I thought I'd inform my blog readers that our team is not allowed to use phones anymore for the rest of the weekend so as not to be a distraction. You will have to check the nationals website to see how we're doing. First game tomorrow at noon! Here we go!

We're in Rochester now. Today's our last practice of the season...gotta make it a good one because tomorrow our games start!

And now we're leaving Lincoln. We had a good 2 days of practice. The energy was high and everyone is excited to get this thing rolling on Friday. We practiced where the Lincoln Stars play, and it was really cool to see their facilities. I guess they draw huge crowds. Yesterday we got to the hotel about 11:30 and slept until practice. I hit the pillow and was out for a few hours because I didn't sleep very well on the bus, as usual. I was suprised I didn't have bus legs yesterday, but I thought I practiced pretty well both days. I'm so excited for this weekend. Last night we had a fun night at the hotel, playing cribbage and hanging out. Now we're on our way to Rochester, and we have practice tomorrow and start our games Friday. Can't wait!

We're on our way to Lincoln.

Off to Nationals Tomorrow!

We're leaving for the national tournament tomorrow. After practice we're driving to Lincoln, Nebraska through the night to practice for a few days, and then we head to Rochester, Minnesota on Wednesday night. I'm so EXCITED!!!

"You Have All Three"

Today, I had a really good practice. We did a drill where the defensemen have to break out against pressure and read the forecheck of the forwards. My defense partner and I did it almost perfectly. That was the highlight of my practice, and I think I played well otherwise too. But Coach came up to me after practice and asked how he thinks I'm doing. I told him I thought I'm doing really well, still improving, and I told him how I thought I did on that drill. He agreed with me, and then he said something about how reading the forecheck like that is second nature to great defensemen like Nik Lidstrom; he makes the smart play and the right play every time. Then, I told Coach how I've been focusing on being more physical because it's something I have to focus on. He told me that every coach is looking for a big kid, who has an edge, and a brain. And he said I have all three. I'm really excited about the progress I've made since coming here, and it's been an amazing experience to learn the game like I have, in such a short time. I know I still have a lot to learn, but I'm not floundering like I was in the beginning of this year. I'm flourishing. I'm getting better every day, and it's so exciting to me.

Final Stretch

Here we go. This week is probably the biggest week of my life hockey-wise. I'm ready to have a great week of practice, and now I really need to bear down and focus on next weekend. It's easy to let my mind drift to thoughts about home and summer, but I can't think about that right now. We have three games next weekend, and that's all I need to think about. Nothing else. We have a chance to do something special at nationals, but if we don't show up in our 3 pool play games, our trip to Rochester could be over faster than we would like. We had yesterday off, and now we're back to practicing today. We leave tomorrow for Rochester because we want to get there a day or so early, so we don't have bus legs the day of our first game. This week is going to go by fast; of course there is a lot of pressure, but I just need to play my game and play like I'm playing any other game. I don't want to let my nerves get the best of me. I'll keep you posted about how this week goes...

Challenge: Accepted

I think a lot of times (maybe all of the time) coaches play mind games with their players. I've heard people liken athletes to chess pieces and coaches are the players, constantly moving their pieces around to give them the best opportunity to win. It's pretty cool to be around that and to learn how different coaches handle different and similar situations. I'm weird like that, and I notice and keep track of everything going on around me, trying to learn as best as I can.

Yesterday, I was challenged. Challenged to be more physical, to be harder to play against. Coach told me there is a saying that scouts have: "Looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane." I don't want to be that guy. Now that I have my positional play down, it's time for me to elevate my game in another way. I can be a physical presence, but it's not something that comes naturally for me. I have to think about it. And the way Coach approached me yesterday makes me want to show him what I can do when I play gritty, like he wants me to.

Today, I came to practice to redeem myself. I had a very bad practice yesterday, and I was thinking about how I wanted to practice all last night and today. I was not happy with myself after practice yesterday. I think I had a really good practice today, though, and that's how I need to come to the rink every day: ready to practice. In the first drill, I finished a check in the corner and Coach was right there. I was kind of saying, "F you, I can play mean when I want to." And I think that's exactly the reaction he wanted from me and the reaction he wants to continue to see going into next week and from here on out in my career. Sometimes I play too nice, and I need a little help from someone to get a reaction out of me. But when my coach tells me to do something, I do it. I am the most obedient chess piece out there. I skated past him and he yelled, "Attaboy Teddy! Play like a big, mean, sonuvabitch!" Sorry, Mom. I'm not the son of a bitch, but I need to start playing like one. I was finishing checks all the rest of practice, and that's how I need to continue to play. I need to be tough to play against. I want people to regret coming into my corner, so they think about that all game, instead of what they need to do on the ice.

I need to accept the challenge put to me. Play more physical. Stop being a teddy bear all the time. I can be a teddy bear off the ice. I wore this shirt today for inspiration. It might've worked, but now I need to bring this attitude to the rink with me every day.

Stop Being Such a Teddy Bear

I know I said I was ready to practice this week, but I had a bad practice today. My legs didn't have it, and my brain wasn't there. I didn't feel good. I was just inconsistent, and I didn't feel like I practiced well at all. I'm glad I got that bad practice out of me because now I'm going to really focus the rest of this week on practicing well. After practice, Coach told us we can't take a mental break in the 9 days we still have before we play in Minnesota. We need to stay focused even though right now 9 days might seem like a lot. But I think it will go by fast.

Coach told me today that he thinks I've come a long way from where I was when I came here. He said now I know what I can do positionally, now I understand the game much better, but he would like to see me be a more gritty player, mentally and physically. He wants me to "stop being such a teddy bear." I need to use my size more. At times, I play physical and I get mean, but that part of my game needs to be more consistent as well. I definitely feel like I play better when I'm throwing bodies around and hitting people. It just makes me play a lot more confidently. So I'm really going to work on not being so soft this week and next. I want to show people what kind of player I can be when I play with mental and physical toughness all the time, when I play like I should with the size that I have.

Can't Wait for Nationals

We had 2 nice days off after we got back from El Paso, and today we're back on the ice for practice. It was great to have 2 days off, but I'm ready to get back out on the ice. I'm so excited about these next two weeks because I've never participated in a national tournament of any kind, and I really think we can make some noise there. We found out what our schedule is. Here is the link to the website with the schedule and other information: http://www.rochsports.org/hockey/index.html. I can't wait. It's a great opportunity for all of us individually because I think there will be a lot of scouts at the tournament, we have a solid team that I think can compete with anyone in the country at this level when we play to our potential, and my family is coming to watch. It should be really fun. I'm so excited! We still have another week before we head to Rochester, so I'm going to really work hard in practices this week and next week to prepare for the tournament and continue to try and get better every time I touch the ice. This season is winding down, and I have to cherish the last few weeks. We're one of the few teams at this level in the nation still playing, but we can't get complacent after winning the Thorne Cup because I think we have a chance to do very well at nationals. It's time to really focus, though.

4 more hours on the bus...can't wait to get off of this thing and get some real sleep.

I talked to one of our assistant coaches last night and he told me I'm playing very well recently. He said my confidence and knowledge of the game is nowhere near where it was when I first got here. It's skyrocketed in the past few weeks. He told me the decisions I'm making with the puck are pretty perfect, that I'm doing all the things a good defenseman needs to do--I'm not necessarily playing with flashy skills but I'm making all the right hits and using my stick very well in passing lanes--and he said that if I keep improving like I have in the past few months, I can do some great things in this sport. Coming from someone who committed to the University of Wisconsin at 17, that feels really good to hear. I need to give myself credit for my improvement.

M6W (Mission: 6 Wins) is complete. Last night we finished off a 2 game sweep of the El Paso Rhinos in El Paso. It feels unbelievably good. This is the first time I've ever won a major championship like this, and I feel like it's been a long time coming. I've never been on a more determined team. We all knew what we had to do to win, and we did those things this weekend. We came into these playoffs with a goal; it feels so good to accomplish what we wanted to. I've sort of been through the ringer this year, and I can't express how good it feels to be on a team like this. I'm so glad I came here; I've learned so much and had a lot of fun. Now it's on to nationals!

We are the Thorne Cup champs.

Big Win Tonight, Gotta Do It Again Tomorrow

I can now say I just played a hockey game less than a mile from the Mexican border. We drove along the border on the way to the rink; it's pretty amazing to see such a notorious city like Juarez only a few hundred feet away. Our coach said that last night an American family from Phoenix got gunned down in Juarez while visiting family. Scary stuff. But now onto the hockey game: We won tonight, 3 to 1. It was another fun game, one that we battled hard in, but to be honest, I think we could've played better. We established our forecheck at times; we didn't wear them down with it, though, like we wanted to throughout the game. We played solid defensively and took advantage of our chances on the powerplay. I drew 3 penalties, and I felt like I played a really good game. I was nervous for the first shift, and then the nervousness sort of faded to the background. I was physical and just played really smart for the most part. My D partner and I were matched up with their top line for most of the night, and we shut them down. I got an assist on our 3rd goal too, but I could care less about the individual stuff at this time of year. We played well as a team tonight, and we all know we have to and can play better tomorrow night.

There were some distractions for me today, but I tried to stay focused on the game all day. All I can say is I'm happy to be from a small town like Vail where everyone cares about everyone, and I'm praying for everyone affected by the losses our community has had to cope with in the past few months. I love and miss everyone back home and all my family following me on this blog. Can't wait to be home in a few weeks, but first we have a Thorne Cup and a national championship to win.

Today we had practice again for an hour. We just got done. I feel like we're ready for tomorrow. We have the right mindset, and we have to do all the things that it takes to win. I think if we play like we did last Saturday, we will do great. We're on the road to El Paso now.

Yesterday we got into Albuquerque at about 9 in the morning. It was a pretty uncomfortable ride on the bus through the night, so we got to the hotel and slept for a few hours. Then we had practice at the rink where the Mustangs practice. We had a good, hard practice and got the bus legs out. My coach in New Mexico was out on the ice, and it was good to see him. I think he's impressed with how much I've improved since he last saw me play. It was really fun seeing the boys on the Mustangs when they showed up at the rink for their game too. We went to their game last night against Wenatchee. It was a pretty good game, and I saw my old billets and had fun talking to them during the game. Then we went back to the hotel and watched the Real World before bed.

We just pulled through a Wendy's drive through and ordered 25 double stacks, 30 orders of nuggets, and 22 fries!

Going to El Paso

Yesterday, I had lunch at a Chinese place in McCall. My fortune cookie said, "You will go to an exotic place." I don't know if El Paso exactly qualifies as an exotic place, but we shall see. My coach said if America needed an enema, the tube would be stuck right in El Paso...We're leaving for El Paso on Tuesday night, and next weekend we will play for the Thorne Cup. All of this is so exciting for me.

60 Minutes Until Nationals

I haven't had Internet connection the past few days, but here's what I wrote last night after the game:


After our pregame skate, Coach challenged us to play to our potential. He asked, “Where is the team that played in Wenatchee?” (I wasn’t here then, but they took the Wenatchee Wild of the NAHL to overtime in an exhibition game and played their hearts out in that game.) Something has been holding us back the past few weekends. We hadn’t been committed to our forecheck, and we hadn’t been physical enough. We won games, but we did not pay the price that needs to be paid to win close playoff games. We could beat teams like San Diego or Arizona playing that way, but from here on out, our opponents are only going to get better. We tried to do things the easy way and beat teams with our skill game. That was before tonight.

60 minutes until nationals. That was our war cry tonight. Everyone kept saying that before our game. And if that’s not motivational enough, I don’t know what is. We came out tonight and played to our potential. As a team. The Phoenix Polar Bears were not stopping us from winning, no matter what. We weren’t going to let them take us to a 3rd game. We were determined. Before the game, my heart was pumping. I knew I had to play well for our team. And I knew I was ready to play. I wasn’t nervous. I was confident. The puck dropped, and immediately we controlled Phoenix with our physical play and forecheck. We played the first period like we wanted to, and we dominated. Phoenix had only one good shot in the 1st. We rolled 4 lines, pounded them with our forecheck, and when the puck came into our zone, we broke their trap, and got the puck out. Every time. They had no answer, and we came out of the 1st period with a 1-0 lead, just like in the first game, but this time we felt like we deserved the lead and probably should’ve scored even more. Coach came into the locker room between the 1st and 2nd period and told us that was the team he envisioned we could be. But he also said that a hockey game is not decided in 20 minutes, that we had to be ready to play another 40 minutes, just like we played the first 20.

40 minutes until nationals. The locker room was quiet in between periods. We all knew what we had to do. We were focused. We were ready to come out with the same determination we had in the 1st period. I was in the zone. Nothing mattered, except the next 20 minutes we were going to play. We got on the ice and played our game. We rolled 4 lines and pounded them with our forecheck. They were wearing down. We scored again to make it 2-0, and then they scored to make it 2-1. Even when the score was close, though, I was never worried. Throughout the game, we were in control. And it was fun. We went into the locker room after the 2nd period with a 2-1 lead. Nothing was going to stop us now.

20 minutes until nationals. One more period. 20 miles to go. Not much was said in the locker room again. We knew what was at stake, and we knew if we let Phoenix back in the game, the momentum of the series would turn around. The second game in a 3 game series is pivotal. We weren’t going to let them back in the game, or the series. The puck dropped and, again, we were all over Phoenix. This time, they were pretty much out of gas. But we kept rolling. I never once felt tired during the whole game. That’s what short shifts and a solid forecheck will do for you. We pounded them in the 3rd period. We got a few quick goals, and the game was over. Everyone on the bench was going crazy when we scored to go up 4-1 because we knew it was pretty much over. I had so much fun, and I think that translated into how well I played individually.

I played physical, I got shots through to the net, and I managed the puck and the game whenever I was on the ice. I’ve never had so much fun in a game in my whole life. And I’ve never played better. After the game, our equipment manager came up to me and said, “Teddy, I don’t know if anyone’s told you this yet, but you just played by far the best game of your life. If you play like that every game, no one will beat us.” I don’t know how much truth is in that; all I know is that I had a lot of fun. Our team owner came up to me after the game and said, “Connor, if you’re not careful, you might just turn into a hockey player after all.” It’s wild to hear how many people can see how much better I’ve gotten in just a few short months.

After the game, the crowd in McCall was going crazy. They appreciated our effort. We had an awesome celebration out on the ice after the game. It felt like a weight was sort of lifted off our shoulders, knowing that we’ll be going to nationals. But now is definitely not the time to get complacent or lazy. We have a lot of work left to do, and we still have a lot of goals to accomplish. We are the champions of the Western Division of the WSHL, but we are still hungry for more. We are where we want to be, but really there’s no reason to celebrate right now. There are more challenges ahead, and we still have some great things to accomplish this season. I’ve never been on a more determined team, and it’s been so much fun. I’m ready to have even more fun, though, in the next few weeks.

Next weekend, we’re going to El Paso, Texas to play the El Paso Rhinos for the Thorne Cup. We want that thing. Oh, and one other thing too: we’re goin’ to nationals, baby!

5-1 win. Best game of my life. I've never had so much fun in a game! We're goin to natty's!

I'd like to play more physical throughout the game. I think it helps me play better when I'm throwing bodies around, and I know I can. I don't think I played bad last night, but there are a lot of areas I can be better in tonight. I thought I played a smart game, but, again, I didn't have a very good 1st period, and that is when we need to set the tone for the game tonight. I got my nerves out in the 1st period last night, and now I'm ready to play a complete game tonight. We need to come out with a mentality that we aren't going to let this thing go to a 3rd game. We want to end the series tonight, but we will have to play much better than we did last night, and I think we all know we can.

Last night we won 3-2 in overtime, and, quite honestly, we were pretty fortunate to come away with a win. Phoenix played very well in the 1st period, and we were a little tentative. Our goalie played really well and kept us in the game. We rebounded in the 2nd and 3rd periods and played well; we started to establish our forecheck and play our game more than we did in the 1st. I was very nervous at the start of the game, but I think I played well after that. I had one really good check on our blue line where I knocked a kid off his feet, and I had some really good shots in the 2nd. I made some passes through Phoenix's trap, and I managed the puck well in the 3rd period and overtime. I don't think I played my best, and I know our team has another level.

After the game, I moved into a billet's house. Another player and I are staying with a doctor who has lived in McCall for over 40 years. It's a really cool house, and he is a really nice guy. He went to college at the University of North Dakota, so he's been a hockey fan for a while, and I think he enjoys hosting players and getting to know them. He took us out to lunch at the Pancake House here in McCall, and it was delicious. I had two huge pancakes because I felt I had to, considering the name of the restaurant.

This morning, we had an optional pregame skate, and I decided to sit out and rest my legs. Afterward, we had a team meeting, and the coaches told us we need to start playing to our potential. There's nothing more he can say to motivate us because he's tried everything in the last few weeks. We need to find it in ourselves to play at the level we can. We need to respond. Tonight. We need to play our best game of the year. That's the bottom line. We need a killer instinct tonight, and we need to play with dear because that's when teams play their best.

Our assistant coach told us last night to leave everything we have on the ice every shift. He said what we leave inside, we lose forever. It's true. We have a chance to do great things this year, but we're not exactly playing like a great team all the time like great teams do. And I can't explain why. I don't think the coaches know why. But we need to have a great game tonight. One more win, and we play for our league title and we go to nationals. That should be enough motivation in itself. I'm going to rest and focus on the game until I go to the rink later this afternoon. This is a HUGE game tonight. Phoenix will definitely come out flying, and we need to play like we're in their situation: one game down in the series with our season on the line.

3-2 overtime win!!

Second round starts tonight. Game at 7 o'clock. I am ready to get this thing going tonight. I want to play with confidence and toughness and play smart. Here we go.

Yesterday we had a good day of practice, and then we drove around to outer towns handing out fliers for our games this weekend. Hopefully we draw a big crowd. After that we had a team dinner/meet and greet at the local country club. Unfortunately, last night I suffered another excruciating loss in Monopoly, but I will bounce back tonight. We just got done with practice for the day today. I thought I played well, and I'm already starting to focus hard on the game tomorrow. I want to keep playing better and keep making a difference in these games. Every game from here on out is our biggest game of the year. Today we're going to a local middle school to promote our games, so it should be fun. I think we get to play floor hockey with them too.

I'm up in McCall, staying at the Fun House, the house where all the coaches and 6 players stay since there aren't enough billets volunteering up here for the week. It's a lot of fun so far. We had a team meal at the Toll Station, a local pizza and pasta place, where we talked about the plan for the rest of the week. We have practice tomorrow and Thursday and then we're going to pass out fliers and go to some local events to try and get a lot of people to come to our games this weekend. We came back to the Fun House and played cards and now we're watching TV. Unfortunately, I lost in a game of Hearts after a strong start, but it was still a fun game with a few guys and Coach. Sometimes the cards don't go your way I guess. Should be a fun week here.

Off to McCall Today for the 2nd Round

We're driving up to McCall today to get ready for our second round playoff series against Phoenix. I'm excited. We get to spend a week up in McCall, gearing up for this weekend, and I think it will only help us get better prepared and it will help us come together as a team. It's almost like a road trip, but we also will technically be playing at home. This week, we're going to some events up in McCall to try to get as many people from the town to come to our games this weekend. It's really awesome to play up there when the rink is packed with 700 or so people. But right now it's snowing down in Boise, which means it is dumping up in McCall and could make the road a little more treacherous than normal. We aren't taking the bus up there, so we're going to caravan up there in all our cars together.

I'm really excited for this week. The stakes are even higher than they were last week. With two more wins, we qualify for the national tournament in Rochester, Minnesota, and we would also play for the league championship. I'm ready to keep getting better and prepare myself to play against Phoenix this week. There's nothing better than playoff hockey. So far, I've played very well in our two playoff games, and I want to keep that trend going this weekend. Should be fun. I will keep you posted about what's going on, but right now I have to go pack for this week.

2 Down, 4 to Go

We won 6-2 tonight, but the game was a lot closer, I think, than the score dictates. We played OK as a team. I don't think we played nearly as well as we can, but a win's a win, and a win in playoffs is always much better than the alternative. San Diego came out pretty hard tonight as their season was on the line, but I think we definitely could've had more of a killer instinct. I think sometimes, though, good teams play down to a lesser team's level, and that might've happened at some points of the game tonight. We got the win, though, and now we're through to the next round against the Phoenix Polar Bears. We were all happy about the win, but there wasn't much celebrating in the locker room after the game. We're on a mission to get 6 wins. 6 wins, and we win the league. We are all focused on that goal; winning one playoff series is nice, but we want more.

Tonight, I didn't have as sharp of a game as I did last night, but I still played solid. I made some mistakes, but overall, I think I played well. I scored again, which was a good feeling. In the 3rd period, the puck came to me in the slot, and I ripped it top corner. It was a good goal and put us up 5-2. I'm excited about the win, but I know we still have a lot of work to do this year.

1 Win Down...

I am wired right now. It's 1:30 in the morning, and I just got back from our hockey game tonight (we had to play after the ECHL Steelheads because of scheduling conflicts, and our game didn't start until 10:30.) I'm sitting here in my underwear and dress socks--weird, I know--blogging because I don't think I could possibly go to sleep right now. I had so much fun on the ice tonight. And, yes, I can say it again: I had my best game of the year tonight. Something is happening to me as a player. I know I say it over and over, but I am getting better every time I step on the ice. I'm so much more confident, I have a much better understanding of the game in general, and I'm playing smart, solid hockey. I really had an awesome game tonight, and I think the team as a whole did. We won 8-1. We came out determined to be the better team and jumped on them from the start, taking a 3-0 lead in the first period. We kept pounding them the whole game, wearing them down, and we held them to only 12 shots the whole game. Just a great game by our team. We made very few mistakes. It was a fun game to play in. And I got my first goal on a shot from the point. It was the second goal of the game, and I was surprised it went in. I mean, I'm not known for my scoring ability; I wouldn't call myself a regular Pavel Datsyuk. I just tried to get the puck to the net, and it happened to go in.

After the game, Coach came up to me and said, "Helluva game tonight, Teddy." He said I made some perfect reads on plays, I played physical, and I moved the puck really well. He can also tell that I'm getting more confident and comfortable every game. I'm learning the systems, and it shows in my play. The coaches rated the defensemen on a scale of 1-5 after the game, and he told me I got a 5. I had my best game of the year, and I'm excited, to say the least. But one game doesn't mean anything. I have to refocus and come out ready to play my best game of the year tomorrow night. They won their first playoff game last year too, and they ended up losing the series in the third game. That's not going to happen this year.

Today, my dad flew in, and I showed him around Boise for a while and introduced him to my billets. Then, I just had a relaxing day and focused on the game. Pretty much all day, all I could think about was the game, and I came out ready to play. It was a cool feeling in the locker room before the game having the Steelheads crowd right above us. We could feel the people cheering above, stomping their feet. Admission to our game was free, and we had quite a few fans stay for the warmups and 1st period of our game. Then, they went home and went to bed. I don't blame them. Of course, in the biggest warmup of the year, (there were probably a few thousand leftover fans after the Steelheads game that watched our warmup) I took a digger. The ice was choppy, and I, very embarrassingly, fell in warmies... On the biggest stage of the year, I look like the idiot. But in the end, I had a really good game. It didn't screw with my confidence, which is good. I'm ready to refocus, though, for tomorrow's game. We have a lot of business left to take care of, and tomorrow we need to come out with a killer instinct.

One More Day

I find it hard to concentrate on anything other than this weekend right now. I've tried. But all I can think about are the games this weekend. This week has flown by, faster even than other weeks; the practices have been fast-paced, short, and a lot of fun. I'm ready to go. I feel like I've improved even in the last week, and I don't want practices to end. We have to come out determined to win because this is the point of the season where you win or you go home. And I don't want to go home yet. I'm just starting to find my groove. We keep hearing about last year's first round playoff loss to a team that wasn't as good as the Idaho Junior Steelheads. I don't want that to happen again this year, and I think the loss is still fresh in people's minds who were on the team last year. We have to come out and play our best hockey, play with an edge and show that we are a better team because right now, according to records, we're not. Every team has a 0-0 record in the playoffs right now. The regular season accomplishments don't matter.

One more day of practice before our game tomorrow night. I'm excited to get on the ice today, and I can hardly wait for the game tomorrow. I'm ready to play at my best.

Great Day On the Ice

This whole week our focus has been to practice hard, leave everything on the ice to prepare ourselves for this weekend. We've been going hard in every drill, and we've been doing a lot of battle drills. We all understand that this is a point in the season where one mistake can send a team home. I think today, we had the best practice as a team since I've been here. It was a lot of fun. Guys were flying, and we were all completely focused. Personally, I just feel myself getting better every day, and I think I had a really good practice. I know a lot of people say they want to get better every day and say they can feel themselves getting better every day, but I don't think everyone who says those things is actually improving. I know I am. I can feel it. Yesterday, in the one-on-one drill we've been doing a lot, no one beat me, and my gap control was perfect. Today, we did the paint drill, where we work on defensive coverage and staying with your man, and I did really well. Coach came up to me after and said he wishes he filmed me when I first got here and compared it to what he saw today. He said it's unbelievable how much I've improved. All these things are good to hear, especially from a coach who doesn't dish out positive feedback very often. And it's just making me more confident at the right time of the year. I feel confident that I can make a big difference here coming up in the playoffs, and I'm so excited to see what happens. This is a fun time of the year. The stakes are high, and we have to play our best every night. I'm ready to continue having a really good week of practice, and I'm ready to lay it on the line for the team this weekend.