Pucks Along the Mohawk

This past weekend I took one of my hockey road trips, this time to Schenectady and Troy, New York. The Princeton club was taking on the Dutchwomen of Union College and the Engineers of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI for short).

Every once in a while these trips are necessary for me. It's a chance to get in the car and be largely unencumbered by much of anything. Along the way I stopped at an IHOP (I hadn't eaten there in ages) and had a meal which must have made my blood sugar sky-rocket. Then I tooled up the New York Thruway and found my way to a nice little bed and breakfast in the Stockade District of Schenectady.

Schenectady is one of those towns that was once very fashionable (it was the home of Henry James' Daisy Miller) but is now way past its prime. Unlike Troy, though, which is still pretty much a place you don't want to be after dark (I stayed there last year), Schenectady seems to be making something of a comeback. The inn I stayed at was only a few blocks from downtown, so I took a little walk and was heartened to see that the area was full of nice little shops. A state-of-the-art movie theater was right on the main drag, next to an old-time movie palace that is now used for stage productions. I took in The Golden Compass at the theater, which is run by a chain called Bow Tie, and they get a thumbs up from me, as they make a point of not showing any commercials before the feature (review of the film directly below this post). I also took a walk down to the Mohawk River, which was completely frozen over.

Union College's best known alumnus is obscure president Chester A. Arthur, and there is a statute of him on campus. Hockey is a pretty big deal in these parts, but unfortunately the women's team is the weak sister of the ECAC, not having won a league game in over three years. Princeton ended up winning, 7-0, but the Union goalie, Lundy Day, certainly gave her all, making 23 saves in the first period alone. She was eventually pulled in the third period to save her any further embarrassment.

The next morning at breakfast, the innkeeper asked me what brought me town and when I told her she mentioned that the other guest was the Union goalie's mother. There I was, in my Princeton sweatshirt, hoping that if I saw this woman it wouldn't be too awkward. But before I saw the mother the front bell rang and in walked Lundy Day herself, with a male friend in tow. As my allegiance was apparent from the insignia on my shirt, there was a nice uncomfortable pause. I didn't know what to say to her. She did play well for a while, but for me to give her the standard, "Nice game," might have seemed to ring hollow.

I was just finishing up my breakfast, so when her mother joined the two of them I did my best to get the hell out so I wouldn't be a constant reminder of the game the night before. When I left I did wish her good luck in her game that would be played that day against Quinnipiac. I was heartened to learn later that night that Union would tie Quinnipiac, 0-0, and that Day was the big hero.

Princeton, for their part, went on to beat RPI, 3-0, so I drove home very happy. My next trip, weather permitting, will be up to the University of Connecticut in a few weeks.