Column: I was thinking tribute

 In August of 2011, Connecticut lost on of its great sports writers, Dave Solomon. Solomon was a sports columnist for the New Haven Register. He died in a car accident coming back from Storrs after covering a UConn football practice. Every Sunday, Solomon wrote his column entitled “I was thinking.” It was a habitual part of my Sunday morning; I woke up to read his column and I have missed it ever since. So this week I would like to pay tribute to one my favorite writers with my own rendition of “I was thinking.”

 I was thinking:
 How this UConn football game will reveal a lot about the future of this team. If the Huskies lose their fourth straight game this weekend, the already loud voices calling for head coach Paul Pasqualoni’s job will be even louder. UConn has not won a football game since Sept. 29 and hasn’t scored a fourth quarter touchdown since that same date.

At least the Huskies find a way to win this weekend then there is still hope, mathematically that is. UConn would need to win two out games after beating USF against opponents Pittsburgh, Louisville and Cincinnati. The deck is clearly stacked against the Huskies, I guess all we can do now is watch and hope the best.

I was thinking:
That the Student Union will never get complimentary water back. The machine has been broken for weeks now and students are forced to purchase beverages, conspiracy?
I was thinking:
How excited I am for this UConn men’s hockey season. Last weekend, the Huskies stood toe to-toe-with the No. 8 team in the country, the Union Dutchmen. The Huskies showed some fight after battling to a 2-2 tie against one of the top teams in the ECAC hockey league.

Senior goaltender Garret Bartus made 39 saves against the Dutchmen and is looking to build off the strong numbers he had last season. Bartus was tied for fourth in the nation in shutouts last year with five in the 39 games he played. He was also tied for No. 19 overall in the country in save percentage at .923.

The Huskies will miss the production of Cole Schneider, whose 23 goals were a major part of UConn’s success last season. However, the Huskies will still have plenty of offensive weapons, including junior forward Brant Harris, whose 10 power play goals helped spearhead a UConn power play unit that was ranked third in the nation a year ago.

I was thinking:
How dominant UConn’s fall sports have been this season. Men’s soccer just won the Big East regular season title and is poised to do great things in the NCAA tournament this season. Field Hockey nearly went undefeated in a season that included a 16-game winning streak that lasted from August 25 to October 18. Women’s soccer head coach Len Tsantiris earned his 500th victory in a 3-1 win over Rutgers. Although the Huskies were eliminated from the Big East tournament, they still have an outside chance to make the NCAA tournament.

I was thinking:
Will we ever see an end to Arjona and Monteith? I am thankful that Oak Hall opened this fall, but classes are still being held in two older buildings on campus.

I was thinking:
How upset I am over the current NHL lockout. It is expected this week that the NHL will cancel this year’s Winter Classic, an event that hockey fans like myself wait for. Negotiations between owners and the NHLPA have been going nowhere as of late, and both sides remain far apart. Will we have a season this year? I am still holding out hope, but with each passing week comes more canceled games and of a chance of losing the entire season.

I was thinking:
That I am very surprised my dorm did not lose power during the hurricane. Thank you, UConn for keeping the lights on.

I was thinking:
How happy I am that it is college basketball season once again. Storrs is always a magical place during college basketball season. You can feel it in the air on game days when you walk by Gampel Pavilion. Even though the men’s basketball team won’t be eligible for postseason play, that’s no reason not take part in the excitement of another basketball season at UConn, especially with the Kevin Ollie era about begin.

The UConn women’s basketball team will be eligible for postseason play and they are expected to be a contender for the national championship. All things considered, I am excited for some UConn hoops and I hope you are as well.

Follow Tyler on Twitter @TylerRMorrissey