Before the game, the team honored a couple of dozen of former players by bringing them out to center ice. It was cool to see them all, but hard to hear all the names due to the muffled sound system. In a perfect world, it would have helped to have the player named, then the years they were in the program, for additional historical context, but that may have taken more time.
It was very nostalgic to see former players Ryan Jestadt, Craig Patterson, Lee Spector, Jeff Maund, and a few other players from the mid-nineties represent. This was the time I started following the sport.
Between the first and second period the All Buckeye Team was named. On the team are goalie Jeff Maund, defensemen Greg Kostenko and Jim Witherspoon and forwards Hugo Boisvert, Paul Pooley and Paul Tilley.
Most of these players were a bit before my time in Columbus but not Maund and Boisvert. Those two were an key part of the Buckeyes only Frozen Four appearance in 1998. I have Hugo's game-worn jersey from that year and wore it today.
The game itself had Penn State jump out to a 2-0 lead after the first period. There must have been some words said in the locker room since the Buckeyes scored two quick power play goals early in the second period and added a late period goal to take the lead for the rest of the game. Final score was 5-2.
In other nostalgic Hall of Fame news it was great to see Andre Reed finally selected to the Football Hall of Fame. Reed was one of the best wide receivers of his era for the Buffalo Bills as he helped his team to that four in a row Super Bowl run in the early nineties. He would have been in sooner if they won, just one.
That brought back a flood of memories on a day in which was filled with bittersweet things. Back to a time when the Bills were probably just a little too important. Which was followed by a time where college hockey was also a little too important.
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