University of Massachusets Athletics
Inside The Glass With Troy Power
December 02, 2014 | Hockey
Since my last blog on November 19th, we have been a very busy team. With five games in eight days as well as a short Thanksgiving break we definitely had our hands full. Throughout this time we have had some ups and downs as we went 1-4-0 in the quick week full of hockey.
Before I begin a short recap of our week, I wanted to add a personal note and express how nice it was to have my family in town for our first two games against Boston College and Vermont. As I previously stated, it was my father Tom, and brother Chad's, first time in Amherst. Being able to show them around town, throughout the school, and for them to be able to see what I've spoken about so often the last four years was a lot of fun for me. While they might not have seen these things until now, in the back of my mind they have always been there with me as they are a driving force that pushes me every day to reach for my goals and continue living my dream as a hockey player. It was also special to share my 100th career game with them in the stands and was fortunate to record my first goal of the season with them here as well. Although we lost both games on the weekend, having them in town was a special moment for me and is something I look forward to every time they board the plane from California. Not to mention my mom cooked up more food in a three-day span than our kitchen has seen all semester. So if you're hungry, we still have plenty of leftovers!
Moving forward into the week, we had a short practice on Monday before we departed that afternoon for our game the following night in Vermont. On the ride up we watched the movie Lone Survivor, which is a favorite among many guys on the team. Once we arrived, we shared a nice team dinner before heading to the hotel for some rest.
Stepping onto the ice Tuesday we looked to avenge our Saturday night loss in an important Hockey East matchup. Unfortunately, despite playing well we fell short and lost the contest 3-1. However, I think we got back on track and competed at a level that gives us a chance for success.
After getting home early Wednesday morning, the coaching staff informed us we would have the day off to relax and recover for our weekend home-and-home series against Quinnipiac. We picked up again with an early Thursday morning practice at 10 a.m., so we could get our work in for the day as well as share Thanksgiving with family, friends or teammates. The majority of the team shared a home cooked meal at Shane Walsh, Brennan Baxandall, and Evan Stack's apartment that included turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, vegetables and all the typical Thanksgiving staples. While some shared meals at different places, I can assure you no one went to bed that night on an empty stomach!
On Friday we moved back into our normal game day routines and had a morning skate as a team before departing for Quinnipiac. From start to finish we came out and did the little things right and came out with a much needed win by the score of 3-2. We headed back to Amherst right after the game and hopping into our beds to try to complete the sweep the following night. Unfortunately, we came up short on Saturday and lost 3-1. The same little things that brought us success on Friday turned out to be the difference in why we lost on Saturday.
Moving forward we need to continue to work hard and get better this week as we have two pivotal Hockey East games against Notre Dame on Friday and Saturday night at the Mullins Center. Hope to see you all there! Go UMass!
PREVIOUS BLOG ENTRIES
Blog #10 - 11/19/14
Blog #9 - 11/11/14
Blog #8 - 11/5/14
Blog #7 - 10/29/14
Blog #6 - 10/21/14
Blog #5 - 10/16/14
Blog #4 - 10/07/14
Blog #3 - 9/30/14
Blog #2 - 9/23/14
Blog #1 - 9/16/14