My last post, I talked about the Miracle on Ice.Our neighbors up north have a similar story.1972 was the first ever Summit Series between Canada and the Soviet Union.The event was an eight game series between the two nations in September.Unlike Team USA, Canada was made up of NHL players.Canada was missing two of their best players, Bobby Orr who was out with an injury.Bobby Hall was named to the team but since he signed with a World Hockey Association team, he was ruled ineligible.Team Canada thought they were going to walk over the Soviets.
That changed in Game one at the legendary Montreal Forum.The Soviet Union defeated Canada 7-3.It was the coming out party for Valery Kharlamov who had two goals in the win.Canada came back in the Second game at the MapleLeafGardens in Toronto.They won 4-1.In Winnipeg, Canada held a 4-2 lead but the game ended in a 4-4 tie.
Game 4 was held in Vancouver and the Soviets took the game 5-3.The fans booed Canada off the ice.Phil Esposito who played for the Boston Bruins went on National Television:
"To the people across Canada, we tried, we gave it our best, and to the people that boo us, geez, I'm really, all of us guys are really disheartened and we're disillusioned, and we're disappointed at some of the people. We cannot believe the bad press we've got, the booing we've gotten in our own buildings. If the Russians boo their players, the fans... Russians boo their players... Some of the Canadian fans—I'm not saying all of them, some of them booed us, then I'll come back and I'll apologize to each one of the Canadians, but I don't think they will. I'm really, really... I'm really disappointed. I am completely disappointed. I cannot believe it. Some of our guys are really, really down in the dumps, we know, we're trying, like, hell, I mean, we're doing the best we can, and they got a good team, and let's face facts. But it doesn't mean that we're not giving it our 150%, because we certainly are."
This statement motivated the entire country.There was two week break.They played two games against Sweden defeating them 4-1 and tying them 4-4.Game one had two officials from West Germany that will pop up later in the series.Three players left Canada for various reasons.They were Vic Hadfield, Rick Martin, Gilbert Perreault and Jocelyn Guevremont.3,000 Canadians made the trip to the Soviet Union.
Game Five Canada had a 4-1 lead but ended up losing 5-4.Canada came back to win game 6 3-2 but was upset with the officiating of the two West German referees.Canada had 31 penalty minutes compared to the USSR’s 4 minutes.The Series changed when John Ferguson, Sr., an assistant coach with Team Canada, was quoted as saying "I called (Bobby) Clarke over to the bench, looked over at Kharlamov and said, 'I think he needs a tap on the ankle.”Bobby Clarke who was part of the Philadelphia Flyers’ “Broad Street Bullies” slashed Kharlamov ankle.The ankle was fractured but continued to play the game.Canada would win Game 7 4-3.USSR’s Boris Mikhailov had a fight with Canada’s Gary Bergman.Boris kicked Gary two times with his skate.
If you asked any Canadian about Paul Henderson, only one thing will come up."The goal heard around the world".The entire country was shutdown on September 28th, 1972.Jean-Paul Parise was giving a game misconduct after the Canadians questioned a marginal call.He almost threw his stick at the West German officials.It was tied 2-2 after one period.After two periods the Soviets had a 5-3 advantage.In the third period, Phil Esposito and Yvan Cournoye scored to tie it up.After Cournoyer's goal, Alan Eagleson who put Team Canada together (seated across the ice from the Team Canada bench) caused a ruckus in the crowd because the goal light had not come on. As he was being subdued by the Soviet police, the Canadian players headed over, Peter Mahovlich actually going over the boards to confront police with his stick. Eagleson was freed and the players escorted him across the ice to the bench. In anger, he shoved his fist to the Soviet crowd, as a few other Canadian supporters also gave the finger to the Soviets. The Soviets notified the Canadians that if the game ended in a tie, the Soviets would win the series on goal differential.With 34 seconds remaining, the above mentioned Paul Henderson jammed in a rebound behind Soviet goaltender Vladislav Tretiak.It gave Canada 6-5 win and more importantly the Series victory.
The two nations celebrated the 35th anniversary this past summer, with the Super Series. An Eight game event that had Canada's best U-20 players against Russia's best U-20 team. Canada won the series 7-0-1. Milan Lucic, Sam Gagner, David Perron, Jonathan Bernier, Steve Mason, and Claude Giroux all participated for Team Canada. Each have seen time in the NHL this season. Bernier is currently with the Lewiston Maineiacs and Perron played for the Maineiacs last year. Milan Lucic is currently with the Boston Bruins.
(Nathan also is a writer for MVN.com. He's the writer for the Asylum which covers the Lewiston Maineiacs of the QMJHL. He's also a regular contributor to the NHL Source also at MVN.com. He can be reached at fbbhgfan@aol.com)
Whether or not you've heard, an amateur premier soccer league is coming to Bangor. The Maine Sting (men) and the Maine Tide (women) will open their schedules on may 24th at Boucher stadium on the campus of Husson College.
Now I understand many may not be interested in soccer at all, primarily because those who do not like it, have never given a decent level of soccer a glance live, on site. The same goes for those who enjoy a hockey game live in the arena, but can't enjoy trying to follow the puck at home on TV. Understandable. However, with the Maine Sting and Tide, there is something truly remarkable going on. Besides President of both teams, Cheryl Stokes, and VP Seth Brown, all of the teams' staff are comprised of college students. That's right, college students.
Myself, along with about 15 others are in charge of everything from expenses to music and entertainment on game days. These internships are countable for school credit and are done on will and pride to get the teams off the ground only. Try outs for the teams will be in April and the majority of the home schedule will be in May and June.
(Reid works as the Public Address Announcer for Husson College Athletics and is also the team Media Relations, Internet Content Supervisor and Public Address Announcer for the Maine Sting and Maine Tide, semi-pro men and women's soccer teams coming to Bangor in 2008)
All Tournament teams will be coming out soon enough. I didn't see enough of the western teams to judge them, so here are my picks for the east.
A East: Ryan Weston-Bangor-MVP Jon McAllian-Bangor Corey Therriault-Edward Little Jamie Sawyer-Mt.Blue Andy Poulin-Lawrence
Weston and McAllian are obvious picks for this list. Bangor is going to states and they are the heart and soul of that team. Therriault did a great job leading his EL team to the EM finals and coming oh so close to upsetting Bangor. I was pulling for them hard. Jamie Sawyer and his Mt. Blue team lost to Bangor in the semi finals in a hard fought game. Mt. Blue worked the ball around over and over until Bangor's defense would break. They were led by Sawyer and his leadership This led to a very low scoring 4-2 first quarter,but Bangor ended up pulling through in the end. Poulin was another semi final loser and he took his Lawrence team against EL but ended up loosing big.
Class B Ryan Martin-MVP-Maranacook Derek Libbey-Mattanawcook Graham Safford-Camden Hills Adam Kingsbury-Presque Isle Devin Garrity- Maranacook
Ryan Martin is the cream of the crop in Class B. He won his second Eastern Maine title this year by just ripping up every opponant he faced. His teamate Devin Garrity is a HUGE reason why Maranacook had the success they did. He set the record for three's in one tournament by hitting 11...and it only took him 15 shots! He broke the back of Camden Hills with back to back three's to end any hopes they had of coming back. Derek Libbey was a semi final loser, but he surely went down with a bang. He dropped 27 points against Maranacook, and any other night, that probably would have been enough to upset the Black Bears....however, this was a game where the record for total 3's was broken, and most of those came from the Maranacook side who didn't miss a shot. That was goodbye to Mr. Libbey and friends. Always has been one of my favorite players to watch. Adam Kingsbury. I've watched him devlop since his 7th grade year...and after all of those years, the way he went out was perfect. Kingsbury took his PI Wildcats vs. the heavily favored Camden Hills Windjammers and was one shot away from victory. Kingsbury dropped 31 points on Camden Hills by just scoring at will, from wherever he wanted to on the floor. Kingsbury also had the jumpshot with 22 seconds left to put PI up by one in overtime, but that wasn't enough, as Camden hit the game winner with 6.2 seconds remaining. Graham Safford proved to all that being a freshman doesn't matter. Safford played an outstanding tournament including 16 points vs. PI, and played a big part in the come back they had to make in the 4th quarter. Class C: Rod Tirrell Cal Shorey Lowell Rodriguez Parker
Tirrell was the leader of the currently 63 straight win Calias boys. He scored and scored and scored, and then scored some more....and then for good measure, he scored again. A HUGE reason why Calias is in the position they are. Junior Cal Shorey is also a giant reason why Calias will be playing for a state championship...again. Shorey gives the Blue Devils an inside presence and also has a nice little 15 footer. Shorey was huge throughout all of tournament. Mike Lowell was the heart and soul of a Schenck team that went through alot of adversity. Lowell's performance in the Semi's almost led to a huge upset over Lee Academy and it probably would have had it not been for the outstanding play of the next kid, Devan Parker. Parker was part of the "three headed monster" that Lee Academy had this season. Devan's performance in the Semifinals SAVED Lee from getting upset. I believe he finished with 16 points and 19 rebounds. Enough said. Last but not least is another member of the "three headed monster" Hakeen Rodriguez. Rodriguez went through more this season than anyone could...from recruiting rumors to three technicals in one game to suspensions. Rodriguez turned all of this around and ripped up tournament, leading Lee to an EM runner up title.
All of these players stepped their game up on the biggest stage, and even though only one team can win...all of them should be proud of their accomplishments.
Bangor will be taking on Cheverus for the Class A state title. This is a tale of two different teams. Bangor has had a couple close games, but has yet to lose, and usually just kicks the crap out of everyone in the second half after giving them false hopes in the first....where Cheverus went on a little 3 game loosing streak in the middle of the season and came on strong late. Bangor is the obvious favorite in this game, but here is 7 reasons why they could lose. 1. Game is at CCCC 2. Cheverus played best defense I have seen all year holding TA to 31 points!!!...they extended zone to deny "3" and collapsed around ball whenever it went inside...there was great movement and teamwork to their zone/man concepts...this is a key!!!!!!!!!! 3. Pressure can screw up Bangor offensive flow....never would have thought this of Bangor team but it is so...EL forced 29 turnovers on Rams by putting wilting pressure on them for full length of court and pressure is Cheverus stock in trade...coupled with this, Bangor has an Achilles heel and that is they really have no true point guard or floor general....this is a huge liability against a team like Cheverus... 4. Bangor has some players that drift off into LaLa land at worst time...they just zone and space out... or float off to another planet...it has to drive Reed crazy 5. Bobby is a terrific coach...Reed's equal...... who will have his team prepared to play 6. 3 weeks ago I would not have given Cheverus a chance in hell to beat Bangor...they had just come off a 20 plus point loss to SOPO in their own gym....and lost 3 straight...yet some how this coach and his players have turned things around...I give them great credit for this....they are playing incredible D and are really running the court....their spacing and passing on offense has improved...Faithful is playing with much more assertiveness...DiStasio is really rrrruuuuuuunnnnnnnnnnning not just bombing......Alston is ruuuuunnnnnning too.....this is a different Cheverus team... 7. Bangor's persona has never been as a kick butt take no prisoners macho adrenalin type team....they play a cerebral, efficient,almost passionless game....it works for them...but there are times when it drifts into an almost too calm lackadaisical style...
On February 14th a gunman walked onto the Northern Illinois campus and killed 5 people before finally taking his own life....
Last night-twelve days after the shooting, NIU returned to the basketball court which marked their first sporting event since that infamous day...
Everyone in the Convocation Center took a moment of silence while the Northern Illinois players remained in a circle with their arms linked with their opponents, the Western Michigan Broncos.
It was without a doubt an emotional night that was one step forward in the healing process. The Convocation Center was peppered with signs of support for the Huskies. For the first time since the 13th of February, the NIU fight song was played at an athletic event. And even the opposition wore black bands to show their support.
Although NIU lost the game 56-49, it didn't seem to matter. What this university had been through was something that can hardly be described in words. Last night was just step one in what will be a long process of healing for the huskies and their fans.
In case you didn't know, there's another team in Tennessee besides the Vols and the Memphis Tigers. That team would be Vanderbilt; the 14th ranked team in the country that throughout this season has been overshadowed by the powerhouses that are Tennessee and Memphis. All of that should change now however after Vandy knocked off the No.1 team in the country wednesday night(Tennessee) in a tight 72-69 game.
Shane Foster led the way for Vanderbilt with 32 points after going 6-9 behind the three-point line.
Although the game is being considered an upset, coming into the game Vanderbilt had won 16 in a row at home. And they were ranked 14th in the country with the game being an in-state rivalry.
Being the No.1 team in the country was short lived for Tennessee who had the seed for only a day. Tennessee just came off their big win over Memphis to earn the spot, but will now fall after the loss making the way for what will most likely be North Carolina sitting at No.1
This past Friday was the 28th anniversary of the greatest upset.February 22nd, 1980 is simply known as “Do You Believe in Miracles?”That’s right; the United States Olympic Hockey Team defeating the greatest hockey team ever assembled, the Soviet Union.The final score was 4-3.
What makes it so special?This was the days before the NHL players were allowed to play in the Olympics.Team USA was made of college players or players that just finished their college career.The Soviet Union was made up of professional players in the Soviet Union.Half of the players on the USSR team were members of the CSKA Moscow club team.They were simply known as the “Red Army Team.”They trained 11 months out of the year and lived in military homes.They couldn’t even sleep with their wives.Team USA was put together 7 months before the games started.
The season before the Olympics, the Soviets defeated the NHL All-Stars 6-0 and 5-4 in a three game series.The NHL won the first game 4-2.Two of the greatest players to play the game were on the USSR, Vladislav Tretiak and Valery Kharlamov.Tretiak is probably the greatest goalie to play the game.He was the first non-NHL player inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame.Valery Kharlamov was known as the Russian Gretzky.He had 370 goals and 303 assists in 548 games.He died a year later in a car crash.He was also inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Neal Broten had the best pro career for the Americans.He had 923 points in 1,099 games.Mike Ramsey also had a long career in the NHL.The captain Mike Eruzione who got the game winning goal, called it a career after the games.
What made the game so great, the hype was built on its own.ESPN was just six months old and it wasn’t artificially hyping the game.This game took place in the middle of the Cold War.That was enough to get both nations to watch it.The win boasted the nation’s morale after the Iran Hostage crisis and the USSR invading Afghanistan. USA defeated Finland to capture the gold medal.
(Nathan also is a writer for MVN.com. He's the writer for the Asylum which covers the Lewiston Maineiacs of the QMJHL. He's also a regular contributor to the NHL Source also at MVN.com. He can be reached at fbbhgfan@aol.com)
There has always been a question that not many people have been able to answer regarding college sports: should a sports team be obligated to play on a national holiday? The question was raised when it was announced that Texas and Texas A & M would continue their rivalry during a football game on Thanksgiving for the next two seasons. This season will mark the first time since 1993 that the teams have gone head-to-head on Thanksgiving. The two teams have faced off 60 times on Thanksgiving, with the first ever meeting coming way back in 1894.
It may be a tradition for these two teams to meet on the Thanksgiving holiday, but I feel like times change and they should be home enjoying time with their families. I didn’t see any problem with having the teams play the day after the holiday. Let’s be serious. When the teams are on the field, you can’t tell me that they aren’t thinking of how nice it would be to sit down in front of a turkey with all the trimmings with their families.
News came out of the Division I Women’s Soccer Committee meeting involving the possibility of realignment. Some of the areas that would receive attention would be the number of regions that would compete. Currently there are six separate regions. With the realignment proposal, this would increase to eight regions. This would allow for all teams in one conference to belong to one region. One of the big questions about this proposal was whether it would cause the NCAA to reevaluate how it awards championship points to the teams. The answer is that it wouldn’t affect the scoring scheme.
One of the positives of the realignment proposal is that with the addition of two more regions, it will help raise the number of awards given to student-athletes for their performances on and off the field from the coaches association.
I believe that this may be a good thing for the Division I Women’s Soccer teams because it will allow for more schools to be recognized. The realignment may also allow for the NCAA to better officiate games because the teams will be regionalized and play under the same policies.
Wes Clark was able to score the game winning goal in overtime to complete the sweep of UMass on Sunday afternoon with a 5-4 final score. The game was nationally televised on ESPNU. It was the second goal of the game for Clark and it came at a good time. Maine improves to 10-17-3 on the season and 6-14-3 in Hockey East play, while UMass falls to 11-13-6 overall and 6-12-5 in conference play.
Ben Bishop made 36 saves as he improves to 11-17-3 on the season. Dainton made 12 saves in 38:56, while Meyers stopped 12 shots in 22:56. Meyers picks up the loss and falls to 2-2 on the season.
The Black Bears return to action on Friday, Feb. 29 when they travel to Vermont for a game with the Catamounts.
On Saturday February 23, 2008 the Memphis Tigers suffered their first loss of the season to the number two ranked Tennessee Volunteers. The Volunteers are now number one in the country followed by North Carolina and Memphis. This loss doesn't just snap the overall winning streak but it also affected the 47 game winning streak at home for Memphis. Tyler Smith hit a turnaround jumper in the lane with 28 seconds left to put the dagger right through the hearts of the Tigers and their fans. This loss could be essential for the Tigers that way they have a lot less pressure of being undefeated going into the March Madness Tournament. A loss now is a better than losing anytime during the tournament because a loss means a quick one way ticket back to your school just to watch the team that beat you go on further into the tournament.
The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee has a new member. Mike Bobinski, director of athletics at Xavier University, has been appointed to the committee effective September 1, 2008. He will serve on the panel for the next five years. Bobinski replaces Horizon League Commissioner Jon LeCrone, whose term ends in August. This committee helps run the Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament by selecting and seeding all of the teams. They also have a say in where games in the preliminary rounds of the tournament are played.
I believe that Bobinski will bring a lot of fresh ideas to the table as the newest member of the committee, based on his combination of prior experiences and strong leadership skills.
Jeffrey H. Orleans, executive director of the Ivy Group Presidents Council, has announced that he will step down and retire effective June 30, 2009. A search for Orleans’ replacement will commence in the fall of 2008. He has served as the executive director for the last 24 years. As the executive director, Orleans has served as both the CEO of the Ivy League athletics conference and has shown support for non-athletics Council initiatives.
I believe that Orleans has made the right decision in making his retirement announcement now instead of waiting until 2009. I feel that this will allow the Ivy League Presidents Council to take their time and find the right successor for the job. Orleans’ dedication and commitment to furthering the NCAA is evident through his many years of loyal service as executive director, and he will be missed by members of the organization.
Presque Isle...you guys had an amazing run. No one expected you to be in the position you were...2nd seed going into tournament, even Coach Prescott said he thought you would be fighting for a home pre elim....and especially...well just read the game predictions..."If Presque Isle loses by 20 that will be a victory for them." No one predicted you to even be able to be on the same floor as Camden...yet you took them to OT and were one shot away from beating them. To the seniors Adam, Elizan, Steve, Bennett, and Nic...you guys were amazing. Love all of you on and off the court. It's really been a joy to watch all of you mature into great basketball players. You all worked really hard to be in the position you were and will for sure not be forgotten in a long long time. Coach Prescott..hope you come back for one more go at it... Love you guys
Well folks! It comes down to this. The two best teams in class B duking it out for the Eastern Maine Championship. These teams met up once in the regular season with Maranacook taking that competition and then once in the meaningless KVAC championship game where Camden won in OT. Camden is led by seniors Paul Campbell and Gordan Fischer...but don't think that's all they have. Camden can run 12 deep any night and they play a really tough in your face defense that even disturbs the likes of Ryan Martin. Camden got to this position by beating PI in a very close, very exciting overtime win by 1. Maranacook once again goes into tournament as the #1 for the third straight year. Maranacook did not lose a single game during the regular season and still remains perfect at 20-0. They are led by Superstar senior Ryan Martin, Will Bardaglio, and Mike Poulin. They will no doubt be the favorites to win this game and it will be their second eastern maine title in the last 3 years.
I have grown up over the past 21 years of my life as an avid fan and consistant attendee of the Maine Principals' Association Invitational basketball tournament. As the son of the MPA Executive Director, Dick Durost, I am one of the few that get access to the tournament at anytime, anywhere, at no cost, something I truly am thankful for, being the fan of the tournament that I am.
This year however is different. I have been the public address announcer at the Augusta Civic Center at a few games over the past several years for the Western Maine tournament, but this year, like I said, is different. I have the extreme pleasure and honor to announce at arguably the most storied and treasured buildings in the state, The Bangor Auditorium.
For all that it is now, and for all that it has been and will be, the Auditorium is a vastly unique venue for basketball considering that everything in the building and the building itself is somewhat old. The shape of the hall is like a "V" with the basketball floor in the middle at the bottom of the "V." As you could imagine, every bit of sound created in the building is funnelled directly to the floor.
Getting the chance to announce at the Auditorium will live with me forever, especially with the fact that it may longer excist in five or six years. With that said, I am enjoying every second of the opportunity. My fellow announcers have been nothing but accomodating, gracious and welcoming to have "the young guy" aboard this year. This is something I will never forget.
Presque Isle high school center Adam Kingsbury will walk away from his high school carreer schocked, though to his credit, he should have no reason to feel let down. The 6'3 Wildcat center scored a game high 31 points in a game where Presque Isle led untill the second minute of overtime.
Camden Hills, led by senior guard Paul Cambell, took charge and shocked the 'Cats in overtime with what seemed to be slighty better conditioning and lighting speed and agility.
Camden Hills will face either #1 Maranacook or #4 Mattanawcook this weekend in the boys Class B Eastern Maine final. The Bears of Maranacook are led by senior Ryan Martin who seemingly can score at will.
The Presque Isle/Camden Hills game, was by far the best boys game of the tournament so far. Presque Isle took a decent 10 point lead into the fourth quarter and saw it slip away at the hands of Campbell and Senior Guard Christian Pieri.
Look for the Eastern Maine boys Class B final to be an exciting one.
I found a partial list of the players that will be invited to the USA National Team Development Program Under 17 Team tryouts for next season.I found the list on the Boston Advantages website.
Jon Merrill/LD -Little Caesars U-18. 6-3/180. 03 FEB 92 Austin Watson/RC - Compuware U-16. 6-2/165. 13 JAN 92 Andy Iiles/G - SalisburySchool. 5-8 /150. 30 JAN 92 Michael Mersch/LW - Team Illinois. 6-1/178. 02 OCT92 Willie Yanakeff/G - Honeybaked U-16. 6-3/190. 30 APR 92 Dominic Racobaldo/LD - Shattuck St. Mary's. 6-2/190. 03 JUN 92 Alex Aleardi/RC - Compuware U-16. 5-9/145. 30 JUL 92 Alex Lippincott/LW - Cleveland Barons U-18. 6-0/167. 23 MAR 92 David Mead/LD - Binghamton Jr. Senators. 6-1/193. 24 AUG 92 Taylor Burden/LW - Toronto Marlies. 5-10/165. 25 FEB 92 Brian Billett/G - Seacoast Spartans U-16. 6-1/171. 19 MAR 92 Brandon Saad/LW - Pittsburgh Hornets. 6-2/185. 27 OCT 92 Kyle Cook/RC - Compuware U-16. 6-3/185. 08 MAY 92 Aadam Clendening/RD - Toronto Marlies. 5-11/158. 26 OCT 92 Brandon Archibald/RD - Honeybaked U-18. 6-3/180. 31 MAR 92 Brian Harris/LD - Boston Advantage U- 18. 5-9/165. 08 JUN 92 Jack Campbell/G - Honeybaked U-18. 6-1/153. 09 JAN 92 Andrew Sinelli/LW - Honeybaked U-16. 5-10/155. 23 MAR 92 Michael Reardon/RD - Noble & Greenough. 6-1/170. 05 MAY 92 Jared Knight/RW - Compuware U-16. 5-10/170. 16 JAN 92 Stephen Johns/RD - Pittsburgh Hornets. 6-3/195. 18 APR 92 Michael Gunn/LD - Compuware U-16. 6-2/170. 11 MAY 92 Connor Brickley/LC - Belmont Hill. 6-0/180. 25 FEB 92 Brandon Russo/LD - Mid Fairfield/Salisbury School. 5-8/160. 26 MAR 92 Brent Darnell/RC - Catholic Central H.S. 5-11/170. 23 MAR 92 Brandon Moore/LC - NJ Avalanche/TP School. 5-7/153. 15 JAN 92 Charles Orzetti/LC - NJ Devils Youth. 6-2/185. 28 Feb 92 Kevin Gravel/LD - Marquette Electricians. 6-3/175. 06 MAR 92 Kevin Clare/LD - New Jersey Hitmen. 6-1/190. 13 MAR 92 Nick Luce/RW - Seacoast Spartans. 5-9 160. 28 FEB 92 Thane Heller/LW - The Gunnery. 6-1/191. 15 JAN 92 Nathan Hardiman/RW - Boston Advantage/Xaverian 5-11/185 28 MAR 92 Quinn Smith/LW - Mid Fairfield/Avon Old Farms - 5-6/165. 11 JAN 92 Jarred Tinordi/LD - Washington JR. Nationals. 6-3/167. 20 FEB 92 Tyler Bouchard/RC - Mid Fairfield . 5-9/ 185. 21 MAR 92 Bryan Rust/LW - Honeybaked U-16. 5-10/170. 11 MAY 92 Nick Thompson/G - Simsbury H.S. 6-1/192. 19 JAN 92 Michael Houser/G - Little Caesars U-16. 6-0/165. 13 SEPT 92 Brock Labelle/RC - Compuware U-16. 5-10/163. 01 JUL 92 Ryan Randall/LW - New Hampshire JR. Monarchs. 5-11/180. 20 FEB 92
Austin Watson is a Maine recruit for the 2010 season.I am surprised to see Stuart Higgins not invited to tryout. He's also a 2010 recruit. Brian Billet is a Maine native and is playing for NorthYarmouthAcademy.Jon Merrill and Luke Moffatt are rumored to have already been offered a spot on the team next year. I believe the tryouts are in the spring.
That’s My Take
Nathan Fournier
(Nathan also is a writer for MVN.com. He's the writer for the Asylum which covers the Lewiston Maineiacs of the QMJHL. He's also a regular contributor to the NHL Source also at MVN.com. He can be reached at fbbhgfan@aol.com)
On Saturday the No. 1 team in the country, the Memphis Tigers will face the No.2 team in the country, the Tennessee Volunteers. It will mark the first time since 1998 that the top two teams from the same state will play each other.
As of Tuesday, tickets were being sold online for as much as 10,000 dollars and are being sought after by fans everywhere.
This is the highest either team has ever been ranked, and you throw in the fact that its an in-state clash, you can see why both schools have having problems getting alumni to the game.
Tennessee has said Peyton Manning will be in attendance, but almost missed out on tickets himself. Manning went to Tennessee of course, before being drafted by the Colts.
The words exchanged between Coach Krzyzewski and Roy Williams this week weren't exactly friendly towards one another. Just adding fuel to the fire between these two rivaled schools. Williams took exception to a comment made by Krzyzewski on Sunday that the Blue Devils don't discuss injuries "unlike other schools." That was said by Coach K when asked about injury reports. While Krzyzewski never mentioned the third-ranked Tar Heels specifically, Williams felt the statement was a subtle jab at his team, which has had a much-publicized run of injuries and ailments in the past two weeks. It was enough to have Williams, in a comment on his weekly radio show Monday, telling an unspecified person to "coach their own damn team, I'll coach my team." To be honest this whole situation is just ridiculous and needs to stop. These two teams need to be a lot more worried about the Memphis Tigers then they do arguing back and forth about some injury reports.
During a recent interview coach Krzyzewski said that he wouldn't talk about their injury report. He added that the blue devils don't discuss their injuries "unlike other schools."
While coach K never mentioned North Carolina by name, coach Roy Williams took exception to the comment and felt the statement was a shot at his team. Williams fired back on his radio show saying "coach their own damn team, I'll coach my team."
Williams in the past has gone on record of saying he has a tremendous amount of respect for Krzyzewski. But he said he felt the comment was a shot at his coaching decisions and his team.
This entire situation may be being blown out of proportion by the media. But this is without a doubt the biggest rivalry in college basketball, and to some; the biggest rivalry in all sports. Roy Williams is taking a big risk either way by drawing all this negative attention to his team and could be playing into coach K's hands.
Duke and North Carolina play later this year at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Kelvin Sampson could be done as head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers after walking off the court with the Indiana school song in the background. If this was it, then it was quite the awkward goodbye. Sampson's team just beat Purdue, Indiana's most bitter rival. Three days earlier, his Hoosiers crushed a Top 10 opponent by 19 points. They're 22-4 and pushing hard for just their second Big Ten title in the last 15 years. They're playing great. And Sampson is close to being done. Doesn't seem to make much sense. The endgame is here, the outcome verging on preordained. Kelvin Sampson stands accused of five major NCAA violations, at a school with a history of playing it clean. If there is another Indiana basketball game in his future, he's pulled off an upset comparable to a No. 16 seed beating a No. 1. Later this week, a suspension of Sampson for the purpose of eventual termination is likely, according to a source familiar with the situation. Sampson would have 10 days to appeal to save his job, but his fate would virtually be sealed. Who knows maybe Bobby Knight could come back and coach Indiana. Stranger things have happened and its almost set up perfectly to do so.
I continue to profile Maine's upcoming recruiting class. I talked about the 2008 class here. I also mentioned the 2010 class here. Here’s the list of the 2009 Recruits (below). As I mentioned in the 2008 article, this class so far will have no incoming freshmen that will turn 20 before coming to campus.
Kelen Corkum Forward
Age: 17
Team: USNTDP Under 18 Team
2007-2008 Season: 16 games 0 goals-2 assists-2 points
(Nathan also is a writer for MVN.com. He's the writer for the Asylum which covers the Lewiston Maineiacs of the QMJHL. He's also a regular contributor to the NHL Source also at MVN.com. He can be reached at fbbhgfan@aol.com)
Not to long ago, I talked about the 2010 Recruiting Class.What about the upcoming class for the Black Bears?It’s a strong class, it doesn’t have too many five star recruits as the 2010 class but it’s the turning point of the Maine program.Lately the program has been recruiting twenty year old freshman.Simon Danis-Pepin a junior but he’s still the youngest player on the team.As of today the oldest incoming freshman recruit will be 19.A couple players will turn 20 during the season.This isn’t including Kevin Sallow who’s transferring from Dartmouth.
Maine also learned that Kelen Corkum, the son of former Black Bear Bob Corkum will be coming in 2009. He was suppose be in the 2008 recruiting class.He left the United States National Development Team Program earlier this month after suffering an injury.The USNTDP brings the top players to Ann Arbor, Michigan to play together.He will be joining the New Hampshire Junior Monarchs of the Tier III Junior A Eastern Junior Hockey League next season.
I talked to Mark in December, and asked him when he’s coming to Orono.At that time he told me he didn’t know if he would be joining the Black Bears in 2008 or in 2009.
(Nathan also is a writer for MVN.com. He's the writer for the Asylum which covers the Lewiston Maineiacs of the QMJHL. He's also a regular contributor to the NHL Source also at MVN.com. He can be reached at fbbhgfan@aol.com)
The question in collegiate sports has always been that of, “Do coaches and players have a responsibility to give back to the community?” When IUPUI coach Ron Hunter raised awareness for poverty in Africa by not wearing shoes at a game, many people started to talk. Hunter’s decision not to wear his shoes garnered the organization “Samaritan’s Feet” more than 100,000 pairs of shoes for the less fortunate.
In my opinion, all sports athletes, no matter what the sport or level of play, should be required to choose a charitable organization that they could represent for the season. It shouldn’t matter whether the person is a collegiate or professional player. If a college player has to bring recognition to a charity, then that may help change their attitudes about a lot of things in their lives. It may help them realize that although sports may be important, they are only a small portion of a person’s life and they shouldn’t consume every aspect of the player’s life. I guess what I am trying to say is that if a player is involved with a charity, they may realize that they are very lucky to be able to play sports and not take it for granted. The player’s eyes may be opened up to some of the world’s issues and maybe he can help raise awareness.
Our parents have always told us that goofing off around a swimming pool could lead to trouble and someone getting hurt. Respected Army diver Zach McLain found out just how true this statement was last July while vacationing in Pennsylvania. While playing around the water with family members, McLain took a head-first dive into the water and was knocked unconscious. Zach was rushed to the hospital where it was discovered that he had broken four vertebrae in his neck.
After close to seven months of therapy and rehabilitation, McLain is back atop the diving board for the Army team. After the accident occurred, McLain thought long and hard about possibly giving up diving. He credits his mom and coach for showing him that just because one bad thing happens, it doesn’t mean you have to give up on the dream. Through his experiences, McLain has come to realize that the power of perseverance has a lot to do with how drive a person has to get back up and dive again.
I just can’t believe how well Zach has done in just seven short months. I think we can all look at this situation and be thankful for everything that we have each day because you never know when we might lose it all.
Missouri guard Stefhon Hannah has been kicked off the team following a nightclub brawl that left Hannah with a broken jaw, five players suspended, and a big headache for school.
Hannah's jaw was broken outside of a nightclub the night the team had just returned from their first road victory of the season. Hannah had been recovering back in Chicago, but was expected to miss the remainder of the season with the injury. Head coach Mike Anderson says the dismissal was a result of poor grades however, and not because of the Incident at the nightclub.
Up next for Hannah is trying to focus his attention on graduating and earning his degree. Missouri is allowing him to remain on scholarship while he tries to finish school and graduate.
Indiana basketball coach Kelvin Sampson and his coaching staff violated telephone recruiting restrictions then lied about it to school and NCAA investigators. The NCAA has listed five major violations against Sampson.
Major violations, such as the ones Sampson and Indiana are facing, can carry punishments including postseason ineligibility. The Hoosiers have had no NCAA major violations since 1960.
Whats next for Indiana? the Hoosiers has to provide a written response before May 8th. As of now a postseason ban would only come into play if Indiana decides to impose such a punishment against itself.
This isn't the first time coach Kelvin Sampson has come under fire for violating a schools recruiting guidlines. While he was the head coach of Oklahoma he also violated NCAA guidlines for recruiting over the telephone to several players. Apparently he didn't learn from his previous mistakes, and was trying to get a leg up on other teams to bring back the Hoosiers dynasty.
Tennessee, which remained once-beaten thanks to a controversial win over Rutgers on Monday night, climbed to the top spot in this week's ESPN/USA Today women's basketball coaches poll, supplanting Connecticut. The Lady Vols (22-1) picked up 27 first-place votes and 769 points to return to the No 1 spot. Connecticut (22-1), which fell to Rutgers last Wednesday, still managed three first-place votes and 734 points to easily remain second. The Huskies had been No. 1 for six straight weeks. Even though the Volunteers got lucky against Rutgers with a win they still are a good team and deserve to be number one in the country. North Carolina (22-2) remained No. 3, while Rutgers (19-4) climbed from seventh to fourth, thanks to the win over UConn and near-win at Tennessee. The Scarlet Knights lost at Knoxville, thanks to a foul call with 0.2 seconds left that gave Tennessee a pair of free throws and a one-point win.
The 8th ranked Georgetown Men's Basketball team won against Villanova in a lucky game deciding whistle that blew with one second left on the clock. Georgetown's Jonathan Wallace was dribbling 70 feet from the basket when he heard the whistle. It was only a nudge and nothing that was going to impact the game from going to overtime. Although there was no complaints from Villanova's Corey Stokes, the foul shouldn't have been called. That's the part of the game that the whistles shouldn't be used because it isn't fair to both teams that play their hearts out. A fair game would have been decided in overtime and not on a cheap call. Georgetown is already good and they don't need any help from anybody. Villanova's coach Jay Wright said that he couldn't complain about the call because he didn't see the play. I don't understand how you can't see the play when your looking right at the play at the end of the game. Not that complaining would have done something but at least stating your case would be better than nothing.
Two highly recruited Boston Eagles are heading to the USHL.
Jimmy Hayes (forward) has left the National Team Development Program for the Lincoln Stars of the United States Hockey League.Hayes was in an unique situation where his birth date is November 21, 1989.He was an overager on the Under 18 squad this season. What do I mean?Every player except him was 17 or younger; he’s 18.
Coming into the season he was slated to go in the top five of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.Right now according to the NHL Central Scouting, he’s the 65th best available player in North America.Once you factor in European skaters into the mix, he’s a late 3rd round pick.
He hasn’t put up the points with the Under 18 squad.In 23 games, he has two goals and six assists.The Lincoln Stars had to do a trade with the Ohio Junior Blue Jackets at the trade deadline.The Stars sent Mike Henderson, a second and third round picks in the 2008 USHL Draft, a first round pick in the 2009 draft and first and second round picks in the 2008 Futures Draft.The Blue Jackets sent the rights to Hayes and second and third round picks of the 2008 USHL Draft.The Blue Jackets then turned around and sent Henderson to Wichita Falls of the North American
Hayes will be in the stretch run for the playoffs.It could rejuvenate him and show off his skills to the NHL Scouts.The Stars are in third place in the West Division.They have a record of 21 wins, 15 losses, and 3 overtime losses, for 45 points.They are 12 points back of Omaha for first place.
Tommy Cross (defenseman) was a second round draft pick of the Boston Bruins in the 2007 NHL draft has signed with the Ohio Junior Blue Jackets.He was with Westminster Prep of the New England Prep School Ice Hockey Association.He was playing as a post graduate; he graduated from Westminster in 2007.His 2007 stats are unavailable but he had eight goals and twelve assists in 25 contests last season.He will be a freshman with BostonCollege next season.
That's My Take
Nathan Fournier
Jimmy Hayes photo courtesy of D. Reuter of Hockey Journal.
Tommy Cross photo is courtesy of the Philadelphia Flyers website.
(Nathan also is a writer for MVN.com. He's the writer for the Asylum which covers the Lewiston Maineiacs of the QMJHL. He's also a regular contributor to the NHL Source also at MVN.com. He can be reached at fbbhgfan@aol.com)
In the past few weeks, the University of Maine has been getting recruits from out west.Now they need to look inside of their own state.This year’s active roster only has one Maine native, Matt Duffy hails from Winthrop.Nick Payson was a red shirt freshman this year before getting suspended last weekend.He went to BangorHigh School.
Last year, Maine got a commitment from Mark Anthoine.He’s a Lewiston native who spent last season with the Portland Junior Pirates of the Tier III Junior A Atlantic Junior Hockey League (AJHL).Playing against players that are three years older then him, he had 37 goals.In the spring, the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League took him the 12th round of USHL Entry Draft.With the Steel this season he has 7 goals and 10 assists in 32 contests.
Nick Broadwater is one of the top goaltenders in the AJHL.He has a 2.66 Goals Against Average and a .910 Save Percentage with the Portland Junior Pirates. The Lewiston Maineiacs of the QMJHL drafted him in 2006.He hasn’t signed with them to keep his NCAA Eligibility.
Other highly touted players from Maine include Tyler Fleurent who plays for the Portland Junior Pirates of the AJHL.This year he has 15 goals and 10 assist in 31 league games.He led BiddefordHigh School to a Class A State Title over LewistonHigh School as a junior last year.
A former teammate of Fleurent is Biddeford’s defenseman Brian Dumoulin, who’s tied for first in scoring with 36 points (8 goals and 28 assists) in the Class A Western Division.He’s only a junior. This could be his final year playing high school hockey; he will most likely will play in juniors or go to a prep school next season.
Biddeford is the best team in high school hockey and another reason is because of their senior goaltender Tony Dube.In nine games he has nine wins with a 1.11 Goals Against Average and a .955 Save Percentage.
NorthYarmouthAcademy has two young players, sophomore goaltender Brian Billet is one of the top goalies in New England.He’s from Brunswick and The Scouting News says he’s a dark horse to make the United States National Team Development Program Under 17 Team for next season.
The other player is Colt Steele who’s a freshman, he hails from Lewiston.Both players have been listed in the USHL Draft rankings for the upcoming draft.
Maine doesn’t have the player pool to choose like Massachusetts, Minnesota, or Michigan but that doesn’t mean there’s no talent in the state.Most kids have to go out of state to get notice.The University of Maine needs to pick up more kids from their own back yard.
That's My Take
Nathan Fournier
(Nathan also is a writer for MVN.com. He's the writer for the Asylum which covers the Lewiston Maineiacs of the QMJHL. He's also a regular contributor to the NHL Source also at MVN.com. He can be reached at fbbhgfan@aol.com)
Today was a very critical day for college football programs all over the country, as signing day rolled around. A day that can set teams apart from the rest or can keep them scratching their heads until next year. Signing day is when The country's best high school football players decide on where they want to go to college; it's crucial to team's success. Coaches put a lot of effort in trying to get the best players to come play for their program.
Some early winner's from signing day this year are Alabama, USC, and Ohio State to name a few.
Nick Saban, head coach of the Alabama crimson tide is all smiles after finding out that Julio Jones announced he would sign with Alabama. Jones was considered by many to be the best player in the country and will help bolster the Crimson Tide's aerial attack for the next several years at the wide receiver position. Nick Saban has been known to be a very good recruiter in the past after winning a national championship with LSU, and seems to be on the right track here at Alabama.
Star defensive end Nick Perry, who is from Detroit opted to sign with USC instead of goin with the hometown juggernaut Michigan Wolverines. As can be expected, Michigan fans did not take the news well and have already started to point their finger's at Perry saying he accepted gifts from USC.
This just goes to show how heavily competitive the recruiting process can be.
ESPN analyst Dick Vitale is set to make his long-awaited return to the broadcast booth in tonight's showdown between Duke and North Carolina. Vitale who had surgery back in December to treat ulcers on his left vocal cord, has recovered significantly.
Before undergoing the surgery, Vitale had never missed a game since joining ESPN back in 1979.
Dickie V couldn't have picked a better time to come back and broadcast a game. He'll be able to bring his trademark voice and one-liners to the best rivalry in all of college basketball; Duke-UNC. The two teams that are ranked number 2 and 3 in the nation(respectively).
Hate him or love him, Dick Vitale is a broadcasting legend that brings a plethora of energy and charisma with him wherever he goes. It's the Tar Heel's taking on the Blue Devils in Chapel Hill with Dick Vitale calling the game. If your not excited for this, you might want to check your pulse.
The Maine Black Bears are heading into this weekend 8-13-3 on the season and 4-10-3 in Hockey East play. New Hampshire is in first with a 16-7-1 overall and 12-4-1 in conference play. If the Black Bears are able to win then they can gain back some valuable points heading down the stretch to the end of the season. There games will be the 99th and 100th in the series between the Black Bears and Wildcats. If the Black Bears are going to win then expect to see Bret Tyler in the mix and Ben Bishop is going to have to play well in net or the Bears won't even have a chance against the number one ranked Wild Cats. Plus the defense needs to stop giving up so many shots on goal. Bishop had a career high in 49 saves last Saturday against the UMass Minutemen and that's not going to win this weekend if Bishop has to try to save over 50 shots on goal.
Just like in professional sports the Canadian athletes might be able to go ahead and play along with the American College Athletes.However, it’s not in either Division 1 or 3 but only in Division 2.This isn’t the only time that the idea has been brought up.In 1998 the proposal was ruled out because it was only going to applied to just the Division 2 instead of having it for the whole nation.
I don’t know about you but college sports already have enough teams to worry about let alone adding some Canadian schools.Instead of complicating things why don’t they just keep things simple and leave things alone.
Bobby Knight has left the game of basketball. To be totally honest, I'm in no way shocked. Knight always, whether he admitted it or not, coached by the standard: "Do as I say, not as I do." Knight, earning his 900th career win as a collegiate coach, came January 16th as his Texas Tech team beat Texas A&M 68-53 at home, at which games end Knight proclaimed to his home fans that maybe the Raiders would pile on a few more wins with attendance like that evening's.
Whether what Knight did throughout his career, during the late 60's and early 70's at Navy, the mid 70's until the year 2000 at the University of Indiana or in the past eight years at Texas Tech, was wrong or not, he, at this point in time, is basketball's all time greatest coach. With the success he has had with his players and teams, he's only established one decent star at the NBA level in Isaiah Thomas. What does this mean? Knight squeezed more talent and effort out of every single player he had better than anyone else.
The Dean Smiths of the world had incredible talent, which is not to take away anything my personal favorite all-time coach from North Carolina, but for Knight, it has always been a different story.
Knight's graduation rates at all three schools he has visited have been staggering and better than anyone else's.
Knight's successor happens to be his own son, Pat. Pat will take over the team for their remaining 10 games, hoping to grab an NCAA tournament bid. This could be a tough task, but one that will propel Pat Knight into the coaching realm with the Red Raiders on the outside of the "bubble," looking in.
Reid Durost
(Reid works as the Public Address Announcer for Husson College Athletics and is also the team Media Relations, Internet Content Supervisor and Public Address Announcer for the Maine Sting and Maine Tide, semi-pro men and women's soccer teams coming to Bangor in 2008)
Add yet another chapter to most all along Tobacco Road consider the greatest sports rivalry anywhere. Throw out the Red Sox/Yanks rivalry. Throw out Ohio State vs. Michigan in college football. This is the big time. Granted, I find myself in the middle of all three of these great sports rivalries being a Red Sox, Ohio State football and UNC basketball fan, but I can't help myself to check out all the hype every time these games pop up.
North Carolina is said to be without starting point guard Ty Lawson due to a sprained ancle suffered in an 11 point win over Florida State Sunday in Tallahassee.
Duke enters the match-up 7-0 in Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) competition with an overall record of 19-1, outscoring their opponents by JUST under 20 points. This, earning the Blue Devils a #2 national ranking in the USA Today/Coaches Poll.
UNC comes in with a 21-1 overall record and a 6-1 ACC record, losing their only game of the season, in conference to Maryland 82-80 on my birthday, January 19th. The Tar Heels host Duke Wednesday with a #3 national ranking.
Throw rankings and records aside for this matchup, just like always, because these two teams will fight and scrap for a crucial ACC and overall national win to set the pace with only a few games remaining before March Madness.
Reid Durost
(Reid works as the Public Address Announcer for Husson College Athletics and is also the team Media Relations, Internet Content Supervisor and Public Address Announcer for the Maine Sting and Maine Tide, semi-pro men and women's soccer teams coming to Bangor in 2008)
The Rutgers stadium complex will be receiving a makeover. The school’s Board of Governors announced that they have approved a $102 million expansion plan that will help to improve an already great stadium. The money for the project will be collected through the revenue received from ticket sales from the 56,000 new seats that will be part of the expansion. If a Rutgers student would like to watch a game, they can continue to do so free of charge. Expanding the stadium will not require public funds.
Besides the seat expansion, some of the other improvements that are planned for the stadium include a new entrance, concession stands, updated televisions, and an updated scoreboard. The renovations should be completed by the fall of 2009.
For a school that has garnered a lot of unwelcome publicity over the past few months, I believe the expansion project will be a good thing for them. I believe that once the students and coaches of the school see what the new stadium has to offer, they will be very pleased. The new expansion project solidifies the school’s commitment to moving forward after overcoming difficult circumstances last year.
Are equestrian events actually sports? If the NCAA’s Committee on Women’s Athletics has its way, they soon could be. The Committee on Women’s Athletics has asked the Division III Presidents and Managements Council to research the schools that have equestrian competitions and ask them if the sport would be worthy of the NCAA branding. In order for a sport to be considered for NCAA championship status, 40 schools have to have it as part of their sporting season. Currently, equestrian competition has the support of 38 schools. The major sticking point in equestrian being considered by the NCAA is the question of what defines the season? Many of the schools that offer equestrian competitions compete in events that are put on by the International Horse Show Association. The shows go on all over the country, and therefore it is hard to have a season. Not having a season is in direct violation of NCAA standards.
I believe that if the NCAA is interested in adding equestrian as a sport, they should go ahead and do it. Being a sports fan, my philosophy is, the more sports that I have to see the better. Equestrian competitions have been a part of American culture for as long as I can remember, so it’s about time that they are recognized by both colleges and the NCAA.
It’s been tough for the Black Bears on the ice; off the ice it hasn’t been much better with the Tanner House situation. Now local boy Nick Payson who was a red shirt freshman this season has been indefinitely suspended after being charged with aggravated assault following a fight last weekend.
I am generally a happy man and I like to bring some good news as often as I can.
The future is looking bright for the University of Maine’s hockey team. In the last two weeks they have received two commitments from one of the top Midget Hockey programs in Michigan. Austin Watson and Stuart Higgins both of Detroit’s Compuware Under 16 Team have made verbal commitments to the University.
Austin Watson is a 6’2 165lbs forward who has 9 goals and 23 assists in 22 games in Mid West Hockey Elite League play (MWEHL). Stuart Higgins has 16 goals and 18 assists in 22 games also in MWEHL play. He’s 5’8 and 155lbs. Both players are slated for their freshman year for the 2010-2011 season.
Detroit’s Compuware U-16 Team is the top ranked team in the MWEHL U-16 division. Their MWEHL record is 19-2-1. Other top recruits on the team include Luke Moffatt who leads the team with 41 points and Jared Knight who has 14 points in 11 games (He’s injured right now.). They are heading to Michigan for the fall of 2010. They still have several players that haven’t made a commitment yet.
How did they find their way to Orono? I think their head coach, Todd Jenkins had something to do with it. Jenkins played for the Black Bears from 1985-1989. He was on Maine’s first Frozen Four team in 1989.
Unlike in football and basketball when a player makes a commitment they usually hold onto their promise. Like in my earlier post “When Did You Decide to Choose A School?” we still have deal with the OHL Midget draft that’s on May 3rd. Watson is currently ranked the third best player for the upcoming draft according to the International Scouting Service. He lives 30 minutes from the defending OHL Champions the Plymouth Whalers (As I say this I cringe every time because they knocked out the Lewiston Maineiacs out of the 2007 MasterCard Memorial Cup. It’s a tournament between the three CHL League Champions and a Host team.). I wouldn’t be surprised if the Whalers draft him and he signs with them before the fall of 2010. I believe the Whalers share the same complex as the Compuware team.
Either way, the 2010 class is looking good for the Black Bears. Along with Higgins and Watson, they have another five-star recruit in Kevin Gagne. Gagne is one of the better players out of the Atlantic Canada. He’s currently ranked as the 6th best player for the QMJHL draft by the ISS. Right now Maine is in the top 3 for 2010 recruits in the nation in my opinion. Michigan has the best recruiting class. Maine and North Dakota can be interchangeable for second and third. Two other schools in Hockey East have a player commitment for the 2010 season. They are BostonCollege and Vermont. Vermont just picked up the first 2011 recruit in the nation. His name is Connor Anthoine. Anthoine is Lewiston, Maine native. His older brother is Mark Anthoine who will join the Black Bears in the fall of 2008 or 2009
That’s My Take
Nathan Fournier
(Nathan also is a writer for MVN.com. He's the writer for the Asylum which covers the Lewiston Maineiacs of the QMJHL. He's also a regular contributor to the NHL Source also at MVN.com. He can be reached at fbbhgfan@aol.com)
Game Five Canada had a 4-1 lead but ended up losing 5-4. 
around the world". The entire country was shutdown on September 28th, 1972. Jean-Paul Parise was giving a game misconduct after the Canadians questioned a marginal call. He almost threw his stick at the West German officials. It was tied 2-2 after one period. After two periods the Soviets had a 5-3 advantage. In the third period, Phil Esposito and Yvan Cournoye scored to tie it up. After Cournoyer's goal, Alan Eagleson who put Team 
