The University of Maine women’s basketball team and its support staff put on one heck of a show during home games at Alfond Arena in Orono.

The wide-eyed, almost stunned faces of opposing players speak volumes about the frenzied Alfond atmosphere, which is fueled by a well-orchestrated pregame program that builds from lively background music into introductions of the starting lineups, and finally reaches a crescendo with the crowd’s rhythmic clapping, which continues until the Black Bears score their first basket.

Cindy Blodgett and Co. don’t need much help entertaining large crowds, which thrill to their tenacious team defense and their often flashy open-court play, where players like Blodgett and Trisha Ripton shine.

However, UMaine fans deserve better when it comes to the performance of public address announcer Ray Cota. While he is a respected local businessman at Webber Energy Fuels in Bangor and has been a longtime supporter of UMaine and Orono High School athletics, Cota is the weak link in an otherwise impressive show.

Cota’s voice is often emotionless, and he frequently stumbles over his words. That makes it difficult for fans to hear players’ names when they are announced, and doesn’t do justice to the promotional spots he reads.

Lynn Coutts, UMaine’s assistant coordinator of marketing and promotions, has worked diligently to provide fans with lively entertainment and contests to complement the game action.

While the acoustics in Alfond Arena have never been outstanding and may contribute to the ineffectiveness of Cota on the P.A., someone else should be behind the “mike” for UMaine games.

Either Joe Kennedy, Alfond’s hockey voice, or backup announcer Jim Baines of Orono would be a preferable choice for their genuine emotion and accuracy in articulating announcements.

– By Pete Warner

Our young hockey players have become enamored with the slap shot.

It is more dramatic than a wrist shot or a snap shot because there’s a big windup involved and there is that sound of the stick hitting the ice just before it makes contact with the puck.

It is also perceived as macho: power vs. power, shooter vs. goalie.

“Hey, Mr. goalie, stop this if you can!”

But remember something very important: A puck that trickles completely over the goal line is worth the same as a 100 mph slap shot that singes the back of the net and sends the goalie’s water bottle flying into the air.

A lot of slap shots wind up in row 15 because an opponent got his stick on it.

Slap shots take too long to get off and should only be used when the shooter has all kinds of time. Even then, a wrist shot or slap shot is usually more accurate.

Some of the best goal scorers in the NHL, like New York Islander 573-goal scorer Mike Bossy, did not have a blazing slap shot, but they got their shots off quickly and put them on net.

A good wrist shot thrown to the front of the net from the point is just as dangerous as a slap shot. It can be tipped by a teammate or can deflect off an opponent and wind up in the back of the net. Or it could end up sitting in the slot waiting for somebody to flip it into the net.

So whether you’re playing for the Brewer squirts, the Old Town bantams, the Bangor High School Rams or at any level of hockey, work on wrist shots and snap shots.

And don’t forget backhanders.

Backhanders can be the most difficult shots for a goalie to save because of their unpredictablity and the angle they come off the curve of the stick.

One way local coaches can work on these types of shots is by occasionally limiting scrimmages to a particular method. In other words, tell your players they can only pass or shoot with the backhand. Or they can only score with a wrist shot or a slap shot.

– Larry Mahoney

When the Rockland Tigers tip off against the Mount Desert Island Trojans Friday night, another Eastern Maine basketball tournament will be under way. The high school tourney, a tradition Mainers cherish, will feature many memorable moments, a few fantastic finishes, and competitive action.

The tourney, unfortunately, will also feature several aspects which make it less appealing. The first deals with some overzealous coaches.

It is very irritating to see coaches constantly barking out instructions to their players. It is understandable to see a coach call a play or signal for a timeout. What is disconcerting is a coach yelling at a player on a fundamental aspect of the game such as the technique on how to box out or set a screen.

Good coaches will cover the fundamentals in their practices. Coaching the fundamentals during the game is the sign of poor preparation and players will respond negatively when their mistakes are voiced in front of a couple of thousand fans.

Please let your players play. Two of Maine’s best all-time coaches, George Wentworth of Stearns in Millinocket and Red Barry of Bangor, followed this philosophy and produced success which few of today’s coaches will ever be able to match.

Another irritating aspect of the tourney comes from radio and TV sportscasters as well as sportswriters. In our embellishment to describe how a team staged a rally or how an individual played hard, we will use the adjectives gutsy and courageous.

More of us should follow the advice passed on by Bill Dwyre, executive sports editor of the Los Angeles Times, “Never use the words `guts’ or `courage’ to describe an athletic event as long as there are men in uniform serving their country. Those words should be reserved for them.”

Finally, officials of the Eastern Maine tourney should employ the use of a full-time public address announcer, which is the case at the Western Maine tourney.

In Eastern Maine, only the lineups are announced. The only other time the announcer is usually heard is to tell some poor sap he left his lights on or parked in the wrong place.

In Western Maine, the lineups are also given and then the announcer follows the game for the fans, bellowing out each point and basket. This adds extra flavor to the tourney atmosphere and is also helpful to some fans who can’t keep up with the action.

– Joe McLaughlin

Readers may submit “Sounding Off” comments to the Bangor Daily News’ Sports Desk at P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402-1329. Our fax number is (207) 990-8092. All comments will be edited for accuracy, clarity, content and taste.