Words like “historic” and “unbelievable” get thrown around a lot in the sports world, often at things that aren’t really that historic or unbelievable.
But in the case of the end of the 2019-20 college hockey season, they’re absolutely appropriate, along with “gut-wrenching,” “painful” and “devastating.”
The sudden halt of the season left us all reeling, especially the seniors of the eight Atlantic teams still fighting for a playoff title and a trip to the NCAA tournament.
That all came crashing down in a matter of hours last week.
American International, which successfully defended its regular-season title, was in the front car of an emotional roller coaster.
Over the course of a day or so, the news came pouring in, moving from tolerable to devastating:
– First, fans were banned from attending all quarterfinal series, including Bentley at AIC.
– Then, it was announced that the Atlantic Hockey tournament, which had completed its first round days before, was cancelled. The Yellow Jackets, as regular-season champions, would represent the league in the NCAA tournament, most likely squaring off against top-seeded North Dakota.
– Then, the word came down that the NCAA tournament would be played in empty arenas.
– And finally, that the NCAA tournament was cancelled. Season over. For the 10 seniors on the AIC roster, careers over.
“We were going through it together,” said AIC coach Eric Lang. “Usually, when a coach has information, he can communicate the message in a way to make sure your team is best prepared. But we were all getting the news simultaneously, from many places.”
Lang made sure the seniors didn’t lose sight of their accomplishments in the wake of the crushing news.
“I sent them all a message saying that they were the Atlantic Hockey champions and representative and they earned that,” he said. “They say you want to leave your jersey in a better place than when you first out it on, and they certainly did that.”
The group, led by forward Blake Christensen (a school-record 119 career points) and goaltender Zackarias Skog (a school-record 37 wins), were 8-20-8 as freshmen, before going 23-17-1 last season and 21-12-1 this year, including a pair of regular-season titles, a playoff championship, and a first-ever trip to the NCAA tournament that saw the Yellow Jackets upset top seeded St. Cloud State in the first round.
As Lang and his team found out, it’s more difficult to defend a title than to win one for the first time.
“It was initially very hard,” said Lang. “We were carrying the weight of getting back to we were a year ago. At one point, we held a great meeting where there was a lot of give and take. We talked about measuring your potential and making sure we were meeting our potential.
“We were pretty darn good since that meeting.”
The Yellow Jackets won 11 of their final 12 contests to catch and pass Sacred Heart to repeat as regular-season champions.
That was in no small part to the seniors, who came into the program with a belief that they could win a championship.
“Back then, we were begging guys to come,” said Lang. “Because of them, it’s a lot easier to recruit from first place than it was from last place.”
Lang and his team are still mourning the loss of what might have been, but are also looking ahead.
“We understand that 10 tremendous seniors are going out the door,” he said. “So that means that we have great opportunities for the incoming freshmen and our returning players.
“We’re looking to the future.”
A message from Coach @ericlang9 and our staff. #AICommitted #AICHockeyFamily pic.twitter.com/vlQUldU1HW
— AIC Hockey (@AIC_Hockey) March 13, 2020
Sparkling Rubies
My fellow Atlantic Hockey correspondent Dan Rubin has had the honor of writing the final column of the season the past few years, and took the opportunity to name our post-season awards “The Lerchies.”
This year, I get my revenge.
Without further ado, here are “The Rubies”: Dan’s and my picks of the top players in the league for the 2019-20 season. You’ll see that we mostly agree.
Dan Rubin’s picks:
First Team:
F: Jason Cotton, Sacred Heart
F: Nick Hutchison, Canisius
F: Austin McIlmurray, Sacred Heart
D: Adam Brubacher, RIT
D: Mike Lee, Sacred Heart
G: Justin Kapelmaster, Robert Morris
Second Team:
F: Shawn Cameron, RIT
F: Matt Hoover, Canisius
F: Jakov Novak, Bentley
D: Brennan Kapcheck, AIC
D: Matt Stief, Canisius
G: Chad Veltri, Niagara
Third Team:
F: Blake Christensen, AIC
F: Jonathan Desbiens, Bentley
F: Matt Tugnutt, Sacred Heart
D: Patrik Demel, AIC
D: Zack Mirageas, Air Force
G: Zackarias Skog, AIC
Rookie Team:
F: Matt Gosiewski, Bentley
F: Claeb Moretz, RIT
F: Braeden Tuck, Sacred Heart
D: Anthony Firriolo, Army West Point
D: Brandon Koch, Air Force
G: Chad Veltri, Niagara
Player of the Year: Jason Cotton, Sacred Heart
Rookie of the Year: Matt Gosiewski, Bentley
Coach of the Year: CJ Marottolo, Sacred Heart
Chris Lerch’s picks:
First Team:
F: Blake Christensen, AIC
F: Jason Cotton, Sacred Heart
F: Nick Hutchison, Canisius
D: Brennan Kapcheck, AIC
D: Mike Lee, Sacred Heart
G: Justin Kapelmaster, Robert Morris
Second Team:
F: Shawn Cameron, RIT
F: Austin McIlmurray, Sacred Heart
F: Jakov Novak, Bentley
D: Adam Brubacher, RIT
D: Matt Stief, Canisius
G: Chad Veltri, Niagara
Third Team:
F: Jonathan Desbiens, Bentley
F: Matt Hoover, Canisius
F: Matt Tugnutt, Sacred Heart
D: Patrik Demel, AIC
D: Zack Mirageas, Air Force
G: Zackarias Skog, AIC
Rookie Team:
F: Elijah Gonsalves, RIT
F: Matt Gosiewski, Bentley
F: Caleb Moretz, RIT
D: Anthony Firriolo, Army West Point
D: Brandon Koch, Air Force
G: Chad Veltri, Niagara
Player of the Year: Jason Cotton, Sacred Heart
Rookie of the Year: Matt Gosiewski, Bentley
Coach of the Year: Eric Lang, AIC
What really matters
This is my final column of the season, traditionally a chance to thank everyone who made time for me: players, coaches, SIDs and fans, as well as my fellow writers and my always-supportive family.
I am especially grateful this time around. It’s true that you don’t appreciate things fully until they’re taken away.
For over 20 years, I have signed off this column and then covered a bevy of postseason games at the Division III and Division I level, including 21 Frozen Fours. And while I remember so many thrilling moments from those games, I’m thinking of the people, my hockey family, many of whom I see only once a year at the Frozen Four.
It sucks. Not nearly as much as for the players, of course.
But it hurts.
What I hope people remember about the 2019-20 season is not just how it ended, but the months of exciting play that preceded its sudden, too-soon finish.
That we look back fondly on a last-second game-winner. A thrilling come-from-behind victory. A win over a ranked opponent or rival. Shutouts, hat tricks, and yes, even shootouts.
Savor those and more importantly, the people that you got to share them with.
I’m hoping that when summer turns to fall, this will all have passed like a bad dream and that everyone’s loved ones are safe and sound.
And that hockey will be there. A passion, a purpose, a way of life for those of us that love it so much.
In the meantime, now more than ever, be good to each other.
Take care of each other.
Until we meet again.
