UHL IceHogs Memories

III

WeŽll see who the champs are in about a week and a half or less.

IŽll get a spoon and the ketchup ready... so you can eat your words.

Well... even though we weren't able to make it to the game but I listened to the game on the radio and giving updates to my fiance and I am soooooooo proud to say CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ROCKFORD ICEHOGS FOR WINNING THE COLONIAL CUP.... I almost feel the same excitement as if I was actually there I am almost shaking..... It is an unbelievable feeling of being able to hear the game and listen to them win or lose and being able to hear the last game and hearing them get the Colonial Cup!!!!!

I realized what category I put my last post in but I was excited I didn't really want to figure out where to put it at and when I seen where I put it at I thought...hmmm yes this is definitely one of my best memories of being an Icehog fan and being this is my first year of actually being able to watch them at the Metrocentre and hearing them on the radio I get just as excited as if I was actually there watching them I just wish I could have been there to see them receive the cup. Anyways....


GOOOOOOOOOOO ICEHOGS and CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

My favorite memory: When the refs took a game from us in the championship series, including 4 goals, and we STILL won it! And on our ice!!!

There are too many to name! All the people, all the times I lost my voice yelling at the refs and because we scored. But the best memory ever is seeing every one of those boys lift that cup!!!

My favorite memory is being on the ice during the presentation, and in the locker room during the celebration - and getting my picture taken hoisting the CUP!!

Seeing the Hogs win the cup and then being able to drink from it. The locker room celebration is something I'll never forget.

Lets see it!

What lucky guys you both are for having access to the locker room for the celebrations!
You are "fan enuff" for me!

My favorite memory is finally seeing our team win the cup!!

I don't think I'll ever forget last night!

I have a unique favorite memory. During most of last season, I lived next to the MetroCentre in the William Brown Lofts. I would usually have to wake up early in the morning, and I would get SO FRICKING ANNOYED when the Hogs won!!! HONK HONK HONK!!!

I almost wished they would lose so I could sleep! Well, anyways, my brother invited me to a game, it happened to be against the Mallards. This would happen to be my second Icehogs game, as I went to a home game in the inaugural season. We arrived to the arena just as the anthem was being sung.

When the lights came on and we went to find our seats, my jaw dropped. That night we had something like 6800 fans, I think Toltz said it was the 3rd largest crowd in history! I literally had chills running up and down my back just going to find my seat. It didn't take long for the Hogs to get on the board.

The place was very loud, everyone was so excited, it was nothing like I remembered. I had to be told by my brother exactly which direction to point while saying tic tic tic tic boom, I found out how much fun it is to be the 6801st voice informing the away fans that their goalie sucked! I left that night after an Icehogs victory, went across the street and laid in my bed. I couldn't sleep.

I ended up driving to my parent's house in Pecatonica and digging up my old rollerblades. The next day I went out and grabbed a cheapo street hockey stick and a few pucks. I was the most terrible skater as a kid, and found out that nothing had changed. I kept working at it. I kept going to Hogs games (haven't missed a home game since that Mallards game last year).

I stumbled into a chance meeting with an old friend and I bragged about my new favorite team. He told me to ditch my blades and get proper hockey skates and join a league. Ya right, I thought, there is no way. Well, I ended up going to Carlson, dropping $600 in one day, and coming to to play hockey Friday morning. My god did I suck, but I was hooked. I first started playing in October 06, and I've been on the ice 3-5 days every week since. My first season I scored 9 goals, had 5 assists, but our team lost in the championship game in overtime. Out of 16 teams, I'd say we did alright! Since the game was on a Monday night instead of the usual Sunday, we had only 6 people, but we battled to our very last breath.

Anyways, this is a long post, I know, but in summary, I want to thank the Icehogs for introducing me to the most incredible game on the planet. I don't know what my life would be like without hockey. I wouldn't have the 2 inch scar above my left eye, I wouldn't have a chipped molar tooth and I wouldn't have the incredble friends I've made from playing.

After all, a friend I met from hockey took me down to the lockerroom for the celebration. I went from not caring at all about hockey to hoisting and drinking from the Colonial Cup in just over 2 years. What a win, what a celebration, what a sport. I am going to play until I can no longer skate.

I'm thinking nobody's going to be able to top that one.

All our memories are equals. But, I do know this, if I'm still healthy enough to get on the ice and skate with my grandkids, and they asked how I got into hockey, I'll have a decent story to tell!

Another good memory was seeing Dickie (sp?) shut out the Fury 8-0 on a calm Sunday afternoon last year!

Another favorite memory of mine (not attempting to out do anybody):

While in the locker room celebrating and taking pictures, one of the young ladies in there asked me if I worked for the Hogs. I told her yes, I did. Well, she turns out to be Jesse Bennefield's fiance, and the batteries in her camera died, so she asked me if I would be willing to sell my pictures to her. I told her yes, but after awhile I had a better idea. I went up to her and Jesse and asked if I could get a stick for Lori in exchange for the pictures. He said sure, and went out to the ice, and got his sticks. He gave Lori the stick he had used for Game 7, pointing out the marks on it from the puck. Seeing the look on Lori's face was unforgettable as she took a hold of that stick.

I want to see the pictures with the cup KMC & DNEWS