .... seemed like most of the team ... out on the ice having what looked like a fun scrimmage. I'm guessing it was to have been theier last practice before their trip to Plattsburgh for the Quarterfinal that now will never be.
A sad moment ... and yet inspiring too.
Those kids had to be crushed just 24 hours ago but there they were ... out on the ice having fun.

And I saw the same thing from TJ Dockery and Tom Aubrun (without all the goalie pads), just two great friends and seniors having one more laugh and tool around skate together on the ice. You wouldn't have known they just had their seasons ripped out from under them 24 hours prior. It was a heartwarming moment that no matter how much this sucks in the moment. Life will go on...sports will eventually go on and these kids are far more mature than we give them credit for.

[NUProf]

Re: Norwich Hockey 2019-2020 ... The Road to Buffalo

And I saw the same thing from TJ Dockery and Tom Aubrun (without all the goalie pads), just two great friends and seniors having one more laugh and tool around skate together on the ice. You wouldn't have known they just had their seasons ripped out from under them 24 hours prior. It was a heartwarming moment that no matter how much this sucks in the moment. Life will go on...sports will eventually go on and these kids are far more mature than we give them credit for.

My experience with Norwich athletes has often been like this. Through the years, there were some blinkers, but most of them didn't last. Lots of good people with really good heads on their shoulders. Sounds like that part of the culture survived my departure .

[wolfe123]

Re: Norwich Hockey 2019-2020 ... The Road to Buffalo

This is not a time to be political.

[neumyer]

Re: Norwich Hockey 2019-2020 ... The Road to Buffalo

This is not a time to be political.

Totally agree, we need to pull together as Americans and not be divisive.

[NUProf]

Re: Norwich Hockey 2019-2020 ... The Road to Buffalo

Totally agree, we need to pull together as Americans and not be divisive.

I didn't think what I said was political or that anything political was said in this thread. I'm not sure where that remark comes from.

[neumyer]

Re: Norwich Hockey 2019-2020 ... The Road to Buffalo

I didn't think what I said was political or that anything political was said in this thread. I'm not sure where that remark comes from.

You didn't say anything political. What was said earlier by someone else must have been deleted.

[Laker89]

Re: Norwich Hockey 2019-2020 ... The Road to Buffalo

I think the Norwich program and the kids they recruit have always been thought of as a class act. I remember when they came down to Oswego the first year of the MCC Arena and Oswego played them in the first round of the NCAA's on their way to the 2007 title. I was in Laker Hall after getting my tickets for a little visit to the old stomping grounds and I happened to run into some of their fans and got chatting for awhile about this and that. What great people! Nice, polite, and obviously very proud of Cadet hockey. The Lakers won 3-0 that night to move on the the FF but if Norwich had pulled it off I would have rooted for them the rest of the way. Classy outfit to say the least, then and now. I really feel bad for all of the teams that were headed to the NCAA's. This year would have been great I believe! Norwich, Genny, UC, Hobart, etc. Wow!

[nascoo]

Re: Norwich Hockey 2019-2020 ... The Road to Buffalo

Laker - yep, military code is alive an well at the school. I am just a local fan
no ties to school or military in general. The NU students open doors for women (etc) are polite, respectful and yet
have a good time. We are season ticket holders since Kberg facility was built. I think this was the most dominate NU team
including the 99-2000 team as previously mentioned. This team did not allow a goal in the last 9 games including 2 with
a very good Hobart. This team played great 2 way hockey an had plenty of fire power up front "if" they gave up a goal.

[NUProf]

Re: Norwich Hockey 2019-2020 ... The Road to Buffalo

Laker - yep, military code is alive an well at the school. I am just a local fan
no ties to school or military in general. The NU students open doors for women (etc) are polite, respectful and yet
have a good time. We are season ticket holders since Kberg facility was built. I think this was the most dominate NU team
including the 99-2000 team as previously mentioned. This team did not allow a goal in the last 9 games including 2 with
a very good Hobart. This team played great 2 way hockey an had plenty of fire power up front "if" they gave up a goal.

An important thing to realize is that most of the players are not military, but McShane's coaching staff enforced the same kinds of expectations on the players, and it looks like the new staff has continued those expectations. Through the years the team has gotten great support throughout the community.

[PuckVoice]

If in this stressful time you are looking for a feel good Norwich hockey moment and have access to Facebook go to my Facebook page and live again, the weekend that started the dynasty.
Goodbye Superior!

[Steve Day]

Re: Norwich Hockey 2019-2020 ... The Road to Buffalo

If in this stressful time you are looking for a feel good Norwich hockey moment and have access to Facebook go to my Facebook page and live again, the weekend that started the dynasty.
Goodbye Superior!

From another link on Facebook here is another game to watch
"Exactly three years ago today, the Norwich University Ice Hockey team captured its fourth NCAA Division III National Championship with a 4-1 victory over Trinity (Conn.) in Utica, N.Y. Relive all the memories with this full game replay of one of the most special nights in the men's hockey program's 100+ year history.

VIDEO: https://www.ncaa.com/…/diii-men-ic...inal-trinit… "

[NU Pastime]

Re: Norwich Hockey 2019-2020 ... The Road to Buffalo

Thank you both for the great videos. I have to admit that I still have a rather bad taste in my mouth about how all of this ended. I know that with everything going on the Division III hockey tournament is insignificant. But, since this is a board dedicated to Division III hockey, I'll shed my tears for it here. There were a lot of great teams in the tournament that all had a shot - Utica, Geneseo, UWEC. But in my mind Norwich was the clear favorite and I had images of re-arranging the banners in Kreitzberg to make room for #5.

[bakdraft21]

Re: Norwich Hockey 2019-2020 ... The Road to Buffalo

Congrats to Aubrun and the team around him..