Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Athletics

This has been my worst fear since my freshman year, when I wept with my senior buddies in the locker room after their last college hockey game.  I just do not want to stop playing college hockey.  I do not want to stop being a part of twenty-some-odd guys joking around in the locker room before, and after practice and I really do not want to miss out on the mental and physical preparation before a game with my friends. 

I do have to walk away though, so I would like to thank my mom and dad, first, for allowing me to be a goalie.  I thank them for putting up with the smell of hockey equipment in their basement for over 18 years and allowing their cars to be taxis all over the great state of Minnesota.  Hockey out east was amazing and I enjoyed every second of it, but I can not describe how much fun the last two years have been, being able to play in front of my mom and dad and spend time with them after the games.  I want to thank my brother, Jim, for shooting on me, probably before I could even stand up, and causing me to become a goaltender.  I want to thank my brother and three sisters for all their positive support — Elizabeth and Caroline for creating time on your weekends to come watch me play and Catherine, who had to put up with me in high school, and still drove down from St. Norbert’s to watch me play hockey.  I love you all and thank you for everything you have done for me.

I want to thank a few of my youth coaches for all they taught me but before that there is a guy who needs a huge thank you.  Mr. Pflaum, the confidence you had in me was a major factor in me making the leap to, and being successful, in college hockey.  Coach Taylor, thank you for making sure I worked my tail off every single time I stepped on the ice.  Coach Todd Lampman, thank you for teaching me how to be give my all, every game, no matter how tired I was or how much pain I was in.  Coach Jack Lampman, you brought me back to earth when I got too cocky, and you lifted me up when I got down on myself, thank you so much.  And Coach Gill, you taught me how to be a good teammate and most important, how to play hockey the right way.

Here at Saint Mary’s, there have been so many great people and I do not know how to thank you all.  Coach Hoffman and Coach Reszka, thank you for your time and efforts over the past two seasons.  My ride through hockey was blessed to have had you two be apart of it.  My senior teammates, the two years went so fast but it was a fun ride and could not have asked for better teammates to skate off the ice with for the final time.  Coach F, it has been strange without you around this last half of the year.  I thank you for all the time you put into this program.  You will always be missed, respected, and loved.  Coach Olson, I could write an entire five-page essay thanking you.  You took a chance on me, when most would not.  You had faith in me early in my short Saint Mary’s career and without that faith I would have fallen through the cracks.  I did not even think I was going to make the team with two senior goalies and a great incoming freshman to battle against, but you gave me the start in my first game here at Saint Mary’s.  Thank you. Also, I had a less then stellar performance in my first MIAC game.  I was down on myself and did not think I was going to get the nod for the next game.  Goaltending is a mental game and when Coach Olson had me starting that next night, it was the most pivotal moment in my Saint Mary’s career.  Coach had the confidence in me to come back and give it my all the next night and his confidence in me allowed me to stop thinking about anything but stopping the puck.  Thank you so much, Coach O.

College hockey has been in my good dreams, nightmares, and thoughts for so long, it is going to be so hard to skate off the ice the final time.  It is going to be unspeakably hard to take off my equipment but the hardest thing of all will be to take off the Saint Mary’s jersey, I have been so proud to put on, over the last two years.  I loved the feeling after the losses, I loved the feeling even more after the wins and I loved having my teammates come to me after the games for so long.  Garth Brooks said it the best, “I could have missed the pain, but I would have had to miss the dance,” and I would not have missed the chance to play hockey with so many great people for anything.