Walsh to experiment with UMaine’s top line

The University of Maine’s top scoring line will be broken up this weekend against the University of Miami’s (Ohio) Redskins as Black Bear Coach Shawn Walsh will use his team’s last two non-league games to do a little experimentation. The teams will play on Saturday and Sunday evenings at 7 at the Alfond Arena in Orono.

The line of Jim Montgomery between Brian Downey and Jean-Yves Roy, which had averaged 6 points per game over a nine-game span prior to the Great Lakes Invitational Tournament championship game loss to Michigan (3-1) last Saturday, has gone two games without a point.

So Justin Tomberlin will move to right wing on that line and Roy will be the right wing on a line with C Randy Olson and LW Patrice Tardif. Kent Salfi will remain on the right wing on a line with C Martin Robitaille and LW Scott Pellerin, Maine’s top two scorers over the last three games with 5 and 4 points, respectively. Salfi replaced Tomberlin on a line with Pellerin and Robitaille in Wednesday’s 6-4 Hockey East win over Providence. Tomberlin had returned to Minnesota to attend his grandfather’s funeral.

“I think some of our guys have gotten stagnant on our top lines,” said Walsh. “Change is healthy to get them back focusing on their own play. This is our last chances to experiment.”

Walsh also said, “I really liked the way Salfi played on the line with Robitaille and Pellerin and I would like to get a third line going (scoring). Roy had his best success last year on a line with Olson as the center. I think it’s important to have flexibility and this gives us flexibility.”

Olson likes having Roy as a linemate.

“I see him really well,” said Olson. “He’s always in the right spot at the right time. He has great speed. Hopefully, Patrice and I will be able to get him the puck.”

Tomberlin was on a line with Downey and Montgomery a year ago and is looking forward to it.

“I like the idea,” said Tomberlin. “We should be a good offensive line and hopefully we’ll also do the job defensively.”

In addition, Walsh may alternate a pair of different fourth lines and sophomore right winger Chuck Texeira will make his debut. Texeira is a 6-foot-1, 195-pound native of Easton, Mass., and will probably be the right wing on a line with Martin Mercier and Dave LaCouture. Freshman goalie Mike Dunham and freshman defenseman Chris Imes are supposed to return from the World Junior Championships on Saturday night and they could play on Sunday.