It All Adds Up
College hockey has a long season, and over the course of that season, it's impossible for a team to entirely conceal their weaknesses. Sure you might steal a win here, or pull off a win on the road there, but in the long-run, if your team is deficient, those deficiencies will be exposed.
And that's where Minnesota State is at right now. A huge roster turnover from the previous left the Mavericks alone in the middle of an ocean with no lifeboat. They were able to keep their head above water for a little while, but it was inevitable that they would end up drowning.
In a way, getting swept at Colorado College this past weekend felt like a metaphor for the entire season. The Mavericks played hard, and got off to a decent start in both games, but as the game dragged on, it became obvious that the Mavericks just didn't have what it takes to hang with CC.
Every college player has the talent and skill to be exceptional at least some of the time. But the difference between an average player and a great player is that a great player can be exceptional more consistently. Right now, MSU doesn't have guys that can do that on a consistent basis, and in all fairness to players like Ryan Gunderson, and Zach Harrison, and Jerad Stewart, and Trevor Bruess, and Nick Canzanello, they shouldn't be expected to be able to do that at such an early age, but have been forced to due to extraordinary circumstances.
So where do the Mavericks go from here? It's difficult to go through a season that is not measured by wins and losses, but by lessons learned and experience gained. It's also difficult to talk about playing for the future, when for the seniors on the team, there is no future.
The general rule that I've learned through years of watching sports is that the pain, suffering, and work you go through during the rough times is almost directly proportional to the joy that you feel when your time does come. Each heart-breaking loss makes that moment of victory all the sweeter.
That's why right now is such a perfect opportunity for both fans and players alike. It's the right time to buy low, with the possibility of selling high. The players have an opportunity to start from ground zero and turn themselves into a great team. The experience they can gain with all the playing time they're getting can make them stronger for the future. While their peers are playing an extra year of junior hockey, they're learning what it takes to play against the men at the college level. The frustration of losing this season should drive them to make sure they never go through a season like this again.
The seniors on this team may never play for an NCAA title, but they can lay the groundwork for the future, by pushing the younger guys to be the best that they possibly can. And some day, as the Mavericks celebrate a monumental victory, they can look back with pride and know that they are a part of that victory and that they helped build something special.
And for the fans, watching a losing hockey team is never fun, but we have the opportunity to watch an amazing journey as our young team transforms themselves from an undermanned bottom-feeder to an experienced powerhouse. If you buy into this team now, you'll appreciate things all that much more when Minnesota State finally does gt their opportunity at the big time. It's not easy, and it takes a lot of faith, but the payoff is more than worth it.
And that's where Minnesota State is at right now. A huge roster turnover from the previous left the Mavericks alone in the middle of an ocean with no lifeboat. They were able to keep their head above water for a little while, but it was inevitable that they would end up drowning.
In a way, getting swept at Colorado College this past weekend felt like a metaphor for the entire season. The Mavericks played hard, and got off to a decent start in both games, but as the game dragged on, it became obvious that the Mavericks just didn't have what it takes to hang with CC.
Every college player has the talent and skill to be exceptional at least some of the time. But the difference between an average player and a great player is that a great player can be exceptional more consistently. Right now, MSU doesn't have guys that can do that on a consistent basis, and in all fairness to players like Ryan Gunderson, and Zach Harrison, and Jerad Stewart, and Trevor Bruess, and Nick Canzanello, they shouldn't be expected to be able to do that at such an early age, but have been forced to due to extraordinary circumstances.
So where do the Mavericks go from here? It's difficult to go through a season that is not measured by wins and losses, but by lessons learned and experience gained. It's also difficult to talk about playing for the future, when for the seniors on the team, there is no future.
The general rule that I've learned through years of watching sports is that the pain, suffering, and work you go through during the rough times is almost directly proportional to the joy that you feel when your time does come. Each heart-breaking loss makes that moment of victory all the sweeter.
That's why right now is such a perfect opportunity for both fans and players alike. It's the right time to buy low, with the possibility of selling high. The players have an opportunity to start from ground zero and turn themselves into a great team. The experience they can gain with all the playing time they're getting can make them stronger for the future. While their peers are playing an extra year of junior hockey, they're learning what it takes to play against the men at the college level. The frustration of losing this season should drive them to make sure they never go through a season like this again.
The seniors on this team may never play for an NCAA title, but they can lay the groundwork for the future, by pushing the younger guys to be the best that they possibly can. And some day, as the Mavericks celebrate a monumental victory, they can look back with pride and know that they are a part of that victory and that they helped build something special.
And for the fans, watching a losing hockey team is never fun, but we have the opportunity to watch an amazing journey as our young team transforms themselves from an undermanned bottom-feeder to an experienced powerhouse. If you buy into this team now, you'll appreciate things all that much more when Minnesota State finally does gt their opportunity at the big time. It's not easy, and it takes a lot of faith, but the payoff is more than worth it.
posted by Chris at 2:26 PM
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