The Gustavus Men’s Hockey team’s season ended last Saturday with a 3-1 loss to St. Norbert College. Despite losing 2-1 in overtime to St. Thomas in the MIAC Championship game, the Gusties received one of three coveted at-large bids into the NCAA Tournament along with the opportunity for revenge in a rematch with St. Thomas. Fortunately, the men were able to knock off St. Thomas 3-1 in the first round to advance to the NCAA Quarterfinals where their season ended against St. Norbert College this past weekend.

With the loss fresh in the team’s mind, there is no doubt the guys are still upset. However, looking back, none of the players feel regret or would change a thing about the season. “It is hard to be happy with the outcome of our season with the St. Norbert’s loss so fresh in our minds but overall I am very pleased with what we accomplished as a team. I would honestly not change a thing about our season. I would have liked to win the MIAC playoffs and a national championship but I feel very proud to have won 20 games this season and to have brought the Don Roberts trophy back to Gustavus,” Junior defenseman Mitch Carlson said.

Although the boys did not end their season the way they had intended, they still accomplished some of the goals they were striving for at the beginning of the season. “We wanted to win the MIAC regular season, which is called the Don Roberts trophy. It was really special to win the Don Roberts knowing all the history and expectations that he set here for Gustavus hockey. We also wanted to get back to the National Tournament and have another shot at winning it, [but we] just came up short,” Senior forward Patrick Dynan said.

St. Norbert put a halt to the Gusties achieving their goal of capturing the NCAA title, but Gustavus faced many challenges this year and overcoming these challenges all start with the preparation before the game. “It’s tough to say in hindsight but going into the game we felt well prepared. We knew their style of play and what made them successful but unfortunately we were unable to exploit their weaknesses,” Senior forward T.J. Ridley said.

Dynan agreed with Ridley but also felt some of the problems against St. Norbert developed on the ice. “We felt we were well prepared for St. Norbert. We knew that they were going to have a fast start and that playing in their rink was going to be difficult. We had many opportunities but the puck just didn’t bounce our way, and to win a National championship sometimes you need those bounces in your favor,” Dynan said.

This year, the Gusties were unable to find that extra edge that propelled them to the National Championship game last season. “I guess after last year it was just finding that extra swagger or edge to make it to the next level. We had it last year. We were very close I think towards the end of the year,” Sophomore forward Ross Ring-Jarvi said.

Looking back at the season as a whole, the team was very successful this year by winning 20 games throughout the season, while playing in a difficult Conference. With all of the success the Gusties have had last year and this year, they have had to stay focused and composed, taking the season one game at a time. “With the success we had last year we knew we would be a target for most teams and they would play their best hockey against us. Therefore, we couldn’t take any nights off and we had to play our best at all times. We had to take precautions so that we would not take any team lightly because no matter what place you’re in or how many wins you have, anybody can win on any given night because our league is so talented,” Ridley said.

Carlson also felt there had been a target placed on the team’s back from the previous seasons’ success. “As a group we had one overall goal in mind and that was to win a National Championship. We understood that a target had been placed on our back because of the previous year, so we wanted to make sure that we just enjoyed the game and if we did that the outcome of the game would be in our favor,” Carlson said.

Although their season is unfortunately over, the men’s next plan of action is to focus on next year’s team. Carlson feels the team chemistry for next year will be very important, considering the team will be graduating such a large class this year. “Being as we have a rather large void to fill as a major part of our preparation, I believe building a solid foundation with current and incoming players by spending time with the guys will be a key contribution to success in the upcoming year,” Carlson said.

However, the team recognizes all the contributions from the senior class on this year’s team. “I just want to comment on how great the seniors were this year. They were the leaders for a great hockey team. [There are] so many great guys,” Ring-Jarvi said.

Carlson added to Ring-Jarvi’s sentiments. “I would just like to thank all of the seniors for all of the memories and great times that we had together. Their presence will truly be missed next year, on and off the ice, ” Carlson said.