The long-awaited
blog post you have all been waiting for.
Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog! This post is going to be a very exciting one because it’s about my Tampa trip for The 2023 Frozen Four! It's been a month since this event but I had been mourning the Gopher's loss ever since this trip and I never had the motivation to continue writing but after some time I am finally ready to share this amazing trip with you all. Thank you to everyone who has been so patient.
For all you non-hockey fans or those who live under a rock, the Frozen Four is the college hockey tournament, kinda like the Final Four for basketball. This year it was in Tampa which is unreal to think about because you usually wouldn’t think of a warm place hosting an ice hockey tournament but I’m not complaining. It was really good to get out of the snowy cold back in Minnesota and it’s baffling to me that it’s somewhat cold still as I’m writing this but I’m not surprised.
Anyways, before I jump into this trip let me tell you about the buildup for this trip. Back in February, Alyssa and I went to UW Madison to watch the Gophers vs the Badger hockey games. We had impulsively decided to go on that trip which ended up being one of the best moments of my life. The outcome of one of the games wasn’t entirely what we wanted but the memories were unbeatable. About a month later, I casually brought up how this was the year that I am most confident regarding the Gophers at the Frozen Four. Last year the Frozen Four was in Boston and I regretted not going so badly but at the time, I didn’t have people that were willing to do these spontaneous trips with me to watch hockey or really any sport. Fast forward to this year, after I had brought up the chances of us going to the Frozen Four, Alyssa and I were persistent in trying to go to this tournament because if I’m being honest, this is my favorite Gopher hockey team ever and that says a lot because I loved last years team so much. Eventually, on a random day in March, Alyssa had looked at frozen four tickets and this was before the teams were even decided but we knew that we wouldn’t know until two weeks before the tournament and we didn’t know if we wanted to risk not being able to get seats if we waited so Alyssa had impulsively bought $200 all-session passes to the tournament for Herself, Kayleigh and I. Kayleigh ended up not being able to go on this trip but at the time we knew we needed to get those tickets ASAP and that worst comes to worst if UMN or Michigan didn’t make it then we would resell them for a higher price. Luckily for us, Minnesota did make it and after an emotional and nerve-wracking 2 games during the 16-team bracket where we were unfavored, and for me, Michigan had also made it (2 for 2!!). We carried through and two weeks later after the agonizing two games, it became official that Alyssa and I were going to Tampa. At the time we had planned on driving there because of how expensive flights were and we had planned on booking the hotels the night of the result of the St Cloud vs UMN game. We ended up finding “Cheaper” flights and decided to fly. Although I would like to say a big fuck you to Gopher Hockey for giving us plane ticket deals to go to Tampa after we had purchased these nonrefundable tickets…. regardless, it was worth it all. About $1000 later with our hotels, flights, and game tickets there was no going back and Alyssa and I were officially going to Tampa. If I'm being honest, I don't particularly remember asking my parents if I could go on this trip, I kind of just told them I was going and for some reason, they agreed and they actually helped me fund part of this trip.
Back before Alyssa and I knew that we were going to Tampa, about a month in advance we had both agreed to email our teachers telling them that we were going to be gone this specific week and since Alyssa and I are both in different majors, we ended up telling our professors we both had weddings to go to out of town and they believed it and luckily for me, nothing important was happening that week so I was fine to miss it but Alyssa did have an exam but her professor had let her take it earlier before our flight. We had both never been more committed to anything in our entire lives than for this Tampa trip.
Now onto the actual trip…
Wednesday, April 5
Alyssa and I were leaving on Wednesday the 5th at 5:30 AM because our flight was at 7:30. We basically had gotten there and everything was smooth sailing until we got on the flight. We had a layover in Houston but it took 4 hours to get there due to the weather conditions. Then when we got to Houston, we had a 2-hour layover or so we thought until our flight got delayed about 4 times. Then we eventually boarded the plane just for our pilot to tell us he timed out and that was the most stressful moment of my life. We had been awake since 4 am and it felt like things were not going well but I had positive thoughts because I knew eventually we would get there but just a lot later than anticipated. Eventually, we got a new pilot and they gave us $15 food vouchers, and Alyssa and I had gotten our THIRD Starbucks of the day. That can’t be healthy but that’s a later issue we can discuss. During this wait time, our plane got delayed twice again and an old man who was supposed to be in the first section to board had told us we can come in with him and he’d tell everyone we were his nieces…. Obviously, I think Alyssa could’ve pulled that off but not me but it worked somehow and after 30 minutes of excruciating anxiety sitting on the plane, we finally took off. Clearly, the flight situation was not ideal but we got to Tampa and that's all that matters at the end of the day. But at least during our time at the airport, we were able to crank out a ton of school work alongside seeing a bunch of Gopher fans going to Tampa as well. We even met a UMD fan who still was going to Tampa to watch the Gophers. Alyssa and I were both very thankful that we decided to leave a day early because at least if we got in late we would still make it to the game the next day.
Thursday, April 6
This day was the first day of the Frozen Four. Alyssa and I had a long day ahead of us and we had woken up at 10 am, got ready, and ate some food then we headed to Fort Thunder Alley which was the entrance to Amalie Arena. Alyssa and I had to Uber everywhere which was not the cheapest but we were able to make things work by waiting out a little bit before Uber prices got expensive. The Gophers were going to play at 5 so that meant that they were walking to the arena at 2:45 and fans could stand outside to cheer them on. It was ridiculously hot outside and Alyssa and I had a lot of time to spare before the game started so we decided that we would stand in the Merch line and buy ourselves a souvenir so we both ended up getting shirts, but we had to stand in line for about 30 minutes and the heat was not kind to us. But luckily for us, we were able to go inside the arena and take our seats before the game started, and even though no one else was really doing that, Alyssa and I were so hot we needed to go inside. There’s something so weird about playing hockey and watching a hockey game in a warm place like Florida because I didn’t exactly know what to wear to these games because it was gonna be cold inside, but also really hot outside and we have learned that Florida hockey attire was to wear a jersey over some shorts and we thought that was a good idea so we did that. We weren’t exactly sure what to expect with this game, but it turned out really well because the Gophers beat Boston University 6-2 and that would mean that we would advance to the championship. It was an exhilarating game and I’m so glad that we won the first one because it made this trip all worth it. There was a lot of backlash for making the Gophers play first but I'm ultimately really happy that this happened because we ended up winning which made the next game so much more stress-free.
After this, it was The Quinnipiac vs Michigan game and if we were being honest, we didn’t really want to play either of the teams the next game so it was conflicting to think about who to cheer for but it was a really fun game to watch because we were very just excited to be there and watch some hockey. Quinnipiac ended up beating Michigan and I low-key (More like High Key) got really upset because I just realize that meant that the guys will probably leave the next day and then I wouldn’t get the chance to meet Mark Estapa, my favorite Michigan player. This was the first time this entire trip that I actually cried, which is a new record for me. I’m obviously very dramatic and there was no reason for me to be upset about this, but at the time I couldn’t be upset about the Gophers because we had just won. Then Alyssa and I got back to our hotel room and relaxed. Throughout this trip, we had planned to go to the beach the next day in between before the championship game because we were in Florida so why not spend some time at the beach? But if I'm being honest I wanted to go see the Hobey Baker announcement at Sparkman Wharf, but I didn't wanna say anything because I knew that Alyssa enjoyed being outside and going to the beach and doing all sorts of stuff like that so I didn't say anything but luckily for me from the moment we got back to our hotel, she had told me that she would not be opposed to not going to the beach the next day, but instead going to watch the Hobey Baker announcement at Sparkman Wharf. I instantly said yes and I was so excited. People might think we are insane for this but even though this was kind of a vacation for us we were solely here on this trip to watch HOCKEY and I wanted to see who would win the Hobey Baker Award in person. We knew the event was going to be amazing and it’s a good experience to live in. Overall, this day was really good because it was just the start of our trip and we knew that we still had a long way to go.
Friday, April 7
Alyssa and I woke up got ready and headed off to Sparkman Wharf to watch the Hobey Baker announcement. To anyone out there whenever you get the chance, to go visit this little area. I would definitely recommend it because it’s gorgeous and it’s so fun because there are all these food places and bars and the possibilities are endless.
Alyssa and I got there at about 2:30 and the Hobey Baker announcement wasn’t going to be until later around 6 but we wanted to explore a little bit and also try an Açai bowl from this place called Fit Bowl. If you guys know us, you know that we love a good Açai bowl and that Alyssa and I along with Kayleigh go to Nautical Bowls in Dinkytown every single Sunday. There were obviously no Nautical Bowls in Florida, but we wanted to have the knockoff/equivalent to hold us over until we went back to Minneapolis, and it was actually pretty good.
During this time it hadn’t occurred to us that maybe Michigan wouldn’t have left yet just because one of their players (Adam Fantilli) is a Hobey Baker finalist and once we had seen the entire team show up along with our team, it was so exciting to see everyone in one place. Luckily for me, as I was glaring off, and getting distracted by my surroundings, Alyssa had brought up to me that Mark Estapa just walked behind me. I was simply not prepared for this. I also realized I cried for nothing the previous day.
Eventually, we were getting ready to listen to the announcement, but there were a bunch of other awards that needed to be presented beforehand, and I noticed that Mark was not with the rest of the team and Alyssa had pushed me to get a picture with him knowing that this was my chance to do so. What are the odds that my favorite Michigan player is not with the team and is by himself? Talk about good luck for me (Although I have always been known to have good luck) So eventually we walked to where he was and I approached him and we both ended up taking a pic with him separately. The interaction was really short but I knew INSTANTLY I needed to LEAVE right away. I had told him I would love to speak to him more but I was in a hurry and we obviously know what happened afterward (I threw up whoops, but that's all that I’ll say). At least Alyssa got to have her moment afterward though (IYKYK)
But finally, the announcement was coming after a million commercial breaks later and it was announced that Adam Fantilli from Michigan was our Hobey Baker winner. Even though a Gopher didn’t win, it was well deserved for Fantilli and it was so fun to be able to be at this place in person to hear the announcement. I was so unbelievably happy to be there and I am so glad Alyssa decided she didn’t want to go to the beach anymore and to go to this event instead. Afterward, Alyssa and I got a ton more food from all the cool places in Sparkman Wharf and headed back to the hotel. If I’m being honest out of the three days that we had spent outside, this day was the hottest, and I was not handling the heat very well, to say the least. (Then Michigan Left, for real this time)
Saturday, April 8
This was the last day of the tournament and the end of our trip basically. We knew that this was going to be a very stressful day but I didn't let any of my worries ruin my day because I knew that I should still be thankful that I got the chance to be in Tampa to watch it all happen. Quinnipiac versus Minnesota was a game that I never thought would come. The last time that Minnesota played Quinnipiac was December 2000 and we destroyed them 11-2. Quinnipiac had only ever been in the Frozen Four tournament once before but lost, therefore, meaning that they had never won a Frozen Four tournament before. From watching them play against Michigan, we had known that this team was a lot older and consisted of graduate students. Which is a very big difference from our team which is very young. For us, after securing two goals within the first two periods, Quinnipiac scored during the second and third. Therefore making us a tie and going into my least favorite thing in the entire world and that is overtime. I physically think I am too weak to witness overtime games because I cannot watch them without absolutely destroying myself in the process. Quinnipiac scored in the third period during the last few minutes which made the pressure even higher than ever because if we would've held out a bit longer, we could've won. During this game, Alyssa and I tried Amalie Arena's famous chicken tender concession stand PDQ and I will not lie these are some of the best chicken tenders I've ever had in my life so at least I had a full stomach while watching this game. But once we had gone into overtime, within like 10 seconds into the game Quinnipiac scored and we lose. The period started and I didn't even have time to finish breathing before the team scored and from that moment on I was in so much denial about what happened that it didn't take me until later to start crying about the fact that our team just lost. I started to wonder if maybe it would've been better if Minnesota lost against Boston so we didn't have to witness the most devastating loss. But to be honest, I think regardless of what happened, watching our team lose was one of the saddest things I've ever seen, and no matter when it could've happened, it was always gonna hurt. I was in total shock but if I'm being completely honest it was a great game and Quinnipiac deserved to win. Their team consisted of graduate players and these are players that probably stayed that last extra year of eligibility because they had hoped that they were gonna win at all and honestly they were right and I admire them for their commitment. Nothing is more heartbreaking than watching our own guys cry their eyes out. This tournament in general was make-it or break-it for all four teams because no matter what the outcome was, none of these teams were gonna come out of this Florida trip the same again because everyone was either leaving for the NHL or graduating. For all four teams, this is the most memorable season that they've ever had. The Gophers did deserve to win as well but Quinnipiac fought harder and it's sad but it was a fair game and honestly congratulations to them for winning their first-ever frozen four. I was the most confident that this was gonna be the team to do it for us this year but it didn’t happen and that's okay. Alyssa and I were really upset but I am so thankful to have had a lot of my friends reach out to me and text me and ask me if I was OK which is funny to me because I think you all knew how much this meant to me and the fact that I literally went to Florida to watch it happen was even more unreal so thank you to everyone who texted me it made me feel a lot more reassured.
The Rest of the Trip and Conclusion
Alyssa and I needed to wake up at 6 AM the next day to catch our flight and go back home. We had another layover but this time it was in Vegas but luckily for us none of the cities that we were flying into had bad weather or anything so we weren't going to get delayed but it was a lot worse knowing that we had lost and had to go back on this long trip home. During this time we also found out that we couldn't have more than 40 pounds on our checked bag and we had 42.5 when we got to Florida so that was a bit stressful but it turned out OK because we were able to get it down to 39 pounds. We were flying Spirit back (I know what you’re all thinking, but we didn’t die and it was a smooth plane ride) and we should've known better that we shouldn't have overpacked. We landed back in Minnesota at around 6 PM and then met up with Kayleigh later to debrief on everything about this trip.
In conclusion, even though the outcome wasn't entirely what we had wanted, I would never change that week for the entire world. It wasn't the most financially smart decision I've ever done but if I'm being honest I don't have any regrets at all even though right now I am very broke. I don't think anybody realizes how much this trip actually meant to me because growing up I guess I could say I was very blessed to have had a lot of friends. But ironically no matter how many friends you have, that doesn't guarantee that there could be a person in there that would love hockey and watching it as much as I do. I am so thankful to have had Alyssa go on this trip with me because even though this whole thing was very much on impulse, it's the way that she actually agreed to do it and that is ultimately why this trip got out of the group chat. This is going to be the trip that I tell my kids about when I'm older. No matter where I go, I will always think about this trip because of the impact it has had on me and it was truly one of the best moments of my life. There's something so exhilarating about skipping school to go on a trip like this and even though I did end up having to do a lot of homework in advance to be able to go on this trip, it ultimately prepared me and set me up for success nearing the end of the semester when I had already completed everything.
I am so unbelievably grateful and sometimes it still shocks me to even think about the fact that I was able to go on this trip and my parents let me which is something I still can't wrap my head around because I don't know why my parents allowed me to do this. Now that I have some friends that love watching sports as much as I do, I'm hoping that in the nearby future, I'm able to go out of state to all of the sports events outside of just hockey. These trips are so fun and I hope for every single person to get the chance to do this in their life. This isn't the end though for me. Because of this trip, I think Alyssa and I have made a commitment to go to the Frozen Four from here on out. I'll be going to these tournaments until I'm like so old that I can't even walk. Luckily for us, the Frozen Four is in Minnesota next year so I will be saving myself $800 and will only be needing $200 for the tickets. At this point, I don't even care if the Gophers never make it back but the Frozen Four is an experience of a lifetime and it's so worth it to me. Besides just that, I also have goals of going to Toronto and watching a Toronto Maple Leafs game at their home arena. The Leafs only play the Wild in Minnesota once every year and it's always during the most inconvenient dates ever. But ultimately I would like to visit Toronto to watch my favorite team in the future so hopefully, that is a spontaneous trip I get to have in the future.
Anyways, If you take anything away from this blog, take this: Go on the spontaneous trips with your friends, and you'll thank yourself later.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and for listening to me ramble about hockey for the 10 millionth time this year. I know that this was completely unbearable for a lot of you because if you couldn't tell once I talk about hockey I never stop. Anyways, happy summer everybody, and I hope that it's off to a good start. (College Hockey is over but the NHL isn’t so sorry, I guess I won’t be shutting up about this sport)
- Sincerely, TT :)
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