Inside the Glass With Troy Power

March 24, 2015

After an intense battle that lasted three days, I say with a heavy heart that our season is unfortunately over. Reality has still not officially set in and for me personally, it is hard to know that I will never get the chance to throw on a maroon and white UMass jersey again. In my last blog I mentioned that playoffs are the most exciting time of the year and the moments that you dream about when you're a kid. Growing up you always ponder scoring that big overtime goal that wins your team the game. As I knew overtime could occur in South Bend against the Irish, I never could have imagined in my wildest dreams what game one had in store for us.

For those of you who don't know, our first game of the series turned out to be the longest game in college hockey history. It took five overtimes in addition to three periods of regulation hockey to crown a winner and boy were we excited to be the team on the winning side of things. The game itself is one that is so hard to describe other than an all-out battle for five hours and fifty-one minutes. Periods seemed to fly by and as the game got later and later, the shifts got shorter and shorter. Puck management was a huge element of the game and became more important as the game went on. I remember walking into the rink at 5:27 p.m. and walking out for the fifth and final period sometime after 1 a.m. the following day. Shane Walsh ended up capping off the scoring as he netted a one-time snap-shot that banked off the inside of the left post before crossing the line. On the other side of things, our goaltender Steve Mastalerz made an unbelievable 75 saves throughout the course of the night. To say it was a team effort would be an understatement. There's no doubt in my mind it will be a game I will never forget.

Unfortunately, after grabbing an important 1-0 lead in the best of three series, we fell to the Irish in the final two games. On a personal level, the hardest part for me was being injured for those final two games. I received a concussion towards the end of the game one and unfortunately could not participate in games two or three. Sadly, injuries have been a commonality throughout my career at UMass, but I never thought that this would be the way I would have to go out. As a senior, you never think about what your last game is going to be like because, at the time, you are so unwilling to even picture the thought of taking off your jersey for the last time. On a lighter note, I certainly will never forget my last college hockey game. After having some time to reflect on my career at UMass, although at times injury-plagued, it has been everything I have wanted and more. There have been so many moments that I will never forget, and friendships that will last a lifetime and I couldn't be more grateful to represent this school, my family, and myself the last five years. Amherst is a place I have called home and I will always have a soft spot for it in my heart.

Moving forward, I am excited to see what the future has in store for both myself as well as my teammates. Incase you haven't heard, Frank Vatrano and Brandon Montour have signed NHL deals with the Boston Bruins and Anaheim Ducks. In addition to that, Oleg Yevenko and Mike Busillo inked tryouts with AHL and ECHL teams and all four are currently practicing and/or playing with professional teams at the moment. This is an exciting time for all of them, their families, and the program and I couldn't be more proud to call them teammates and family. I hope in the future I will be fortunate enough to continue to play the sport I love and join my fellow teammates at the next level. I just don't think I am ready to say goodbye to the game that has taught me so much since I was a little boy.

One thing I know for certain is that no matter where I end up, or what I am doing I will always be a huge supporter and believer in this program. I am excited to see the young group we had this past season continue to mature and hopefully take over Hockey East. I know what each and every one of the guys in the locker room is capable of accomplishing and I hope nothing but the best for them in the future.

At this time I would love to send out a special thank you to all my friends, family, teammates, coaches, fans, faculty, and everyone associated with the school and athletic department. You have made my experience at UMass one I will never forget and one that will be so hard to step away from. Here's to the best five years I could have asked for! Go UMass!

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