NCAA Chronicles 2

Well, we have arrived in Princeton, N.J. What a scene it was at 9:30 when dozens of fans, faculty, and staff saw us off at the Sports Center. Certainly, it was a much different atmosphere than usual. However, once the bus made its departure, it was pretty much back to normal. A long Harry Potter movie played during the three-hour ride down here. We checked into the hotel, a Westin, and grabbed a quick sandwich. The team then headed to Rider University for practice. In an ironic twist, Rutgers, the team we played in the first round of the NCAA tournament, is staying at the same hotel we are. Our bus driver from Dattco is Phil, who never misses a big game or nice trip but somehow seems as of late to "be on a tour" when the trips to Orono, Maine, and Binghamton come up. Oh well, when you have more than three decades of service to a company, you are in a position to choose, and Phil has been with Dattco for that length of time, and has been driving for Hartford women's basketball for 20 years. The weather is sunny and it is cool down here but certainly not as cold as it was in Hartford when we departed a few hours ago.