I remember it so well. Four and a half years ago, and I can still see it.
I was in my freshman year, sitting in the basement of Melvin Hall watching as then senior Brian Cummings took a fade pass from Billy Newson and buried the puck to beat Harvard and send NU to the final game against Boston University.
I had read the stories. “NU hasn’t won since 1988.” This year, this was the year! I know we can break it this year!
We didn’t lead, we closed the gap to 2-1, and then tied it at 2! Huskies coming back! but … the Terriers were much too tough.
My sophomore year, I knew we had it! We were better all around and we had a freshman named Mike Ryan! We were going to win it all. But we played Boston College in the first round and the Eagles just drilled NU. I was left thinking about what could have been when there was just four minutes into the second period and the Huskies trailing, 5-0.
My middler year, now that was the year! We had it! We were playing Boston University in the first round. “The Beanpot is up for grabs! FleetCenter Frenzy! We’re going to win it all!! BU came to play that night but the Huskies hung tough. And in the game’s waning minutes, NU came back and trailed just 5-4 on a Mike Jocefowicz goal.
But BU countered late in the third and the Huskies were sent home thinking about what could have been.
Last year was the year.
The Huskies cruise past Harvard in the first round. They annihilated the Crimson 5-2 and Ryan’s hat trick made the whole trip worth while.
But BU got off to a quick 2-0 lead and I was quickly dismayed by the Terriers and their lousy fans.
But fate took a turn. Trailing just 2-0, Chris Lynch made it 2-1! Right off of a face-off. And then, just like that, it was 2-2! The seconds ticked away in the second period and then Jimmy Fahey rips one from the blue line! NU leads 3-2 into the second intermission!!
I thought we had it. I said to my friends, colleagues and other sports writers in the FleetCenter that we had it.
My very first Beanpot! I was there! I witnessed it! I saw Jim Fahey and Chris Lynch raise that ugly brown trophy above their head. I saw then freshman now sophomore Keni Gibson skate around along with Willie Levesque and Mike Ryan and they were hoisting Northeastern coach Bruce Crowder over their shoulders and they were yelling and chanting and the photographers were eager to take more and more photos of this come-out-of-nowhere college team that mustered up an improbabe 3-2 win over Boston University.
I saw it. I swear. But fate held us by the shirt collar. I remember the utter bitterness when BU tied the game on what I deemed as a fluky goal.
And then I saw another one beat Gibson and I was left in the press box just staring, waiting for any sort of NU comeback.
“Please,” I thought. “Someone do something … do anything. Just give us one more chance.”
They tried. They failed. We lost.
But this year, man, this year is the year. We’re facing Boston College in the first round and they have a ton of injuries! We can do it this year. Ben Eaves is hurting, not 100 percent and we have a solid young group of guys that play their guts out every night. Keni is getting hot in net and our defense is looking better. And we’re playing the late game.
This, this is it. Husky fans. It’s time.
In the locker room:
Tampa Bay winning the Super Bowl?? WHAT? Living in Florida for seven years, I can assure you that what you saw last Sunday was by no stretch, the most improbable of showings I have ever seen … Brooke Whitney finally was presented with the Patty Kazmaier Award banner which will now drift atop Matthews Arena’s ice surface. I said this a few years ago and I’m going to suggest it again. Can we please retire Whitney and Hilary Witt’s number? All they did was make this school a huge winner … and with that being said, let’s put Fahey up there too … Finally, a special thanks goes out to the men’s basketball team for once again beating a tough city rival. Boston University was the Huskies latest victim. NU has now defeated BU and BC in men’s hoops this season. Ron Everhart for coach of the year anyone?
