Monday, February 13, 2012

Union #2 in INCH Rankings

It becomes surprisingly easy to grow unimpressed with high rankings after a prolonged stretch near the top. For schools like Cornell, Boston University, or Minnesota this is old hat. With success comes inevitable apathy: until a team starts slipping in the standings, it is the fan's wont to become complacent, if not unaware of his team's place in the pecking order.

With Union's ascension to the rarified air of the college hockey polls, Dutchmen fans are caught in a precarious position. The team's success is far too new to play off with a shrug or a dismissive "what have you done for me lately?" Every win is an exciting new opportunity for fans to grow alongside their team. Still, with success comes the inevitable complacency. That's why any fan in need of a reminder of the team's place in the hockey universe should check out this week's new INCH (Inside College Hockey) power rankings poll:


Let's deconstruct this for a moment. Three years ago, hell, even last year, if someone had predicted that Union would be ranked higher than the reigning national champions, we would have laughed it off. Our Union hockey?

By no means is this poll permanent, nor is it meaningful in terms of the NCAA tournament. But something else is happening here: something far more visceral. We feel a collective swell of accomplishment when the block "U" next is positioned next to the number 2. Enjoy this, Union Hockey. You deserve it.
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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousFebruary 13, 2012 at 12:09 PM

    The hurdles get higher for Union. Rick Bennett has his team well prepared for the stretch run. The Union faithful will be on their feet screaming encouragement the next two weekends!

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  2. WillFebruary 13, 2012 at 9:54 PM

    I still remember clearly the first time I saw Union as a team in the "others receiving votes" the USCHO Poll. I was sitting at one of the computers in Reamer right outside the bookstore and I nearly fell out of my chair (partially because of excitement, but partially because those chairs don't really have backs). Reaching the top 20 seemed impossible but we achieved that goal as well. To regular see this team ranked in the top 10 is nothing short of shocking.

    Just in the 5+ short years I have been rooting for this team, we have come a LONNNNG way. As I freshman, our lowly team beat #7 Clarkson ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wufhtw0Glc0 ) and it was an unbelievable experience (see my excitement at 2:23). Now WE are that #7 team.

    I had no interest in hockey until I came to Union. Now I'll be a Union Hockey Maniac for life. I'm all set to go to Atlantic City and I hope to travel all across the country to see Union's games in the national tournament. Still a long way to go though and a lot can change in these final two weeks. But regardless of that...

    LET'S GO UNION DA DA DADADA!!!

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