ICE HOCKEY
Albany, N.Y. — The hockey team's 5-4 loss to Maine in the NCAA East Regional Finals was a complete turn of emotions from what the Spartans felt nearly one week prior after clinching the CCHA playoff championship.
Instead of smiles and hugs, there was an abundance of long faces for anyone wearing green and white after the game.
After they watched Maine celebrate on the Pepsi Arena ice they skated over to the MSU fan section that made the trip from East Lansing and saluted the fans with their sticks the same way they salute fans after every home game — win or lose.
And as the players' sticks hit the ice for one last time this season, the careers of the four regularly dressed seniors — David Booth, Corey Potter, Colton Fretter and Jared Nightingale — came to an end.
"It's pretty sad right now," Fretter said, at a loss for words following the game.
The only thing that could have prevented the sadness was a national championship and even then there would still be tears, although they would've been associated with another emotion.
But in a few days when the seniors have had time to reflect on their college careers, each will realize they were part of something special.
Before this season, the seniors had to field questions from the media on why they weren't in the national tournament, why they couldn't win the CCHA or why they couldn't get two weekend wins.
This year, they accomplished all of that and converted critics of MSU hockey into fans.
