At this time last season, the University of Maine hockey team was 4-4-1 and had allowed 36 goals in those nine games.

So far this season, the Black Bears have surrendered only 13 goals and have put together a 7-1-1 start. They have yet to allow more than two goals in a game.

“Everybody has concentrated on team defense this season,” said senior left wing and captain Jason Vitorino. “Last year, we were among the top five scoring teams in the country but it didn’t do much for us.”

Even though the Bears averaged 4.2 goals per game, they surrendered 3.4 per game resulting in a disappointing 17-15-4 record (10-11-3 in Hockey East).

Junior right wing Jim Leger said the defense corps has done a great job and the forwards have helped out by doing a better job back-checking.

“And the goalies have done an awesome job so far,” said Leger, referring to junior Alfie Michaud and freshman Mike Morrison.

UMass-Lowell coach Tim Whitehead said he used Maine’s defensive performance as an example while addressing his team during a Monday meeting.

He called their 1.44 goals-against average an “amazing stat.

“They focus on defense,” said Whitehead, whose River Hawks were swept by Maine 3-2 in overtime and 5-2 on Nov. 6-7. “They don’t give up a lot of quality shots, they don’t give up many odd-man rushes and they don’t give up second and third shots on the penalty kill.”

Whitehead said he hopes his River Hawks can emulate Maine’s team defense.

Michaud said the Bears haven’t been giving up any “back door goals” this season due to the defensive commitment and he and Morrison have seen virtually all of the shots because his mates have been clearing the front of the net.

“Defense wins,” said Michaud.

Maine coach Shawn Walsh added that, “Defense keeps you in every game when you’re not scoring.”

Maine senior right wing and captain Steve Kariya said in addition to “terrific goaltending,” the Bears have been fortified by the play of freshmen defensemen Doug Janik and Peter Metcalf.

“They have added a lot and all of our returning defensemen are a lot stronger this year,” said Kariya.

Metcalf is tied for second on the team in plus-minus at plus-7 and he has chipped in with a goal and five assists. Janik is plus-two and has a goal and four assists.

Vitorino pointed out that the team has more depth than it had a year ago “so if somebody gets injured, we’ll be all right. On defense, we have eight who can play and six play regularly. They are really playing well now.”

Senior defenseman David Cullen, who shares the team lead in plus-minus with sophomore left winger Dan Kerluke at plus-eight, said this team “has a better understanding of what it takes to win.”

Tying in with the team defense is Maine’s dramatically improved penalty-killing. Maine killed at an uncharacteristically-low 81.1 percent success rate during the 1997-98 season but the Bears have killed off 55 of 58 power plays for a 94.8 percent success rate. They have scored three shorthanded goals.

“We’ve done a good job angling in the neutral zone and haven’t been letting them set up (in the offensive zone),” said Leger.

Vitorino said the Bears have a lot of experienced penalty-killers “who all know the systems.”

Rob Cody of Maine Maritime Academy in Castine has been named the New England Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year.

Cody, a senior from Milford, was one of eight Mariners recognized for their efforts on the football field this season by the country’s largest Division III conference.

The 5-foot-10, 280-pound noseguard, former standout at Old Town High, was named to the All-NEFC first team for the fourth straight season. He finished his career with 171 tackles, including 17 sacks, and seven forced fumbles.

“Rob is a player that comes along once in a lifetime,” said MMA coach Mike Hodgson. “He’s the type of player opposing teams have to adjust for when developing a game plan. His leadership had a lot to do with turning our season around and earning a divisional championship.”

The 5-5 Mariners also placed junior tailback Steve Tardif of Biddeford on the All-NEFC first team for the third year in a row. He led the league in rushing for the third straight season and finished fifth nationally in all-purpose yards.

Quenton Stewart, a center, was MMA’s other first-teamer. Second-team picks included offensive tackle Rob Hill of Sanford, defensive end Clarence Young and defensive backs Eric McDaniel of Kittery and Keith Beaulieu.

Linebacker Nick Buck of Clinton earned honorable mention.