I have not forgotten about you...

It has been super busy since the semester has started! Once the first week of classes, came around I got swept away with it and it snowballed from there. Not saying that me being busy is a bad thing, it's actually a good thing.

New semester, leads to new beginnings. I got a new job this September and that has been working out well, it is something new for me. I never have served before, so taking up an serving job has been an adventure. I love it, I love the fact I am learning something new, and getting new work experience in my resume.

This serving job has not been the only job I have started once this semester had started: I have started writing for the school's paper. It has been a fun experience getting my toes wet into the career path I want to go into. It has been an fast here, I have my own sports commentary column that is in the works right now, hopefully the first piece will be ending up in this next upcoming issue that is coming out next week. I also became one of the sports editors for the paper, so this all has been all really exciting. I have gotten two articles published in last weeks issue, these where my first ever newspaper articles, so I feel really proud of them! I love writing these articles, they are fun to write. I am glad to be pursuing this career path, I like being right in the middle of it all when a story breaks.

My classes are going well, I am enjoying those. I am taking four this semester. They are trickier than they look on paper when I was picking them out. Well mostly the British Lit and the Intro to Philosophy one. I thought the African History class was going to be hard, it actually not. It is all actually very interesting! I enjoy it, I am learning new things about the continent of Africa, I am thinking about taking more classes that involve African history. I am also starting to get my feet wet in the major I want to transfer into, journalism and communications so I am taking an intro class to that, it's really fun. Just learning about anything to movies, television, newspapers, social media, and magazines; basically everything that involves media. These classes are something I find interesting, so some of these are being hard and tough, it's worth it because I love them!

I haven't gotten a chance to go to very many hockey games yet this year, since I have been busy with my two new jobs. But I did find a time to go to my first Madison Capitols game, it was a fun experience! That day was their Pucks and Paws night. So everyone who had a dog, got to bring their dog to the hockey game. It was a very cute idea. I think hockey games are much better with dogs, well the ones that are not that too crowded, and every seat in the arena has someone in it. It was a good thing to do at this game, because there where not very many people in the audience during it. I enjoyed it, not sure how the dogs enjoyed it? Due to the fact they are not used to the sounding of the buzzer when someone scores, or someone getting chucked up against the boards. I am planning on seeing more hockey games over winter break, planning on going to watch some Men's and Women's Badger Hockey too, along with some more Madison Capitols games. Planning on venturing to my first NHL game too, I am thinking of venturing my way up to a Minnesota Wild game one of these days over break, or Spring Break.

At the Madison Capitols game. The Caps won 3-2!

Wisconsin Badgers Sports Overview - School Year 2014-15

Just kind of want to get this out before the school year starts again.  A look back at this last school year's sport season. It's been an amazing season for the Men's Basketball and Women's Hockey teams this past year. Men's Hockey team it has not. So here is a walk down memory lane...

Badgers Men's Basketball.  It was quite the season this year for these guys! The first number one seed spot in the rankings in the UW-Madison school's history, making the final four again for a second year in a row, beating Kentucky then moving on to the NCAA's March Madness Finals in a long time since 1941 one in the school's history! Just writing this out makes me feel like I am writing out a fictional movie plot to send off to Hollywood to see if I can make a movie out of it. It's surreal to write this all. I am proud of this team, and coach Bo Ryan for all they have done this year. It's honestly one of the most real examples when you think of hard work and dreaming, can we make this into a Disney movie now? But the main point this is what hard work and drive look like. It inspired me, and for sure future generations of Badgers to come. Even though we did not win the NCAA Final against Duke, we won second place. If this was the Olympics we would have gotten the silver medal, so not bad. ;)

We BEAT Kentucky! 

Badgers Men's Hockey. I am right now to start this off with a bright note, the Badgers honored the late Bob Suter on their jerseys with a patch on them dedicated to him. Also I was also glad to catch the majority of the men's home games in person too. But here is the thing, this season was a real dud. As much as I LOVE Badger hockey, this had to be said. This season did not go well for them at all. They finished last in the B1G conference. (I personally do not feel like this whole creating a B1G conference for hockey was a such a good idea, bring WCHA back for the men... -- oh okay, saving this for another day). But, I personally think that maybe an factor. The whole this is a young team excuse does not cut it for me. Alright, I digress. With this season not going well for the men's hockey I feel like they have lost the majority of their fan base, until Boston University and the Minnesota Gophers showed up to town. But again that is old rivals and that is self explanatory. But fans who made it to those games found out, that this season did not go well for these guys. Lost after lost. I have remained by their side as a true fan and haven't left them yet. Not sure how everyone else is feeling about them. But there have been reports about fans leaving their side and also big names from the team have left, but no one have been reporting it in the state of Wisconsin or down here in Madison. Men's hockey, in all honesty why aren't you getting your shit together yet?

A Gopher fan on Twitter complaining about the 

lack of interest down here in Madison.

Badgers Women's Hockey. It was an amazing season for these ladies! I am glad I got to witness the majority of the home games in person for it. These girls played at one hundred and twenty percent! They had fire in their eyes and they had their hearts set on the prize. Main goal was to win an other NCAA Women's Hockey championship, but that did not happen they ended up falling to the Minnesota Gophers in the final four game which lead them to getting third place. Again, if this where the Olympics we would have gotten a bronze medal, so again it's an amazing finish to the season! I am so proud of these girls for what they have accomplished this season, and cannot wait to see what they do in the future. Speaking of the future -- Blayre Turnbull has signed a contract with the CWHL (Canada's Women Hockey League) to be apart of the Calgary Inferno. Good luck to Turnbull and the other girls who have graduated this year with their futures.

 Members of the University of Wisconsin - Madison's

Women's Hockey team kissing the Natty.

Speaking of the graduating seniors on the Badgers Women's Hockey team I also going to say good luck to those who have graduated on the Men's Basketball and Hockey teams in your futures. Also those who have signed into the NBA and also the NHL good luck on your careers there too. I cannot wait to watch you guys excel in these professional sports leagues.

I cannot wait to see what the 2015-16 season have to offer to the Badgers as a whole. I hope the football team have a better ending than it did, maybe another Rosebowl title to add to the books? Badger Basketball, I hope you will get your first NCAA national title in the school's history! I hope this won't be Bo Ryan's last season! We need this man around in our lives. When it comes to Badger Men's Hockey, I hope they can get these kinks out of their system and work their way through them. I hope they can power through this hump and power through and become amazing as they where during the Badger Bob Johnson days, during the 1989-90 season, that powerhouse of a season in 2006-07 and they had fire and passion under their butts in the season of 2013-14. I know that they have that in them, and lets show the world how Wisconsin Hockey is still a powerhouse! For Badger Women's Hockey, I hope they bring home another NCAA championship! Mark Johnson and the Badger ladies have done this four times already. These have been won since Mark Johnson started coaching. So already, they are a powerhouse with one hell of a coach coaching them, you should see his stats as a hockey player as well! Also he is the son of Badger Bob Johnson, so coaching is in his blood!

So to all the Badgers who are competing during the 2015-16 season good luck and I hope you all do well! Bring home the gold! I mean, the Natty! 

NHL: Draft, Contract Renewals and Trades... OH MY

I do not even know where to begin with this topic. July first was just a whirlwind of trades and renewals contracts being signed. I do not think the NHL is going to look the same anymore after the trades that have been made this past July and that are continuing on happening through out the summer until the 2015-16 season starts in October.

But let's start with the 2015 NHL Draft. Let's meet the NHL Class of 2015:

Five members of the NHL Class of 2015

Connor McDavid (Canada) 
First drafted in the 2015 NHL draft to the Edmonton Oilers in the first round.  McDavid is from Ontario. He considered playing for Boston University and becoming a Terrier but opted out to play in the OHL.  McDavid played in the OHL for the Erie Otters before being drafted. He was a decorative OHL player with numerous awards.

Jack Eichel (United States of America) 
Second drafted and the first American to be drafted during the 2015 draft in the first round. Eichel grew up in Massachusetts, and played for Boston University Terriers before the draft. He also won the Hobey Baker award as a freshmen, was the second to do so. Eichel got drafted to the Buffalo Sabres.

Mikko Rantanen (Finland) 
Rantanen is the tenth pick in the first round of the draft and also is the first to be picked from the country to Finland. He got drafted to the Colorado Avalanche. Rantanen is from a little town in southern Finland named Nousiainen. Before he got drafted he was playing for TPS which is in the Liiga league that is located in Finland.

Joel Eriksson Ek (Sweden) 
Twentieth to be drafted to the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the NHL draft. Elk is from Karlstad, Sweden. Before he got drafted he played for Färjestad BK which is in the SHL league.

Andong Song (China) 
First Chinese born player to be drafted in the NHL. Song was drafted in the sixth round of the 2105 NHL Draft and was the 172 pick. He got drafted to the New York Islanders. Song is from Beijing, China. He ended up playing in the Beijing International Ice Hockey League (BIIHL) as a kid before moving to Ontario, Canada to peruse his hockey career further. Before Song considers signing a contract with the Islanders, he plans to attend Phillips Academy in Massachusetts and probably play more competitive hockey before jumping into the NHL.

Contact renewals seemed to happen all at once on Canada Day (July, 1st), also along with trade mania, we will get to that a bit later. I would just like to list a few notable contract renewals: Mikael Granlund (Minnesota Wild), Patrick Eaves (Dallas Stars), Vladimir Tarasenko (St. Louis Blues), Brody Sutter (Carolina Hurricanes), Alex Galchenyuk (Montreal Canadians), and the full list here of trades, resignings and signings during the 2015 off season.

The trades, here is the mind bottling part of it all. We got players from teams who have won the Stanley Cup this year that got traded, we got an American player who played in Canada now playing in the United States. While we got the USA Olympic Hockey Hero from 2014 playing in the nation's capitol. Hold on to your hats everyone, things are going to start to be a little insane. I believe insane, is an understatement, as in the news I am going to tell you. Let's see how the NHL team rosters, majority of them got turned upside down:

Phil Kessel: Toronto Maple Leafs to Pittsburgh Penguins
Kessel is finally out of Toronto! In the past he been having issues with the media and rumors of him not getting along with the coaching staff, these rumors where also probably started with the Toronto media anyways. Now he finds himself back in the States playing for the Penguins. Just sitting here typing this up and more that I think about it, it is possible for an Crosby, Kessel and Malkin line. This line is probably the scariest future line in the NHL so far, for someone who is thinking about this for the next playoffs and Stanley Cup finals to come.

 
Patrick Sharp: Chicago Blackhawks to Dallas Stars 
Even though Sharp has won the Stanley Cup at the end of last season this year with the Blackhawks. This trade shows that no one is safe from being traded. No matter who you are, you will be traded when you hit free agency status. Also it's up to the club on who they see fit for next season and in the future of their club. Even though it is wired to see Patrick Sharp in a different jersey that is not a Blackhawks one, it shows that life happens and trades happens in the NHL.

 
TJ Oshie: St. Louis Blues to Washington Capitals  
Trades can rock one's world. Oshie was just building his dream home with his wife in St. Louis, they got the green light status to move in a short while before his trade happened to the Capitals. Looks like someone may have two homes? Who knows, but that is not the main point. The St. Louis Blues where not doing so hot last season, and things needed to be changed. Out with the old faces and in with the new. So the majority of the headliners of this team got traded. But what pretty cool about this is the fact that Oshie was in the long lasting shoot out in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi where the America beat Russia, on their own soil. Just to remind you of it, why? Watch it, the whole thing because it's pretty epic! So to have him wear a Washington Capitals jersey is pretty amazing too, also he got a new number too, so no longer 74 anymore, he is 77.

With these new drafties, contract renewals and trades that have been made, it looks like the 2015-16 NHL season will be an interesting one. People are ready to watch Connor McDavid play, they are comparing him to Wayne Gretzky and Sidney Crosby. I am also looking forward to all the NHL rookies that are heading into this season too, to see what each of them bring to the NHL table. Also I am glad to see some of my old favorites come back to their old teams. I am also looking forward to some of my old favorites who got traded will have to bring to their new teams, and the reactions these players are going to get when playing in their old barn. So heres to an interesting up coming season that will all blow us away!

Minnesota Wild: Second Part of 2014 - 2015 Season Rollercoster

Unlike the first part of the season where it was mainly a lot of downs, the second half seemed to be a nice change of pace for the Wild. Giving them a glimpse of happy times a head, even though it may be the upcoming season in October, the start of the 2015-16.

DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUBS! The man who saved the Minnesota Wild's butt goaltending wise! Daven Dubynk, our man. No longer the Wild will find themselves in hot water when it comes to goaltending. With injuries, sickness and whatever else could keep goaltenders out of the crease, we finally have three to juggle! A little bit of the weight have been lifted from Darcy Kuemper's and Niklas Bäckström's shoulders.

 Daven Dubynk in between the pipes for the Minnesota Wild

Ryan Suter's adventure to the NHL's All Star Weekend in Cleavland, Ohio. He was the only Minnesota Wild player to be voted into the 2015 All Star Weekend roster.

Suter also found himself picking up a part-time broadcasting

job, while in Cleavland for the All Star Weekend. He was filming some

VISA advertisements. Here is the challenge one he did too.

The players on the Minnesota Wild team, and also every NHL player has it hard when they are traveling all the time and sometimes if these players are easily trade-able do to contracts and other reasons. This gives them rarely time to spend with their families, loved ones and friends during the seasons. Heck, they could be in different cities or different countries from their families. Sometimes the families cannot be able to get up and move right away, due to the fact some of the kids of these hockey stars are school age kids, who can't be exactly get up rooted and move right away, due to school schedules. Jordyn Leopold wrote a letter to the Minnesota Wild coaching staff asking them to see if they can get her father, Jordan Leopold to get traded back on to the Wild, because Lordyn and other members of her family missed him very much and they wanted him to get returned to Minnesota to be with them again. The Wild coaching staff and the general manager read the letter, and got Jordan Leopold back on the Wild team again. This is not just a player only thing, this can also happen to coaches, general managers and other staff that it takes to help a hockey team run successfully.

Jordyn Leopold's letter to the Minnesota Wild's

coaching staff.

Stanley Cup Playoffs

First round, against  the St. Louis Blues

This was a fun series to watch, due to the fact that the St. Louis Blues and the Minnesota Wild are becoming rivals. It's nice that I got to witness the history of this young rivalry come about. There was an interview during the first round of this series with Mikael Granlund talking about how one of the games in the series did not have any penalties at all. I cannot remember what exactly happened, but if you are more carious about this, here is the overview of the series. Even though it's not heated quite yet, it's getting there. So I am interesting in seeing what this comes out to become in the future.


Second round, against the Chicago Blackhawks

With this series being a four game sweep, unlike other past two years it was a fight (in 2013 and 2014). The Minnesota Wild had to do some soul searching this time to pull out motivation from themselves to hopefully hold on and turn this series into a seven game one, instead of the four game series it turned out to be. I felt like people where looking at head coach Mike Yeo to be the one pulling out the motivation from under the Wild's bench. Yeo, isn't the one who can pull the motivation from under the team's feet or set the fire under their butts, it's them, the individual players themselves to pull the motivation out from under themselves or set that fire under their own butts.

I feel like there that was something not connecting with the Minnesota Wild during this series. I really can't detected it, and I do not want to point fingers anyways. I feel like they where not with it. Sorta playing the victim instead of the underdog that can take over and push the king off the top of his hill. I would not go around again pointing fingers and saying, "Oh, we should fire head coach Mike Yeo..." Really? Again, it's not his fault. It was a rough season for players, coaches and everyone involved with the Minnesota Wild. Yeo got dealt a hand of cards, and dealt with it, the only way he could. He used what he had, and stayed claim while doing so. So, I personally hope Coach Yeo doesn't go anywhere for the time being. Yeo has grown on me, and I hope he does to his doubters too. Yeo is one good guy, who knows what he is doing.

This post-season has been a good one, so far: Daven Dubynk won the Masterton Trophy at the NHL Awards. Once we got around to the the NHL Draft, we got Joel Eriksson Ek and Jordan Greenway as new rookies for next year. Another new rookie that will join these two next year is Mike Riley, of the Minnesota Gophers. Another Minnesota Gopher to join the Wild. Keeping the strong Minnesota hockey tradition alive. The Minnesota Wild officially have three goalies, since they have signed Deven Duybnk! Also the Wild have resigned Mikael Granlund, Nate Prosser, Ryan Carter, Christian Folin and Erik Haula, for the up coming season or seasons to come. Also there is no word on if Jordan Leopold is going to be officially signed with the Minnesota Wild for his last few years as a professional NHL hockey player. Maybe we will be hearing this news by the end of the summer and before the next season starts in October? 

Duybnk with the Masterton Trophy at the NHL Awards

The 2014-15 season was one hell of a season. Even though it ended early than everyone would have liked. It would have been cool to see Zach Parise and Ryan Suter hold up Lord Stanley over their heads after the loses of their fathers. Also everyone else who on the team after their rough season as a whole team. But I think this season taught the whole team to grow as a team, and learn how to deal with hell when it's all around you. I have a feeling that the Minnesota Wild can pull themselves through this dark tunnel into the light they hopefully see at the end of the tunnel. I have a feeling the 2015-16 season will be a better one and a special one. Who knows maybe Zach Parise and Ryan Suter will be holding up Lord Stanley over their heads at the end of the season. I believe that Minnesota Wild can be that good and will be that good. Now, they have to prove that to themselves and us. Let's see what happens when the puck drops on the Minnesota Wild's fifteenth season in the NHL...

The NHL Stanely Cup Playoffs Review

It's rare to win three Stanley Cups in six years, but that what the Chicago Blackhawks exactly did. Actually it's rare in any sports to win three or more medals, cups, trophies or awards within ten years. They are expectations, and now the Blackhawks successfully found themselves on this list with hard work and determination. My  hats off to you guys, even the ones on the list.

 Your 2015 Stanley Cup winners, the Chicago Blackhawks

Captain Jonathan Toews also finds himself is working his way to a hockey triple crown of awards. What every individual NHL professional hockey player dreams of, winning three Stanley Cups (check!), winning three gold medals in the Olympics (work in progress, he has two (2010 and 2014)) and winning three IIFH Worlds championships (another work in progress, he only had one (2007)). Toews is also known for being a captain that has good sportsmanship and also one of the notable captains to ever play in the NHL.

With a stunning look at Jonathan Toews and the rest of his teammates on his Chicago Blackhawks team. I am going breakdown the whole NHL Stanley Playoffs for you from day one to the Stanley Cup being raised over Toews's head.

Round One (April 15 - 29, 2015)
We started out with sixteen teams, for the first time ever in a long time there where five Canadian NHL teams in the play offs.

Montreal Canadians vs Ottawa Senators 
Was a six game series with the Canadians winning four games which makes them head to round two.

Tampa Bay Lightning vs Detroit Red Wings 
This was a close series, for both teams. This series ended up going to all seven games. Tampa won four of these games, and and went on to the next round. 

New York Rangers vs Pittsburgh Penguins 
This was a series I really enjoyed watching. But I did really want the Penguins to win, but it turns out that the Rangers took them out in five games, with the Penguins only winning game two which was a close game with the Rangers trying to tie it up and take the game into overtime. The New York Rangers also came into the play offs as the Presidents' Trophy winners for the 2014-2015 NHL season, then now finding themselves moving on to round two in the playoffs.

Washington Capitals vs New York Islanders 
 This was a series that was a tight one with the full seven games and what they all had to offer. Each game on it's own was pretty tight on it's own. The Washington Capitals took the series and ended up moving to round two in the playoffs. What also is special about this series is that it is the last playoff series the Nassau Coliseum was going to see. The New York Islanders are going to be moving to a new arena next season. The Washington Capitals' captain, Alex Ovechkin was joking around before game six with Chuck Gormley from CSN about stealing one of those famous blue chairs from Nassau. But that prediction that Ovechkin had did not go as planned, the New York Islanders won their last and final game at Nassau Coliseum, what a way to close a place down!

A photoshopped photo of Alex Ovechkin with hopefully

 two souvenirs from Nassau Coliseum

St. Louis Blues vs Minnesota Wild 
This was a close six game series. It was a rough one, due to ups and downs of both sides winning about every other game, it was looking like it was going to be a seven game series. But not so much when it came down to the last two games. Which the Minnesota Wild dominated. Which leads to the Wild traveling to round two in the play offs.

Nashville Predators vs Chicago Blackhawks 
 Another tight six games series. Why you say that? You would ask. Well, it was a series full of overtimes. Overtimes? Well unlike regular season NHL where each team gets five minutes of overtime hockey then goes to a shoot out if the score is still tied after five minutes, they do sudden death overtime, that is twenty minutes periods of hockey until someone scores a goal. This can lead to a game or two after the regulation time of sixty minutes of hockey. So the Predators and the Blackhawks found themselves playing two periods of overtime hockey in game one, then also found themselves playing THREE periods (this equals to two hockey games back to back in a row) in game four. The Blackhawks won each of these overtime games. Also the Chicago Blackhawks found themselves winning the series and moving on to round two of the playoffs on the road to the cup.

Poor little tired Patrick Kane (88) trying to left up big Brent Seabrook (7) 

in celebration of the overtime win, in game four. The game went until 

one in the morning Chicago time. Also on the bottom is captain Jonathan Toews 

commenting about Kane trying to left Seabrook. Pretty much sums up that night. 

When I saw that photo after the game I seriously thought Kane was lifting 

up more than one person. I thought Toews was in there too. Here's to show
how tired the players where, and also the hockey fans watching the game.

Anaheim Ducks vs Winnipeg Jets 
 This was the first time the Winnipeg Jets found themselves in the playoffs in a long time, nineteen years to be exact. The Jets fought hard. But it was sad seeing them swept by the Anaheim Ducks who moved on to round two. But I am giving a BIG shoutout to the amazing Jets fans who supported their team through it. You guys are the true heros of the playoffs. Seeing your team for the first year in nineteen years enter the playoffs.

Vancouver Canucks vs Calgary Flames 
 Well we got  Vancouver Caunacks and the Calgary Flames, this series will not be a clean one. Trust me this is Canadian rival hockey right here, at it's best, in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The last time these two faced each other in the playoffs was in 2004 Western Quarter Finals. This was a six game series, the Flames defeated the Canucks and moved on to round two. Well, this wasn't a clean series to begin with, in game one: emotions started to boil and a fight broke out. Also in another home game for Calgary head coach Bob Hartly got fined $50,000 for letting the fighting get out of hand. It was one heated series.

First fight... before. 

And, after.

Round Two (April 30 - May 13, 2015)
 We are now down to eight teams who are remaining in the playoffs.

 Montreal Canadians vs Tampa Bay Lightning
If you are thinking Montreal will pull there way through  to the next round, think again. Tampa Bay defeated them in a six game series only winning four of those games and moving on to round three of the playoffs. 

New York Rangers vs Washington Capitals 
 This was a TIGHT seven game series! No joke games two through seven where just a one point ahead scores along with exciting games that followed. The only time there was a two point lead was during game one when Washington defeated New York in a two to one scoring game. Not much as overtime games for these both teams but they did go to a short lived overtime period in games five and seven. The Rangers defeated the Capitals in this series and are headed to round three.

Minnesota Wild vs Chicago Blackhawks 
 It was a heartbreaking series to be a Minnesota Wild fan. The Chicago Blackhawks swept the Wild, badly. The Wild club was not playing their greatest. Something was off about them, they all where performing not like themselves. Not until the last three or four minutes of game four. Actually during ALL of game four. After defensemen, Matt Dumba for the Minnesota Wild scored the first goal in the second period. The Wild got fired up, and played like their fans and I knew they could. But as in the last three minutes or so while the Wild where going for a tie and trying to bring on a game five and get themselves back to life. But that sadly did not work out so well, leaving the Wild swept badly, and making the Chicago Blackhawks move on to round three in the playoffs.

To see the last minutes of the Minnesota Wild will to move and live in

this series watch the last two goals scored by Jared Spurgeon (46) and Nino 

Niederreiter (22) skip to 19:08. 

Anaheim Ducks vs Calgary Flames
A five game series for these two teams. Anaheim won three games out of five leaving Calgary in the dust, and advancing to round three in the playoffs.

Round Three (May 16 - 30, 2015)
 We are in the conference finals, where four teams compete for the western and eastern conference titles and also to move on to the Stanley Cup final.

New York Rangers vs Tampa Bay Lightning (Eastern Conference)
 In these playoffs this was the first meeting between these two teams. In the past three out of four years that the New York Rangers had made it to the conference finals, the Rangers have won and moved on to the Stanley Cup final. But not this year! The Lightning beat the Rangers in a seven game series, which in the first time since 2004 the Lightning found themselves in the finals again.

Anaheim Ducks vs Chicago Blackhawks (Western Conference)
 This was ALSO the first meeting for the teams in the playoffs as well. Another similarity it has to the eastern conference series is it was a seven games series too. Which lead the Blackhawks winning and taking out the Ducks, on their way to the Stanley Cup finals. But there where a lot of Mighty Ducks Movie references also made during this series. Which couldn't made this girl anymore happier!

 

 Emilio Estevez is pulling out his Coach Bombay! Rooting on the Ducks

and going nuts with the CLASSIC Mighty Ducks references!

Round Four (June 3 - 15, 2015)
 Tampa Bay Lightning vs Chicago Blackhawks 
  This was an exciting six game series, with each game expect game six where the team ahead was just leading by one point. During game six and the final game of the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs the Blackhawks only lead by two points. This is the first game the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup at home, the last time that happened was 1938! So again doing what the Blackhawks did and especially for it to be at home, is just icing on the cake!

 

Captain Jonathan Toews with teammate Patrick Kane with Lord 

Stanley! 

Congratulations Chicago Blackhawks you done well, and good luck on your 2015-16 season! 

Healthy Living

We all want to live a long life don't we? Sometimes it's difficult though. Some of us are college students are young college graduates who are fresh in the new world. We have busy lives of work and school stuff going on, and sometimes all you get to eat is that quick affordable banana that is a quick grab and go food.

We are a young and hungry group of people, who are living on small budgets due to working jobs that get you just started into the working field or college students who are looking for a job to work or just working a job and balancing their school work at the same time. We are one busy generation with stress on our mind and sometimes we do not have an outlet to let it out. Fear no more, I got some advice that can help your relieve your stress and make you live healthier and then you will be better off in the long run.

• Work a job you like: This one is simple. Do not get a job just for the fact they are paying you in money, which you can use to buy food, pay your rent, beer money, pay for gas for your car, pay your bills for water, heat and etc. Work a job because you love it. Simple as that, it's something you been dreaming about doing forever or you just thought this place would be a cool place to work. Take the extra time to read through the job descriptions instead of applying for jobs at random. 
• Take classes you would enjoy: This one goes out to all you college students out there. I am talking about just the extra curricular, not the classes you have to take to complete your degree to graduate. Take those. Just do research on each the extra and non-extra curricular classes you are going to take. Make sure you find a professor that fits your learning needs, do not take a class because your friend is in that one. Also make sure that class fits your schedule so you can go to every class and do well in it.
• Take time for yourself: This is a hard one for all of us to learn. I am still learning this. Take sometime out just for you, yourself and be one with yourself. Get to know you. Relax from your busy schedule. Make time on the weekend to do something with just yourself. Make Sunday night your spa night. Look after yourself.
• Eat healthy and within budget: Ever looked at allrecipes.com? I think you should take some time out after you read this and do. There are some good recipes on there for being on a budget. Also healthy recipes where one can cook on their own. I suggestion make the bigger portion so you can have leftovers through out the week. Also the fruits and vegetables are cheep to buy at the store. If you own a house of your own, you can grow them in your backyard during the summer.
• Workout the stress: Go on a run or a walk or just to the gym. Just anything physical that can get your heart pumping and get the blood flowing through your body. Working out can make one live longer and help one reduces the chances of getting cancer or other diseases. Also releases all that stress you have built up over the day and the week. You can work out on your own or with a friend. 
• Write out the stress:  Have you ever been so stressed out and you cannot tell anyone about it? I suggest writing it down into a word document or into a journal. It's a rant that you just want to keep between yourself and you. You don not want to hold these feelings in any longer and, you just need to get them out. This is just simple, write about it. Your the only one who will see it anyways. So let go, and just write down all your feelings. It works, it truly works. I am not big on it, but I did it once and it helped me out a lot.
• Get a good night's sleep:  They say that eight to ten hours a sleep is good for you. I like sleep and feeling rested, I am not good when it comes to being not so well rested, I get cranky and quiet when I am tired. I also drink a lot of coffee too. Which is also not good for you. A good nights sleep will help one with dealing with projects they got during the day. I know that some of you are like college students like me who have to work and study at the same time, and it feels like you will never get a chance to sleep at all. We all know that feeling and have experienced it. But do get some shut eye on the weekend, hopefully you guys do have a Monday thru Friday job that allows you to sleep in on Saturday and Sunday. Getting that extra shut eye time will add up to hopefully a successful week grind.
• Spend time with friends and family:  Being with your support group to just hangout or just to be with close friends for a "bitching night" to talk about stuff that bugs you all. This is where you can have time to have a dinner party with people in life, go out and eat with them. Take a group to see your favorite sport team play. Also going back home to see the family is one of my favorite time of the years. Catching up with people you rarely see. It's nice knowing you have a family that cares about you in your life.  You're on this planet for a certain amount on time, so spend it wisely with the people in your life. Once said by George Eliot, "What greater thing is there for human souls than to feel that they are joined for life – to be with each other in silent unspeakable memories."

 

One of my hikes I took to Picnic Point here on the UW-Madison campus

Life is not meant to be lived with stress. Life is meant to be enjoyed. We are here for a short while, so why not make the most out of it, right?

Disney Internships: A MUST DO!

I did two Disney College Programs, which is something you can do as an internship (click for a list of internships available, if interested) for the Walt Disney Company. I did both of these programs in Walt Disney World in 2010 and also in 2012. I did work in Epcot in 2010 (also a small stint in ESPN's Wilde World of Sports in March during the Atlanta Braves Spring training season), then in 2012 I worked in Downtown Disney, as a custodial role in the big show we call Walt Disney World. Was one of the thousands of cast members to help the show run smoothly. It's actually quite a fun job, to help this show stay alive!

I been finding myself missing the happiest place on earth lately.  I am also listening to some Walt Disney World park music loops while writing this and the past week, so yeah I got the missing the mouse bug, really bad! It's been five years since I worked at Epcot and the Wilde World of Sports and three since working at Downtown Disney, so it's been a while since I have been there. I still have friends from both programs who are living there now and still working at Disney or have moved back to work there again. I also have some friends who stayed and extend their programs which you can do, or do a Professional Internship. I have thought of doing the Professional Internship, but never acted on it. May actually attempt to soon? Who knows, we have to wait and see. But at the rate on missing Walt Disney World like I am it may be a possibility.

So I am sorry for leaving everyone hanging on how to get involved in doing one, because I have gotten interests up, haven't I?! Well for the Disney College Program you have to be a college student in the United States, and who has one semester of college credits out of the way. You can choose to work at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida or work at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. You cannot choose both. What I would suggest would be if you want to work at both do two separate Disney College Programs at each location, if that is to your liking. The Disney College Program have Fall and Spring Programs that either run through five to seven months long. But what if I am living in another country, like Canada, Finland, Germany, Russia or etc. you ask? Well you can do the International Representative Programs, this is where you get to work at Walt Disney World for three months up to a year (you can do a year if you live in one of the countries who have a pavilion in the Epcot World Showcase and end up working in one of those pavilions, just click on Cultural Representative Program). For each Disney Internships Programs the arrival dates vary, so it will matter on the date you apply or what school you go to if your applying to the Disney College Program. If you have already done a full Disney College Program or the International Representative Programs you can do a Professional Internship or do another program if you really did like it.

I do have oodles of memories! I am willing to share those with you guys in different new blog posts, they are stories of their own! Also this post would be probably big as the largest book on the planet when I got done with it. Or bigger! But here are things that I will tell you now. This is an experience that will change your life. If you have any questions about this don't be afraid to ask me or Disney themselves. We're free to help and share our stories. But I learned a lot about myself doing this the first and second time I did it. I met some amazing people I still keep in touch with from all over the world. I would not have trade this experience for anything else.

Things that are a must during the program:

• Explore all of Walt Disney World or Disneyland that you can.
• Make a guest smile, a day. It makes the days when you really homesick and sad a lot brighter. The guest will also make you smile as well. 
• Become best friends with your roommates. 
• Learn a different language and culture. 
• Learn things about yourself. 

 

Splash Mountain with the roommates is a must! 

Let's Travel Around the World!

I always enjoyed an adventure. No matter if it was in entertainment or traveling, any form it does not matter. Traveling around the world is something I always wanted to do, since I set foot into Epcot World Showcase on a day off during my internship, even before that. Setting foot in Germany during the summer of 2006 on a family vacation. Even before that too, as well. I always wanted to travel, ever since I can remember!

I have plenty of stories from those adventures, which I am saving for another time. But for now, I will just focus on my "Travel Wishlist". 

 

Travel Wishlist:

~ Russia: To visit St. Petersburg, Moscow and also Sochi. I just love the fact that Russia is mysterious to me. I am unfamiliar with the country's history and would love to learn more about it! There is something about the culture to that also fascinates me.

~ Australia: To see the real Outback, to see a kangaroo and also hold a koala bear! Just to see how blue the water is! Just to see what it's all about. Heard great things about this place.

~ New Zealand: When you visit Australia you have to make your way over to New Zealand! I had some family who went there and they still cannot stop talking about it, so why not check it out on my own? No harm right? 

~ India: My cousin just recently went on a trip to India for a school's project. I seen her pictures she's taken, I would love to experience the rural part of it. Just to be in a village with people who live there and experience another perspective of way of life. Maybe do a little anthropology work there? Also stop by the Taj Mahal while I am there too. Why the hell not, right? That's the spirit! 

~ Africa: I always wanted to go on a safari since I saw the Lion King when I was little and even going on the Kilimanjaro Safari for the first time when I was young at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom. Also would like to hang out in the Serengeti. I learned about it at school, it's something I would like to experience before I die. Also I would like to hit up Kanya, maybe see the world's best long distance runners in training. These guys has always amazed me. I would also like to make my way to Egypt so I can see the pyramids and the Sphinx.

~ Europe: This will be a novel. I want to experience all Europe as to offer, to London, to Paris, to Rome, Riga, Munich, you name it. I would like to see Stonehenge in person. I traveled to Germany, even lived in Germany, but it is always, always on my to do list when it comes to traveling in Europe, it's a must do stop!

~ Rio: It's looks to beautiful to experience when not being looked at from a Google image search, a television advertisement or a photo in a magazine or a newspaper. Also the fact that the Olympics will be there in 2016, maybe wanting to experience it in person is a good excuse to volunteer right? 

~ Guatemala: Since I wrote a paper dealing with the banana plantations there last year for school. I was invested in what I could do to help these poor people out of these awful work environments. So if I am doing any Peace Core activities, that probably where I am headed too. 

~ Bahamas and Jamaica:  I went to these two locations during middle school on a cruise with my mom, aunt and grandma and I just feel in love with these islands! I learned about growing bananas in Jamaica, and just take me back.

~ Canada: Oh, Canada, I do want to visit you and your wonders. Please to take me to Vancouver, then adventure into Ottawa with me and every city we end up  in. Yes, I am looking at driving to west to east coast of Canada in a car. I am going to experience Canada and, I am doing it that way. There is no way in stopping me!

~ United States of America: Saving this one for last, well because I don't need a passport for any of it. I just can jump in the car and hit up all the forty-eight land-locked states. Visiting cities, like Boston, Washington DC, New York City, LA, Los Vegas, and lots, lots more even small towns included (Lake Placid, Iron Range in Minnesota.) Hoping to find my self traveling to Hawaii, so I can see the wonder of those five islands and say I was on land that was made from ash from a volcano. Hopefully find myself in Alaska experiencing the Northern Lights and twenty-four hours of sunlight.

 

"Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends… The mind can never break off from the journey.” – Pat Conroy

Minnesota Wild: The Ups and Downs

It's been quite an interesting experience right now being a Minnesota Wild fan or being one of the Minnesota Wild players themselves. This season has been far from picture perfect. This season for the Minnesota Wild has been quite the rollercoaster.

This rollercoaster had started in September when Ryan Suter's dad had passed away due to a heart attack, during training camp, Ryan's, dad who is Bob Suter who was on the Miracle on Ice team during the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics, so the season had a rough start on Suter who finds himself playing with a heavy heart this season. Ryan Suter is not the only one who finds himself playing with a heavy heart this season. Zach Parise who has been dealing with his father's battle with type five lung cancer for the past year or so. J.P. Parise who lost his battle with the cancer early in this month leaving Zach to play with a heavy heart too.

Not only deaths have been putting a cramp in the Wild's stride, it has been also sickness and the mumps. The mumps have decided to be bouncing around in the NHL this year causing players to miss out during games. The Minnesota Wild happened to be one of them. Having at least five players being effected with it: Jonas Brodlin, Ryan Suter, Marco Scandella, Keith Ballard and Christian Folin. Hopefully the mumps finally gone out of the NHL and no one has to deal with them anymore.

Injuries also have been a big factor to the team going through some really low slumps. Darcy Kuemper, one of the strong goaltenders of the Wild is out with a lower back injury (Kuemper got his minor lower-back injury in practice).

There has been issues with the Wild's goalies since the season started in September. The Wild started out with two goalies due to with one dealing with a foot injury, leading Kuemper and Niklas Backstrom to split their time between the pipes for the Wild so far this season.  Now with Darcy Kuemper being out with a back  injury for awhile and now working back to full strength before he can come back to play up to his potential. So the Wild has been dealing with some defense and also goalie issues lately during the awful slump they found themselves in. So they decided to get a third goalie recently to make this situation turn around.

During this down in the rollercoaster that we now find ourselves in during the season has been stressful on the team and head coach Mike Yeo, rightfully too.  Ryan Suter has been feeling the pull too. Suter ended up elbowing Steve Downie of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the face. It wasn't intentional, Suter is not a rough player. Ryan Suter is not known for rough plays or holding the most penalty minutes for the Minnesota Wild. Suter did not receive a penalty in the game for the elbowing of Downie so it ended up going to NHL court which lead to Ryan Suter getting his first suspension. Suter found himself setting out the last two games of play.

"It’s awful. This whole year has just been terrible in every way possible. With our [Zach Parise's and his] dads, the sicknesses, the way the team is playing, it’s not good right now. The good thing could be that we have a lot of year left to change that. Today was a good practice. We tried to re-set. We’re trying to build traction any way we can. I think that’s all we can do right now." - Ryan Suter reflecting on this season.

There also has been talks about firing Mike Yeo, the head coach. This is one of the many solutions that have been brought up many times in the last month or so during the losing streak by many different fans and sports news personalities throughout the media and the internet.

But things have actually turned around for the Wild as of late, last Thursday the Wild ended up winning against the Buffalo Sabres (7-0) and then Saturday's game against the Arizona Coyotes (3-1). Which is really nice to see!

 

Kyle Brodziak and Erik Haula celebrate during 

the Wild's win against the Buffalo Sabers

In my opinion the Minnesota Wild needs to be what they have been doing, I feel like they are finding their stride again.  I do not believe it is all about firing the head coach, or trading players in and out of the AHL. I am glad that they got an extra goalie, in my opinion it's good to have more than two goalies during the whole season. There are reason why teams are allowed to have three goalies, injuries and other stuff happens to one, you will always have two goalies as back-up.

Ryan Suter has been having a rough season it looks like. He will get through it just fine, when life right now is throwing him lemons it looks like he is making himself lemonade with what he's got. I have a feeling Ryan will fight his way through it, he is a tough guy and he will be fine.

I hope the Minnesota do continue on their winning streak. They probably are out of the play-offs this year. But next season I can see big things happening for them. They had a rough season this year, next year can be their outbreak season and hopefully they can win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history next year. We will just have to wait and see how this all plays out.

The Adventure Starts Here

Why it does! I am starting this blog to get started on my career as a sports journalist or just a straight out journalist for now. Anyways it doesn't matter doesn't it? I sure, hope not. I am just starting to get this journalist career of mine moving and shaking.

Why sports journalism you ask? Well, I always had a big thing for sports. I enjoy watching them and also participating in them. There is something about sports that just take my mind off of things in my life. Sports cheer me up when I am down.

What kind of sports am I interested in? Well, I like to go skiing, go on a run, play ultimate frisbee, soccer, tennis, and softball. I am also interested in trying out new sports as well. I enjoy watching sports as well: football, basketball, hockey, baseball, swimming, bobsledding, downhill skiing, and whatever else you can find on the Olympics. I not only just watch sports on television I am an avid Badger hockey goer. I love going to watch hockey games in person. There is something about just hearing the puck hit someone's stick then, the puck hitting a crossbar or one of the posts on the goal, then the skates on the ice either in motion or stopping. Just being at the rink makes this girl a super happy one.

But, this blog is not only just for sports. It's also about the adventures I been on and planning on going on. I hopefully will got to these places I do want to visit and will be able to share my adventures during my visit with you all. I am a big traveler too. I like seeing the world. We are just here for a short amount of time, right? So why not go off and enjoy as much of it as we can while we are here. I think that is one of the main reasons we where put on this planet, to make it a better place and explore it. Exploring is one way to open up your eyes to the world.

This blog is not going just to be about sports and traveling. It will have everything else in there between.

I bet you are wondering where I got the title to the blog. Well, I felt it appropriate due to the fact it came from Herb Brooks where he was giving the USA 1980 Olympic hockey team a pregame speech before the famous Miracle on Ice game. He was telling the players their moment has come to take on and beat the best hockey team in the world at that time, the Soviet Union team. I saw it fitting because I feel like it's my time to break out of my shell and start my career and maybe create my own little miracles. This moment is yours, speaks to me on so many levels.

I would also like to thank Darci for helping me out with this idea with a blog. She's one of the most amazing-ist friends I could ever ask for. She also has created herself a blog to follow along with her Olympic career dream, I feel in love with her blog and found her journey inspiring. Darci, keep on what you are doing, you got this girl. :)

So, I guess now it's time to get this journey of mine started. So who wants to join me?