- So it’s tradition for me every year on this blog to recap each hockey season with my Top 10 Memories. As I sit here reflection on the amazing season we just had at Colgate, I just have to say that I am incredibly lucky to have experienced it. I’ve cried enough the past three days – how it all ended is going to sting for a little while. But it’s okay. I’m just thankful I even got to be here.
That said – here are my top 10 memories of the season (in no particular order).
- The Scavenger Hunt. I did a much longer post on this previously, but our retreat weekend was definitely a highlight of the season. As we all got to know each other better as a team, I organized a scavenger hunt for the ages. Read more about it here.
2. The Frozen Four.
Honestly, no words can do justice the experience that this group had at the Frozen Four. So I’ll just post a ton of my photos here and hope they speak for themselves. I’m just so grateful I got to experience it with this group of amazing people.
3. Winning the league championship.
After our last games of the season – which were at RPI and Union – we knew there was a chance we’d tie Clarkson for the league championship. That happened and we had some amazing celebrations in the locker room after the game. We knew we would hopefully have a long post-season, but it was great to get some hardware for our work during the regular season.
4.Beating Clarkson
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This win in overtime was such an amazing experience. Knowing that we could beat this team was a huge confidence boost. Everyone was feeling on top of the world after this win, that’s for sure. Then we played St. Lawrence the next day and got handed our first loss of the season.
This was also my birthday weekend and it was so much fun to be on the road with my second family for my 30th birthday.
5. Advancing to the NCAA Championship Game.
I think it says something huge that all three games of the Frozen Four went to overtime. It just proves how evenly matched and strong all four teams are. However, nothing can really match how it felt to be in the locker room after our semifinal win over Wisconsin in 2OT (!!!! 90+ minutes of hockey!) . The energy was electric and incredible.
Here’s a video I took of the girls walking the red carpet into the championship game.
6. Pre-Game Singing.
Let me tell you something about these hockey players: they love to sing. And it is awesome. Just watch.
And of course – “our song” – Not Ready to Make Nice:
I’ll also cherish the memory I have of all of us singing this song on the plane ride home from the Frozen Four.
7. Autism Game.
Every year Colgate Women’s Hockey hosts an Autism Game, and I was so pumped to be part of it. In the month leading up to the game, the players host an inclusive Learn to Skate program for kids with autism and other disabilities. They take the kids out on the ice and not only teach them a skill but show them how loved and accepted they are.
The kids then come to our autism game, and we celebrate them. The team also did an amazing job selling blue t-shirts for the event and gathering raffle items to raise money for the cause.
Oh, and, the swim team showed up.
8. Zamboni pictures.
It became a fun little tradition on the road that Annika Zalewski and Jessie Eldridge would grab me when we arrived to the rink to do a picture with the home team’s zamboni. We got some great boomerangs.
9. Christmas video.
I started writing our version of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas on the way home from our road game vs Cornell. I enlisted the help of the wonderful and talented Nina Lindberg to shoot this video while I directed it. There were lots of takes involving uncontrollable laughing. This was definitely one of the most fun things I’ve ever orchestrated.
10. NCAA Selection Show.
The, once again, incredibly wonderful and talented Nina Lindberg put this video together and it still gives me shivers. The sound is Coach Fargo speaking after the NCAA selection show. Clearly emotional, it’s hard to even tell it’s his voice at first. The feeling of knowing we were taking this program to the Frozen Four for the first time in history was incredibly moving.
And because I couldn’t leave these moments out, BONUS MOMENTS.
11. Winning the ECAC Semifinal game vs. Cornell. We’d held a 4-1 lead, and then went to go take care of something and I checked the scoreboard and the game was tied. We ended up winning that game 5-4.
My favorite part of this video is our assistant coach LEAPING and then casually adjusting his tie.
12. Beating Northeastern to Advance to the Frozen Four.
What a special moment for our last game of the season at Class of ’65 Arena.
So that’s a wrap – another season has come and gone. I’ve learned so much in the last year, and even on the worst day, wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Wherever you go, go ‘gate.
Krista Patronick 