Maine is Building a Strong Recruiting Class for 2010

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 3^rd. 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 6^th 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 Boston College 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)