Ten Things On The First Half Of The Seaon

With the first semester coming to an end this week the season is pretty much half over for both the men's and women's teams here on campus. It really hasn't been the best of starts for either team with a combined record of 4-25-3 but records don't show the whole story. Both teams are competing very hard but just can't seem to get in the win column. I'm sure this is something that will change in the second half of the season, which is one of the great things about hockey, it's a long season and things can easily turn around. So to round out the top half of the year here is a list of ten things I have come to observe from the season so far.

1. Maine hockey has the best fans in college athletics.
     You can see it pro sports all the time, when a team isn't doing well attendance drops to almost nothing. This is not the case in Orono. Sure there are some empty seats which is not normal for the Alfond, but come game day the students are still outside waiting in line at the crack of dawn. They come loud and proud and make the atmosphere as hostile for the visitors as ever before. Teams still fear playing in Orono and it's because of the fans.

2. If it weren't for the iPad I would go insane.
     Our shortest road trip is 3 hours, and we haven't had that one yet. Most of our trips are closer to 5 when heading in to Boston but can go as long as 6 when going to UMass or UVM. There is nothing worse than sitting on a bus for that long with nothing to do. Lucky for me I always make sure to load my iPad with movies and once the wheels on the bus start going round and round I'm off in my own world.

Next roadie this is what I will be watching

3. I would not want to be an Athletic Trainer, and we have the best AT's in the business
     Last season the men lost maybe 5 man games to injury all year. We were very lucky to have a pretty injury free season in 2011-12. This year it has not been the case as both teams have caught the injury bug. From concussions to knees you name it there are players out with it. It's my job to provide equipment that aids in preventing injury but some things can't be prevented which is the subject for an entire post maybe to come. I also help make adjustments to equipment for when players are coming back from an injury either by adding padding to a piece of equipment or cutting out protection to make room for our AT to add a different type. I can't even fathom how busy our awesome trainer is with all the athletes in his room before and after practices and games. Not something I would want to deal with. Ankle Tape Expert

4. Adidas needs to figure it out when it comes to sizing
     Last season everything from Adidas was too large, this season things are coming in small. This does not make ordering apparel easy. I'm not sure what the logic is behind messing with sizes but it's not cool. A large should fit the same way from year to year. If a sweatshirt one year is labeled as a large and the next year they make it bigger, then change the tag to read XL. Or if they make it smaller make the tag say Medium. The same goes for sneakers, I have worn the same size (12) since I was in 7th grade. Now, without my feet shrinking, I take a size 11 in the same sneaker I have always worn.

Fat Man in a little...Onesie?

5. It's fun to watch the industry improve or degrade from year to year

Stole this picture from CCM...Sorry guys but I figure I pay enough for sticks each year

     Let's just stick with sticks for this point. Last year when the new sticks arrived on campus certain brands seemed to have a leg up on the competition either with weight, feel, or durability. One would think those companies would  already at an advantage wouldn't take a step back but this season there was a leapfrog effect. The companies that seemed a step behind made improvements and launched some pretty impressive products while others seemed to fall into the trap of trying to improve what doesn't need work and actually came out with products that have major issues. Last year if you asked me what stick I would recommend I would tend to say either the Easton RS or EQ50 and to stay away from anything RBK or CCM. This season I would without a second of hesitation say the CCM RBZ is the way to go or the Easton Mako. I would also add the RBK 20K is a pretty decent stick and has seen great improvement from what was produced last year. But again product talk may have to wait for a few posts.

6. Staff pre-game meals are the best

Lobstertail

     Every day when we have a 7 or 8pm face-off you can always find me and the other staff taking a much needed lunch break. Now these are no PB&J and juice box type affairs. If we are at home it usually involves ordering out or making the trip away from the rink for something local. My favorite seems to be Thai or the new go to is the local hotdog place. These trips serve as a way to slow down and relax for a bit before things get crazy come game time. Even better is when we are on the road, specifically Boston. Thanks to a generous friend of our program (FOP) lunches in Boston usually involve a trip to the North End for amazing Italian (anything with veal over fusilli pasta is my go to) always followed by a trip to Mike's Pastry for a lobstertail, which for those out of the loop is a giant cannolli filled with a delicious cream filling. When the North End isn't an option we often venture to a Brazilian cafe owned by the parents of an alum and as always have a great meal. Wherever we end up it's always better than the team's meal which always consists of chicken, pasta and vegetables. Mike's Pastry

7. It's great to have FOPs (Friends Of the Program)
     I don't know where the teams would be without the dedicated FOPs. Now I consider a FOP more than just a fan, a FOP is someone that goes above and beyond for the team without wanting or needing recognition for it (they still get it because they deserve it.) Both the men's and women's teams have booster clubs aptly called Friends of Maine Hockey, and then there are the other FOPs. I wish I could name all of them but knowing that most will probably never even read this I'll keep the list short but just know that I thank them all for all they do for me and the team. Whether it's picking up a mop on game day to help me in the pregame setup, or donating gifts of tools or supplies for the team. So here goes a big thank you to; Jerry LaFlamme, Marty LaFlamme, Pump, Flash, Josh MacDonald, John Halloran, Mark Koscuiszka, Dan Faloon, and Chris Violette. Thanks!

8. Without past experiences I wouldn't be where I am now

I swear I'm not asleep

     There is no doubt in my mind that I wouldn't be where I am today without my year spent at Sacred Heart learning to function without much, or my year at Syracuse where I had access to everything under the sun. I'm spoiled beyond belief here in Orono but there are always things that would be nice to either make my job easier or to make the players experience that much better but we are certainly not hurting. Having seen the best and worst I have been able to find what works for me and when situations come up I have options for solutions that those without the same experience may not think of and at the end of the day I think this gives me an advantage over others.

9. Don't count us out yet
     Hockey is a long season, 40+ games over 6+ months. We are only now at the halfway point for both teams. Things change quickly in this game, all it takes is once bounce in the right or wrong direction and your season is doing a full 180. The men and women are fighters and aren't out yet. Both teams are young and with youth comes mistakes but also with youth comes growth and just wait for these young guns to get their feet under them, both teams will be dangerous and soon.

10. My job is better than yours
     How many people out there can say that they wake up every day and enjoy going to work? Even on the worst days in my job I still wouldn't trade it for the best day at a different job. Every day brings new highs and lows and there is always something going on that's new and exciting. I've seen a lot but not everything. I get to work with 50 of the best athletes and some of the best coaches in college every day, I get to be a part of a program with some of the best history in the game, and I get to make friends with some of the biggest names in the sport that have passed through the doors of the Alfond. Sure my job is a lot of work at times but if it wasn't they wouldn't call it a job, but a little hard work never hurt anybody. Plus I have students employees I can pass the work off to. Speaking of that I luck out with having two of the hardest working students I've ever seen. I need to watch myself or one day one of them might take my job.

So that's my list, if you read it all congrats, you can read. If you just looked at the pictures, congrats for that because it means you aren't blind. I probably wont update this until after I come back from Florida with the men's team. We travel down for a tournament every year and I must say I don't think I will spend any free time inside with a laptop but rather be outside trying not to get bitten by a gater. I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday and a great start to 2013. Or if the world ends on 12/21/12 well then bring on the zombies.
    

How I Came to Love Hockey?

 Spend enough time around the game and you'll notice that every team has it's ups and downs. Whether it's over the course of a few games, an entire season or even a run a little longer, nobody wins every game. It's the numbers in the loss column that make the numbers in the win column mean something, and seem that much more special. I guess since right now both the men's and women's team find themselves in a bit of a funk that I keep thinking of why I choose to love this game. It dawned on me that I never really took the time at the start of this blog to explain how it came to be that I fell in love with this game and ended up in my current position. Today seems like as good as any so here goes.
I guess you can say I took a round about way to finding hockey. I grew up playing soccer and actually never really learned to skate until I got to college. I had a pond in my back yard growing up and would always lace up the skates and putter around but I never had any edges on my blades so turning and stopping were impossible and I kind of just glided around and pushed a puck. I can track my passion for the game back to my mother of all people, she is the true fan of the family and she got her love for the game from my grandfather. I remember back as a child being taken to an AHL game in Portland Maine back when the city was home to the Maine Mariners. I can't tell you anything more specific other than going to games. I also remember when Albany (my home town) was home to the Capital District Islanders, although I don't remember ever going to games I am sure I did. The spark ignited for me when in 1993 Albany switched franchises from the Islanders to the New Jersey Devils and from that the River Rats were born as the top AHL affiliate for the Devils. I remember going to games that first season and having so much fun, and then in the second season the team ended up winning the Calder Cup. I still remember my favorite players from that team Steve Sullivan, Mike Dunham, Corey Schwab, Eric Bertrand, Scott Pellerin. Watching those guys play was so much fun for me, especially Sullivan who I will still watch in the NHL.

Steve Sullivan with Albany

It was after that championship season that I then started to follow and understand player movement between the NHL and AHL, I not only had my favorite Rats but would then follow them to play with the Devils. I remember going to games in Albany and seeing Patrik Elias fly up the ice, now I watch in awe as he skates with the Devils and am one of many that consider him the most under-rated player in the NHL. I consider myself lucky to get the chance to see a lot of today's greats develop into the players they are now. Brian Gionta, Zack Parise, Petr Sykora, Jay Pandolfo, John Madden among many others graced the ice of the Times Union Center.
I remember back in the mid 90's was when I also started to pick up some of the history of the game. Growing up in NY only hours from Lake Placid it comes as no surprise I learned about the Miracle on Ice pretty young. This event is to me the pinnacle of the game. Having seen the entire US/USSR game many times now I can say that I still get choked up when Mike Eruzione puts that puck in, or when Al Michaels makes his famous call "Do you believe in Miracles? Yes!" I just wish I had been alive to see the team, but 1980 was 5 years before I was even born so I live through the stories.

1980 Olympic Team

Now fast forward from that little kid in the stands to the high school senior still trying to find a college. I had no clue what I wanted to go to school for so I added to my search criteria that I wanted the ability to do something on weekends. I figured why not explore schools with college hockey so that I could attend games in my free time. After visiting a few schools and not getting that "ah ha" moment I added the University of Maine to my list. I had always known of the school having spent my summers in Maine at my grandfather's. I had always somehow found myself hearing about the teams that the Black Bears were putting together and remember them winning the NCAA title in 1999. I figured why not visit the school and see what that would be like, well long story short I set foot on campus and knew I needed to attend. I'd like to say it was all academic but it wasn't, I realized if I wanted to be able to watch college hockey why not attend the school with the best atmosphere in the game. I knew I wanted to call the Alfond home.

2007 Frozen 4 with Barry Melrose

From my days as a student attending games, and helping to lead the students in cheers and jeers I migrated into the arena office and from there down in to the locker room. Never realizing what went in to putting a team on the ice, my first day in the equipment room at Maine was an eye opener. After the equipment manager had asked for help one day in folding bags I knew that I wanted to never leave. I consider myself extremely lucky to have met my mentor and good friend Josh MacDonald that day. I have learned 99% of my job from one person, first as the kid that pretty much wouldn't leave and then as the volunteer that never stopped. I'm forever in debt for being able to learn from such a great teacher. If I thought I had loved the game as a spectator that was nothing compared to how much I love the game as seen from the inside.

I've been lucky enough in my short career to work in a variety of different locations and with varying success. My first job was at Sacred Heart University working with both their men's and women's team and lets just say it was a learning experience. I had the chance to work with some of the best athletes I have ever been around but in one of the worst situations I think I could have found myself in. Had it not been for the athletes I don't think I would have survived the year. After Sacred Heart I found myself at Syracuse University working for their women's team. This was in short, an amazing year. I don't think I have had as much fun going to work every day than I did with Syracuse. Now I find myself back in Orono, and couldn't be happier. I had the chance to take my dream job, something that I didn't think would ever be open to me. Every day I wake up and think how cool it is that I get to go to work in the same building that saw greats like Paul Kariya, Garth Snow, Jimmy Howard, Bob Corkum, Gustav Nyquist Shawn Walsh. I still can't even start to wrap my head around the fact that I have gotten to meet some of these greats and can even call some my friends.

Me working at Syracuse Univeristy

So the teams might be in a bit of a slump, and sure loosing sucks but at the end of the day I still love hockey. I am still the luckiest person out there because when I wake up tomorrow I get to go to a job I love. The worst day in my job is still better than the best day I can imagine behind the desk at any other job. All of the dirty laundry, and broken equipment is better than reports to file, or products to sell.
So I hope this distracted you all for a bit, or for those of you reading this at night I hope it will help you sleep. The men have finished the first half of our season and don't see a game until after XMas and the girls have two left before their mid season break. I'm feeling a solid second half from both teams and I think with that these posts should get more exciting for everyone. So until the next time I hope everyone's skates are sharp and sticks taped.