Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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Joe, anything could happen." Lee carried the Mason Cup over Jackson got to the 1991 final in his to Jackson, who was waiting on the first season as a head coach and let his bench, after the team finished its vicemotions get the better of him. When tory lap with the trophy this year. He the Lakers scored an overtime goal all but forced the coach to take a turn to beat Michigan, he jumped off the lifting it over his head for a final time. bench and hugged his seMinutes later, Jackson niors. They were one of settled into his seat bethe first classes Jackson hind a press conference recruited, full of Detroitdais to deliver the eulogy area players that had folof a conference he helped lowed him to the northern to build. He opted not to tip of the Upper Peninsula answer questions about in Michigan. the impending No. 1 seed "That year was tough to his team would lock up create space because I had later that night in the been the big brother to NCAA Tournament. He those kids, that group of said he wanted to keep seniors," Jackson said. "I his focus in Detroit for at developed a relationship least one more day. with them as an assistant Junior center Anders Lee, who "There was a day that coach. It wasn't until the scored one of Notre Dame's this thing meant more following year that I tried three goals in the CCHA title- than being in the NCAA to create a separation." clinching victory, made sure Tournament," he said. He had long since mas- Jackson hoisted the Mason Cup "Winning a conference tered the detached ap- over his head one last time. championship should be photo by joe raymond proach in 2007, when his special. The CCHA has Irish team that had been a doormat done a good job of making this special. a few seasons before knocked off the It's a great venue for college hockey. Wolverines again. He beat Berenson It's a great city for college hockey." again in 2009 and celebrated without He left the room and walked back a smile. into the factory-like halls beneath Joe "Coach holds a pretty good poker Louis's bleachers. He paused for a face," said 2012-13 Irish captain An- minute to answer a question in front ders Lee, a junior center. "That's just of another tombstone of sorts. A gihow he operates." ant green traffic sign that once hung But days earlier, Lee tried to explain above Detroit's highway was nailed the emotions of his even-tempered to the wall. "Olympia Stadium, EXIT coach. WARREN AVE," it read. Directions "We all know in the back of his mind that started a trip that began a lifetime this is more than just a conference tour- ago and ended right where it was supnament," he said. "It's the last one. It's posed to. kind of everything." Here lies the Road to the Joe. ✦