Pat Bids Farewell

The time has finally come for me to now sum up my time here at Saint Mary’s, after past teammates and friends have warned me about the difficulties of writing this Senior Salute. The time has come and gone by so fast it is unbelievable. People tell you that the four years you spend in college will be the fastest of your life and that is no lie. To the younger guys that have time left in the program, cherish every minute of it. There is no substitute for the people that you will meet as you play hockey with them and go to school with them. I have been very honored and blessed to have played hockey with and become great friends with my past and current teammates. To the seniors, I don’t think we could have asked for a better group of guys to share the last four years of our lives with. It has been an unreal ride both on and off the ice. There are so many people I want to thank, so many people who have helped me through obstacles, not only in the world of hockey but also just in survival and entertainment. First off, to my past and current teammates, you are the people that make ice hockey and the world that surrounds it as enjoyable as it is. The times in the locker room and away from the rink I will cherish forever, and if I could do it again I would in a heart beat. Next, I want to thank my roommates. Marcus, Hut, and Gilly, I have had an unbelievable time over the last two years living with you guys. The legend of 104 will not die quietly. Thank you guys for the support you have given me and the times that we have shared together. Marcus, I have been stuck with you for three consecutive years now and I have loved every minute of it. I would not have had it any other way, thank you for everything you have done for me over the last three years as my roommate — but that doesn’t take away from the fact that you still owe me for all of the street credit I have gotten you. I would also like to thank the coaching staff. Coach Olson, you have taught me a lot about the game of hockey and have done a great job as a leader over my last four years here. Coach Mannor, thank you for your support in my early years here, you were a great influence and camp coach for me and I thank you for working with me over the last four years. Lenny, you have done an awesome job here over the last few years and I hope that you have many more to come; it was a pleasure to have you as a coach and as a friend. Bry, in your first year you have helped me a lot, I have come to you for advice and concerns, I appreciate all that you have given back to me and I thank you for your support over the last two years. Coach Farren and Coach Nadeau, you guys put in so much hard work that goes unnoticed, and that is what makes you both great contributors to the success that goes on within this program. Thank you guys for all of the hard work that you have done for me and helping me become a better player. Most of all, I would like to thank my parents and my brother. You are the ones that allowed me to live the dream here at Saint Mary’s over the last four years, I know you could have had the Rolex or the new car, but thank you for all that you have done for me, it is irreplaceable. You have always been there for me, no matter where we have lived, you made sure there was an ice rink near by and a team I could play on, the support and encouragement you guys have given me has allowed me to accomplish things I never would have imagined. Dad you were always there to offer advice and to remind me to worked hard because, as you have shown, that is the key to success. Mom, you have arguably been my No. 1 fan, ask grandma, but you were always there to remind me to “play smart” and I will never forget that. To my brother, John, you have many good years ahead of you, hold on to them because they will fly by. Take this advice from your older brother, remember if you work hard no one can hold you back, and keep the ball low. I would also like to thank my girlfriend, Amy, for helping me through my last year here at Saint Mary’s, supporting me in the decisions I have made, and putting up with the shenanigans that she has had to deal with because of me — thank you for being there. My experiences here at Saint Mary’s have been unreal, from all of the people I have met and become friends with, to the experiences on and off the ice; these are times that I would not trade for anything else in the world. I want to thank all of you that have been involved in my Saint Mary’s experience and I hope I have at least made your stay here a little more enjoyable.