So Long Summer......

Hello Again,



So summer has finally come to an end -- at least for the Academic world. It's hard to believe that the kids will be returning to campus and I will be returning to my desk!

My summer consisted of working a few hockey camps here and one in Aspen, CO. While of course this is enjoyable for me, in terms of a "vacation", I went out to Calgary to visit a friend/teammate from college right at the beginning of their Stampede.......Needless to say, not much rest was to be had. It's always great to catch up with old friends OUTSIDE of the Facebook realm.

Seeing my old teammate really made me realize that the incoming players for this year are just about to begin an extraordinary journey of making their lifelong friends from their new teammates and classmates. I always disliked when people said that college was the best four years of your life (ok, five for me but it was a medical redshirt!!), because it worried me that I would peak at the age of 22 and would be saying things like 'the good 'ol days' before I could even legally rent a car. But, I do agree that there is an element of your years at college that can never be repeated and should always be cherished.

For this fall, we have nine new players ready and eager to try out for the team. Players are coming from as far west as Seattle and as far east as Dover, NH. Of the nine players, only two are defenseman (as we have a solid D core returning from last year) and the other seven are forwards. Each of them bring a different element of the game, whether it be goal scorer or grinder. It will definitely be tough to replace the offensive production from last year as we lost All-American and all-time leading goal scorer, Courtney DeHoey. So, we have our work cut out for us.

I think our team will have a totally different makeup this year and I'm excited to see what kind of chemistry is produced on and off the ice. Since we have no seniors, we will be a very young team which has its pluses and minuses. Regardless, I'm definitely excited to welcome the new freshmen and transfer student that will be arriving on campus in the next week or so! I think change can be a very positive thing and I hope my team can embrace that and use it to their advantage!

I hope everyone had a great summer and are looking forward to seeing the Foresters step on the ice in a few months.