UND’s hockey captain reflects on the last four years.
By Riese Gaber
Today at 7:15 AM
thehockeytournamentresource.com
GRAND FORKS — Six years ago, I was in my billet house in Dubuque, Iowa, and my phone rang.
It was an incoming call from Brad Berry — a phone call I will never forget.
He told me I was on speaker phone with the rest of the UND coaching staff — Dane Jackson, Matt Shaw and Karl Goehring. Jax spoke up. He said they liked my game and were interested in bringing me on a visit.
I still remember the feeling; I could not wait to tell my family.
From that phone call on, it was UND or nothing.
The level of excitement only grew as time went on and my two years of waiting to arrive on campus slimmed down to zero.
I stepped onto campus four summers ago, thinking I knew how cool this place was. It turns out, I didn’t. I had zero idea.
You hear all the stories about how beautiful The Ralph is, how loud the building gets and how awesome the fans are. But let me tell you, these stories are nothing like experiencing it yourself.
I always refer to UND as the coolest place in the world. Why? The support we receive is out of this world. The community of Grand Forks, the state of North Dakota, and fans all around the country bleed UND hockey.
Not only do we feel the support online or while we are playing in the arenas, but it’s everywhere.
No matter where we go — whether it is grocery stores, restaurants, or any local business — there are always people stopping us to take a picture, ask for autographs, or pass along a hello and some kind words. To us, it makes us feel special and important and it’s humbling to see how much of an impact we have on so many people’s lives.
Throughout my four years, specifically toward the back half, I always made sure not to take a day for granted.
I know I may not experience anything like this again in my lifetime, and I am so grateful to say I got to live my dream and so many young hockey players’ dreams. Every day, no matter how tough times got, I constantly reminded myself that even the bad days really aren’t that bad thanks to what we have and how we are cared for.
Just like when I first walked into The Ralph as a 9-year-old kid taking a tour in 2008, I still get the same feeling where I have to pinch myself. I got to spend the last four years of my life walking into the northeast entrance thinking, “Wow, this is the coolest thing in the world.”
Walking through those doors into The Ralph is something I am going to miss like crazy. I am going to miss the interactions with fans, all our staff, and of course my teammates.
Getting to score a goal and celebrate in front of the fans, watching a goal from the bench, or saluting the crowd at center ice after a sweep at The Ralph is something that cannot be topped.
No matter how intense things got, I would still find a way to stop myself for a second, look up into the crowd, and just think about how dang lucky I am to be here in this moment right now.
I would not trade it for the world, and I owe it to everyone that makes UND hockey what it is.
Over the past few months, there have been a ton of moments bringing me to a pause. Knowing and realizing that this chapter has ended is incredibly hard to accept. Everything I have loved and repeatedly done the past four years is now just a memory. But man, I am incredibly grateful it happened.
This has and will be the most incredible four years of my life. To say that I got to play four years at the University of North Dakota, and accomplish what we did, alongside my best friends, in front of the best fans, in the best arena in the world, is something that I will forever hold so close to my heart and always cherish.
I’ve had quite a few people come up to me recently and thank me for the past four seasons. That means so much to me.
But in my mind, it’s backward. Us players should be thanking you.
There are so many incredible people who make UND so special. To name every person would be near impossible, however, these thank yous are more than needed.
Thank you to the Engelstad family, Jody Hodgson and the entire REA staff. They make The Ralph and our overall experience the greatest thing in the world.
Thank you to my teammates and friends. I have made so many incredible lifelong friendships along the way.
Brad Berry, Dane Jackson and Karl Goehring took a chance on me many years ago, and I will never be able to thank them enough for not only that, but everything they have done for me in my time on campus. You will not find a better group of people than Brad, Dane, Karl and Dillon Simpson who would do anything for their players.
Thank you to equipment manager Dan Johansson, operations director Pat Swanson and player personnel coordinator Ryan LaDouceur for the endless hours of work they put in to make this program run the way it does. Thank you to athletic trainer Mark Poolman for every little thing he does for us. Pooly, just like so many of these names, is the epitome of UND hockey.
Thank you to media relations directors Mitch Wigness and Alec Stocker Johnson, and all of the media members who covered the team.
Thank you to Andres Freeman of the academic support staff and all my professors. Thank you to the family who donated the money to fund my scholarship. With their support, I am leaving UND with a degree in kinesiology and a minor in coaching.
Most importantly, thank you to the best fan base in all of hockey.
We see your support online, throughout the community and at every game. Without you guys, UND would not be what it is.
I would do anything to be able to score one more goal or celebrate one more win with you guys. Having four years of that, I consider myself beyond fortunate.
Playing college hockey in Grand Forks is the coolest thing in the world.
Nobody will ever change my mind.
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