Husson coach Arthers adjusts quickly to job> Softball team wins two of three weekend games

It may have been awkward, but interim Husson College softball coach Butch Arthers said his first three games at the helm were “a lot of fun.”

Husson followed a 7-2 loss to Elms College (Mass.) with a sweep of Salve Regina (R.I.), 6-0 and 8-0, under the direction of Arthers, who is also a Belfast High School assistant principal, athletic director and head football coach.

“We had a good trip,” said the 40-year-old Arthers, who replaced Shannon Whiting, who resigned for personal reasons on March 31. “They’re a great bunch of girls. It’s a fantastic team. One thing I noticed right off quick is that everybody is an established player. It was obvious that somebody did a lot of work with them.”

Husson of Bangor is now 15-3.

Arthers, who was formerly the softball coach at Marshwood High School in Eliot for seven years and led the Hawks to five playoff appearances, admitted that it was “very awkward” initially.

“It would have helped to have had at least one practice with them,” said Arthers. “They had to get used to me and how I operate as a coach. They understood the position I was in and they also understood that they needed a coach in order to play. I made some screw-ups but they were very kind to me. We got along very well.

“It was fun getting back into it,” added Arthers. “It was a big challenge communicating with the players, getting them to know where I’m coming from and getting to know where they’re coming from. I think we made big strides in two days.”

Arthers never sought the job. Husson Athletic Director Pam Hennessey knew he had coached softball because one of the team captains, Amy Dyer, had played at Belfast High School and Arthers had helped out with the softball program.

“Pam called me and I had lukewarm interest. I suggested she contact other people. She called me a few days later and said she was really in a bind and she needed somebody on board quickly,” said Arthers. “So I cleared it through the people at school and I decided to do it.

`Any varsity high school coach wonders what it’s like at the next level,” added Arthers. “It’s going to be kind of neat to take a quick look at it. I’m not suggesting that this is what I’m looking for but it’s good to try some things and I’ll be doing it on my own free time.”

Husson had been practicing in the morning but, to accommodate Arthers’ schedule, they will practice in the early evening.

For the first time in the University of Maine’s 18-year hockey history, a goalie will be one of the captains next year.

Junior Blair Allison was named as one of the Bear tri-captains along with defenseman Jeff Tory and center Brad Purdie at the annual hockey banquet at Alfond Arena in Orono on Saturday evening.

“It’s obviously an honor since the players voted on it. I’m surprised,” said Allison, who was 32-6-6 with a 2.68 goals-against average and an .887 save percentage in leading Maine into the NCAA final.

Because of the nature of his position, Allison anticipates being more of a leader off the ice than on the ice.

“I’m one of the older guys on the team and I’ve got a lot of experience so I’ll pass that on to the other guys and try to help them out,” said Allison, who expects next year’s team to be good again “as long as we all do our jobs.”

Maine Coach Shawn Walsh said he “normally doesn’t let a goalie become a captain because goalies have enough things to worry about. But Blair is a team player first and based on how the team leaned on him this year and how unflappable he is, he became a logical candidate.”

The hockey team was one of three University of Maine teams to announce captains at weekend banquets.

Captaining the women’s basketball team next year will be senior forwards Stephanie Guidi and Catherine Gallant and senior guard Stacia Rustad. The women went 24-6 and earned the school’s first ever NCAA Tournament berth in basketball.

The field hockey team, which turned in a 14-6-1 season, named senior sweeper Margaret Henrick and junior back Dawn Porter to lead next year’s team.

Henrick, a product of Oakland’s Messalonskee High School, was a tri-captain this past fall.