Walsh is happy over talented recruiting class

University of Maine hockey coach Shawn Walsh says his incoming recruiting class “can stack up with anybody’s.”

Goalie Blair Allison, defensemen Jeff Tory, Jason Mansoff and Jeff Libby and forwards Dan Bousquet, Tim Lovell, Trevor Roenick, Danny Shermerhorn and Cory Thibodeau are the incoming recruits.

They will be joined by redshirts Reg Cardinal, Tony Frenette, Barry Clukey, Craig Gwinn, Brad Mahoney and Mike Santonelli to fortify an uncertain nucleus for the defending national champions.

In addition, 6-foot-4, 220-pound right winger Mike Ray has verbally committed to attend Maine and will do so upon fulfilling some academic requirements this summer.

The list of returnees is sketchy due to the upcoming NHL draft and the fact that 1994 is an Olympic year. However, Walsh did learn that right winger Patrice Tardif, who has graduated but has a year of eligibility remaining, intends to return to school to work toward his master’s degree.

In analyzing his incoming class, Walsh said, “It’s a skilled class and it certainly has a good blend to it. We’ve certainly got some guys with offensive talent. And the two defensemen we signed, Mansoff and Tory, are as good a pair as anybody is bringing in. They were both first team All-Stars in the British Columbia Junior Hockey League; they are experienced and they should be able to step in and play immediately.”

The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Tory was the top scoring defenseman in the BCJHL for Penticton with 21 goals and 70 assists in 50 games. The 6-1, 195-pound Mansoff was No. 3 among blue liners with 19 & 40 in 54 games for Merritt. Tory was the Interior Division’s Defenseman of the Year and was a first-team Interior Division All-Star along with Mansoff.

Shermerhorn, a 5-11, 185-pounder, was the leading scorer and assist man in the BCJHL with 46 & 84 in 60 games for Vernon and was an Interior Division first teamer.

The 5-11, 160-pound Bousquet had 24 & 18 in 21 games for Penticton after joining them in midseason.

“If they weren’t the top four players in the league, they were four of the top six,” said BCJHL President Ron Boileau.

Lovell, who stands 5-9 and weighs 165 pounds, and the 6-2, 200-pound Roenick were teammates for the Boston Junior Bruins and had very productive seasons. Lovell had 86 & 116 in 72 games and Roenick had 61 & 48 in 58 games.

Allison had a 3.52 goals-against average in 51 games for Estevan in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.

“Lovell, Bousquet and Shermerhorn are really skilled point-producers,” said Walsh. “Roenick is more of a strong, go-to-the-net kind of player. With the openings we anticipate up front, I’m assuming all four will be integral parts of next year’s club right from the start.”

Allison, according to Walsh, is coming off a “real good year” and will provide the Bears with an older, mature goalie. Marsh had the benefit of the redshirt year this past season. Greg Hirsch, who backed up Garth Snow and Mike Dunham this year, is also in the picture.

“I anticipate rotating two of the three,” said Walsh. “Certainly the key to our immediate success will be the play of Blair Marsh and Blair Allison.”

Waterville’s Libby, a 6-3, 195-pounder who attended New Hampton Prep School (N.H.) after playing four years at Waterville High, and Old Town High School’s 5-9 1/2, 175-pound Thibodeau (38 goals, 25 assists) are, according to Walsh, “the two best prospects from the state this year. Hopefully, they’ll turn out like Eric Fenton and Mike McHugh.” They are recruited walk-ons who may become redshirts.

In assessing the entire group, Walsh said, “Some of our new players are definitely going to have major impacts, much like some of our freshmen this past year.”

On the Ice…. Former University of Maine All-American defenseman Andre Aubut, paralyzed in a freak fall during a hockey game several weeks ago, has had an artificial throat opening installed to help him with his breathing and he was also fitted for a feeding tube for direct insertion of nourishment into his stomach. In a few weeks, after the throat wound has healed, his rehabilitation process will be resumed. Walsh said the proceeds from the July 17 alumni game, which will have Walsh coaching one team and form17 alumni game, which will have Walsh coaching one team and former Maine coach Jack Semler coaching the other, will be earmarked for Aubut. The game will start at 7 p.m…. Walsh’s wife, Tracey, gave birth to another son last week, Travis Mason Walsh. They now have two boys, Travis and 2 1/2-year-old Tyler.