Terrier fans won’t faze Bears’ Walsh> UMaine could face hostile crowd

After basking in the adulation of sellout crowds at the Alfond Arena last weekend, University of Maine coach Shawn Walsh makes his first visit to Boston since serving his one-year suspension for NCAA violations.

He will face a hostile environment at Boston University’s Walter Brown Arena on Saturday night after invading Northeastern University’s Matthews Arena on Friday night.

Walsh is downplaying the volatile environment at BU.

“I think it’ll be a typical BU crowd,” said Walsh. “There have been years when our university wanted me to have a police escort there. There’s a great anti-Maine sentiment because of our rivalry. They sell beer thetheir fans are predominantly students and when you have that mixture, anything is liable to come out.

“I could care less about their crowd,” added Walsh. “The challenge won’t be the crowd, it’ll be the comparison of how far we have to go to be among the top two teams in the country. It’ll be a good experience for our players to go through. They’ve got to stay focused and not let the peripheral things affect the outcome of the game.”

BU Sports Information Director Eddie Carpenter doesn’t anticipate any trouble from the school’s seventh sellout crowd in 11 games.

“Our fans are certainly aware that it will be Shawn’s first game at Brown Arena since he’s been back,” said Carpenter. “But as far as them becoming extra vocal or doing anything extra, I don’t know. Nothing special has been planned.”

Carpenter added that the Maine-BU hockey series has become a terrific rivalry.

“The fans will boo him,” predicted long-time Boston Globe sportswriter Bob Monahan.

In assessing the Walsh situation, Northeastern coach Bruce Crowder and Carpenter said it would be inappropriate for them to discuss it since it was an internal issue. BU coach Jack Parker didn’t return phone calls.

Monahan said Walsh probably “cheated a bit but a lot of coaches mess up over the years. And it wasn’t all his fault. A compliance person was also involved.”

Monahan is glad Walsh is back.

“He never hides from you,” said Monahan. “A lot of coaches won’t talk to you after a game. Shawn will. As a coach, he’s probably worth a goal and a half a game. He took a nothing program and made a national champion out of it. He’s good for Maine and good for the league. And I’ve always liked their kids. They’re polite.”

Walsh’s players are looking forward to the weekend beginning with last-place Northeastern, which owns its only three league points against Maine.

Maine wants revenge.

“It eats at you,” said Bear center Dan Shermerhorn.

Former Bear Brad Mahoney taunted the Maine bench after getting a game-winner.

“That was uncalled for,” said Maine senior defenseman Jason Mansoff.

Maine junior right wing Shawn Wansborough said the BU crowd will be “out of control. I love being hated.”

Mansoff added, “Sometimes you can feed off the crowd’s energy.”