From KTBS.com

By KTBS Staff

After an early exit in the TCHC playoffs, the players of ETBU Hockey were coming to grips with the end of their season and in many cases, their hockey careers.

"I thought that was my last game of my career. I felt like it was pretty embarrassing, frustrating, sad, man," said captain Skyler Spiller.

"It was really tough for a lot of us, for a lot of seniors especially. It was their last game. We felt like we had a lot more to give," added goaltender Tyler Fitzgerald.

Luckily for the Tigers, that heartbreak didn't last long.  In just their fourth year as a program, ETBU has earned a bid in the American Collegiate Hockey Association regional tournament, "It's not quite over yet. I'm thankful to hear I get another chance to lace up the skates and play another game," said Spiller who has been with the program since it's inception.

"In sports you don't get a lot of second chances. We felt like this was a big time second chance for us," explained Fitzgerald.

Second chances are a common theme in a place like George's Pond and the ETBU program has been providing plenty to players like Spiller, "Four years ago if you would have told me I'd be standing right here playing hockey in Shreveport, Louisiana, I would have told you you were crazy. I was working as a personal trainer in the DFW area for 24 Hour Fitness where I had about 30 clients."

Goaltenders Alex Domas and Fitzgerald shared similar stories, "I stopped playing hockey after I was done with juniors. I started traveling around the country doing sports photography. I didn't think I was going to play hockey again, let alone go to school. This place gave me that opportunity to come back to school, get an education, and make my family proud."

"I came from playing over in Sweden at 19/20 years old. I figured I didn't have anywhere else to go. To be blessed with the opportunity to come here and, not only play, but to actually compete and win and meet the best men at my wedding."

Spiller says these past four years have provided memories that will last a lifetime, "I hang around with my parents and my dad and his friends talk about their college years. I just kind of sit back and think, in 15/20 years these are the years I'm going to be talking about with my buddies."It's that love and appreciation of the game that the Tigers believe will earn them a few more chances to take the ice as a team, Now that we've felt that feeling and we had to go that whole week thinking we wouldn't get into regionals and our season was done.  Me being a senior as well, our careers might be done.  It might be the last hockey game we ever play.  That's just going to make us want it even more.  We're going to be hungry.  We're not going to want that feeling again," said Domas.

The Tigers take on Cal State-Northridge in Boise, Idaho Thursday at 3:15.

(Originally published at https://www.ktbs.com/news/arklatex-indepth/etbu-relishing-second-chances-ahead-of-first-acha-regional/article_ecc0bb2a-58eb-11ea-b6a7-ef578abf8740.html)