Bears skating for gold > All six UMaine players make cut for Olympic club

CROMWELL, Conn. – The 1994 U.S. Olympic ice hockey team will rely heavily on the 1993 University of Maine’s Division I national championship squad in its pursuit of gold at the winter games in Lillehammer, Norway, in February.

A 25-man squad was announced Wednesday, featuring six Black Bear skaters among 19 college players, plus four minor league professionals and two major junior players.

“We put an emphasis on speed, skill and (hockey) sense in selecting this hockey team,” said U.S. head coach Tim Taylor. “Those three things are going to be the cornerstones of our team.”

The six players from the 1993 NCAA champion Maine team are: goalies Mike Dunham and Garth Snow, defensemen Chris Imes and Matt Martin and twin forwards Chris and Peter Ferraro.

“I think it’s an honor for our program,” said Maine coach Shawn Walsh, after learning all the Maine players who tried out had made the team. “It says a lot about how we develop players. The individuals involved all had this as a goal. I’m excited for them.”

The U.S. team, that includes two goalies, eight defensemen and 15 forwards, will be led by 1992 Olympians Ted Drury and Dunham and 1988 Olympian Peter Laviolette, who decided to give the Olympics another try following six years in the minors.

The team also includes seven members of the United States’ 1993 World Championships team: defensemen Brett Hauer, Ian Moran, Travis Richards and Barry Richter, and forwards Craig Johnson, Derek Plante and David Sacco.

Besides Laviolette, players with pro experience include defenseman Ted Crowley and forwards Mark Beaufait and Peter Ciavaglia. Beaufait, who arrived in camp Sunday because of a sprained ankle, is a provisional member of the team because Taylor wants a longer look.

Taylor said he likes the Maine goalie tandem of Dunham and Snow.

“They push each other,” Taylor said. “Both are good stand up goaltenders and both good athletes. And they’re both intelligent, they’re both thinking goalies.”

Others named to the team were forwards Jim Campbell, Darby Hendrickson, John Lilley, Todd Marchant, David Roberts, Brian Rolston and Jim Storm.

“We struggled with some of the final decisions, but I think in the final analysis we’ve got an excellent base from which to start this tour,” Taylor said.

The team will play 50 games before the Olympics, 10 fewer than the 1992 team played. The team will also play 21 games in Europe and six games against National Hockey League teams. The team will compete in four tournaments in Europe.

It is also possible that the U.S. team will play an exhibition against the University of Maine, according to Walsh, although no firm commitment exists.

Walsh said the loss of so many players to the Olympics, and the likely loss of Hobey Baker Award winner Paul Kariya to either the Canadian Olympic team or the NHL, will be a challenge for this year’s Maine team.

“What it means is next year rather than reloading we’ll be reconstructing,” said Walsh, noting that only the Ferraros and Imes are automatically eligible to return to Maine after the Olympics. “Up to 13 of the guys from our national championship team won’t be playing. We’ve gone from a serious national contender to a team that will have to challenge to be in the top four in our league.”

Taylor said he hopes to avoid last-minute additions to the U.S. team as the Olympics near, as coach Dave Peterson did in 1992.

“I’m not going to trade a mule for a mule under any circumstances,” Taylor said.