(left) JP Testwuide convinced his brother Mike to go to CC and "spy" on Scott Owens.
From: Denver Post
by Mike Chambers
.
Hockey games between the University of Denver and Colorado College typically become fierce, but for the first time in the rivalry's 57-year history, this weekend's series will undoubtedly get "testy."
.
J.P Testwuide, a sophomore wing for the Pioneers, will face his younger brother Mike, a freshman wing for the Tigers, in what is believed to be the series' first brother-vs.-brother showdown.
J.P Testwuide, a sophomore wing for the Pioneers, will face his younger brother Mike, a freshman wing for the Tigers, in what is believed to be the series' first brother-vs.-brother showdown.
Be prepared to hear the nickname "Testy" at both ends of the ice.
"I bet my parents are pretty nervous," J.P. (John Paul) said.
The Testwuides (pronounced Test-weed) were born and raised in Vail, where they still live in the summer with their parents, Janet and Paul.
The brothers have a strong bond. They played together at a prep school in Lake Placid, N.Y., and in junior-A for Waterloo of the U.S. Hockey League. J.P., a 22-year-old defenseman, who switched to a checking forward this year, walked on. Mike, 19, wanted to join his brother at Denver but his only scholarship to play Division I in Colorado came from CC.
"I've always wanted to come to CC more, but I wanted to play with my brother," Mike said. "It just really wasn't a good time to come to Denver.
"We knew we wouldn't always play together. At some point you're going to end up at different places. It just so happened that we ended up at rival schools."
Janet said there were dinner conversations about the boys playing in the DU-CC rivalry, but for the same team.
"They would have loved that, but one team wanted one and one team wanted the other," she said. "The big thing was that both boys wanted to play in Colorado. For both to be back here, playing for the two biggest schools, we're just thrilled."
There will be no shortage of sympathy being offered Friday night at the Colorado Springs World Arena or Saturday night at Magness Arena for Paul and Janet.
"We're excited, because we can't lose," Janet said. "We're going to win the game, one way or the other."
Paul recently retired as chief operating officer of Vail Resorts. Janet and Paul met in Vail in the 1970s when they were "professional ski bums." The couple thought they would raise ski racers. Instead, they raised two boys who chose ice over powder, and ended up playing on opposite sides of one of college hockey's biggest rivalries.
DU coach George Gwozdecky likened the situation to seeing brothers playing football at Ohio State and Michigan.
"This is very special and very unique in a rivalry as heated as ours, and probably a little challenging for the family," Gwozdecky said.
Paul and Janet had no allegiance to either program, and were not hockey fans until their boys began playing the game with neighbor Toby Dawson, who won the bronze medal in freestyle skiing at the Turin Olympics.
"Everybody expected us to raise ski racers," Janet said. "But they had no desire to take it to a competitive level."
Janet won't be hard to find this weekend. She'll be the one wearing the combination DU-CC sweater, with TESTWUIDE on the back, split between the school's colors. Her son's initials are on each shoulder. A friend made the jersey for Janet, and her sons have yet to see it.
"They've never fought, never bickered, about the rivalry," she said. "They smile and give you sheepish grins to each other, and they wonder what we're going to wear to the games."
No comments:
Post a Comment