NEW YORK - Minnesota takes a lot of heat for being "flyover country," a landlocked place that lacks the glamour of big cities on the east and west coasts.
One advantage is that hurricanes and other tropical weather events don't have as devastating an impact on the midwest. In the case of Superstorm Sandy, the impact in the Gopher State will be minimal for Minnesotans... unless they somehow find themselves on the eastern seaboard for some reason.
That's the case with Amber Smoczyk of Forest Lake, a sophomore at New York University. Amber and her friends were trapped in their dorm as Sandy swept ashore, knocking out power for more than 8 hours.
The St. Cloud State women's hockey team also had its routine derailed by Sandy. The team was supposed to return home to Minnesota after a two-game weekend series, but was forced to stay in Rhode Island when their flight became one of thousands that was cancelled.
The good news is that the team was able to re-book a flight home at 11:50 a.m. Wednesday. That will allow players to attend classes Thursday and Friday, and host Ohio State Friday for their home opener.
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