One of the top players in the college game leaves for the pros 4 weeks
before completing his senior year.
 
This same situation arose last year when Brian Holzinger signed with the
Sabres after the College Hockey season ended.
 
I don't know Pandolfo's specific situation.  Would he have graduated in
May or was he in a 5 year track?  Given Albany's proximaty to Boston,
could he somehow be continuing in school for the last 4 weeks of classes?
 
I can't help but question a STUDENT-athlete leaving school a month before
completing a degree.  It really drives home a point that college sports
are really just farm teams for many players.  Seeing players leave for
the pros after 1 or 2 years is something with which we have all
learned to live, regrettably IMHO.  To me, having players leaving DURING the
academic year only looksworse.  Next thing we know, a player will start the
season on fire and sign a pro contract over New Year's in the middle of the
season.
 
As a fan of the Terriers, I cannot complain. There is no disservice to
the school - Jay has completed 4 seasons under scholarship.  Rather, it
is my disappointment as a fellow student.  To stop SO CLOSE to a college
degree is a major disservice the student does to himself.
 
If there is
anyone in college hockey who knows how fragile a hockey career can be, it
is Jay Pandolfo.  Tragic as the last two seasons my have been, they were
also reality.  Though Travis and, and in all likelihood JP, will never make
careers of hockey, they both still have their minds.  Both will leave
Commonwealth Ave with a degree.  Just as the Terriers tries to follow
their captain's example all season long, I wish he had followed theirs.
 
I wish the best for the departed Terrier captain. May his career
flourish, first with the River Rats and eventually in the NHL (although
hopefully not with the Devils - I just can't bear the thought of rooting
for the Flyers closest neighbors :)  I just can't help but question his
timing.  I realize that a pro career is every player's dream, but just
another 4 weeks...
 
 
Greg Weintraub
 
 
 On Sat, 6 Apr 1996, Jim Teresco wrote:
 
> It was reported here that BU's Jay Pandolfo signed with the Devils.  I
> can add that he was assigned to Albany of the AHL.  He made his debut
> for the River Rats last night and scored 2 goals in a 4-0 Rats win.
>
> --
> Jim Teresco - [log in to unmask] - http://www.cs.rpi.edu/~terescoj/
> Research Assistant, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
> Department of Computer Science, Scientific Computation Research Center
>
> HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
> [log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.
>
 
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