You can see my right ear, but that's not important. This was the second Senior Night of the 2010-2011 hockey season, and that giant flag? My mom made it.
Here's the story:
There's a Swedish hockey player on the UM hockey team, and his name is Carl Hagelin. He is absolutely amazing, and the entire student section loves him. So about two years ago, my mom hand-sewed a flag so we could fly it in the student section when Carl scored. Everyone loved it, and it got a fair amount of media attention.
Anyway, Carl was a senior this year. And so during the last home game, the entire student section (around 400 kids) signed the flag with sharpies. After we won the game (Carl scored a goal with about 15 seconds left in regulation to tie it, and then scored again with 5 seconds left in overtime to win it - just to explain some of his skill), each of the seniors got a UM flag, and skated around Yost for the last time.
But Carl got two flags, for we folded up the Swedish flag and handed it off. It was emotional for everyone - the passing of the flag signified the end of an era: the era of Carl, the era of Swedish domination, and the era of one of the favorite players.
We lost a lot of seniors, all of which holds a special place in my heart, but Carl was something else. He was amazing, but different too. He wasn't supposed to be a hockey superstar. In Sweden, he probably wouldn't have made it this far. But he came here, and he made a name for himself, so much so that he'll have a giant Swedish flag to take with him wherever he goes.
This is, undoubtedly, one of my favorite nights from this year, if not one of my life.
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