http://fusion.stolaf.edu/athletics/index.cfm?fuseaction=NewsDetails&id=3570
St. Olaf beat St. Thomas last night in the MIAC playoffs to get to the 2012 MIAC championship game. I can't tell you how excited I am to be an Ole next year! I know I have a lot of work to do still, but I'm so excited to be going into this program, and I know I will work hard to make an impact in my first year next year.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
All We Do Is Win
26 in a row after this weekend! We won 9-3 on Saturday night (I know, that's an ugly score, but they shouldn't have scored 3 goals.) I didn't play this weekend; my coaches told me I would be getting a healthy scratch one of these weekends because everyone has to take their turn, and they're giving other kids a chance at more ice time before playoffs. Plus, it was my first healthy scratch all season, which I think is pretty cool. I've played in over 40 games this season, and that can be pretty grueling for anyone. I think we played well on Saturday for the most part. Ogden came out with little to no intensity; it's hard for a team to play their best when their opponent plays like that, but I think we did a good job of taking our play to them for most of the game. Anyway, we sent a message that come playoffs, it's going to be a long series--or a short one--for Ogden, depending on which way you look at it.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
A Good, Long Look in the Mirror
Yesterday we had something interesting happen at practice. After about 1 1/2 drills, our coach said he'd had enough and got off the ice. He said if we were going to waste his time by practicing with that kind of effort--just going through the motions--he didn't feel like he needed to be there. So both our coaches left us on the ice, feeling very confused, but wondering about whether our effort was actually that bad. The coaches then pulled the captains into the locker room and talked with us about what we need to do to change this team's attitude going into playoffs. We're on a 25 game win streak, but for the past month, we haven't played even close to our best hockey. Because we haven't had to. That's how much talent this team has. We can win with not our best effort. And, honestly, I think we've gotten used to that. Our coaches were very blunt with us and said that, as a team, we haven't improved much in the past month. And, as captains, it's our team, so we have to do something about it. They told us that they know we all want to win and we all want to get better, but they've noticed that there's a limit to what we'll do to win because we have it in our heads now that we can win no matter what. We've played one game to our potential this season: against Seattle at the showcase. Since then, we've let teams hang around that we shouldn't let hang around. We've played good hockey in bits and pieces, not in 60 minute stretches.
The meeting was an eye-opener. Our coaches left, we called practice, and we had a team meeting on how we all need to get back to playing IJS hockey and work our balls off for the remainder of the season. I think it was really good for us.
Today, I came to the rink hungry to improve and to make this team better. I think as a team we've gotten complacent in the past month. It's natural for any team on a 25 game win streak like us. But our coaches are fed up with beating a dead horse every week, trying to motivate us to play our best. And I agree. It's frustrating. It's time for us to change, and it starts with our captains. When we work hard and don't accept anything but the best effort from everyone, it becomes contagious. Today was a hard practice. I worked to exhaustion in every drill we did, and I made a conscious effort to lead. I tried to be vocal and lead with my hard work in the drills. After feeling how I felt in practice today, I can honestly say I've gotten away from that in the past few weeks, so it was good to be able to know that I worked hard. In the past few weeks, I might've thought I was working hard, but I think I was subconsciously putting up a block for myself because I knew I didn't have to work too hard in practice. And I think a lot of kids on the team--captains included--can say the same. It's terrible that I can look back at the past few weeks and say that, but I'm really glad we have put it on the table now, when we still have a chance to fix it.
In our meeting, we all agreed that if we don't win the league championship this year--after this kind of season--it would be an extreme disappointment and a classic case of underachievement. It really is time to buckle down now. I'm excited to see what I and this team can do in the next few weeks leading up to playoffs and in playoffs!
The meeting was an eye-opener. Our coaches left, we called practice, and we had a team meeting on how we all need to get back to playing IJS hockey and work our balls off for the remainder of the season. I think it was really good for us.
Today, I came to the rink hungry to improve and to make this team better. I think as a team we've gotten complacent in the past month. It's natural for any team on a 25 game win streak like us. But our coaches are fed up with beating a dead horse every week, trying to motivate us to play our best. And I agree. It's frustrating. It's time for us to change, and it starts with our captains. When we work hard and don't accept anything but the best effort from everyone, it becomes contagious. Today was a hard practice. I worked to exhaustion in every drill we did, and I made a conscious effort to lead. I tried to be vocal and lead with my hard work in the drills. After feeling how I felt in practice today, I can honestly say I've gotten away from that in the past few weeks, so it was good to be able to know that I worked hard. In the past few weeks, I might've thought I was working hard, but I think I was subconsciously putting up a block for myself because I knew I didn't have to work too hard in practice. And I think a lot of kids on the team--captains included--can say the same. It's terrible that I can look back at the past few weeks and say that, but I'm really glad we have put it on the table now, when we still have a chance to fix it.
In our meeting, we all agreed that if we don't win the league championship this year--after this kind of season--it would be an extreme disappointment and a classic case of underachievement. It really is time to buckle down now. I'm excited to see what I and this team can do in the next few weeks leading up to playoffs and in playoffs!
Monday, February 20, 2012
25 In a Row!
Last night we completed a 3 game sweep of the Dallas Ice Jets. That makes 25 wins in a row for us! They were a good team, very fast and very skilled. It was a fun series! Last night was a frustrating game for me personally, though. I probably played my worst game of the season so far. I just wasn't my usual self. I made a few key turnovers, one that they scored on, and I wasn't intense enough, especially in the 2nd period. Both of our coaches came into the locker room after the 2nd period and chewed out the leaders of our team, saying that our intensity wasn't there, and that we better pick it up right now and for playoffs because they think we are ripe to get beat. I don't know why I had a bad game; it was just one of those games where not much went right for me. For some reason, I had trouble making the right decisions. I talked to our assistant coach after the game and he said he can't expect me to play great every game, but this team is only going to go as far as me and the other captains on the team take it. I need to realize that, and, as a captain, I need to understand when things are going badly for our team within a game, step back, look at what's going on from a different perspective, and act accordingly, whether it's saying something to keep the team together or going out on the ice and leading with my play.
While 25 wins in a row is really impressive, I don't think it really means anything unless we win the last game of the season. Just like in the movie Moneyball where the Oakland A's win 20 games in a row in 2002, but fail to win the last one of the season, I think our season would be a failure if we don't repeat as Thorne Cup champs. We need to really buckle down and figure out what makes us play well when we play well and figure out how to do that for 60 minutes. I think we played really well on Saturday because we were focused on finishing our checks, and everything else fell into place after that. On Sunday, we said we were going to come out hitting again, but we really didn't. We weren't as willing to put our bodies on the line for the win--and we still got the win--but it's definitely disconcerting going into the playoffs when we say we're going to play a certain way and we don't. I need to realize that playing very badly for one period in one game is not the end of the world, but let the memory of what that felt like drive me to be better in the games in the upcoming weeks. We only have 2 more regular season games, and then playoffs start!
While 25 wins in a row is really impressive, I don't think it really means anything unless we win the last game of the season. Just like in the movie Moneyball where the Oakland A's win 20 games in a row in 2002, but fail to win the last one of the season, I think our season would be a failure if we don't repeat as Thorne Cup champs. We need to really buckle down and figure out what makes us play well when we play well and figure out how to do that for 60 minutes. I think we played really well on Saturday because we were focused on finishing our checks, and everything else fell into place after that. On Sunday, we said we were going to come out hitting again, but we really didn't. We weren't as willing to put our bodies on the line for the win--and we still got the win--but it's definitely disconcerting going into the playoffs when we say we're going to play a certain way and we don't. I need to realize that playing very badly for one period in one game is not the end of the world, but let the memory of what that felt like drive me to be better in the games in the upcoming weeks. We only have 2 more regular season games, and then playoffs start!
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
Time to Get in the Zone
Now, it's time to get ready for my game tonight. This is going to be a tough series for us, a good pre-playoff test against a team we might have to play in the Thorne Cup Championships in El Paso. It's off to McCall at 2:30 for a three game set this weekend. Here we go!
Live and Let Learn
OK, so...I've been going back and forth about whether or not I should post this. Some of my more attentive readers might have already noticed that I mentioned I made a mistake in Boulder this last weekend, and I did. But I've decided since I'm making the pursuit of my dream so public already, writing about this mistake is something I need to do because I learned a valuable lesson, and I don't think I'll ever forget it. I think not writing about it would be the cowardly thing to do. I'm the kind of person who faces his mistakes head on because I understand that if you hide and turn your back on them, sooner or later they're going to catch up to you. Anyway, enough with the dramatic intro. I've decided to write about it.
On Friday night in Boulder after our 4-3 win in overtime, I asked my assistant coach if I could go out to eat with some friends who came to watch my game. He said, "Of course." Then, I asked what time I should be back, and he told me, "Whenever. You're a man. Just be a man about it." So, I went out to eat and then went back to one of my friend's apartments to hang out for a little while. It was fun. Pretty soon it was late. Some friends from the team came from the hotel (which was right on campus and could be considered entrapment, but that's a story for later on in this post) to join me, and we just weren't thinking. We weren't drinking or doing drugs or anything, just having fun, and then I got a call from my coach. And my stomach dropped. I didn't even realize what time it was, but I knew it couldn't be good if my coach was calling me. I answered, and he asked where we were. I was honest and told him. We had missed our room checks and were in trouble.
We made it back to the hotel double time and walked into our assistant coach's room. He was very disappointed in us, understandably. We all had a choice to make and made the wrong decision. We'd broken our coaches' trust. Our assistant coach just said, "We'll talk about in the morning, but you guys made a mistake and you're gonna have to live with the consequences." I left the room with a sick feeling in my stomach and it lasted all night and all the next day.
Our head coach didn't talk to us until just before lunch on Saturday. He called us all down to the lobby for a team meeting. There, he explained the situation to the team and told them that we had broken trust, one of the most important things in any relationship. He said we would have consequences, but ultimately the discipline on a team should come from the team. He told us that on any team, the rules of the team and a love for each other should always come first. We put ourselves before the team, which is not OK. He said we wouldn't play tonight, and there would probably be more consequences besides that. And then he asked me if I still wanted to be a captain on this team. I said yes, and told the team why I believed I should still be their captain. Then, the other kids who broke curfew with me took their turns saying sorry. And we left the room. The team, then, voted on our captaincy.
It definitely was not worth the stress and anxiety to just hang out with friends for an hour or two. In the end, though, the team unanimously voted that I should remain a captain, which was very heartening, but also a big responsibility because I need to reprove that I'm worthy of wearing this "A", which I feel I'm fully capable of and fully ready to do.
After the team meeting, our coach talked to the five of us who broke curfew individually. My meeting was pretty short. He said to me that he knows what I did was extremely out of character because he knows the kind of person I am after coaching me for 2 years. It's natural for a 20 year old not in college to be curious about what his friends in college are doing, but he said as a captain I can't be going behind his back and just doing things. He would have rather had me ask him if I could go hang out with some friends for an hour, and he would've been fine with it. He told me that I made a mistake, but at the same time I have to keep in perspective that the mistake I made was not a very big one--a mistake nonetheless--but there are many other worse things I could have done. Knowing the home team puts the visiting team's hotel right across the street from the University of Colorado's freshman dorms, I'm sure many other teams mess up a lot worse than we messed up. That very well could be entrapment, but we were the idiots who took the bait and had to live with the consequences. In the end, it was our fault. Our coaches had trusted us as adults, and we proved we were stupid kids, which I don't like to think I am, yet my actions that night proved that--yup--I am still a stupid kid. Sometimes. Everyone makes mistakes, though.
I learned some very good lessons last weekend. And I'm glad I did. Our coach could have gone three directions: he could have disciplined us in a way that we not learn a lesson, he could have turned his head and not taught us a lesson, or he could have taught us a lesson in a way that makes us better men and makes us learn from our mistakes. I'm very lucky to have a coach who prides himself on the kind of men he makes, not how much success he has. Of course, he likes succeeding, but he knows that good men often create success. I've heard of kids kicked off teams for less serious offenses.
When it's all said and done, possibly the worst consequence I had to face last weekend was disappointment from my mom. Obviously, she wished that I had been smarter. I had a lot of people coming down to watch me that night, and now I couldn't play. She was more worried about all the other people my stupid mistake was affecting than how my mistake was affecting me. I hate disappointing my parents. It's the worst feeling. So I called everyone that I had heard was coming down to see my game, apologized, and told them why I wouldn't be playing, and that they shouldn't come to the game anymore. The silver lining to all this, though, was that I got to watch the game on Saturday night with my mom! Still, I would have rather been playing, and I think she would have rather been watching me play.
Moral of the story: I learned a lesson in Boulder. Am I embarrassed about it? Definitely. Am I disappointed in myself? Very. Will I be a better leader and person because of it? No doubt. Will I ever make that mistake again? No way!
On Friday night in Boulder after our 4-3 win in overtime, I asked my assistant coach if I could go out to eat with some friends who came to watch my game. He said, "Of course." Then, I asked what time I should be back, and he told me, "Whenever. You're a man. Just be a man about it." So, I went out to eat and then went back to one of my friend's apartments to hang out for a little while. It was fun. Pretty soon it was late. Some friends from the team came from the hotel (which was right on campus and could be considered entrapment, but that's a story for later on in this post) to join me, and we just weren't thinking. We weren't drinking or doing drugs or anything, just having fun, and then I got a call from my coach. And my stomach dropped. I didn't even realize what time it was, but I knew it couldn't be good if my coach was calling me. I answered, and he asked where we were. I was honest and told him. We had missed our room checks and were in trouble.
We made it back to the hotel double time and walked into our assistant coach's room. He was very disappointed in us, understandably. We all had a choice to make and made the wrong decision. We'd broken our coaches' trust. Our assistant coach just said, "We'll talk about in the morning, but you guys made a mistake and you're gonna have to live with the consequences." I left the room with a sick feeling in my stomach and it lasted all night and all the next day.
Our head coach didn't talk to us until just before lunch on Saturday. He called us all down to the lobby for a team meeting. There, he explained the situation to the team and told them that we had broken trust, one of the most important things in any relationship. He said we would have consequences, but ultimately the discipline on a team should come from the team. He told us that on any team, the rules of the team and a love for each other should always come first. We put ourselves before the team, which is not OK. He said we wouldn't play tonight, and there would probably be more consequences besides that. And then he asked me if I still wanted to be a captain on this team. I said yes, and told the team why I believed I should still be their captain. Then, the other kids who broke curfew with me took their turns saying sorry. And we left the room. The team, then, voted on our captaincy.
It definitely was not worth the stress and anxiety to just hang out with friends for an hour or two. In the end, though, the team unanimously voted that I should remain a captain, which was very heartening, but also a big responsibility because I need to reprove that I'm worthy of wearing this "A", which I feel I'm fully capable of and fully ready to do.
After the team meeting, our coach talked to the five of us who broke curfew individually. My meeting was pretty short. He said to me that he knows what I did was extremely out of character because he knows the kind of person I am after coaching me for 2 years. It's natural for a 20 year old not in college to be curious about what his friends in college are doing, but he said as a captain I can't be going behind his back and just doing things. He would have rather had me ask him if I could go hang out with some friends for an hour, and he would've been fine with it. He told me that I made a mistake, but at the same time I have to keep in perspective that the mistake I made was not a very big one--a mistake nonetheless--but there are many other worse things I could have done. Knowing the home team puts the visiting team's hotel right across the street from the University of Colorado's freshman dorms, I'm sure many other teams mess up a lot worse than we messed up. That very well could be entrapment, but we were the idiots who took the bait and had to live with the consequences. In the end, it was our fault. Our coaches had trusted us as adults, and we proved we were stupid kids, which I don't like to think I am, yet my actions that night proved that--yup--I am still a stupid kid. Sometimes. Everyone makes mistakes, though.
I learned some very good lessons last weekend. And I'm glad I did. Our coach could have gone three directions: he could have disciplined us in a way that we not learn a lesson, he could have turned his head and not taught us a lesson, or he could have taught us a lesson in a way that makes us better men and makes us learn from our mistakes. I'm very lucky to have a coach who prides himself on the kind of men he makes, not how much success he has. Of course, he likes succeeding, but he knows that good men often create success. I've heard of kids kicked off teams for less serious offenses.
When it's all said and done, possibly the worst consequence I had to face last weekend was disappointment from my mom. Obviously, she wished that I had been smarter. I had a lot of people coming down to watch me that night, and now I couldn't play. She was more worried about all the other people my stupid mistake was affecting than how my mistake was affecting me. I hate disappointing my parents. It's the worst feeling. So I called everyone that I had heard was coming down to see my game, apologized, and told them why I wouldn't be playing, and that they shouldn't come to the game anymore. The silver lining to all this, though, was that I got to watch the game on Saturday night with my mom! Still, I would have rather been playing, and I think she would have rather been watching me play.
Moral of the story: I learned a lesson in Boulder. Am I embarrassed about it? Definitely. Am I disappointed in myself? Very. Will I be a better leader and person because of it? No doubt. Will I ever make that mistake again? No way!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Cool Article!
http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/137148203.html
Here's a cool article that I recently found! It's interesting and will definitely explain a little about junior hockey and the league I'll be in next year: the MIAC. Read it! A lot of the players highlighted have gone through the same experiences that I have gone through the past 2 years and still am going through.
Great Weekend Seeing Friends and Family in Colorado
We had a good weekend in Boulder. We won all three games, and that makes 22 in a row! Pretty amazing. But we still have a lot of work to do. Playoffs haven't even started yet. This weekend, we have our last regular season home games in McCall against the Dallas Ice Jets. We've never played them because they're a new team, but supposedly they have a pretty good team, and it's time for us to step up and play our best hockey. We haven't played our best hockey yet, which is scary because we've won 22 in a row. But it's time this weekend.
Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you to all my friends and family in Boulder who came out and watched me. It was so great getting the support that I did. It seemed like half the stands were there to see me! I did make a mistake while I was there, and I'm sorry for that, but I learned from it, and I'm going to be better from it. One of my good friends recently told me, "Bro, you have fans all over the country!" And that's a true statement. I've had friends and family at my games the past 3 weekends! I feel very fortunate to have people supporting me from McCall, Idaho to Cheyenne, Wyoming to back home in Colorado, and I want everyone following my dream with me to know how thankful I am. Love you guys!
Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you to all my friends and family in Boulder who came out and watched me. It was so great getting the support that I did. It seemed like half the stands were there to see me! I did make a mistake while I was there, and I'm sorry for that, but I learned from it, and I'm going to be better from it. One of my good friends recently told me, "Bro, you have fans all over the country!" And that's a true statement. I've had friends and family at my games the past 3 weekends! I feel very fortunate to have people supporting me from McCall, Idaho to Cheyenne, Wyoming to back home in Colorado, and I want everyone following my dream with me to know how thankful I am. Love you guys!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Comin' Back to Colorado!
It's been a few months since I've been back in Colorado. But I'll be back in my home state on Thursday, playing a 3 game series this weekend against the Boulder Bison in Boulder! Our games are on Friday and Saturday night at 7:15 and Sunday at noon at Boulder Valley Ice at Superior. I'm excited to see friends and family and to play some good hockey! Boulder is in second in our division, and we don't want to give them any more ground. This is a series I've been looking forward to all year, and I can't wait for it to get started!
Monday, February 6, 2012
It's Not Where You Finish, But How
This weekend was the Winter Carnival in McCall, so we had a lot of fans for both our Friday night and Saturday night games. It was great. Our challenge was to come out and play Junior Steelhead hockey, play a style of play that we dictate because when we play like that, no one can hang with us. On Friday night, our lackluster play from the previous weekend continued. We only won 4-3 and didn't do what we told ourselves we were going to do. We didn't forecheck or play with much intensity at all. On Saturday, our coach made it clear that he was not OK with just a mediocre effort. He demanded that we play better, and I think we responded well. 5-0 was the final score, and our intensity was there. I got in a fight again, which kind of kicked off a string of fights afterwards, but that is an area our team needs to improve in, so it was good to see some fire in our eyes. On Sunday we won 7-3. Since the showcase, we have yet to play to our full potential, which I think is natural for a team that has a big division lead and is on a 19 game win streak, but we need to dig deep and find a way to motivate ourselves to play our best every night, especially at this time of year. Our coach keeps reiterating that he's coached many teams that have been first in the regular season standings at the end of the season, only to lose in the first round. It's not where you finish, but how you finish.
My friend from Gonzaga surprised me by coming to watch the games with a few of her friends. It was so awesome! Here are some pictures from the weekend.
My friend from Gonzaga surprised me by coming to watch the games with a few of her friends. It was so awesome! Here are some pictures from the weekend.
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| During Winter Carnival there are ice sculptures all over town that are entered in a contest, and this hockey player was right outside the rink. |
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| This was a bull riding competition in town...there were all sorts of interesting events going on all weekend. I don't think I've ever seen so many people up in McCall before. |
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Back at Home
We're heading back up to McCall tomorrow for a 3 game series against the Valencia Flyers. They took 2 out of 3 from Boulder last weekend, so it should be a good series. We can't get complacent now even though we have a big lead in our division. Our challenge is to play better than we did last weekend. I'm excited. We're hitting the stretch run now. It's crazy. I can't believe it's already February! Where is the time going??
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