Darkness On The Edge of Town

‘Cause tonight I’ll be on that hill ’cause I can’t stop
I’ll be on that hill with everything I got
Lives on the line where dreams are found and lost
I’ll be there on time and I’ll pay the cost
For wanting things that can only be found
In the darkness on the edge of town

Bulldog hockey has ended for the year.

Both teams struggled but surprised us with playoff success. Bright spots in otherwise unremarkable seasons. The Bulldog women had their worst season ever, which was expected but still tough to take. They swept Bemidji to make it to the WCHA tournament, which was a nice treat. It’ll be a tough couple of years for the women, I think, and for the fans, but I was still proud of how our women played. And thank Parise they beat Bemidji, so both teams weren’t winless on the season against the Beavs. They died with their boots on.

The men, oof. I don’t understand this season and I don’t think it’s ours to understand. I can say without a doubt they died with their boots on, too. Unreal. Just unreal. Two years in a row, it has come down to one last-ditch bounce that hasn’t gone our way.

Thank you to the men and women who make up our hockey teams (and those staff who support them in numerous ways, from conditioning to logistics to injuries to all kinds of things we don’t know about). I never saw a single one of you give up. You fought hard in every game, you showed us all the meaning of “Bulldog Pride.” You all stayed, when many of you could have left, for many reasons. That means something. That means everything, really. It tells us all we need to know about your commitment to this program and to your teammates. We buy tickets, we make road trips, we bid too much money on your jerseys, and we get irrationally invested in this game because you inspire us.

October is far in the distance. There’s still snow on the ground here, and while I will miss Bulldog hockey, I’m looking forward to recharging this off-season. I’m looking forward to warm weather. I was hoping that I’d see some warm weather in Tampa in 2 weeks, but it seems I’ll have to wait a little longer.

I hope to see all who are eligible to return this fall. We want you all back, ready to work, and ready to win.