Milwaukee, WI
MSOE’s Hanewell relishes opportunity to play for Team USA
MSOE’s Hanewell relishes alternative to play for Staff USA
There are magical locations on the planet of sports activities. For hockey, one place all the time involves thoughts for American gamers. Brandon Cruz goes Past the Sport with one MSOE senior who noticed his dream come true.
MILWAUKEE – School hockey and faculty life are winding down for MSOE senior Matt Hanewell.
“It’s undoubtedly hit me more durable now than it did to start with of the season,” Hanewell mentioned.
Whereas there are years of reminiscences from his time as a Raider, these created from two weeks away from the staff will stand out for different causes.
“Oh, it’s not like something,” mentioned Hanewell. “I can’t actually clarify it. It’s one thing I’ve all the time dreamed of doing and by no means thought I’d get the chance to do.”
Hanewell placed on a distinct jersey throughout that point, a Staff USA jersey, for the World College Video games in Lake Placid, New York.
“It actually was a dream come true,” Hanewell mentioned. “Like all people desires of it. My brother and I, we’d placed on the Staff USA jersey, or I might placed on the Staff USA jersey, and he would placed on Staff Canada jersey, and we’d duke it out in avenue hockey. And for that to return to actual life, that was simply one thing you may solely dream about. You actually can. It was 100% essentially the most unimaginable expertise I ever had.”
The staff was an underdog within the 12-team subject, very similar to one other staff there.
“You possibly can’t go to Lake Placid with out eager about the 1980 Olympic staff,” he mentioned.
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Despite the fact that he wasn’t even born when that staff captured gold, he is aware of the story very effectively.
“Clearly, I’ve watched “Miracle” in all probability 100 instances,” mentioned Hanewell. “Most likely greater than that. However I didn’t actually understand it to the total extent. We walked by a museum in Lake Placid that advised us slightly extra about it. So, that was undoubtedly cool to see.”
Like that staff, Hanewell’s did one thing historic, changing into the primary American staff to succeed in the gold medal sport within the World College Video games.
“Clearly, the followers knew how nice Canada was,” Hanewell mentioned. “And so, they have been consistently evaluating it to the 1980 Olympics US vs. USSR. However for us, it was Staff USA vs Canada.”
In that sport, Hanewell had an help and practically had a objective. However Staff USA fell, 7-2, incomes the silver medal.
“I can’t look ahead to, you understand, down the road when I’ve children to convey them to that spot, too,” he mentioned. “, inform them I gained a silver medal in that rink. The historical past behind it’s unimaginable. So, it’s particular that I used to be in a position to share that.”
However he won’t be sharing the medal itself.
“It’s someplace locked away, protected,” mentioned Hanewell. “No one’s ever seeing that factor.”
One factor that’s seen are the friendships he constructed within the locker room of Staff USA.
“It’s stuff you can by no means, you’ll by no means be capable to break that bond as a result of it’s one thing you’ll by no means be capable to do with anyone else ever once more,” Hanewell mentioned. “So, it’s type of a sacred bond that you just, that you’ve got with one another.”
And it’s given Hanewell a brand new perspective.
“I believe it sparked a brand new love for the sport for me,” he mentioned. “That’s one thing I haven’t skilled, ever. It was an unimaginable expertise, and it’s one thing I wish to expertise once more. So, it nearly makes me wish to carry on enjoying till I can’t play anymore.”
Hanewell performed in Lake Placid as a teen, however missed the championship sport with an damage. So this expertise greater than made up for it.
At present, his MSOE staff is the fifth seed within the playoffs which begins Friday.
Afterward, he is considering making an attempt to play on the skilled stage.