New York, NY -- Matt Weindel was in a bad mood on his trip from Newburgh, N.Y. back to New York University.
After all, the West Chester native and his NYU ice hockey teammates had just lost a Super East Collegiate Hockey League first-round playoff game to Central Connecticut State University.
Despite the bad weekend in Newburgh that ended the current season, Weindel, a graduate of West Chester Henderson High School, can take comfort in the fact that he is in the midst of a stellar career at NYU.
Weindel racked up 97 points in 54 games over a two-year span. The 5-foot-11 sophomore center led the team in scoring this year with 27 goals and 55 points.
And he accomplished this feat while playing on a line with his roommates.
"It's a lot of fun," said Weindel of the opportunity to be on the line. "You go into every game expecting the best."
"It's a few steps up from high school."
Weindel rates the competition he sees at NYU better than what he faced playing for Henderson, but not as much as what he dealt with on his Jr. Flyers club team. The Jr. Flyers are a Tier-I squad that competes with clubs from around the nation.
Already battle-hardened from his days on the Jr. Flyers, Weindel has fit in perfectly with the NYU Bobcats.
"It's just a fast-paced game at the Jr. Flyers level," Weindel said.
While the going is good for now, college life for Weindel did not begin on a positive note.
Weindel was in his first few days of classes at NYU when, on one sunny morning, four blocks away from where he stood, terrorists crashed two jets into the World Trade Center.
Weindel saw it all unfold and it had an immediate, harsh impact.
"I was on my way to class," he said. "We just saw everything happen. It was all smoky. We couldn't breathe."
Suddenly, the new college experience and the practicing with the ice hockey team took a back seat to fear and instability.
Weindel went home to be with his family on the weekend following the attacks. He returned the next week and, like everyone else, attempted to put his life back on course.
Helping Weindel refocus was his love of ice hockey.
With a heavy mind and heart, Weindel and his teammates resumed practices and prepared for the upcoming season.
"We tried to play as normal," Weindel said.
While maybe difficult at first, the Bobcats ultimately composed a successful season. And Weindel was a major part of it.
After all, Weindel had one job: score goals.
And he did that well - very well.
As a first-year player, Weindel racked up 20 goals and 42 points in 27 games.
The Bobcats won the 2002 SECHL playoffs and earned themselves an invitation to the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division II postseason tournament. Ironically, the host site for the tournament was NYU.
Weindel shined, recording a game-winning goal and an assist in three games as the Bobcats finished fifth in the tournament with a 2-1 mark. He earned second team all-tournament honors for his efforts.
"I am helping the team put the puck in the net," Weindel said.
After school lets out for the summer, Weindel plays in a men's league at Ice Line - which he started - with several friends from his Jr. Flyers days.
Among the players in last summer's league was Radnor graduate John Brennan and Malvern Prep grads Max Sorensen and Phil McKeon. Phoenixville native Chris Bala, a prospect of the NHL's Ottawa Senators, also competes in the league.
"We lost against Bala's team like 8-6," said Weindel with a laugh. "He had six goals and two assists. He's pretty good."
Weindel is not bad in his own right.
He's gone from a stellar high school career, where he was named to the Daily Local News All-Area Team in 2001, to a team leader at college. Weindel plans to continue his hockey career after college, possibly with a professional team.
If hockey after college does not come about, Weindel is a mass communications major who, with his personality and leadership ability, should be able to do quite well in the business world.
But for now, Weindel will settle for taking classes, scoring goals, and helping the Bobcats win games.