From the ECAC Trail to Herb Brooks Arena: My Own Miracle on Ice
- Ryan Holden
- Mar 25
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 29
Some moments feel bigger because of everything that led up to them.
By the time I got to Lake Placid for the ECAC Men’s Hockey Championship, I had just completed something I had been working toward for nearly two years—covering a Quinnipiac hockey game at all 12 ECAC member institutions. That was a goal from the start, and reaching it meant something. It took time, travel, and a lot of different environments, but getting there made this next step feel even more meaningful.
And it didn’t feel like the end of anything.
If anything, it felt like everything was building toward this.
The championship stage, Lake Placid, and the opportunity to cover it for RCH Photography. But what made it even more significant was where it was being played. The ECAC Championship was held at Herb Brooks Arena inside the Olympic Center—the same rink where the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” happened.
That’s something you feel the second you walk in.
It’s not just another arena. There’s history in it. The banners, the layout, even just standing there knowing what happened on that ice—it adds a different level to everything. As someone covering it, it makes you more aware of the moment you’re in, because you’re not just documenting a championship, you’re doing it in a place where some of the most iconic moments in hockey have happened in the country.
The semifinal between Princeton and Cornell was the first game I covered, and it played out exactly how you would expect.
It was tight the entire way.
Both teams had their moments, and neither one ever fully took control of the game. It felt like one of those matchups where it was just waiting for a single play to decide it. From where I was, you could see how every possession mattered, how every small mistake or missed opportunity could shift momentum.
Princeton found that moment late.
They were able to take the lead and hold on for a 3-2 win, earning their spot in the championship. Games like that are some of the best to cover because there’s no downtime. You’re locked in the entire time, knowing the next sequence could be the one that changes everything.
The next day brought a completely different kind of feeling.
The championship game between Dartmouth and Princeton had a different weight to it. Dartmouth was playing for program history, and you could feel that from the start. The game followed a similar pattern—tight, defensive, and built around small moments—but everything felt more intense.
Dartmouth struck first, Princeton answered, and from there the game settled into that back-and-forth rhythm.
It never felt like either team had full control.
It stayed tied through the rest of regulation, and once it reached overtime, everything seemed to slow down. Every shot felt bigger, every possession mattered more, and you knew it was only going to take one moment.
Dartmouth found it.
A 2-1 win in overtime to secure the ECAC Championship. Dartmouth's first ECAC Hockey title win in program history. The true definition of focusing on greatness.
And in a building like that, it felt even bigger.
Being there for that moment is what stands out the most. The goal itself happens fast, but everything after it—the celebration, the emotion, the reaction from players and staff—that’s what sticks with you. That’s what you’re really capturing.
Not just the play, but what it means.
For me, covering these two games meant more because of everything that came before it. Finishing the goal of covering games at all 12 ECAC Hockey member's arenas and then stepping into the championship environment right after—it felt like everything connected.
It felt like a full-circle moment.
But it also didn’t feel like an ending.
It felt like the next step.
A bigger stage, higher stakes, and the same mindset going into it. That’s something I’ve learned through all of this. Whether it’s a regular season game at any ECAC school or the championship in Lake Placid, the approach doesn’t change.
Be ready, stay locked in, and capture what’s in front of you.
Because moments like that don’t come around often, and when they do, you make sure you’re ready for them.
