Starting in September, the men of the D3 hockey team of Michigan State University began practicing. While most of us were sleeping away our spare time, these boys spent it practicing and going over drills to prepare for a season that they already knew would be different. With a decent amount of competition ranging from the teams of Hope College in Holland, Mich., Oakland University of Rochester, Mich. and Central Michigan University of Mount Pleasant, they were looking at a lot of weekends on the road and a lot of solid competition.
Throughout the season, they were able to stay ranked as third in their ACHA division, showing up some of their toughest opponents. For them it was never just about taking the title and going for the gold; it was about playing the sport they love with the teammates they love. Sure, winning was the main goal and they definitely didn't mind the feeling, but it was always more about passion than it was about titles.
With the help of Head Coach Don Headley the team is going to Alabama with a 19-8-3 record and a final victory against Saginaw Valley State University that occurred this past Saturday, Feb. 21, ending with a final score of 7-0. When asked how they feel about this accomplishment, teammate Tristian Eggenberger said, "I feel great that we will be going to the waffle houses in Bama. I'm looking forward to refreshing my Tinder feed and meeting new people. As a sophomore, I'm a grizzled vet. My time is now." Lucky for Tristian, his Tinder feed will be bumpin', especially considering they'll be making the visit during spring break.
The manger of the team, Michele Lurye, puts a different spin on things. She said, "The first question coach Don asked me when we met was what I wanted out of the season. I thought about it for a second and the answer wasn't that I wanted the hockey experience, but it was to see them all work for something they wanted: winning a national championship. Nationals has been a conversation since September, and we have it, so it's so surreal. Once the game was 3-0, I told the guys on the bench that Nattys were our next challenge, and I've never felt such happiness. We might be D3, but we're representing something much bigger than that." Michele must have had a feeling because they are truly moments away from the last step to that national championship.
The members of the team who are without a doubt the most affected by this achievement, are the seniors. Senior Zach King said, "I would say that each year we have played we come into it with the expectation of making it to the national tournament. The first three years we felt that not making it was a failure. Although even qualifying is a huge accomplishment, we have bigger fish to fry. Winning regionals was just one more step we had to take on the road to get there." Failure is definitely not a current word in their vocabulary. That word will be the last thing they think of when they are reminded of the moments they spent playing hockey for Michigan State University.
Keeping in mind that love for the game is another thing, Zach values about this team and this sport. He wants to remind his younger teammates that, "above all else, always remember to have fun playing this game. Hockey is so special to each and every one of us, each for our own reasons, and to have had the opportunity to have continued playing like we have throughout college is something that we will remember forever. But thankfully we will be able to continue playing long after our careers at MSU end. And although the fun we've had together will be over, we will still always be able to enjoy playing the game we love."
