Re: 2014 UNH Wildcats: Ending Strong and Starting Fresh
A story about the men's team, but with a unisex message:
Al Pike: Perseverance pays off for Durham’s Randall
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
As the pucks were being dispersed on the ice for pre-game warmup Saturday night, Ryan Randall picked one out and was about to take a shot on an empty net when Dan Correale tried to spoil the long-awaited moment.
“He was trying to lighten the mood,” a smiling Randall said later.
Understandably anxious, Randall was less than an hour away from making his college debut for the University of New Hampshire hockey team on the same rink where he starred for Oyster River High School.
After nearly three years of early morning workouts, late afternoon practices and long road trips with no reward at the end the week, the Durham native was finally going to dress for a regulation game.
Randall learned Saturday morning at the team breakfast he was going to be in the lineup for that night’s game against Vermont at the Whittemore Center.
The unexpected news prompted an impromptu rush of adrenaline.
“There wasn’t really any indication from the coaches at all,” Randall said, “but you’ve always got to be ready, especially when we had a tough game like we did (Friday) night. You’ve always got to mentally prepare and treat every night like you’re going to be in the lineup the next day because you never know.”
After waiting almost three years to see his name on a college line chart, the junior defenseman (No. 46 in your program) took his first shift midway through the first period.
“He deserved it,” said coach Dick Umile. “He’s a pretty good player. He’s really respected by the coaches and players. I’m happy for him”
Randall was paired with sophomore Brett Pesce on defense with the first line of Kevin Goumas, Dalton Speelman and Matt Willows up front.
Randall, taking a pass from Goumas, even managed to get a shot on net from the left point that was sticked aside by Catamount goalie Mike Santaguida.
“The first (shift) was nice because the puck was in the offensive end the entire time,” Randall said. “It was nice to get that first shift out of the way and get all the jitters out. Then I felt a lot more comfortable on the second two.”
His other two shifts came in the second period, although one was abbreviated when he broke his stick.
“Randall works hard day in and day out,” Willows said. “He really earned his chance, and I think when he was out there he did what he needed to do. Look for him again. He had a great game.”
As much as Randall has practiced with the team it’s hard to duplicate game conditions. The converted forward knew he wasn’t in Kansas anymore Saturday night.
“It’s definitely a whole lot different,” he said. “I see (Grayson) Downing coming down on me when he dumps the puck in and I know he’s not going to absolutely bury me. But I know when the Catamounts dump one in on me they’re going to want to hit me as hard as they can.
“It’s a completely different mentality,” Randall added. “You try to treat every practice like it’s a game, but at the same time it’s a tough task when it’s all your friends out there.”
Those are the same friends that gave him fist bumps when they heard that Randall was going to be in the lineup for the first time.
Randall replaced freshman Dylan Maller, who played in Friday night’s game but was a healthy scratch on Saturday.
“You’ don’t want anyone to play poorly,” Randall said, “but at the same time you want to get in the lineup. It was definitely exciting.”
“Everyone loves him,” Willows said. “He’s got a great attitude. Not playing for three years is tough, but he comes to practice every day and works hard and it shows. He’s gotten so much better and he got a chance (Saturday night). It was great to see him out there.”
Randall played mostly forward at Oyster River, but switched to defense when he was with the New Hampshire Junior Monarchs.
His goal was to play Division I college hockey, preferably at UNH, even though he knew it would be a difficult lineup to crack.
“It’s tough,” Umile said. “You’ve got to remember one thing: he helps make us better every day in practice. He hasn’t played in games, but he helps us every single day. He stuck with it and here he is, finding himself in a key situation in a key game.”
“It’s great,” said senior forward Nick Sorkin. “He works hard every day. He’s always responsible. You’ve got to tip your hat to guys like that. He’s with us at 8 a.m. workouts every day. He still works hard in practice, doing extra reps at the end. I’m happy that he finally got his opportunity, and I think he did pretty well.”
Despite the lack of playing time, Randall never seriously considered leaving the program to look for something better to do on weekends.
“There wasn’t really that thought in my mind,” he said. “Every single day the guys are telling to keep trucking, keep trying. ‘We need you.’ Everyone’s been so supportive of me, especially my mom and my brother. They’re there for me every single day. They don’t want to see me quit. I’ve never quit anything in my life. I really could never imagine doing that.”
Randall is one three New Hampshire natives on the current roster. Rochester’s Casey DeSmith and Goffstown’s Collin Bourque are the others.
Lee’s Greg Burke was on the team during Randall’s first two years.
What did Saturday night’s appearance mean to Randall?
“It’s definitely being able to say I accomplished my dream,” he said. “Not only was I on the team, but I was able to get in a game and prove that to myself and everyone, whether people doubted me or supported me. It was an unbelievable feeling that I was able to get out there against the odds. You don’t see a whole lot of guys from New Hampshire playing Division I.”
