Walsh Penrose Award finalist

Tourney notebook

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – University of Maine Coach Shawn Walsh, whose Black Bears won 30 or more games for the fifth consecutive year this season, has been named one of eight finalists for the Spencer Penrose Award as the national Division I Coach of the Year.

The others are his father-in-law, Michigan State Coach Ron Mason, whom Walsh’s Bears will play in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals Saturday night; Miami (Ohio) Coach George Gwozdecky, Minnesota’s Doug Woog, Harvard’s Ronn Tomassoni, Colorado College’s Brad Buetow, Boston University’s Jack Parker, and Yale’s Tim Taylor.

“It’s nice,” said Walsh, whose Bears are 31-3-2 and the Hockey East regular season and tournament champions. “It’s a team award. Oua great year and I’ve been blessed with two of the best assistants in the country (Grant Standbrook and Red Gendron).”

The 36-year-old Walsh, who is in his eighth year at Maine, also said, “It’s a nice feeling because I’ve listened to my players and assistants more than ever this year. They deserve to share in everything.”

Walsh is looking ahead to Saturday’s matchup with his father-in-law, but downplayed the family angle.

“The bottom line is that our kids are on a mission,” said Walsh. “We could care less who we play. This is the players’ team and we just want to play our game. Our kids are very anxious. They’re sick of practicing.

“Michigan State is an excellent opponent. They’re very good defensively. It should be a whale of a game.”

Boston University Coach Jack Parker and veteran Terriers defenseman Tom Dion and center Dave Sacco favor Maine in Saturday’s game against Michigan State, but said the Spartans are capable of upsetting Maine.

“Maine is the best team in the country,” said Parker. “But Michigan State is capable of hurting them. They can create problems for Maine in center ice.”

Dion said, “Maine has the most balanced lines and two great goaltenders. But Michigan State plays good, solid defense and if they play a patient game like they did against us, they can upset Maine.”

Parker made light of the Walsh-Mason matchup. “I certainly wouldn’t want to be at their family Thanksgiving table.”

Mason said he is a “better fisherman than Shawn,” but Walsh retorted that “I got a pretty good catch in Ron’s daughter.”

The Spartans were without sophomore left winger Michael Burkett, who broke his ankle in practice on the Providence Civic Center ice on Wednesday.

The ice conditions, according to Mason, left a lot to be desired. The ice surface had just been put in and Burkett caught his skate in a rut.

Burkett had seven goals and five assists in 33 games, but Mason said he was a valuable penalty killer and a member of the second power-play unit.

“It’s important to make sure the ice is adequate,” complained Mason.

Mason called Maine the “best team in the country,” but pointed out that his team hasn’t been blown out of a game all year and expects it to be a very competitive game.

MSU has lost twice by three goals, representing the Spartans’ largest margin of defeat.

MSU senior right winger and leading scorer Dwayne Norris said he is looking forward to playing against his former Notre Dame Hounds (Saskatchewan) teammate Scott Pellerin.

Both were the players of the year in their respective conferences, Pellerin in Hockey East and Norris in the CCHA.

“It’s nice to see Scotty doing so well,” said Norris. “He plays on the left side and I play on the right side, so I’m sure we’ll bump shoulders. He’s a great competitor and I am, too. We can both get our teams going.”

Maine beat Michigan State 4-2 in the Great Western Freezeout Tournament in Inglewood, Calif., on Dec. 19.