Alright, let’s talk about Fitchburg State men’s hockey. It’s one of those things, you know? You stumble upon it, and it kinda sticks with you.
How I Got Hooked
You’re probably thinkin’, “Why this team? How’d you even get into watching them?” Well, it wasn’t exactly planned. Life throws you curveballs, or maybe in this case, a slapshot you didn’t see coming. A few years back, I found myself with a whole lot of unexpected free time. My old gig wrapped up, and I was figuring out my next move. Ended up in a new spot, not too far from Fitchburg, needed to get out of my own head, you know?
So, one chilly evening, I was just scrolling, looking for something, anything, to do. Saw an ad for a Falcons hockey game. Tickets were cheap. I thought, “Eh, why not? Beats staring at the walls.” Didn’t expect much, to be honest. Just a way to pass a few hours.
My “Practice” Began
I went to that first game. Then, kinda surprisingly, I went to another. And another. It became a bit of a routine. My practice, if you wanna call it that, started pretty simple. I just showed up. I’d sit there, often by myself at first, just taking in the atmosphere of the Wallace Civic Center. The sound of the skates carving up the ice, the puck hitting the boards, the buzz from the students.
Then, I started to actually watch. I mean, really pay attention. I didn’t know a whole lot about hockey strategy back then, not really. But I started noticing things. The effort these guys put in. They’re not playing for million-dollar contracts, most of ’em. They’re playing because they love the game, playing for their school, for each other. You could see it.
I actually started keeping a small notebook. Sounds a bit nerdy, right? But I’d jot down little observations during the games:
- Which lines seemed to click.
- How they handled a penalty kill.
- The goalies – man, those guys are under pressure.
- Little hustle plays that didn’t always show up on a scoreboard.
It wasn’t for any big reason. It just helped me focus, helped me understand what I was seeing. I’d go home, maybe look up a rule I didn’t quite get, or watch some highlights from other games to see what the pros did, then see if I could spot similar stuff with the Falcons.
What I Saw
So, when I talk about Fitchburg State men’s hockey, it’s not just some team whose scores I check. I’ve been there. I’ve seen them battle it out on a cold Tuesday night when the stands weren’t packed. I’ve seen the frustration and the pure joy on their faces. It’s college hockey. It’s raw. It’s got heart.
It’s funny, I went looking for a distraction, and I ended up finding something I genuinely enjoyed following. Learned a bit about hockey, sure, but also about dedication. These student-athletes, juggling classes and everything else, then going out there and leaving it all on the ice. It’s pretty impressive when you stop and think about it.
So yeah, that’s my little journey with the Fitchburg State Falcons. Started as a way to kill time, ended up being a whole lot more interesting than I figured. You never know where you’ll find these little pockets of passion.
