Even though it was a long three weeks ago, the thought of this team being National Champions really hasn't kicked into me yet. For someone like me, who saw 41 of the 44 games this team played this year, I am still a little bit shocked that they won 19 straight games. Then again, I remember that our head coach is Jerry York and with him behind the bench, anything is possible. Basically, this is the greatest coaching job I have ever seen in college sports. Going into the year, every blog or website I know of had BU winning the Hockey East championship and were saying BC really didn't have a chance. There were two instances this season where I walked out of a rink and said to myself "This team is in deep trouble". The 4-0 loss at UMass and after the sweep up in Orono to the Maine Black Bears. I wasn't quite sure what the staff or the players were going to do to fix this season up and make it a success. Well, I think I have a pretty good idea of what happend. The players bought into what the coaches were saying and it clearly showed. Not only did the team improve after that Maine game, but every single player on that team improved on the ice over the course of the past two and a half months. It was actually pretty amazing to watch. When I look back on this season full of highs, it just dazzles me that this program is as good as it is right now. Say what you want about Michigan, North Dakota, and Denver being the best college hockey programs but lets be totally honest, it's not even close, this is the king of the court when it comes to college hockey.
Personally, this was the best year I have ever had watching BC hockey. Thanks to a lot of people, especially my parents and Tim Clark of the BC media department, I was able to not only go to every game, but got to sit in the press box and cover the team. There are just too many people to thank for the sacrifices they made for me this year. Anyways, a lot of people say that when they are around someone or something, they learn more about themselves or what they want to be better at. Being around this team as often as I was, I could just see how hard some of these kids work to become the best they can possibly be not just as a hockey play, but as a human being. Boston College hockey is not just the best example of what you want from your players on the ice, but it is the best example of what you want from your players off the ice. I know it may sound a little weird but there is a difference between recruiting the best players and the players that best fit your program. I'm not just talking about fitting into the system of hockey that the staff has imputed here, but following the guidelines that you must follow to be a Boston College hockey player. They say hard work pays off and for this Boston College hockey team, hard work and dedication on and off the ice led to a lot of wins this year. Hopefully, the dynasty that is BC hockey continues.
Until next time,
GO EAGLES
No comments:
Post a Comment