Sophomore forward Haley Shugart will take hockey fans behind the scenes with her blog "Shugart's Shot" throughout the year. With her second installment, Shugart reflects on the historic weekend the Dutchwomen had last week.

Hello everyone and welcome back to Shugart's Shot!
 
Last weekend brought us a feeling that no Dutchwoman has ever felt in the history of the program. I think if you asked anyone outside of our program if they thought that we would come out of our first ECAC weekend with a sweep, they wouldn't have a problem voicing any doubts. However, after a week of great practices our team felt ready to take on the weekend and make a statement in our first appearance of 2017 within the league.
 
The energy in the locker room before the game proved that we were ready to go, and it showed with how we came out on Friday afternoon. As soon as the first player in white stepped on the ice, we knew that there was no way we weren't coming out of the night with a win. So, we did just that.
 
After Friday's victory over Brown, there was no doubt in our minds that another win was absolutely a possibility. Because it was the Pink the Rink game on Saturday, it meant even more to be playing for something bigger than ourselves, which added an additional layer of importance to the afternoon matchup. There was a lot of buzz around the rink about the possibility of a sweep, but it was very important for our team to remain focused on the task at hand and the process that it would take in order to come out on top after 60 minutes.
 
It was truly a surreal feeling when we heard the final buzzer sound with a 3-1 score in favor of Union on the scoreboard. Being on the ice, in the opposing end, it felt like a mile-long skate to go celebrate with the rest of the team. However, I skated as if there was still time on the clock and I was on the back check. I remember being one of the last players to surround our net in a victory huddle. I couldn't help but think of last season's first win against Penn State, where we broke the losing streak that previously hung over our program like a dark cloud. I thought of the tears of happiness, the smiles, and the abundant amount of positive energy that was long missing from our program, and how every day we are finding new ways to erase the ways of the past and create a promising future. It took me back to that game, but it also pushed me to look forward to what we will become in the future, because I know that this is a feeling that will never grow old for us.
 
The moments in which we make history for the program are ones that cannot be paralleled, and I think as a team we can agree that we are only just getting a taste of what it feels like. These two ECAC wins are just the beginning of what we are capable of as a group, and every day it gets easier to find another level within us to be the best this program has ever been. This momentum we have now is what we will carry into this weekend, to continue to put Union Women's Hockey on the map.
 
Last year we built the foundation, now we are rising.  
 
Until next time,
 
Haley