Amanda Bids Farewell

Of all the hockey teams I’ve played on in the past 20 years, my favorite team by far, would be this one. The past four years at Saint Mary’s have flown by and I am so grateful to have been a part of this program. As a team, we have endured so much together: bumps, bruises, blood, sweat, and tears. The most important aspect of this team is that we never failed to have fun — whether it be Jenna telling us that “We are all going to die!” on the bus ride home from St. Thomas, or the weird bus clearing smell that often times would cause a stir of laughter. I will never forget the educational conversations in the locker room, the long bus rides to Concordia, or the nights out on the town with the most supportive parents a team could ask for. This team has grown so much these past four years and it could not have happened without the senior class sticking together. To my fellow seniors: Becky, my first college roommate, I will always remember the first time I heard you laugh on the phone and the night I helped you say your prayers. Jung, you and I have always been Thing 1 and Thing 2 and I’ve never had a better goalie partner. Ribish, you are so talented and I know you will succeed in whatever you do in life. I look forward to seeing your art gallery someday. Beel, I will never forget our times together in Tucson. Jenna, you are by far one of the funniest people I have ever met and I’ll never forget the day you wore the orange jersey to practice. You are going to become a great physical therapist and I hope you find your earring someday! Rae, you are such a caring individual, and I will never forget the night at the trailer when I made my comment to you about the camel. Mondo, one of the most determined and competitive players I have ever met, you have pushed me from day one. I’ll never forget doing the beep test together and thank you for always having faith in me. Miss Amy Madden, you have really stepped into your role of being the Mom of this team and your leadership skills don’t go unnoticed. You are going to make a great housewife someday! Lastly, Moo, I look up to you more than you know. I have never met a more dedicated, determined, and hard working student athlete in my life. You are a role model for everyone on this team and you leave a mark on this program that few can live up to. Underclassmen, enjoy the time you have here. Some days may be harder than others but before you know it you too will be graduating. Val, you are my rock on this team. I have loved you from day one and I am really going to miss you. Ma and Pa Rodriguez, you always bring a smile to my face and I can’t thank you enough for your support the past three years. Jenn and La, I hope you two are having a blast in Australia and I can’t wait to see pictures and hear the stories. Rhody, the jokester of the team who never gets caught, you are so speedy and can take out someone twice your size. Thanks for screwing around with me at practice! Hadley, my stretching partner, you are a great leader and such a solid defenseman on that blue line. I’ll let you know whenever I use the Santa suit! Jessie, I can’t wait to hear how well you do next year, I know you will play great. Wiesner, you are going to be a great teacher and I look forward to hearing your teacher stories. I am always here for you if you need any help! Lexi, keep on practicing your family feud skills! Michelle, you are inspiring and I love your dedication to this program. Danielle, I have yet to hear you sing like you say you do at weddings. Stoner, I love how aggressive you play- keep it up. Nicole, just call me Ambjor Jr.! I hope by the time you read this I have taken some lessons on how to tape ankles. Thanks for our late night chats! Sara, I don’t know where I would be without you this year, you are wise beyond your years and will make a great captain in the near future! Miss Congeniality, Angie Kryzer, my fruit-eating (thanks Glenda!), scooter riding buddy. You are a force to be reckoned with on the ice but most of all a great friend and teammate. You will always be my Big and I’ll be your Rob. I wish you all the best of luck next year and in all that you do! A team is only as strong as its leaders. Terry, thanks for giving me the chance to play and instilling in me the confidence to be my best. Oh and yes, I do enjoy over speed drills and skating two laps. Coach A, you have been with us the longest, and your dedication to the sport is noticed. Coach F, thank you for always fixing my equipment and sharpening my skates, you do a great job of keeping both the men’s and women’s program going. Donny, thanks for covering our games and all the sports write-ups. I also realized this year that all I ever needed to know I would learn from my athletic trainer, Ambjor. You have been a great friend and I want to thank you for all our long talks and for taking care of me. The most important thing I learned from you this year was that 1. Mistake 2. Coincidence 3. Habit and that is the end of the story. You are the best and I’m going to miss you. Aside from the team, there are other people who have had a significant impact on my life. Traci, my lifelong goalie coach, I am so glad you have been there for me from the beginning. Dr. Fox you have been my number one supporter since the day I set foot on campus. It’s obvious why the student body considers you one of the elite professors here at SMU. I would also like to thank the Education Department for helping to develop me into the teacher that I have become. Mr. and Mrs. Sorvaag, I have learned so much from the two of you and I can’t thank you enough for always supporting me and coming to my games. Kathy Ryan, I have loved getting to know you this year and I enjoy having our daily talks about life. In addition, I would like to thank W-K Elementary and Jean Moorhouse’s third grade class for an amazing student teaching experience that I will never forget. You were all so smart, and I can’t wait to see what your future holds! Chowner, my best friend and roommate for the past three years, we have been through a lot together and I am so glad to have you in my life. You are going to become very successful in the business field and I am so proud of your accomplishments. Your parents, Ma and Pa Chown, have been a second family to me and I can’t thank them enough for always feeding me when we’d go to your house! Last, but not least, I would like to thank my family. Erik, Travis, Ty, and Shelley, thanks for always supporting me and pushing me to be a better person. Ty, my twin brother, even though you were unable to see a college game, I am so glad you were finally able to see SMU this year. I miss you a lot and I can’t wait to see you for graduation. Jim, thanks for baking all the bread and cookies for all of our away games. Finally, Mom, you are the most important person in my life and words can’t explain how much you mean to me. I don’t know how you did it, but you found a way to afford having all five of us kids in hockey at one time. After thirty years of watching the sport and driving me around everywhere when I was little, you are my number one fan. You have inspired me to be myself and to always work hard and never give up. You have always kept our family together and I can’t thank you enough. You are the best. I love you guys and I can’t wait to see where I end up next year. As I step out onto that ice one last time, see my parents sitting in “their spot” on the wooden bench behind the net (always backing me up); I will never forget my time here at SMU. The friendships I have made, the countless hours at the rink, the time and dedication we have all put in are all for one reason: because we love to play. Best of luck girls and cherish the time you have together. I will truly miss each and every one of you and remember, I might be teaching your kids someday!