Revamped UMaine hockey team faces challenges

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Several daunting issues loom for the University of Maine hockey team as it prepares to open its season Friday night against defending national champion Michigan in Detroit.

In the games ahead, the Black Bears will discover how well freshman goalie Alfie Michaud will hold up to the rigors of Hockey East.

Next, they will hope they can receive quality minutes from the players vying for their fifth and sixth defenseman spots until 21-year-olds Adam Tate and Mike Garrow join the team after the first semester.

There’s more.

The team will learn how productive its power play will be now that three of its top four point-producers on the man-advantage units have departed.

Finally, the players may have to guard against a letdown if UMaine’s appeal of the ban from NCAA Tournament play fails. The Bears were 26-9-4 last year, but missed the NCAA tourney due to self-imposed sanctions.

Despite all the pending issues, UMaine assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Grant Standbrook says, “I like this team a lot.”

“There’s so much enthusiasm out there. It’s great. It goes right through the team,” said Standbrook, now in his ninth year at Maine. “We will be faster and bigger, overall, than we were last year. We’ll have the potential to put much bigger guys on each line.”

“Some of the freshmen coming in are really fast and physical,” said sophomore left wing Steve Kariya. “That’s what we need. And everybody coming back is a lot stronger and faster. It should be interesting.”

“Maine is going to be a surprise in the league,” predicted Northeastern coach Bruce Crowder. “They’ve got a pretty good nucleus they can rally around and they’ve got some pretty good recruits. They’ll be a lot better in the second half of the season.”

He also said having the NCAA investigation finally behind them will be beneficial.

“They’re going to be a very, very good hockey club,” said Providence coach Paul Pooley.

Kariya will be called upon to produce points both on the power play and in even-strength situations.

“He has elevated himself so dramatically, it’s ridiculous,” said interim head coach Greg Cronin.

He expects Kariya to be a dynamic and potentially dominant player.

“I’ve gained 10-15 pounds and have gotten a lot stronger. Obviously, when you get stronger, you get more explosive,” said Kariya.

Just how many goals the Bears score may not be as important as how many they allow.

In the last 10 years, Maine has led the league in goals-against average seven times and been second twice.

“We take pride in playing defensive hockey at Maine. That’s what you need to win games,” said junior defenseman Jeff Libby. “No matter who we bring in or how talented the players are, we always have a great defensive team.”

“We don’t have the skill or the draft picks (2) that other teams in the league have so we’re going to have to wear teams down, physically or emotionally, or just get in their faces defensively and frustrate them,” said senior center Dan Shermerhorn.

Maine was fourth in the league in goal production two years ago and third last year. But they made it to the NCAA final two years ago and the Hockey East final last year.

The players are optimistic that the two power-play units can click.

“Our power play is going to be better than everyone thinks, just like our team is,” said senior defenseman Jason Mansoff.

Junior right winger Shawn Wansborough said Bobby Stewart, a transfer from Alaska-Anchorage who sat out last year, is a quality offensive player who will help the power play.

Sophomore defenseman David Cullen will help quarterback one of the power plays. Cronin and Standbrook said his development has been dramatic.

“I feel comfortable with it. I’ve just got to get used to the speed,” said Cullen.

The Bears, picked fourth in the Hockey East preseason poll, return four of the seven players who scored 10 or more goals a year ago in Wansborough (27), Shermerhorn (20), LW Scott Parmentier (12) and LW Reg Cardinal (10).

Cronin will also need impressive years from Kariya, C Trevor Roenick and RWs Matt Oliver and Stewart. Center Cory Larose headlines the group of freshman forwards.

The players also have confidence in Michaud.

“Alfie was one of the most highly recruited goalies coming to college and he has certainly looked that way so far in camp. He has looked great,” said Kariya.

“If we can limit teams to 25 shots or less with just a few of those being second shots, he’ll be fine,” said Cronin. “But if we’re giving up 30 shots a game and we aren’t clearing the front of our net, he’s going to have a tough year.”

As for the appeal, the Bears aren’t even thinking about it.

“It hasn’t crossed my mind and it’s the same with the rest of the guys. It it comes up and we get to play in the NCAA Tournament, that’ll be great. But we aren’t counting on it,” said Kariya.

1996-97 UMaine schedule

OCTOBER 18 vs. Michigan at Detroit, 7 p.m. 20 at Lake Superior State, 2 p.m. 25 Colgate, 7 p.m.

NOVEMBER

1 Alabama-Huntsville, 7 p.m.

2 Alabama-Huntsville, 7 p.m.

8 Northeastern, 7 p.m.

9 Northeastern, 7 p.m. 15 at New Hampshire, 7 p.m. 16 at New Hampshire, 7 p.m. 22 UMass-Lowell, 7 p.m. 23 UMass-Lowell, 7 p.m. 29vs. UMass-Lowell*, 5 p.m. 30vs. New Hampshire or Vermont*, TBD

DECEMBER

6 at Boston College, 7 p.m.

7 at Boston College, 7 p.m. 20 Dalhousie, 8 p.m. 21 Princeton or Union, 4 or 7 p.m. 27 vs. Air Force**, 4 p.m. 28 vs. Denver or Yale**, TBD

JANUARY

3 at Providence, 7 p.m.

4 at UMass-Lowell, 7 p.m. 10 at Merrimack, 7 p.m. 11 at Merrimack, 7 p.m. 17 Providence, 7 p.m. 18 Providence, 7:30 p.m. 24 at Northeastern, 7 p.m. 25 at Boston University, 7 p.m. 31 Boston College, 7:30 p.m.

2 Merrimack, 2 p.m. 14 at Massachusetts, 7 p.m. 15 Massachusetts, 7 p.m. 18 New Hampshire, 7 p.m. 21 Boston University, 7 p.m. 22 Boston University, 7 p.m.

MARCH

1 Massachusetts, 7 p.m.

*-at Burlington, Vt.

**-at Denver