Men’s D-I: Maine

Walsh Returns Home

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Maine head coach Shawn Walsh returned home Wednesday evening, five days after surgery to remove a cancerous kidney.

Leger Wins Fifth Annual Humanitarian Award

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Jim Leger is comfortable in the spotlight. As a senior captain of the Maine Black Bears, he’s a celebrity throughout the state. An obvious BMOC at Orono and a hero to youth players in rinks from Boston to Bangor. Yet Leger has generally kept his life off the ice out of the limelight. Until now, … Read more

Legacy Denied

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Another year, another champion. While college hockey’s fraternity of teams is a select few compared to many other NCAA sports, the task of repeating as champion is among the most difficult. With Maine’s semifinal loss to North Dakota, another chance for it to happen — for the first time in 28 years — went by … Read more

The Nightmare

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The nightmare started last Sunday with 1:16 remaining in Maine’s game with Michigan. The Black Bears led, 4-2, and were headed back to the Frozen Four with dreams of becoming the first team to win back-to-back championships since Boston University in 1972. "I was pinching myself, hoping it was a bad dream." — Cory Larose … Read more

Waiting For A Legacy

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They waited on Saturday while Michigan and Colgate battled into overtime for the right to face them. One day later, their well-laid plans began with a wakeup call at seven in the morning, leading up to an intended 3:30 afternoon game against the Wolverines. The Maine Black Bears were looking to become the first team … Read more

Patience Is A Virtue

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“I don’t care about shots on goal…”— Maine coach Shawn Walsh “It’s never a bad idea to shoot.” Fans shake their heads in disgust when their favorite team generates a good offensive chance, only to come away without even a shot. “You can’t score if you don’t shoot.” The power play is a special irritant. … Read more

NCAA Finalists Filipowicz, Michaud Turn Pro

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New Hampshire defenseman Jayme Filipowicz and Maine goaltender Alfie Michaud signed NHL contracts today with the Nashville Predators and Vancouver Canucks, respectively. Both players would have been seniors next season. Michaud’s Black Bears won the 1999 NCAA Division I Championship, 3-2 in overtime, over Filipowicz’s Wildcats. Michaud, 23, was chosen as the tournament’s Most Valuable … Read more

Across The Pond

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Paul Kariya … Brett Hull … Chris Chelios. College hockey fans can point with pride to alums such as these who have made their mark in the National Hockey League. The success of these players is obvious to anyone with a TV or a newspaper box score. But for every college hockey alum in The … Read more

Balancing Their Way To Anaheim

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If you asked coaches what it takes to win a championship, many would tell you good goaltending, great special teams, and plenty of experience. For the University of Maine Black Bears, goaltending and special teams are part of their year-in and year-out plan. But this year’s club possesses only one player with NCAA tournament experience … Read more

Unsung

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Teams that reach the NCAA tournament almost always have their game-breaking stars: the top scorers, the all-league selections, perhaps even All-Americans. But sometimes in the march to a national title, the game-breakers get stymied and the unsung players get their chances to be heroes. While Maine’s stars were hardly stymied in its 4-2 win over … Read more

David Cullen: Quarterback Extraordinaire

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This year, Hockey East instituted a Defensive Player of the Week Award to complement its other awards, which forwards and goaltenders traditionally dominate. After Maine’s first weekend of action, the league selected David Cullen. After Maine’s second weekend of action, the league again selected David Cullen. Two years ago, the Black Bears boasted the best … Read more

Third Kariya Commits To Maine

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Martin Kariya, the 17-year old younger brother of Hobey Baker winner Paul, and current Maine forward Steve, has verbally committed to play hockey for the Black Bears, the Bangor Daily News reported Tuesday. The 5-foot-7, 157-pound Kariya, currently with the Victoria Salsa of the British Columbia Junior Hockey League, selected Maine over Harvard and Denver. … Read more

Former Maine Skater Libby May Lose Eye After On-Ice Injury

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Former Maine defenseman Jeff Libby had his right eye accidentally lanced by a skate Saturday night while playing for the Lowell Lock Monsters in an American Hockey League game against the St. John’s Maple Leafs. Despite a five-hour operation late Saturday night, Libby is likely to lose the affected eye. The injury occurred when Maple … Read more

Former Maine Icer Saunders Killed In Europe

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Lee Saunders, who played hockey at the University of Maine from 1991-94, was killed June 13 in the Netherlands when he fell from a train platform outside Amsterdam and was hit by an oncoming train. Saunders, 28, is best remembered by hockey fans for scoring the overtime game-winner for Maine against the University of Michigan … Read more

Little Big Men

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They’re the little waterbugs that drive an opposing defenseman nuts, darting elusively this way and that, always staying out of arm’s reach, posing the ultimate threat to his dignity. You let that midget beat you? Put a puck on their sticks and you can hear the extra buzz of anticipation in the crowd. Something exciting … Read more

Maine Loses Kariya To Collapsed Lung, Price To Major Juniors

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Maine junior winger Steve Kariya remained hospitalized Monday with a collapsed lung suffered early in Maine’s Feb. 28 game against Nebraska-Omaha. Kariya, the nation’s 11th-leading scorer with 23-23-46 in 30 games, was hit while holding his breath, resulting in the puncture. He is expected to be out for this week’s action, but is probable for … Read more

Charges Against Maine Players Dropped

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The Penobscot County district attorney’s office announced Tuesday that it will not prosecute University of Maine hockey players Shawn Mansoff and Matt Oliver on charges of criminal threatening. Mansoff, a sophomore from Edmonton, Alb., and Oliver, a junior from Euclid, Oh., were accused with participating in a racial incident last month in which junior goaltender … Read more

Three Maine Students Charged

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Three members of Maine’s men’s hockey team face charges of criminal threatening, and will appear in Bangor District Court on Jan. 16, 1998. The charges come following a Dec. 14 incident in which one student allegedly made “reprehensible” comments, and at least one student may be charged with making racial slurs in violation of Maine’s … Read more