Inside The Glass With Troy Power

Feb. 18, 2015

It's crazy to think that the regular season is officially coming to a close. As each season comes down to the wire, seniors like myself often times reflect on some of their best moments in their time at UMass. As senior night approaches, I thought for this blog I would mention some of the best moments I have shared on the ice with my classmates.

To start it off, I'll talk about Steven Guzzo. Like myself, "GUZZ" or "Goosey" is a redshirt senior. Out of all my classmates we have known each other the longest as we came into UMass together in the Fall of 2010. Unfortunately, before the first game of his freshman year, Steven tore his ACL and was forced to have surgery that would keep him out the entire season. Coming back the next year, he quickly made an impact and had a career high 10 goals and 10 assists. One of my fondest memories with Guzz was on November 5, 2011. We were paired on the same line together alongside Rocco Carzo at home against #1 ranked Boston College. In the third period Steven scored his second career goal in front of a sellout crowd. It was so loud that night that at times you couldn't hear yourself think. However, when that puck crossed the line I don't remember hearing the crowd at all. All I could hear was Guzz, Rocco and myself screaming like five-year-old schoolgirls. I'll never forget that game and that moment we shared together. We felt like we were on top of the world.

Next, I'll talk about Oleg Yevenko. Once Oleg stepped on campus he was one of the funniest guys on the team. Although he has a goofy side, he also has a serious and professional way about him. Oleg is one of the hardest working, passionate and motivated players I have had the privilege of knowing. Everything he does is done the right way which is why he has gained the respect of his teammates, the staff and anyone who he has crossed paths with during his time at UMass. This year Oleg was named an assistant captain and it couldn't be more deserving. The things he has done with his positivity, work ethic, care for others and willingness to hold others accountable when need be has made our team and our program better. One moment that I'll always remember was Oleg's first career goal, which also happened to come in the same Boston College game as Steven Guzzo's. Late in the third period we had an offensive zone face off and the game was tied 2-2. We won the draw and Danny Hobbs picked up the loose puck and eluded a BC defender. As he walked up the wall towards the blue line, Oleg sprung back door. Danny threaded a tape-to-tape pass to Oleg. After catching the pass Oleg elevated the puck into the top, left- corner for the game winner. I remember watching on the bench like it was a slow motion video. We still joke about it to this day saying that Oleg caught the puck, looked up, looked back at the net, looked back down at the puck, looked at the net one more time, then decided that he probably should shoot it.

Another senior is Mike Busillo. Like Steven and Oleg, Mike or "Bus" has been a good friend of mine throughout our years together at UMass. Bus has always been a guy that has used hard work and determination to achieve everything he has accomplished at UMass. You can always find Mike hopping on the ice early in the morning to work on his skating, shooting and puck handling which has helped him improve everyday since his freshman year. This year has been fun for me in particular because Bus lives in the same apartment complex as I do, just one floor above ours. Spending more time with Mike has been great and I can honestly say he is one of the funniest guys on the team. Earlier this season, we trailed Maine 5-4 late in the third period up at Alfond Arena. With 1:55 left on the clock Bus ripped a slap shot into the top right hand corner of the net for his first career goal. It was a special moment because not only was it a huge goal to tie the game but one that he has been waiting on for just over three years.

Next, is senior goaltender Steve Mastalerz or as some teammates call him, "Stavi". Steve has stepped right in since his freshman year on campus and logged some big minutes for our team. He has been a UMass Athlete of the Week three times, Hockey East rookie of the week once, as well as a Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week four times. These awards are extremely hard to come by, which is an example of the importance Steve has played within our team and program. One moment that I will always remember with Steve was during his freshman year. Being young, it is easy to at times be wide-eyed when the #4 team in the country comes into your building. If Steve felt that way, no one would have known about it. Instead he saved all 35 shots thrown at him by the Boston College Eagles and we earned a 4-0 win. It was Steve's first career shutout, and the program's first ever against Boston College. Not to mention, Steve had an assist on the game-winning goal.

Last, is senior forward Zack LaRue. Not only has he been my teammate since he stepped foot on campus, but my best friend. In addition to playing together, we have lived together the past two years and pretty much set up "guest rooms" for each other in our apartments before that. Zack has always been one of the hardest working guys on and off the ice and has earned everything from day one. This year he was asked to be an assistant captain and couldn't be more deserving of the honor. Zack not only leads by example, but also is a key voice in our locker room and on the bench. Because he is a guy that does things the right way, he is well respected by all of his teammates. There are a ton of memories that I have had with Zack but one that sticks out more than anything is a weekend when his grandmother and family were in town. It was a Saturday night against the Maine Black Bears at home. Before the game Zack told me he was going to score a goal for his grandmother. What I have come to know about Zack is that when he wants to get something done, no matter what it is, he will find a way. Sure enough Zack hammered home a rebound goal that turned out to be the game winner for our team. That night I was injured and watched the game from the stands. I remember being a few rows up from his family and when he scored, they jumped out of their seats with joy. I knew how much it meant for Zack and how proud he made his family. It was a moment that they all will never forget and neither will I.

It's tough to put into words how much each of these guys means to me. Although the memories I mentioned above were all great in their own ways, I hope the best memories are to come as we strive to go as deep as we can into the playoffs and beyond. With that in mind I hope we can continue to make strides as a team in the next two weekends and head into playoffs with some momentum. As I mentioned before this Saturday is senior night at the Mullins Center. It's been an absolute privilege to call this rink home for the last five years and I hope to see a packed house one last time. See you there! Go UMass!

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Blog #15 - 2/11/15
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Blog #10 - 11/19/14
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Blog #2 - 9/23/14
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