I played the last hockey shift of my life on Feb. 11 at the Ogden Ice Sheet — or as the boys like to call it, the Litter Box.
For me, the best part of my life at this school has been playing hockey in front of all of the fans, especially the students and faculty.
Senior night here at Weber State University is always something special, but the last three years of senior nights have been particularly emotional.
I knew this year’s game was going to be a crazy night. The matchup between Utah State University and our squad is known around campus as an incredible in-state rivalry.
The night became personal for me when coach Clay Hobbs told me I was getting to start with our other two seniors, Tyler Belnap and Dax Hobbs.
It’s always a monumental feeling, starting the game and getting introduced by the announcer to a mob of cheering fans.
When my name was called, I skated over to the spotlight on the ice and was greeted by my whole family and my coaches.
My time here at Weber State has been filled with games at the Litter Box, but this one was special to me because it was the first time some of my family got to see me play here.
My family has followed and supported my hockey career ever since I began playing.
With the turnout of fans we had, those family members of mine got to witness an exceptional night at the Litter Box.
The game itself was an intense matchup, which was expected by the team and presumably the fans.
Going into the third period with a one-goal lead, we seniors knew we had to leave it all out on the ice for the last period.
Unfortunately, we ended up going down by three goals with just a few minutes left in the third period.
The game ended up 8–5 with Utah State claiming the victory.
Regardless of the score, it was an incredible experience. I couldn’t hold back the emotions after the game. For the first time on the ice, I was brought to tears.
Looking up into the stands and seeing my whole family and the fans giving our team a standing ovation was truly spectacular.
My final game at the Litter Box will always be a part of my life and will be a constant reminder to me of my hard work and dedication to not only the game of hockey but also to this amazing institution.
All three of us seniors want to just say thank you to everyone who supported our schoolwork and our work on the ice.
Our work at home is done for this season, but the season has yet to come to a close.
Our team will continue to keep working these next few weeks, preparing for Regional Championships and hopefully making it to the National Championship tournament in Columbus, Ohio.
