Maine’s Walsh staying focused Bears to battle rival Wildcats Sunday

ORONO – It has been a hectic week for University of Maine men’s hockey coach Shawn Walsh.

After saying he was pondering personnel changes to jumpstart his hockey team, he broke the news that his cancerous tumors under his breastplate were not destroyed by the immunotherapy treatments he underwent in August and October and that he would be seeking different treatments.

His phone has been ringing off the hook, so he decided not to answer it as he prepared his team for Sunday’s 4 p.m. home game against archrival New Hampshire.

He said he doesn’t need any distractions.

“I owe it to my team to put my full focus on this game and the battle for playoff positions,” said Walsh. “And I handle my personal [medical] issue when I get home at night.”

He said his team’s practices have been “intense and very competitive” as players battle for playing time.

“And I’ve had more individual and team meetings this week than at any time this season,” added Walsh, whose 10-9-6 Bears, 5-6-4 in Hockey East, are fighting for their playoff lives after being swept at Boston College last weekend.

He said he didn’t want the BC weekend to carry over to Sunday’s game.

Maine, which has scored two goals or less 15 times, was one of seven teams separated by just five points entering Friday night’s action. Boston College has pulled away from the pack and New Hampshire was seven points behind in second.

Walsh couldn’t list any lineup changes on Friday because, as far as he was concerned, spots were still up for grabs.

The Bears will have to solve UNH goalie Ty Conklin, who has given up only one goal in their last three meetings. He is 2-0-1 in those games including a 0-0 tie and 4-1 win on Jan. 5-6.

“All three of those games were at the Whittemore Center [at UNH],” pointed out Walsh. “I don’t go by past performances in any situation.

“I do know we weren’t beating him with our first shots, so we have emphasized creating rebounds so we can get second shots.”

Maine sophomore center Marty Kariya said, “We have to show more poise around the net instead of shooting the puck right away and having it go into him.”

He said the Bears can’t dwell on their past frustrations against the 1999-2000 Hobey Baker Award finalist.

“Other teams have lit him up,” said Kariya.

Sophomore center Chris Heisten agreed.

“We’ve just got to go out and play a good, sound game,” said Heisten.

Senior defenseman and co-captain A.J. Begg said Conklin is a great goalie and the Bears have to get traffic in front of him.

“We’ve got to take away his eyes,” said Begg.