University of New England Athletics

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Thursday, Nov. 11

1:15 am - Finally back in Maine after what seemed like an even longer bus ride than on the way down to New Jersey.

Regarding the game... well, things didn't quite go as planned. As Coach Hurt reflected after it was over, they (TCNJ) are a good team... and we (UNE) never saw a team like that during the first 19 contests of the season. Even the players recognized this. Some commented as they were leaving the field that on top of being good players, the TCNJ athletes were good sports -- respectful of their opponents and the game, and fun to play against. That says a lot about this experience.

There was some frustration and disappointment about the performance, naturally. But it seemed that this group had things well in perspective. Looking at where they started, what they accomplished along the way... knowing that they faced their toughest opponent of the season today (yesterday), and that this now sets the standard for next year. Every single member of the team will be better after having this experience under their belt.

The ride back was relatively calm as we crossed into Connecticut, but suddenly there was an urge for Friendly's ice cream that spread like wildfire through the motorcoach. As a road sign was spotted with just the right logo, chants of the company name faded in-and-out until the necessary exit arrived... and then there was much rejoicing. The stop netted more than ice cream (and Dunkin Donuts) too. How best to describe it? You know those vending machines with a claw that you move around and drop into a pit of stuffed animals, hoping that it catches one? The campus of the University of New England is now three stuffed animals heavier. And it wasn't for a lack of trying that there weren't more.

Upon collecting the first one, the staff at Friendly's (which, by the way, was frantically attempting to satisfied all 25 customers before closing) must have thought the people they were serving (holding a pink whale? in the air) could most certainly do without any more sugar -- the way they were hooting and holloring at the achievement. Use your imagination -- as quarter after quarter was deposited, the hopeful anticipation of getting a blue and green striped dolphin consumed nearly every player for the next 20 minutes, mirroring the reaction one might see as horses come down the back stretch. There were breaths being held; there was leaning to maybe influence what the crane picked up; and there was comedy in the excitement. It's been said before... this team clearly knows how to have their fun! Fortunately, for those who prefer to use the late-night bus trips for studying or sleeping, a vast majority crashed from their high shortly after resuming our journey, ushering the calm back in... and the rest is history.

That about sums it up. Congratulate a UNE field hockey player next time you run into one. Their season, and this trip, were truly something special.


Wednesday, Nov. 10

5:00 pm - Please check back tomorrow morning for the final thoughts on the trip.

2:40 pm - Halftime. Back to the pre-game for a second...

About 10 minutes left in warm-ups, and what song started playing through the TCNJ speaker system... Country Road. Quite fitting, don't you think? Something seemed to click in everyone who had been on the bus the night before... it was almost magical.

To the first half action -- there was a lot of play in the middle of the field. The Lions scored two goals on the fast-break, moving the ball around so quickly and efficiently in the offensive end. Michelle Oswald fired off a shot late in the frame to try and put UNE on the board, but it rattled off the left post.

1:15 pm - The teams are on the field! Thirty-five minutes until the starting lineups are announced.

11:50 am - Quick trip to the store for some pre-game nourishment after a short practice session. You would be hard-pressed to know that this team is playing anything but a regular old game today... as the general mood is just as light and happy as usual. Talking to a few players this morning, they all seem to simply be excited for the day. One added that it will be nice to face an unknown opponent, with no expectations of the other 11 players on the pitch -- besides what can be inferred from a few box scores online (that they are 'good'). There is a clear belief that this will be a competitive match.

9:45 am - Breakfast was provided for the travel party this morning, and what a spread it was. One might think, upon first glance of this group of people down from Maine, that the foods laid out before everyone don't exist up the coast. The staff at the Wyndham were incredibly helpful -- especially Don, who provided the "big play" cup of coffee to one of the team members so that their particular performance had the winning touch.

There was also a bit of trash-talking across one table, as Coach Hurt and one of the team interns settled on a challenge to follow the meal at the billards table on the floor (It was reported that Coach Hurt posted a 2-0 record yesterday afternoon). What ensued was a team match -- the two interns against Coach Hurt and Michaela Franey. In the end, the women pulled out a come-from-behind win, overcoming a controversial play in doing so. Always a good sport and gracious champion, Coach Hurt proceeded to gloat about the victory and reminded those in attendance that she was now 3-0... and that the others "almost" had it. Click here to view a few snapshots of the moment.


Tuesday, Nov. 9

10:20 pm - Ah, NCAA tournament time. For this team of 22 players, a rookie head coach, and several other team personnel, this is going to be their first experience of such events. From an outsider, apparently adopted by the coach midway through the journey as one of their own, here is how all this started...

With a roster consisting of all New Englanders except for a few from New York, bus trips the length of Biddeford, Maine to Ewing, N.J. had rarely been experienced before. Starting just after 8 a.m. the day before the game with a small send-off from some of the UNE security officers surrounding a crosswalk on Hills Beach Road, the travel party arrived at their hotel around 4 p.m.... so nearly eight hours of traveling (including three stops). Or, in other words, 3.8 movies and a lot of sleeping, with some occassional chats with always lively Coach Hurt up in the front of the bus.

At 5:15 p.m., the team departed for a practice session on the game field. With everyone awake for this short ride, it seemed as though players were beginning to get focused on the task at hand. There was some quiet on the way over, mixed in with some sing-alongs to what could only be described as a hodgepodge of upbeat classics, provided by Coach Hurt... on-par with the pre-game rituals of other road trips to away contests. There may have even been a bit of dancing in the aisle, in spite the fact that it was made clear that a camera was present to document such moments.

As the music of John Denver's Country Roads reached the final chorus, the bus pulled onto the TCNJ campus. From a distance, the lights at Lions' Stadium were clearly visible... and upon a closer look, this venue towered over any UNE has played in so far. Approximately 30 rows of bleachers stretching 2/3 of the field on both sides, with a press box on top of one set that seemingly reached up three stories more.

The team got right to it, feeling out the unfamiliar surface with an abridged series of practice drills -- applying a few nuggets of scouting information gathered in the hours since the release of the bracket. Click here to view a few images from the Tuesday night practice.

Everyone was excited for an Applebee's dinner afterwards, which ended up including a totally unrelated visit from some talented singers enrolled at Rider University, who provided additional entertainment with an accapella performance consisting of little parts of several popular songs. As table-by-table turned back to the food in front of them, faint singing of those same tunes and some bopping of heads made it clear that the pleasure of music is one thing that this team shares... and it definitely keeps things fun.

Well, enough fun for one day. Check back for more as Wednesday unfolds...