As a diehard fan of the New York Yankees and our very own U.S. Olympic squad, this past week has been eventful to say the least. Spring has yet to hit the Sunshine State, yet both squads of Yanks are dominating headlines in the sports world.
In the Bronx, Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter announced that he will retire at the end of the 2014 season, ending the era of the “Core Four.” Meanwhile, the U.S. men’s hockey team has absolutely dominated in Sochi, sweeping group play and landing a bye going into the quarterfinal round.
Jeter’s retirement will create a ripple effect that will resonate with the entire Yankees organization. They are losing a leader, ambassador, icon and a captain all rolled into one package. Ever since his debut in 1995, Jeter has been the definition of a Yankee. The Captain has led the team through multiple championships with his outstanding defensive skills, ability to lead off the powerful Bronx Bomber lineup and undeniable charisma. His iconic No. 2 will be the next number to be retired by the Yankees, and he is a surefire first ballot Hall of Fame inductee. Good luck on your final season, Captain. We’re all pulling for you to capture one more ring. Well, maybe not Red Sox fans, but who cares what they think?
Over in Sochi, the U.S. men’s hockey team’s story is just starting. The team concluded group play on Sunday with a 5-1 victory over Slovenia and a perfect 3-0 record. The red, white and blue have excelled in all four phases of the game: offense, defense, goaltending and coaching.
The offense is firing on all cylinders, as shown by its 15 goals during the group stage. The 7-1 rout of Slovakia in the opening game included a six goal outburst in the second period.The victory over Slovenia was also an easy one, and the controversial 3- 2 win over Russia on the Ruskies’ home ice showed that the Yanks can gut out a tough win. That trait will prove vital as the team moves deeper in the tournament. St. Louis Blues winger T.J Oshie has led the offensive attack for the Americans, scoring the decisive goals in the shootout victory over the Russians.
Pittsburgh’s Paul Martin and Minnesota’s Ryan Suter have led the American defense, playing their international opponents tough while handing out punishing but clean checks. But the U.S. goaltending has been this team’s strength.
Goalies Jonathan Quick (L.A. Kings) and Ryan Miller (Buffalo Sabres) have played superbly, only allowing four total goals in three contests. The game against Slovenia could have been a shutout if not for a defensive lapse in the last minute of the game. Coach Dan Bylsma has put this team in a great position to win its matchups, which it has done on a fairly consistent basis.
The rest of the tournament should be a fun one to watch, as the Americans look to build off their silver medal finish from the 2010 games in Vancouver. We all know this young squad wants another shot at the team from up north, a.k.a. Canada.
The dead period of sports is nearly done, as we have a whole bunch to cover over the next few weeks here at The Minaret. The NFL Scouting Combine, Spring Training, the rest of the Sochi Games and the NBA trade deadline are just some of the events that are going on right now. Looking forward to the rest of a great semester.
Jordan Llanes can be reached at jordan.llanes@theminaretonline.com.