College of St. Rose

The New York Rangers faithful needed little to get them going on Thursday at Madison Square Garden for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the defending two-time Stanley Cup Champion, Tampa Bay Lightning. Throughout the Blueshirts magical postseason run, celebrities and pro athletes have lit up the Garden's Jumbotron, much to the crowd's delight.

Playing Division I opponents in exhibition games is nothing new for the College of St. Rose basketball program. The Division II program, nestled in Pine Hills section of the City of Albany, has made the I-90 trip to the Carrier Dome to take on Jim Boeheim's Syracuse Orange for a preseason matchup. Trust me, Boeheim doesn't waste time. If an exhibition opponent isn't going to challenge his players like he needs, they aren't playing his team in the preseason. That is why I could never understand why Siena nor UAlbany would play St. Rose in an exhibition.