Nestled on the corner of 3rd Avenue SE and Arena Drive SE, unbeknownst to most of the world, save a hundred or so people, America defended home ice against Finland. ESPN didn't create headlines about it and other media outlets never showed interest. In fact, I never knew about it until 2:30 that afternoon. I made the necessary arrangements (aka I called my wife to make sure I could go.) Since the game was at 8:00 PM, I was cleared to go. I was stoked. How often do you get to go to a game of this caliber?
I arrived to the arena and was immediately greeted by a front row, next to the doors, parking spot! This may be great to some, but not nearly exciting....unless it is -15 without windchill, then it's like winning the lottery. I hustle to the rink to watch the Zamboni resurface the ice and grab a seat. Here I was, sitting at just the right height, so I could see above the glass at center ice; everybody else, in the way back. As game time approached, a bunch of kids gather in the bottom 3 rows filling the air with energy. "USA! USA! USA!" 3 sections over to the right, the chant is immediately followed by, "Hyvae Suomi!" The chants start by going back and forth until they mix together into one loud pre-adolescent shout. The players on the ice feed off of the energy as they battle for the puck. The adults take pictures and smile.
Finland nets the first goal and their fans go crazy, but not as much as their hockey team. They proved to USA that they were here to win on unfamiliar soil, but on an all too familiar sheet of ice. Team USA picks up the hint and they immediately go back to work. Passing with precision, dangling, sniping, scoring. The shouts of "USA" ring out which become more localized to "Mini sotaaaa" then closer to home "Rah chest errrr".
Just then, a little kid, no older than 6 or 7 raises a Finnish flag and takes to the jogging track above the rink. Waving the flag proudly, he does two laps while the fans cheer him and the team on. The energy starts to rise, it is absolutely electric, and infectious. As the child comes back to the bleachers, he hands it off to another Finnish child and he does a lap. The flag doesn't stop flapping on that jogging track until all 13 kids take a lap, cheering on their country.
As the game wears on, the children slowly find their way home, due to their parent's curfew. In the end of an exciting, hard fought game, team Finland wins 6-5. Although the score reflected that kind of victory, every participant in that game left a little bit prouder of the fact that they were able to experience something the rest of the world had no clue was going on. Some kids came off the ice wanting their penalty called differently so that they could be out there to help their team, others wanted their wristers or slapshots to tuck down a little more to get right under the crossbar, while others wished they hadn't given up that one pass. They, as true athletes do, wanted to be better for their country, their team. As they picked apart the game, the adults had a different kind of glow about them. Their child just played a one-of-a-kind game of hockey against kids they never even knew about. Kids that didn't even speak the same language as them.
The Finnish team wasn't done though, the battle was won, but the war was not over. Their next stop was to take on teams in Canada. They had a thirst to see how hockey is played in the U.S. and Canada, and they wanted their footprint, their style of hockey, to be seen, even if it was only by a select few.
I left that night feeling like I witnessed future Olympians, seeing how kids can come together, cheer for their country, and still respect each other and the game they play. I'm especially proud to call one of the U.S. players my student, who was also named a top 100 player in the state of Minnesota!
Exiting the arena, shuffling to the car in the now colder negative temps, I drove out of the parking lot and onto 3rd avenue with a big smile because I witnessed Team USA vs. Team Finland, and was one of around a 100 to experience the energy and talent in that arena.
I arrived to the arena and was immediately greeted by a front row, next to the doors, parking spot! This may be great to some, but not nearly exciting....unless it is -15 without windchill, then it's like winning the lottery. I hustle to the rink to watch the Zamboni resurface the ice and grab a seat. Here I was, sitting at just the right height, so I could see above the glass at center ice; everybody else, in the way back. As game time approached, a bunch of kids gather in the bottom 3 rows filling the air with energy. "USA! USA! USA!" 3 sections over to the right, the chant is immediately followed by, "Hyvae Suomi!" The chants start by going back and forth until they mix together into one loud pre-adolescent shout. The players on the ice feed off of the energy as they battle for the puck. The adults take pictures and smile.
Finland nets the first goal and their fans go crazy, but not as much as their hockey team. They proved to USA that they were here to win on unfamiliar soil, but on an all too familiar sheet of ice. Team USA picks up the hint and they immediately go back to work. Passing with precision, dangling, sniping, scoring. The shouts of "USA" ring out which become more localized to "Mini sotaaaa" then closer to home "Rah chest errrr".
Just then, a little kid, no older than 6 or 7 raises a Finnish flag and takes to the jogging track above the rink. Waving the flag proudly, he does two laps while the fans cheer him and the team on. The energy starts to rise, it is absolutely electric, and infectious. As the child comes back to the bleachers, he hands it off to another Finnish child and he does a lap. The flag doesn't stop flapping on that jogging track until all 13 kids take a lap, cheering on their country.
As the game wears on, the children slowly find their way home, due to their parent's curfew. In the end of an exciting, hard fought game, team Finland wins 6-5. Although the score reflected that kind of victory, every participant in that game left a little bit prouder of the fact that they were able to experience something the rest of the world had no clue was going on. Some kids came off the ice wanting their penalty called differently so that they could be out there to help their team, others wanted their wristers or slapshots to tuck down a little more to get right under the crossbar, while others wished they hadn't given up that one pass. They, as true athletes do, wanted to be better for their country, their team. As they picked apart the game, the adults had a different kind of glow about them. Their child just played a one-of-a-kind game of hockey against kids they never even knew about. Kids that didn't even speak the same language as them.
The Finnish team wasn't done though, the battle was won, but the war was not over. Their next stop was to take on teams in Canada. They had a thirst to see how hockey is played in the U.S. and Canada, and they wanted their footprint, their style of hockey, to be seen, even if it was only by a select few.
I left that night feeling like I witnessed future Olympians, seeing how kids can come together, cheer for their country, and still respect each other and the game they play. I'm especially proud to call one of the U.S. players my student, who was also named a top 100 player in the state of Minnesota!
Exiting the arena, shuffling to the car in the now colder negative temps, I drove out of the parking lot and onto 3rd avenue with a big smile because I witnessed Team USA vs. Team Finland, and was one of around a 100 to experience the energy and talent in that arena.
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