Coach [Tim Whitehead] really gave us an emotional speech in the locker room before the game. It meant a lot to the seniors and the rest of the team, and we came out with a lot of fire. |
He really emphasized that the stretch run was the most important part of the season. The start and middle half of the season were to find out who could play with who and letting the new guys learn the systems. |
He told us to focus on the prize, to focus on what it takes to be a winner in this league. |
He wins all the one-on-one battles for the puck. He makes you want to go out there and compete just as hard. |
His numbers speak for themselves. He hasn't let up a goal in the NCAA tournament. So obviously we are going to have to make sure we are creating a lot of traffic for him. |
It started with coach [Shawn] Walsh. |
It will be important for us to have our heads on a swivel and focus on our jobs in the defensive zone. |
It's a young team we've got here. The guys are getting better but still, (the mistakes) are costing us. We've got to tighten that up if we want to do anything special this year. |
It's been good. It's nice to see all the excitement, the buzz around campus. They're anxious for us to get out there. That's the main thing, we're really anxious to get out there and get this thing going. |
It's exciting, because if I go down there and play well, hopefully it will open up a lot of doors. I'm hoping to make a strong showing. And it's especially good to go down relaxed, show them what I can do, and not have to worry about coming in and messing anything up with a team's chemistry that's in the playoffs. |
It's frustrating to get 50 shots on goal, with just one power play, and not win the game. |
It's hard. There's nothing I want more than to be on the ice with them. Basically I made a mistake and have to pay the consequences. I've got to handle it like a man. |
It's really going to hurt but we have to pick each other up. Other guys will have a chance to step up and show they belong to be out there in key situations. |
That's not how you want to be going to the NCAA Tournament. |
Their speed makes them one of the faster teams in the country. They like to get up and down the ice. What we need to do is get in their way, really shut them down, play the body. That was pretty effective when we played them all three times this season. |