Bear skaters get week off after victory

The University of Maine’s unbeaten Black Bears, fresh off their 3-2 win over Lake Superior State in Sunday night’s championship game at the Great Western Freeze-out Tournament in Inglewood, Calif., have put their hockey sticks away for a week.

Instead of shooting pucks, they will be shooting golf balls. Instead of going hard into a corner and throwing checks, they will be able to vegetate in the corner of an sun-splashed patio or pool deck.

The Bears have a week off in California before they travel to Richfield, Ohio, to prepare for the Cleveland College Hockey Classic on Dec. 29-30.

“I think everybody’s really happy about getting a week away from the rink,” said Maine senior center-left wing Kent Salfi. “It’s nice to be out here. We still would have had a good time if we had lost, but it makes it so much better that we won. And it’s nice knowing the young guys get a chance to come back and defend it next year.”

Maine has won the last two Great Western Freeze-out tournaments.

“We need to try to rejuvenate ourselves, mentally and physically,” said senior defenseman Dan Murphy, one of several Bears who took in a tour of Universal Studios on Monday.

The wins over Western Michigan (4-1) and Lake Superior State meant a lot to the Bears.

“There’s a lot of talk that the reason we’ve won so many games is because we play in the East and there aren’t strong and physical teams in the East,” said Bear senior center and captain Jim Montgomery. “But we just beat two strong, physical (western, CCHA) teams. That should earn us more respect, respect we know we deserve.”

The Maine players were also pleased that they were able to win for teammate Patrice Tardif and his family. Patrice’s father, Pamphile, died after a bout with cancer on the night before the tournament.

The Tardif family decided that Pat should play and he had a goal against Western Michigan and assisted on the game-winner against Lake Superior State. The team wore black arm bands in memory of Pamphile Tardif.

“It was great to be able to win for Pat and his dad,” said Murphy. “We really wanted to win it for him.”

“It was a motivational tool,” said Salfi. “We dedicated Saturday’s game to him.”

“We weren’t going to let him down,” said Montgomery. “He’s such a nice, down-to-earth kid. He’s very sincere. And he’s a team player.”