I thought this was a great article from the Maine Campus
that really puts this weekend into a perspective.  I
still believe there were some missed calls and dare I
say that the end was just not how anyone likes to see a
great hockey game end, but there is no doubt that this
team play with passion and I hope they show that same
passion in future seasons and in the non-hockey part of
their lives!

GO MAINE!!!!
----------------------  Forwarded Message:  ---------------------
From:    <[log in to unmask]>
To:      [log in to unmask]
Subject: Hockey isn't life
Date:    4/8/2002


Hockey isn't life
By: Marshall Dury


04/08/02
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Hockey isn't life. I'm not saying that my stomach didn't turn Saturday evening
when Minnesota scored its fourth goal. My heart ached seeing Colin Shields stare
into the crowd — wondering how it could've been different. But again, hockey
isn't life. It may sound like the speech of a loser but it's not.  Either way,
the world goes on.

I look at the game the Black Bears played in Minnesota on Saturday and the
hockey team knew it was a game. We had some slip ups, we scored some goals,
there may have been some bad calls, but in the end, our pride was damaged —
nothing more.

Hockey isn't going to save a starving child or fix global warming. If you boil a
sport down to its core, the desire to win and the dream of being a somebody with
that trophy is why it's so inspiring and filled with excitement. But after all
the points have been scored and the nets have been taken down, where are we left
to go?

We look at Shawn Walsh.  I didn't know the man personally and I'm fairly sure
the only time I ever saw him was in the Alfond.  He devoted his life to the game
of hockey and kept on going until the end.  I never saw Shawn Walsh complain
over a loss or scream obscenities walking around campus.  This is because Walsh
knew it was a game.  The perils of life did not hold in the balance of each
hockey game.

Walsh knew the odds, played the game and probably never would've changed a thing
about his life.  His wins and losses were comforted by his loving family, his
team and support of UMaine fans.  But again, hockey isn't life.

It may seem like I'm saying this to console the aching heart of many UMaine
fans. I'm not.  I can guarantee the same thoughts would be going through my head
if we had won.  It would've been a bit peppier, but the same general ideas would
be conveyed.

So what does all this mean, you say? It means the hours of practice, the aches and pains, the tears we may have shed, the famous UMaine cheers and the
reflective thoughts are what it's all about. The reason a lot of professional
sports are boring is for this very reason.  We're paying grown men and women
millions of dollars to play a game while the passion just isn't there.

Hockey isn't life.  It's not all about winning and losing.  I have always
assumed that I hate losing more than the average person — it pierces my soul
when I walk off a field coming up shy.  But that's only because I've forgotten
why I was there.

Not to sound trite, but hockey, like any other sport, is about how you play the
game.  Life is the same way because it's just a game — all that matters is how
you play it.  Everyone has their slip-ups and we've all come up shy more times
than we'd like to admit.  All that matters is you gave it your best and you
enjoyed your run in the game while it lasted because rest assured it won't last
forever.  Hockey isn't life, but it sure is a fun part of the ride.

Marshall Dury is sophomore journalism major.




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Story Source: Maine Campus