Augsburg men's hockey update, courtesy of Augsburg head coach Chris Brown, discussing the team's trip last weekend to Oswego, N.Y.:We had a great trip to start the new year that had many miles, but many memories! We got to see the best team in the NHL play in their arena (Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena) and we got to see the Stanley Cup on a trip to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
We drove through Niagara Falls en route to Oswego, N.Y., where we started the second half of the season with a win over Babson (Mass.). The best part of the win for our team was that we finally took control of a third period to score four goals and get the solid 6-2 win! We have been challenged to win the first and third periods this year so this was a positive step for us. We also won the third period the next night against host Oswego State (N.Y.), but unfortunately we spotted them a substantial three-goal lead in the first period as we ended up losing 5-2.
We left Oswego at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday and we were back at Augsburg by 3:00 p.m. on Sunday. We only stopped once to eat breakfast because we had two bus drivers and sleeper bunks in the bus, so most guys slept through the night. All told, it was an 18-hour ride. It was an excellent trip that we will all walk away with memories for a lifetime, and as always, I was proud of the way our guys handled themselves in so many public venues!
All in all, we are making progress on the ice and our team has confidence, which is the most important thing this time of year as we head into a stretch of seven straight weekends of games. We play our last nonconference games of the year this weekend, and as we have done all year, it will be a stiff challenge.
Every team that we have played this season has been ranked in the USCHO top 15 rankings at some point this season. We have played 8 of our 11 games on the road, and I believe these challenges will have prepared us to make a strong run at making the playoffs in the MIAC!
