Giving Thanks

This year there is no reason for River Hawk fans to look far. Thanksgiving is the time of the year where people look for a reason to give thanks to. Suddenly things that fans may not be thankful for are willing to give thanks to them on this day.

This year River Hawk fans have a great reason to be thankful. After seeing the success of many of the teams in the fall, and the expectations for success in the winter, many are thankful to be a part of River Hawk nation.

This was a year which ‘Hawks fans saw personal and team records broken, playoffs reached, and championships won. Just about every program in the Northeast-10 would see UMass Lowell on the schedule, and have to be concerned with that game.

Fall 2009 saw the usual success from the Field Hockey team. Despite the fact that they were not able to win the National Championship the Field Hockey team still had a successful season. This was a year that brought about two games with at least eight goals. The team also saw a record eight points scored in a single game by one player.

The ‘Hawks made it a storybook season by defeating Stonehill, a team that swept them in the regular season, in the National semi-finals on their own home field with a game winning goal by Samy Macy in the final minutes.

In Costello there was another successful season giving ‘Hawks fans a reason to be thankful. The women’s volleyball team produced a season that has fans thankful there are fewer empty spaces in the school’s trophy case.

‘Hawks fans witnessed a 10-4 regular season record at home from the Volleyball team. This was a great omen to UML hosting the Northeast-10 tournament. The ‘Hawks made sure that the Northeast-10 Championship was not leaving Costello Gym that weekend as they won their first NE-10 Championship. This also earned the team an automatic bid in the NCAA tournament, and Head Coach Karen McNulty head coach of the year honors.

One thing ‘Hawks fans did not see for much of this season was a goal against the UML women’s soccer game. The ‘Hawks women’s soccer team created a stretch of 12 consecutive games over a month long span without giving up a goal. This stretch also created a Div II record for senior goalkeeper Jamie Gillis, earning her a spot on faces in the crowd of Sports Illustrated.

After starting the season 1-2 the ‘Hawks would not lose another game until the second to last game of the regular season. This would earn UML a spot in the NCAA East regional tournament.

Fans should give thanks to be at the school at the time of this milestone. Any sports fan loves to mention how they were there for any historical moments, let alone 1,333 consecutive minutes of one.

The fall season produced many occasions which students at UMass Lowell could be thankful for. The fall programs set a standard that winter and spring looks look to keep up with, and give fans more reasons to be thankful.

Make UMass Lowell tradition friendly

UMass Lowell athletics have had a lot of success over the course of the past few years. Despite this success it always seems as though there is something missing. The missing factor does not seem to be on the field, but off the field. One thing that seems to be void from any of the River Hawks teams is the traditions that other schools made famous.

This is not in any way a negative piece on the fans of UMass Lowell. ‘Hawks fans have proved their loyalty and support over the years. The fans at UML proved to be a factor, and made themselves noticed at hockey games at home and on the road last season.

The one thing that Umass Lowell does not do is extend the celebration and party every game of every sport. The enjoyment of a college sport does have to last only between the start and conclusion of a game.

In regards to athletics students have a lot to be proud of. Whether it’s a field hockey team that is always in title contention, a women’s soccer team that refuses to allow a goal, a basketball team that can easily roll off 13 straight wins, or an Ice Hockey team that can beat any big name program.

Many college programs have traditions where there are large tailgate parties before every game. One school that made this famous is Ole Miss University. The famous tailgating on the Grove as a 10 acre plot is used as a tailgating area in Oxford, MS before every football game. Another famous tradition is at Auburn University where fans line up hours before the game to cheer and applaud the players as they arrive.

Obviously Lowell does not have a 10 acre area to tailgate, but it is more the idea of celebrating Lowell athletics, and making every game something fans can devote a portion of their day to, and not just a last second idea if there is nothing else going on.

There have been ideas used to get fans ready for the upcoming home opener of the hockey season. The River Hawk Road Show has built excitement in the students for their matchup Oct. 23 against Colgate at the Tsongas.

Along with the Road Show, UMass Lowell is hosting a Hockey First Night event hours before the home opener. The event ill include a rally along with music, and a BBQ to prepare the fans for the game.

These are great ideas to get the fans motivated and excited for the upcoming game. The only way it would make it better is ideas like this such as a rally or cookout before most games. This does not mean just the school has to set up the plans, but any group of people who want to celebrate UML athletics. Make the few hours before a game an event along with the game.

This school already has a great, loyal student fan base. UMass Lowell has far more enthusiastic fans than Stonehill could find, and far more intelligent fans than “the Zoo” at Amherst could provide. All that the Blue Fan Group or any students at UML would need to do is start the party well before the game, and then they can keep the victory celebrations going well after the game.

After Further Review

Fans already anticipated a high level of intensity during the weekend series between the ‘Hawks and the defending National Champion Boston University Terriers. That intensity multiplied when Tim Benedetto, the referee from the Hockey East Championship Game, was seen officiating this game.

This left many fans questioning why Benedetto was allowed to call the first game between the ‘Hawks and Terriers after the infamous “no goal” call last March. The truth is that the referees for games are assigned well in advance.

“This is a decision that is made near the beginning of September for games around this point in the season,” said Hockey East Commissioner Joe Bertagna. “The only restriction we may have is if an official is unable to make trips to teams further away such as Maine or Vermont.”

With Lowell not that far out of reach Commissioner Bertagna has no intention of going out of the way to keep Benedetto away from the Tsongas Arena.

“He [Benedetto] has been one of the top referees for many years here, and we are not going to forget that because of one issue,” Bertagna said. “Mr. Benedetto feels bad about the way that things went, and regrets what happened that game.”

The single issue, a questionable call back of a goal in the Hockey East Championship game, may require the blame to be spread on other areas aside from Benedetto. With all NHL reviews going to an office in the Toronto Headquarters, the TD Garden did not have sound in their replay booth.

If a similar situation should arise, and there was still no audio replay was available, Bertagna mentioned the use of video replay from networks covering the game such as NESN.
Also in defense of the decision made by Benedetto was a rule in place which states that if the referee has intention to blow the whistle, but is unable to, play will stop as if the referee blew the whistle.

“The rule was put into place from a conference tournament game a couple years ago between Boston College and New Hampshire,” Bertagna said. “When New Hampshire goalie Kevin Reagan lost his helmet, play should have been stopped, but no whistle was blown.”

While these are good steps towards any issues for the upcoming games it still makes UMass Lowell fans question why there could not be audio replay from NESN used against Boston University.

There is still question as to way a man who was seen running to his car after the Hockey East Championship game would be used for the rematch. This is in no way saying that Benedetto should be banned from any UMass Lowell or Boston university games. The fact that he is one of the longest tenured referees in Hockey East shows he is a credible official. It does seem odd to use him the very first game between Boston University and UMass Lowell though.

With all the things that happened Commissioner Bertagna wanted River Hawk fans to realize that he knows there is still anger about what happened.

“I understand that the city of Lowell is still upset about what happened in March,” Bertagna said. “Hockey East is doing everything to make sure it does not happen again.”

Be that as it may, this may not be closure for River Hawks fans, and having to see Benedetto in the first rematch with the Terriers served as nothing but a painful reminder being rubbed in.

Hockey East Media Day

Although he may have not said it word for word Hockey East commissioner Joe Bertagna made the announcement that all eyes were on UMass Lowell this upcoming season.

The 2009 Hockey east media day was held at the Legends Restaurant in the TD Garden Friday. This gives anybody invited a chance to gather media guides, lunch and information about each team in the conference this upcoming season. It was a very casual situation as the coached and players of all teams were happy to talk to reporters, and describe their team’s expectations and plans for the upcoming season.

A common theme of the events that afternoon seemed to be the UMass Lowell River Hawks hockey team. The ‘Hawks were the talk of Hockey East after their successful season last year, and bringing back 21 players for this upcoming season.

Reporters were given the chance to meet with players and coaches from all of the Men’s hockey teams, and several Women’s hockey teams in Hockey East. During this time ‘Hawks head coach Blaise MacDonald always had a swarm of reporters around him. Coach MacDonald was constantly asked about the high expectations for the team and how they planned to handle the pressure this upcoming season.

After lunch the announcement was made as to where each team was ranked in the Coach’s Polls. Boston University received six of the ten possible first place votes from the coaches of Hockey East. Those votes along with their 84 total points give the Terriers the top ranking in Hockey East.

The other four remaining vote went to UML and Boston College, who each received two. The ‘Hawks earned the second place ranking because they received 79 points compared to the 76 points for Boston College.

Commissioner of Hockey East, Joe Bertagna, pointed out to those in attendance that the River Hawks will not be able to sneak up on any teams this season. He also explained how this will be an interesting season to see if the ‘Hawks can live up to the expectations that many experts have for them.

The hockey team was not the only part of UMass Lowell that received honor and recognition during media day. Bob Ellis received the Joe Concannon Hockey east Media Award. Ellis was recognized for his years as the play-by-play commentator for UMass Lowell Hockey. This will be the 26^th season which Ellis will call the games for the ‘Hawks.

Not even a faulty microphone could prevent Ellis from giving a great speech thanking many who helped him over the course of his career. Ellis described how radio was the cause of his passion for hockey as he used to listen to Rangers games over the radio.

After discussing how he believes that Hockey east is the best conference in the league Ellis concluded his speech with a phrase that will be heard constantly on campus, go River Hawks.

Even though there has not been a regular season game played, it is clear that there is a lot of focus on UML this season. From the ice to the booth the theme of this year’s media day was UMass Lowell.

Quack Attack is Back Jack

It has not been a well kept secret that Hard Knox Sports is an Oregon Ducks fan even from across the country. All the professional level jokes about Joey Harrington and Kellen Clemens can be easily ignored. There will always be the excuse, "If Dennis Dixon did not tear his ACL in 2007 they would be at least Pac-10 Champs."

This year did not look like a great year for the Ducks though. Boise State embarrasses them on the Blue Turf, LeGarrette Blount suspended for the year after a cheap shot, a squeak by Purdue. But today gave a big reason for all fans to Yell-O as the Ducks destroyed the California Golden Bears 42-3 in front of the Autzen Zoo.

Everything looked good from the defense shutting down Heisman hopeful Jahvid Best to just 55 yards, Jeremiah Masoli and Ed Dickson linked telepathically for 148 yards and three touchdowns, and those amazing throwback uniforms.

Between this win and snapping Utah's 16 game win streak the week before the sky is the limit for the Ducks. Cal is temporarily out of the picture, USC is once again not the invincible force they were supposed to be, and the sexy sleeper that was Oregon State became a flop. The Pac-10 is up for grabs.

The Ducks do have challenges in the next three weeks with UCLA and Washington, who defeated USC. After that it is a Halloween night in the Autzen Zoo against USC. With the way the team has looked after the last two weeks, Chip Kelly will not have any reason to give any more fans their money back. Look for celebrations in many different colored jerseys in Eugene.

What a Drag

After a yearlong wait stemming from a monsoon and other complications that ruined the event last year, Hard Knox Sports finally got the chance to attend the IHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway.

Held over the course of a three-day weekend, the Amalie Motor Oil New England Nations showcase the top drivers in the International Hotrod Racing Association.

The event is a must see for all fans. The New England Dragway provides fans more then just racing. Fans are able to just go through the pits and talk to the drivers and crewmembers (as long as they are not trying to drive their car. That is frowned upon).

The owners of the New England Dragway set up the perfect weekend for race fans. Nothing could ruin this weekend.

Almost.

Mother Nature decided to be a cranky old lady, and make this journal a tough one to write. Not even Mother Nature can stop hard Knox Sports though.

Friday

5:30 p.m.: Stuck in traffic on 495 with a little rain. Not a good start to this weekend, but that is ok it just means the week has nowhere to go but up….hopefully.

6:20 p.m.: Heavy traffic finally comes to an end just past Haverhill. This has to be a sign of good things to come.

6:45 p.m.: finally off of the highway and just a right turn away from reaching the New England Dragway.

6:52 p.m.: Apparently the GPS location of New England Dragway Corp. does not lead tot the dragway. Curse you Tom Tom.

7:03 p.m.: Now at the New England Dragway. Now the best weekend ever can begin. Already off to a good start by talking to a cool older man named Bob from South Carolina about everything from soup to nuts.

7:20 p.m.: talking to shareholder Doug Adams, the rest of the events for the night were called off due to rain, but racing would resume Saturday morning. Adams is one of those men who know everything that goes on at the track. If he says there will be racing, then there will be racing. Saturday calls for only a few showers. No problem, this great weekend can begin tomorrow.

11:30 a.m.: The thought of racing, and a few drinks to go with it, encourage sleep. More to talk about tomorrow.

Saturday

9:00 am. Woken up by the sound of track dryers. That has to be a good sign. Drying the track means cars are about to get on.

9:17 a.m. Not so fast my friends. Rain picks up again. Blow Dryers outright leave.

9:28 a.m. Doug is spotted with a disgusted look on his face. That is never a good sign. He informs everyone in the camping area there is a large band of rain coming. This will cause more delays.

9:29 a.m.: Trying to stay optimistic. It is supposed to be the best weekend.

10:00 a.m.: An announcement was made. Rain should stop in a couple hours and racing should be a go by about 2:30. Whew. Not to kill time until then.

10:45 a.m.: To kill time took a road trip with others around the area. Viewing lovely scenic New Hampshire.

11:06 a.m.: Trying to find a restaurant, and ended up taking a wrong turn at a nudist colony. Could not make this up. Dave wanted to explore more, but it seems logical that a nudist colony is not much of a party site in a cold rain storm. A side note that Dave was in the bag at this point.

11:52 a.m.: A shameless promotion to Newick’s Seafood in Dover, NH. Amazing food, cheap beer, and a check error in the customer favor made it the best seafood experience in sometime.

2:12 p.m.: After lunch, and an alcohol run, news spread that another rain continued delaying racing a little longer. Might as well take advantage of this newly acquired beer.

4:30 p.m.: The wait for more racing lead to an announcement that racing was postponed again until tomorrow due to another band of rain. Even with no racing still chances at having fun.

4:40 p.m.: Took advantage to go down to the pits and talk to the drivers, and receive free merchandise from sponsors. The New England Dragway knows how to treat fans, and make them feel like priority number one.

4:55 p.m.: The great part about IHRA racing is the drivers and crew members always look forward to talking to fans, and keeping them updated. Top Fuel driver Bruce Litton’s crew held a makeshift press conference describing how they prepare for the race when they had no chance to qualify.

5:20 p.m.: Sponsors keep promotions and contests going to let the fans know they are not forgotten. Even with no racing at NED fans still have plenty to do. Always an important feature mentioned in future columns.

8:30 a.m.: After waking up from an alcohol induced sleep that also caused a huge gap in this journal, a new joy was found as there were blue skies.

9:30 a.m.: Engines fired up for racing within the hour. Those who wait are rewarded….with amazing racing.

10:30 a.m.: First race underway. It was everything that could be dreamed of. A redneck discovery of Christmas.

10:37 a.m.: One of the cars loses a tire, and hits the wall. While this will normally get the crowds going crazy and loving every minute it does cause another delay, which just reminds all fans of what they just went through this weekend. No big deal. Back to racing in a few moments.

12:07 p.m.: Another delay due to an injury in the pits, and a lack of another ambulance. Even the slightest delay gets fans a tad fidgety.

12:20 p.m.: A bit of an interesting sight. Snowmobile drag racing on an asphalt surface. Basically racers going 150 miles per hour on a snowmobile with no snow underneath. Try and figure that one out physics dept.

12:33 p.m.: The main event. Top Fuel Racing. A division where 300 miles per hour will not guarantee any driver one of the fastest eight times.

Despite Mother Nature being a cranky old puss for most of the weekend, The New England Dragway and IHRA Nationals were a great time. Much applause goes out to the owners, and crew members who did everything they could to keep the fans into the event.

If the weekend was that successful with minimal racing, it can only mean one of the most exciting events when the weather conditions are ideal.

Aged to Perfection

In the sports world 40 has become the new 30. In a profession where 30 means over the hill and 40 means it is time to go many athletes are not willing to accept that rocking chair and retirement home just yet. Others want to prove that after many years in retirement they can still be an important part of any team.

Doing this caused many fans to think that these athletes are tarnishing their legacy by holding on to long. The Brett Favre saga for the past two years is perfect example. Bouncing back and forth between never wanting to play again, and coming out of retirement to play with a new team put a sour taste in the mouths of many who worshipped the ground that Favre used to walk on.

Fans now are replacing memories of great accomplishments Favre made with the headaches cause by Favre retiring every other month. The only thing Favre has been sure about in the past two years is that he is comfortable in his Wrangler jeans.

Another elderly quarterback talking comeback is Jeff George. The number one overall pick of 1990 announced wanting to return despite not playing in an NFL game since 2001. It seems tough to believe that the 41 year old can make a team now, but could do nothing better then be cut from a practice squad for the past eight years. Perhaps an eight year vacation will give him a fresh arm. If George is smart he will stay on the couch because only he and journalist Jason Whitlock believe he has a chance back in the NFL.

Over on the diamond another retiree has been on a mission to prove not only he can come out of retirement, but be as effective as ever. Pedro Martinez wants to show the baseball world that just because he has not been able to stay healthy for an entire season this decade does not mean that he should call it quits.

Despite shoulder and elbow problems Pedro still wants to prove that he can do it, and is getting a chance with the Phillies because of his decent stint with the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. The only problem for Pedro this year has not been father time, but Mother Nature, with two games rain delayed so far.

One of the more interesting stories involving a crafty veteran is Theo Fleury. Now 41 years old Fleury announced that he is clean, sober, and looking to play in the NHL for the first time since the 2002-2003 season. As if a 41 year old hockey player is not tough to sell, it did not get any easier when Claude Lemieux made the same attempt last year with the San Jose Sharks and scored one point in 19 games. It is also tough to believe Fleury is sober seeing how he made this announcement several times during his career.

Fleury has shown success as an owner of a concrete sealing business, and the partial owner of the Calgary Hitmen with Brett Hart and Joe Sakic. Fleury would be better off to follow the recent steps of Assistant General Manager Mark Messier and look into hockey from the executive standpoint.

Give them credit, these old athletes are tough, and are not just willing to be cast aside. But sometimes desire is just not enough to make any veteran athlete the same as they were in their prime. Just wait until Charles Barkley decides he wants to play basketball again.