Looks Like We've Got Ourselves a Program

-This isn't about one season, we are building a program here.

While paraphrased, that has been the team mantra for the past few seasons. Those words ring true now more than ever.

For the past few seasons, the Dutchmen have been having a lot of "firsts." First playoff series win, first ECAC Finals appearance, first Cleary Cup, and first D-I NCAA Tournament appearance.

Last season seemed to be the peak. They had won the Cleary Cup despite Yale seeming like the class of the ECAC all season, and they received an at-large bid into the national tournament as a 2-seed.

Then, at season's end, they lost their Penrose award-winning head coach, their All-American goaltender, and one of the best senior classes they have ever had, including the program's career leader in points, Adam Presizniuk. There was no way they would be able to duplicate that success.

Yet, somehow they did. More surprisingly the team didn't seem to miss a beat. They lose a Penrose award-winning coach, and a Ken Dryden award-winning goalie...and they replace them with a Penrose award-winning coach, and a Ken Dryden award-winning goalie.

And in the process they stopped looking like a team of "firsts" and instead, a team that has been there and done that. Sure they added a few more milestones this season, including winning the Whitelaw Cup last weekend, and being awarded one of the four 1-seeds for this weekends regional, but these Dutchmen aren't satisfied with just making it to the dance...they want to bring home some hardware.

In twenty years, I hope to look back and remember this time as Union's coming out party, not the highlight of the program. And now, more than ever, it looks like the case.

Let's Go U!