Last year, Tom Ruzzo barked this phrase to the Dartmouth players in a hotel or opposing rink to make sure all his teammates were on the men's hockey bus.

There is a standard rule when the Big Green goes on the road. The players must be on the bus before head coach Roger Demment. If the players aren't quick, they might have to find their own way to the next destination.

But when Dartmouth went road-tripping to Cornell and Colgate, that phrase backfired for Ruzzo, who is now a senior. The squad was waiting on the bus for seniors Alex Dumas and Owen Hughes, and Ruzzo joking yelled the quote, not knowing that Demment had already gotten on the bus. The bus started to move as Dumas and Hughes came running out of the hotel with their equipment in hand.

Ruzzo -- who stands six feet tall -- felt more like he was six inches tall.

Stories and experiences like this plus playing hockey are an important part of the Dartmouth experience for Ruzzo who had an strong rookie year when he hit campus for the 1993-94 season.

In his first year, the forward played in 27 games, scoring seven goals (four on the power play) and nine assists. On December 22, 1993, Ruzzo was named to the ECAC honor roll after scoring two goals, including the game-winning goal and an assist in the 11-4 victory vs. Vermont the weekend before. That season he was the leading freshman point scorer for Dartmouth.

"It was an easy year," Ruzzo, a native of Medfield, Mass. said. "As a freshman, there was no pressure on me. I could just play hockey."

During the middle of his sophomore year, Ruzzo injured the MCL in his right knee after competing in only four games and was sidelined the rest of the season.

As a junior last year, Ruzzo played an important role during the playoff run, boosting the Dartmouth offense by notching five points on four goals and an assist. This season, despite not playing as much as he would like, he still continues to try to crack into the lineup, each and every day at practice. Ruzzo knows this year is almost over, but he could have another year of eligibility, due to the injury, and he is hopes to continue his career.

"I'd like to play in some more games," he said. "Like every athlete, I'd like to have the opportunity to show what I can do."

Through thick and thin, Ruzzo has stuck with the Big Green. His teammates recognize that, resulting in even more respect for the senior.

"Tom's greatest contribution to the team has been his perseverance," senior Darren Wercinski said. "He has fought through a lot of adversity and every year, when he gets his opportunity, he proves that he is a valuable asset to this club."

While his playing time has been limited due to injury, Ruzzo -- away from the ice -- has enjoyed the company of a group of friends he will never forget.

"The guys on the team are who I will remember most," he said. "What other sport do athletes go into the locker room an hour and a half before practice to hang out? From three in the afternoon to seven at night we are at practice and in the locker room -- four days a week, for two terms all four years. I have great bonds that I will take away with me from Dartmouth."

At the end of the year, when graduation sends the seniors their separate ways, Ruzzo will also have a bond with the underclass teammates that will not be broken for a lifetime.

"Tommy shares a true love for the game," junior David Whitworth said. "Day in and day out, regardless of whether or not he is in the lineup, he contributes an awful lot to the team. He is one of the boys in every sense: always having two cents to add, a story to tell and jokes to share. He is a character, on and off the ice."