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<v Speaker 1>So I gotta play the state championship le over again.

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<v Speaker 2>Huh yeah, yep.

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<v Speaker 3>If I imagine, it makes it easier to prepare for

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<v Speaker 3>familiar opponent like you can play every year.

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<v Speaker 4>Uh yeah, no question, We're familiar with their team. So

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<v Speaker 4>from that standpoint, Yeah, it's not like we're, you know,

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<v Speaker 4>looking at a team we haven't seen all year long,

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<v Speaker 4>so uh and we've played them year in, year out.

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<v Speaker 4>So yeah, from that standpoint, it's nice to have some

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<v Speaker 4>familiarity with the opponent.

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<v Speaker 5>It's a little I don't know if ironic's the right word,

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<v Speaker 5>but the NCAA tournament's all about you play different teams,

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<v Speaker 5>teams you haven't seen before, and then it's Quinnipiac in

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<v Speaker 5>there instead of just some.

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<v Speaker 1>Out West team that maybe you don't see as often.

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<v Speaker 4>If you had told me in the beginning of the

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<v Speaker 4>year you're going to make the NCAA tournament, you have

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<v Speaker 4>to play Quinnipiac in the first round, I would have

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<v Speaker 4>said done.

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<v Speaker 2>It's like it doesn't matter who we play.

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<v Speaker 4>Like, we're in the tournament, right and Quinnipiac's in the tournament,

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<v Speaker 4>So you know, you have to prepare at any point

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<v Speaker 4>you're gonna have to you're playing great teams that when

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<v Speaker 4>you have sixteen teams, they're all really good and anybody

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<v Speaker 4>can beat anybody.

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<v Speaker 2>And you've seen it over the years, and.

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<v Speaker 4>You know, I've coached some really good teams in that

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<v Speaker 4>tournament and we've lost games as a top seed to

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<v Speaker 4>an opponent who on paper might not be as good,

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<v Speaker 4>but in a one game, you know, win or take all,

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<v Speaker 4>anything can happen.

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<v Speaker 1>How about half the field being from New.

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<v Speaker 4>England, Yeah, I mean that's well, just our league was

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<v Speaker 4>so strong this year, you know, of the basically all

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<v Speaker 4>six teams were in the tournament before the Hockeyas tournament

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<v Speaker 4>even started. So that's how strong the league was this year.

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<v Speaker 4>I've never seen it before.

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<v Speaker 3>Does the weekend in Boston help prepare you for the

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<v Speaker 3>NCAA's just the atmosphere.

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<v Speaker 4>No question that that game Friday night against Maine was

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<v Speaker 4>that was a frozen four type atmosphere. That game, you know,

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<v Speaker 4>seventeen thousand people, It was loud and there was so

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<v Speaker 4>much energy in that building.

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<v Speaker 2>That's exactly what a frozen four is like.

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<v Speaker 3>Did your younger guys send did you send any nerves

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<v Speaker 3>for your younger guys in that game Friday night? Or

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<v Speaker 3>does Maine get all the credit for playing really well.

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<v Speaker 2>I think Maine played really well.

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<v Speaker 4>I have to give them a lot of credit. I

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<v Speaker 4>thought they've played well and they deserve to win. But

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<v Speaker 4>it was a game that I think we can learn

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<v Speaker 4>from as well.

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<v Speaker 5>You knew you were going to be in the field,

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<v Speaker 5>But what's the feeling when you finally see your name

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<v Speaker 5>come up for the first time in the twelve years

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<v Speaker 5>that you've been here, but even just for the first

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<v Speaker 5>time ever.

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<v Speaker 2>For the school.

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah, that's a good question because you're so excited. I

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<v Speaker 4>don't know if relieve there's a type of the word

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<v Speaker 4>I want, but it's something that we've been striving for

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<v Speaker 4>for a while, and we were pretty close that COVID year,

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<v Speaker 4>you know, and then a couple of years we were sixteen,

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<v Speaker 4>and you're just outside of it. To finally get over

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<v Speaker 4>the hump, that's great, and it's a feeling of accomplishment maybe,

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<v Speaker 4>and then you switch to you know right away and

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<v Speaker 4>be like, we got to prepare for a game here,

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<v Speaker 4>like this is going to.

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<v Speaker 2>Be a battle.

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<v Speaker 4>So that feeling of excitement immediately shifts and goes to

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<v Speaker 4>we have.

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<v Speaker 2>Some work to do here.

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<v Speaker 4>So but overall, I'm really happy, especially for Hudson and

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<v Speaker 4>John who came back for a fifty year and you know,

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<v Speaker 4>no matter what happens, they'll go down as two of

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<v Speaker 4>the great Huskies for sure.

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<v Speaker 1>Speaking of Buddy, you expect them to play.

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<v Speaker 2>You think? I hope? So, yeah, I hope. So we'll

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<v Speaker 2>see as the week goes.

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<v Speaker 4>But he's doing everything in his power to try to

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<v Speaker 4>play on Friday night.

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<v Speaker 3>If the scenario were different where you would had to

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<v Speaker 3>win to get in, could he have played last weekend?

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<v Speaker 2>I don't know.

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<v Speaker 4>Maybe maybe the players are just built that way.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, maybe it might have been different.

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<v Speaker 5>Is there ever a moment that you think back to

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<v Speaker 5>since you've been here that kind of reminds you of

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<v Speaker 5>how far you've come since those early days?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it was funny this today. I was just looking at.

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<v Speaker 4>Different teams that have won the National Tournament, like Providence,

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<v Speaker 4>you know, when they got in, and I think they

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<v Speaker 4>were they were definitely a four seed because they played Miami,

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<v Speaker 4>who was number one at the time, and Yale.

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<v Speaker 2>But as I was.

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<v Speaker 4>Looking at the Providence I was going through their schedule

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<v Speaker 4>that year and I looked when they played US and

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<v Speaker 4>it was ten to one, and I remember that game

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<v Speaker 4>distinctly at Providence and we lost ten to one. And

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<v Speaker 4>to think now, like how far we've come as a

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<v Speaker 4>pro yeah, kind of, you know, it was it was

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<v Speaker 4>this morning that kind of I don't know if triggered

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<v Speaker 4>is the right word, but it made me realize how

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<v Speaker 4>far we've come as.

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<v Speaker 5>A program because you didn't have scholarships your first year

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<v Speaker 5>here that Atlantic Hockey aer right, it was once you

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<v Speaker 5>got into Hockey East.

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<v Speaker 4>Those game they we weren't fully funded until Derek Pratt

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<v Speaker 4>and that class was we're seniors and we lost to

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<v Speaker 4>bu one game in overtime. Those the best of three,

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<v Speaker 4>one game in overtime, and I think the second one

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<v Speaker 4>was two to one, and we played great yeah games,

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<v Speaker 4>but that was the first year we were fully funded

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<v Speaker 4>where we had eighteen scholarships in the league.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah.

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<v Speaker 2>B Carpenter killed you guys, Sink.

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<v Speaker 5>You have talked about you being an important leader for

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<v Speaker 5>this team because he's been to the NCAA tournament. How

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<v Speaker 5>does that now manifest itself now that you guys are

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<v Speaker 5>in it.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, I think I think you know, he can definitely

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<v Speaker 4>talk about his experiences, you know, and I've been him

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<v Speaker 4>a lot too, so I kind of understand how it works.

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<v Speaker 2>Now.

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<v Speaker 4>The one interesting thing where I haven't been involved is

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<v Speaker 4>the regionals where you have a day off in between. Now,

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<v Speaker 4>we never used to have the day off in between,

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<v Speaker 4>and that'll be something different. I mean the Frozen four

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<v Speaker 4>was always a day off in between, so be able

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<v Speaker 4>to manage it. But it's certainly something different than in

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<v Speaker 4>year's past with the regionals.

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<v Speaker 2>But other than that, I just know that.

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<v Speaker 4>Like every game, you know, I tried to tell the team,

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<v Speaker 4>every game is going to be like Friday night versus Maine,

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<v Speaker 4>Like that's the type of intensity you have to prepare

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<v Speaker 4>for when you're playing in a national tournament game.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, did you notice the level of play go open nottch.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean even the Providence game, like to me, out

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<v Speaker 3>of the regular season, like every weekend was a grind,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, you know we talked about that, but then

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<v Speaker 3>it goes up a notch for every round.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I mean when.

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<v Speaker 4>You know the thing about this tournament is, you know,

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<v Speaker 4>the hardest thing I think to do in hockey is

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<v Speaker 4>take another team sticks away. And these games someone sticks

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<v Speaker 4>are going away, and you know when that's on the line,

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<v Speaker 4>that the intensity just.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, ratchets up to a level that you have

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<v Speaker 2>to be ready for. And I think.

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<v Speaker 4>Fortunately for us, you know, we've played Providence be all

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<v Speaker 4>the games we played in the Hockey East Tournament were

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<v Speaker 4>really intense battles, and I think that's can only help

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<v Speaker 4>your team as you go into.

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<v Speaker 2>A national tournament.

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<v Speaker 5>Quinnipix been there plenty of times, especially recently. Do you

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<v Speaker 5>think it could be a almost benefit for you guys

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<v Speaker 5>that you haven't been there and maybe you don't know

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<v Speaker 5>what you don't know?

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<v Speaker 2>I don't know. I think.

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<v Speaker 4>I think really what it comes down to is who

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<v Speaker 4>executes and who plays the best on game night. I

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<v Speaker 4>don't think you know all the experience in the world.

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<v Speaker 4>Like the year Providence won it, I don't think they

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<v Speaker 4>had been there in a long time.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm not sure they got there in fourteen.

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<v Speaker 4>I'd have to look at that, but I think that

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<v Speaker 4>was their first time there in a long time in fifteen.

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<v Speaker 4>And is that the Garden, Yeah, they might have been

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<v Speaker 4>in the year before. I'm not sure, but you know,

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<v Speaker 4>Yale had never gone for a long time, and you

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<v Speaker 4>know they performed really well. So I just think it's

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<v Speaker 4>it really comes down to It's not so much experience.

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<v Speaker 4>It's not what's happened in the past. That's like our

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<v Speaker 4>game with Quinnipiac back in January is gonna have zero.

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<v Speaker 2>Influence on the game we play Friday night. It's not

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<v Speaker 2>gonna have any It's not gonna have any factor in

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<v Speaker 2>the game.

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<v Speaker 4>It's just gonna be which team plays the best and

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<v Speaker 4>executes that'll be successful.

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<v Speaker 1>Had you heard from some of your alums alum.

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<v Speaker 2>Oh a lot of them, Yeah, a lot of them.

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<v Speaker 4>There were a lot of them were in Boston for

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<v Speaker 4>the games, and I heard from Maxiltunov and Russia and

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<v Speaker 4>card Turnbull wherever he is in Europe, reached out, like

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<v Speaker 4>Spencer Naz who's in Europe. So there's a lot of

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<v Speaker 4>guys that you know, follow the program intently and still

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<v Speaker 4>bleed blue.

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<v Speaker 5>You kind of mentioned it earlier, but the COVID year,

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<v Speaker 5>the twenty twenty one, you guys were practicing after you

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<v Speaker 5>lost to Providence, hoping that you could get in. Just

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<v Speaker 5>what do you remember from that preparation and then the

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<v Speaker 5>disappointment of not being in the field.

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah, I was disappointing that day. It was over in

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<v Speaker 4>the freights. I remember watching it. I really thought we

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<v Speaker 4>had a chance to be in it because it was

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<v Speaker 4>a crazy year. But our strength of schedule I think

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<v Speaker 4>was we played I think that year we played BC

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<v Speaker 4>four or five times.

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<v Speaker 2>Four times.

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah, like the teams that you mess won it. So

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<v Speaker 4>two of the top teams in our league we played

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<v Speaker 4>eight times or nine times, I can't remember what it was.

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<v Speaker 4>And I thought that that was going to factor into

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<v Speaker 4>it because that year wasn't so much on the numbers

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<v Speaker 4>as it was. There was some subjective I think to it.

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<v Speaker 4>So it was disappointing we didn't get in that year.

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<v Speaker 4>But I think Hudson and John were a freshman that year.

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<v Speaker 4>So to see them sit here today and know that

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<v Speaker 4>they were in it and not have to sweat it out,

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<v Speaker 4>that was pretty good.

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<v Speaker 1>Speaking of Honey, I think it was after the guest

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<v Speaker 1>U mess that summer you had lunch with them, I

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<v Speaker 1>guess out in Vancouver. Yeah, and the want to do

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<v Speaker 1>it again, the hunger to do it again, and you.

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<v Speaker 4>Are yeah, it is well, it tells you a lot

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<v Speaker 4>about him as a kid.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, you know. And I don't know if I can

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<v Speaker 2>say it enough, but.

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<v Speaker 4>Loyalty were just talking about it earlier in today's college

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<v Speaker 4>athletics loyalties a hard thing to find, and the fact

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<v Speaker 4>that those two stayed loyal when it wasn't the most

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<v Speaker 4>opportune time to stay loyal. It's one thing. If your

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<v Speaker 4>team's going to frozen fours year in and year out,

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<v Speaker 4>you know, am I going to transfer from that program?

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<v Speaker 2>Probably not.

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<v Speaker 4>But when your team had a season like we did

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<v Speaker 4>last year, where we felt we underachieved and everybody's flying

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<v Speaker 4>the coop, you know, it's very easy to leave. But

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<v Speaker 4>that loyalty, you know, I'll never forget it and I'll

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<v Speaker 4>always remember it, and I just I think it's really

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<v Speaker 4>special when you have players like that that believe.

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<v Speaker 2>In a place so much and then they see them

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<v Speaker 2>get rewarded like they have.

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<v Speaker 3>I think a last game that I did the first

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<v Speaker 3>half was the first Merrimac game that was a tough weekend,

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<v Speaker 3>and then the comeback and rally and beat BC the

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<v Speaker 3>next weekend. Yeah, you had, you saw the pieces there,

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<v Speaker 3>but could you could sort of a big turning point

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<v Speaker 3>for this team when they beat BC, got some confidence

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<v Speaker 3>after a tough weekend the weekend before, and then you know,

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<v Speaker 3>you get to the Christmas break and it's like you're

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<v Speaker 3>wondering because I hadn't been around it. I think I

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<v Speaker 3>saw eighteenth in the pairwise and everything was sitting in

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<v Speaker 3>front of him.

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<v Speaker 2>If you want to see it January first, it's right there.

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<v Speaker 3>But I remember Christmas, I mean, getting getting ramped up

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<v Speaker 3>again thinking for hockey. For you guys going to Wisconsin,

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<v Speaker 3>it's like you look at the skuns like okay, everything

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<v Speaker 3>in front of you, and then you just ripped it off.

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<v Speaker 4>In January, well, at Merrimack weekend, we came off you know,

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<v Speaker 4>a weekend against Vermont where we lost one in overtime

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<v Speaker 4>and uh won one in overtime.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, and then uh.

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<v Speaker 4>That you know, we played without and then Jake Richard

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<v Speaker 4>got hurt in that game at home, so he we

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<v Speaker 4>didn't have him for the Merrimack series.

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<v Speaker 2>And yeah, we didn't.

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<v Speaker 4>We didn't play well that weekend, you know. Right that

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<v Speaker 4>being said, I think it did somewhat motivate us to.

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<v Speaker 2>Was.

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<v Speaker 4>I don't know if i'd say it was a turning point,

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<v Speaker 4>but we had a great week of practice before BC

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<v Speaker 4>and then we played BC here and while the game

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<v Speaker 4>was five to four, it really wasn't that type of game.

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<v Speaker 4>I thought that we might have been one of our

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<v Speaker 4>best games of the year. It was a game we

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<v Speaker 4>should have deserved to win against BC. It wasn't a

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<v Speaker 4>fluke win where a goaltender had to make a million saves.

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<v Speaker 4>We played really well on that game, and then we

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<v Speaker 4>came back and Lowell was tenth or eleventh in the

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<v Speaker 4>country at the time, maybe.

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<v Speaker 1>Even higher, and that's what Callum started playing.

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<v Speaker 4>And musically got hurt in that VC game in Callum

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<v Speaker 4>came back and we played great that weekend at Lowell

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<v Speaker 4>and beat him the first night and then lost one

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<v Speaker 4>nothing just you know, Halas played dynamite that night and

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<v Speaker 4>it came back and played a great game against BC

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<v Speaker 4>and lose it in overtime, where a game we could

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<v Speaker 4>have won that game too. So I think that was

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<v Speaker 4>the point where the team realized we have a really

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<v Speaker 4>good team. And when we came back from break, I

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<v Speaker 4>thought we played dynamite. I do you know, even that

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<v Speaker 4>tournament in Wisconsin, we played a really strong game, you know,

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<v Speaker 4>being down to nothing coming back tigh in that game,

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<v Speaker 4>and I thought we played really well in against Wisconsin

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<v Speaker 4>and from that point on, you know, New Hampshire was

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<v Speaker 4>highly ranked when we played them, had to go to

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<v Speaker 4>Maine for two then the Connecticut Ice Tournament and then Providence,

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<v Speaker 4>like it was a murderer's role that we had to play,

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<v Speaker 4>and we got through it and played really well, and

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<v Speaker 4>I think our team started to believe then that we

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<v Speaker 4>have a chance to be an NCAA tournament team.

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<v Speaker 5>Kind of to that point when you stepped on the

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<v Speaker 5>ice the first time with this team back in September,

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<v Speaker 5>You've always talked about getting to the New National Tournament

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<v Speaker 5>as a goal. Did you think this was actually a

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<v Speaker 5>legitimate goal for the season, that it was realistic?

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, I did. I did.

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<v Speaker 4>The only question mark I had, well, I shouldn't say

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<v Speaker 4>the only question mark, but we had two goaltenders coming

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<v Speaker 4>in that I wasn't very familiar with. I liked them both,

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<v Speaker 4>but you're not familiar with them. It wasn't like we

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<v Speaker 4>had Jacob Fowler coming back, or you know, we had

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<v Speaker 4>two new goaltenders coming in.

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<v Speaker 2>So that was an area where.

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<v Speaker 4>You know, I didn't know, I didn't really have a

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<v Speaker 4>strong feeling one way or the other where we were

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<v Speaker 4>going to be there. We certainly had a lot of

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<v Speaker 4>new defensemen coming in. You know, John and Thomas Sinio

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<v Speaker 4>were the only ones coming back that had played substantial.

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<v Speaker 2>Amount of minutes for us SO that was an area.

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<v Speaker 4>But I really liked the kids coming back, and I

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<v Speaker 4>knew we were going to be pretty good upfront because

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<v Speaker 4>I saw the step Joey Muldowney took last year at

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<v Speaker 4>the end of the year. I saw the step Ryan

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<v Speaker 4>Taddle had taken at the end of last year. Percival

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<v Speaker 4>and Frasier and he Slip were just ultimate warriors, and

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<v Speaker 4>I knew that that kid line was going to be

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<v Speaker 4>a talented group. So I felt like we were going

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<v Speaker 4>to be pretty good upfront. I just didn't know I was.

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<v Speaker 4>I knew our goaltenders were good, I didn't know they

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<v Speaker 4>hadn't played a lot of college hockey. And on defense,

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<v Speaker 4>you know, guys really came in and like Trey Scott

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<v Speaker 4>was a kid I wasn't counting on and it's turned

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<v Speaker 4>in where he's running our power play and kai Jan Veraia.

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<v Speaker 2>I knew he was going to be a good player.

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<v Speaker 4>I didn't know he was going to have as much

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<v Speaker 4>impact on our team Viking.

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<v Speaker 2>We got really late. You know, he's turned into a.

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<v Speaker 4>Excellent defenseman for us SO and then Nick Carabin I

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<v Speaker 4>felt like he was going to be a solid piece.

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<v Speaker 4>I didn't realize how good he was going to be

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<v Speaker 4>for us. So and from that standpoint, you know, you

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<v Speaker 4>have expectations and you have you hope that these guys

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<v Speaker 4>are going to pan out, but when you haven't coached him,

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<v Speaker 4>you know, I wasn't as sure about them as I

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<v Speaker 4>was about Tattle and Muldowney and Rashard. I knew they

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<v Speaker 4>were going to be great players for us.

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<v Speaker 1>How could you jump speed wise? Did you take from

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<v Speaker 1>last year this year? I mean you see it on

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<v Speaker 1>the end.

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<v Speaker 4>A big jump, A big jump, yes, yeah, pretty much.

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<v Speaker 4>All the guys we brought in are really high end skaters.

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<v Speaker 4>So that that's probably the biggest difference between our ten

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<v Speaker 4>from last year to this year is I think we're much.

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<v Speaker 2>Quicker up front.

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<v Speaker 1>You can see in the vord check for sure.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah.

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<v Speaker 3>I liked it in the BU game where A they

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<v Speaker 3>won the puck battles.

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<v Speaker 1>On the half boards.

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<v Speaker 3>But I like it when your defenseman picked their spots

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<v Speaker 3>to go and keep it in but take those battles

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<v Speaker 3>on the half.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah.

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<v Speaker 4>I think all good teams, I mean, Maine does that

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<v Speaker 4>really well, Quinnipiac will do that.

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<v Speaker 2>Uh, you know, I think a lot of teams that

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<v Speaker 2>are successful in college apply a lot of pressure to you.

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah, and it's when you're you have to win those

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<v Speaker 4>wall battles, when you're coming out of your defensive zone exits.

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<v Speaker 2>We know we're gonna have to win some wall battles.

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<v Speaker 4>You know that puck's got to get out that five

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<v Speaker 4>foot battle between the blue lines at both ends. You

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<v Speaker 4>got to keep them in you like you just alluded to,

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<v Speaker 4>and then you got to get them out when you're

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<v Speaker 4>in your own zone.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah.

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<v Speaker 1>I thought, mean did a good job of that. I

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<v Speaker 1>guess what, like about ten.

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<v Speaker 3>Minutes into the second you had you got to throw

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<v Speaker 3>a good start in the second and then they took

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<v Speaker 3>a lot of space away, especially in their D zone.

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<v Speaker 1>They didn't really give you a lot of good looks. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>but you guys kept grinding. That's what we love about

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<v Speaker 1>these guys. I say, see your foot soldiers getting some payoff.

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<v Speaker 2>For Yeah, it was good, all right, you got it,

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<v Speaker 2>guys of them. Thank you