If the Syracuse ice hockey team’s come-from-behind victory over Robert Morris Saturday wasn’t thrilling enough for the Orange, head coach Paul Flanagan made an announcement immediately following the game that bolstered the team’s spirits further.

With music blaring in the team locker room, the coach not only cancelled practice Monday but also told his team that practice Tuesday would be at the outdoor hockey rink at the New York State Fairgrounds.

And with that, the Orange locker room reached a fever pitch.

Just as Flanagan promised, SU (17-14-1, 8-6-0 College Hockey America) held its first outdoor hockey practice in the young program’s history Tuesday at the fairgrounds under a light snowfall. The session was a welcome break from the Orange’s everyday routine, especially with a weekend series at No. 1 Mercyhurst looming just two weeks away. The coaches kept the practice simple and allowed players to have some fun, reminding many of their pond-hockey playing days back home in Canada.

‘It’s just something that brings you back to your roots,’ assistant coach Graham Thomas said. ‘And all the girls just love it. That’s where the game began, so it’s just a lot of fun to get out there in the open air.’

When the Syracuse Crunch – who will play the first outdoor game in AHL history Saturday at the fairgrounds – started moving toward playing a game outside, the initial plan was to have a doubleheader, with SU playing in the first game. But when the decision was made final, the Orange had already filled its schedule and could not fit another game in.

Still, despite the schedule conflict, the Orange took advantage of the opportunity to play out in the fresh air, getting over to the fairgrounds for practice Tuesday.

Syracuse was glad it didn’t miss out on the chance to play a couple games with the snow falling and wind blowing through their jerseys.

‘We had to play a little five-on-five full ice game or scrimmage,’ Thomas said. ‘They just had to get that in there. It was good. The girls had good energy.’

The games led to many of the skaters reminiscing about their younger playing days. Thirteen Canadians play for the Orange. Not all of them had the opportunity to play outdoors when they were younger, but for the ones that did, the practice brought back childhood memories.

Freshman defenseman Erin Burns said that’s all she did during her winters in Listowel, Ontario. But this was still a different experience for her.

‘It’s not on a nice rink (at home),’ she said. ‘In Canada we kind of do that every winter, so it’s nice. It’s like playing when you were a kid but a really great venue, obviously.’

Even the skaters that never had the opportunity to play out from underneath a roof loved the atmosphere Tuesday. Sophomore Lisa Mullan said her hometown of Victoria, British Columbia, wasn’t cold enough to get out on a lake or pond to skate.

But Mullan hopes the Orange can get back outside whenever it gets the next opportunity.

‘Yeah, I for sure would want to do it again,’ Mullan said. ‘I want to do it all week if we can, but I don’t know if we will, though. It was pretty cool.’

Syracuse has not been out on the ice at the fairgrounds since Tuesday and there is no word yet as to whether or not they will practice outside again this year. But the coaches are already thinking about the potential for future opportunities to play or practice outdoors.

Northeastern and New Hampshire played the first-ever outdoor women’s college hockey game at Fenway Park in Boston on Jan. 8 this year. And Thomas believes that a new tradition may be getting started in the game of women’s hockey.

He and the other coaches are considering hosting an outdoor game or series next season.

But for now, the team is more than content to just practice in the fresh air.

Case in point: When Flanagan announced that the final drill would, in fact, be the last one of the day, the Orange begged and pleaded with their coach to let them keep going a little longer.

‘You could just see it in their eyes when they’re out there,’ Thomas said. ‘A bunch of them are kind of like on Christmas Day or like kids in a candy shop kind of thing. Big eyes, open wide.’

zjbrown@syr.edu

Published on February 17, 2010 at 12:00 pm