First Day at Showcase

Yesterday we drove from Bismarck to Minneapolis. We stopped in St. Cloud, Minnesota and toured the campus of St. Cloud State University, and then we had a practice on their home rink. It was a great experience to see the school and hear from the coach what the hockey players go through at the Division I level. It just made me that much hungrier to see the campus and hear what the coach had to say. He said, "If you're here now, you probably can play Division I hockey, but you have to realize that it might take a year or two. Be patient and work hard. Juniors has a way of weeding out the kids who don't really love the sport." It was also cool seeing the facilities that Division I players get to enjoy, like the locker room, players lounge, and the sick arena. After practice, we drove to our hotel in Minneapolis and hung out until we went to sleep. This morning, I found out I wasn't on the roster for the game. It was disappointing, but I know that most rookies have to go through the same thing. I'm hoping that I get to play at least two games this week, but I'll just go with the flow and if I get a chance, I'll give it my all. It was a great experience getting to watch all the games going on around the 8-rink complex, but honestly, I would've rather been playing. We ended up winning 7-2 against Fresno, riding a 6-0 first period to the win. It looks like we have a solid team, but it is only the first game. It's fun to see some names that I used to play with on different teams in the NAHL, going through the same thing I am.