Fresh Slate

17 years ago this weekend, I moved to Erie to go to school and play hockey for the Mercyhurst Lakers. For me, playing college hockey was daunting, it was difficult, and it was mentally exhausting. It was also a lot of fun, and looking back now and ignoring the daily grind, I would even say it was great.

This year's games start in a few weeks, and until then teams will endure practices only. I estimate there are close to 200 freshmen NCAA Div I women's hockey players, spread out across the 35 teams, experiencing their first taste of college hockey right now.

I remember the ritual of walking up the steps of the rink on a fall day, opening the doors to the MIC and stepping from the hot outside temperature, and right into the cool rink. The rubbery rink smell and the cool air were more noticeable in the fall, when I'd been away for a while. I still love going back to Mercyhurst, walking up the steps, and opening the doors to the rink.

Our rink is modest, but it never occurred to me to think it was anything less than perfect. Located just across the parking lot from the Mercy Apartments, if us freshmen lived any closer to the rink we would have been living inside it. It's funny, when I go back there now the rink reminds me of a house that has been made a home. I didn't realize how bare it was in the early 2000's, when the rink was only 10 years old, and the program younger than that. Today, there is actually what I guess you would call rink decor. The trophy case, the Agosta display (which needs updating now for Olympians Nuutinen, Bram and Tanskanen), Conference Championship banners, NCAA Tournament banners, Conference Membership banners speak to the history of a program now entering its 20th year. 

For my first three years, the women's locker room was at the east end of the rink, same side as the concession stand. The locker room had a small entrance with a stick rack on the right hand side. Our sticks hung in horizontal rows. Before the days of one piece composites, in the fall of 2001 you mostly saw composite shafts (Easton Z Bubbles were the cool thing) with wood blades, or a different kind of one piece - an all wooden stick.

Past the sticks, just before entering the main locker room, a piece of paper detailing the practice plan was taped to the door, every single day. Towards the end of the week a scouting report would get taped up there too. We would read the practice plan, then get dressed in the rectangular locker room, operating 10 minutes ahead of time for as long as we were part of the team. Some people arrived early, with time to leisurely get ready and bs before practice. Others rushed in after a class ended, boxed lunch in hand, and scrambled to be on time, no fault of their own. We dressed in our stalls, assigned seating, but it was small enough you were close to everyone, a part of any conversation you wanted to be.

An old TV sat in the corner on one of the stalls. We played Rock 'Em Sock 'Em videos on mute prior to our games, while music of every and any genre blasted. Usually though, country and pop. My junior year, Party For Two by Shania Twain got air time, another year, Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy was big. That sort of stuff. We were tough on the ice, not so much off of it.

In one corner was a little shelving unit with tape and laces, and a heating gun and a screwdriver and such. The was stereo on top of that. We only used clear tape on our socks on game days, I assume because of cost. So we used stick tape on our socks for practice. I had never considered such a thing, but what do you know, stick tape works just as well as clear sock tape at holding your shin pads in place. I bet things have changed by now.

I think there was a water tank next to the corner shelving unit, and a dehumidifier that the rookies were supposed to empty each day when they cleaned the locker room, next to that. The carpet was green, the walls were green with blue and white striping. Light oak colored stalls. My freshman year was the third year of the program so there were only two annual quotes on the wall space above the stalls. If I recall, the quote from the first year of the program was something along the lines of "The first thing we learned, if we want to get anywhere, we have to get there together."

Once our gear was on, Coach would come in to say a few words, and off we'd go. On the way out the first door there was four words listed: Pride Purpose Commitment Excellence. I'd grab my stick off the rack, and go through the second door. Above the second door it said, "Today We Got Better." Well, that was the goal, but God knows it wasn't always reality.

Stick in hand, out of the dressing room, a few steps across the black rubber floor, and onto a fresh sheet of ice. Pucks everywhere, and another day to play hockey.

Go get 'em rooks. Through thick and thin, just keep skating. You will do great. Have fun.