Bears need to find offensive production

ORONO – You don’t have to be a Rhodes Scholar to detect that the University of Maine hockey program’s question mark this season will be its offensive production.

The top four scorers off last year’s NCAA Frozen Four semifinalists have either graduated or left to pursue a pro career.

But 17-year coach Shawn Walsh, who will leave on Oct. 3 to begin his second and final 20-day immunotherapy cycle for his kidney cancer at UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, is looking forward to working with a youthful team beginning at 7 a.m. Sunday.

The first official on-ice practice at the Alfond Arena will be followed later in the day by a 6:15 p.m. scrimmage.

“This will one of the youngest teams we’ve had in years, but young teams tend to be more fun to work with,” said Walsh, who has lost 12 pounds and still has some nausea stemming from his first immunotherapy cycle which concluded earlier this month.

“We won’t be as strong physically as we were last year, but we will be quicker overall,” said Walsh, who guided Maine to its second NCAA championship in 1999 and a 27-8-5 season a year ago.

Maine lost to eventual national champ North Dakota 2-0 in the semis and the Bears will open against the Fighting Sioux in Orono on Oct. 13-14.

Senior winger Dan Kerluke isn’t overly concerned about the departure of eight regulars, including Cory Larose, Barrett Heisten, Ben Guite, and Brendan Walsh, who combined for 154 of Maine’s 411 points and 59 of the 151 goals.

“Two years ago, we lost Stevie [Kariya] and Cully [David Cullen], but we got back to the Frozen Four last year,” said Kerluke, who was Maine’s sixth-leading point-getter last year with 26. “Our program is so strong in all areas, we shouldn’t have a problem. It’s a matter of stepping it up.”

Sophomore center Marty Kariya, who was Maine’s No. 7 scorer with 25 points, said, “We’ll definitely have a different style of team from last year’s. We won’t have four lines that can all score. We’ll have a couple of really good lines and we’ll see how the other lines pan out.”

“We will have a lot more speed, but we’ll be a lot less physical,” added Kariya.

Walsh has a quality goaltender in Matt Yeats, a proven backup in Mike Morrison and four veteran defensemen in co-captains Doug Janik and A.J. Begg along with Peter Metcalf and Cliff Loya. All four played in at least 30 games a year ago.

“I expect [junior] Eric Turgeon to step up and have an impact this year and Kevin Clauson will just play defense [instead of also seeing duty up front],” said Walsh. “We need his size [6-foot-4, 220 pounds] back there.”

Up front, Walsh feels Kariya, Tommy Reimann, and Niko Dimitrakos “could have breakout years” and he is looking for significant improvement from the likes of Lucas Lawson and Gray Shaneberger. Matthias Trattnig and Chris Heisten should also be steady point-producers.

The top newcomers are all forwards: Mike Mantenuto, Todd Jackson, Cameron Lyall, Colin Shields, and Brendan Donovan.

“I expect all five to contribute sometime this season,” said Walsh.