Tim Whitehead took over a team devastated by the death of its popular coach, Shawn Walsh, in September. He watched the Maine Black Bears start out 3-4-2. But in the end, his team fell just an overtime goal short of the NCAA title. Whitehead Because of his team’s efforts, Whitehead was voted the winner of … Read more
Maine wasted no time naming Tim Whitehead its permanent head coach, signing him to a new deal Monday. The announcement came from athletic director Sue Tyler during the team’s welcome rally at Alfond Arena. Whitehead Whitehead had previously been interim coach, his appointment coming after Shawn Walsh died from complications due to kidney cancer last … Read more
If you have a grandson who is very dear to you and he’s an athlete, there are few thrills greater than watching him compete for a national championship. So when Chris Heisten’s grandfather settled into his seat at the Xcel Energy Center to watch Maine take on top-seeded New Hampshire on Thursday, it was with … Read more
After three years in relative obscurity, Maine’s Mike Morrison stepped into the spotlight.
For Maine, reaching the Frozen Four produced a sense that 2002 almost seems like 1999. Jim Connelly reports.
The Frozen Four opening game on Thursday featuring Maine and New Hampshire is a battle of two teams that, despite solid goaltending, have question marks between the pipes. UNH has alternated much of the season between Michael Ayers and Matt Carney. Maine rode Mike Morrison much of the season, but has turned to seasoned Matt … Read more
In some ways, Maine had the toughest road to the Frozen Four of the semifinalist schools. New Hampshire and Minnesota were bye teams while Michigan got to play on home ice in front of its raucous fans. The Wolverines did face tougher opponents, at least on paper, but had the proverbial seventh player from the … Read more
Lucas Lawson entered the year with high expectations. Meeting them was neither easy nor quick, but the junior forward helped get Maine to the Frozen Four, Jim Connelly notes.
The buildup began today for the 2002 Frozen Four when coaches from the respective schools participated in a media conference call. This year’s Frozen Four takes place April 4 and 6 in St. Paul, Minn., at the XCel Energy Center, home of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild, a stone’s throw from the University of Minnesota, one … Read more
Rankings, schmankings. Though some may cry foul about the seedings and the placements, one thing is for sure: in the East Regional most of the bids were earned the old-fashioned way. In this era of objective criteria — of coaches and administrators huddled about a computer, or deciphering rows of text to decide the field … Read more
For the first time since the inception of the 12-team bracket in 1988, the Division I NCAA tournament has a strict regionalized arrangement. Years ago, college hockey put in a series of bracketing rules in order to get away from regionalization, mandating, for example, that the bottom two seeds in each region should flip-flop with … Read more
It’s been two months since the death of Shawn Walsh, but his spirit is undeniably present at Alfond Arena. Dave Hendrickson talks to the Maine Black Bears about their legendary head coach, and the meaning of hockey in the wake of his passing.
It’s anyone’s guess how well the Maine team will cope with the death of its long-time leader, Shawn Walsh. “It’s a huge impact,” says assistant coach Grant Standbrook. “We loved the guy. [Anyone who] saw the team at the funeral would know what I was referring to. They were all in tears and devastated by … Read more
Few people at USCHO had a relationship with Shawn Walsh that followed him through his rise, fall, and rise again. Mike Machnik is one of them, and his personal tale is a lasting tribute to a coach we lost much too soon.
The family of Maine coach Shawn Walsh has announced the following funeral arrangements: Friends may visit on Friday, Sept. 28 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. at St. John’s Catholic Church on 207 York in Bangor, Maine. The funeral will take place Saturday, Sept. 29 at 10 a.m. at St. John’s. In addition, the University … Read more
His passion for teaching, for Maine, and for college hockey were legendary, and Shawn Walsh had an impact on everyone who met him. USCHO’s Dave Hendrickson offers an appreciation of the man and his legacy.
Shawn Walsh, who led the University of Maine to two national championships in 17 years, died Monday afternoon at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Maine, after a 15-month battle against a rare form of cancer. He was 46.
Maine coach Shawn Walsh, hospitalized on Sept. 10 because he was having trouble breathing, is “getting stronger” every day, according to a story in the Bangor Daily News. Neither the Eastern Maine Medical Center nor the Maine Sports Information Department have been authorized to confirm any details, but Walsh’s younger brother, Kevin, told the Daily … Read more
Maine head coach Shawn Walsh, battling kidney cancer since last summer, is in stable condition after being admitted to the intensive care unit of a Bangor hospital. Walsh, 45, checked himself into the hospital Monday because he was having trouble breathing. According to an article in the Bangor Daily News, Walsh’s condition is improving, despite … Read more
Maine announced the hiring of Tim Whitehead as an assistant coach today. Whitehead, a former assistant under head coach Shawn Walsh, returns to Maine after spending the last 10 years at UMass-Lowell, the last five as head coach. He fills the vacancy created by the departure of Gene Reilly to the Grand Rapids Griffins of … Read more