Being a recruiter for a Division I program is an adventure.

In addition to the long hours, stale coffee, jet lag and string of hotel rooms, there are endless hours spent behind the steering wheel of a car negotiating roads of all shapes and sizes.

University of Maine assistant hockey coach and recruiting coordinator Grant Standbrook has visited virtually every nook and cranny in North America, as well points beyond, looking for pieces to the puzzle.

Standbrook, who has just completed his 12th season at Maine where he has helped recruit 25 All-Americans, has been subjected to virtually every kind of situation on the recruiting trail.

He has maneuvered through numerous blizzards and ice storms and had to deal with various car malfunctions.

Recently, he embarked upon a memorable trip.

He was in Chicago checking out the United States Junior Hockey championships. He flew to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and rented a car so he could drive the 51/2 hours to Flin Flon, Manitoba, to see a tournament involving the top five junior teams in Canada.

However, he had a dilemma.

“Forest fires forced the RCMP [Royal Canadian Mounted Police] to close the highway I had taken to Flin Flon,” explained Standbrook.

It appeared as though he would be stranded in Flin Flon after the tournament concluded.

The morning after the tournament’s final game, he had to catch a 6:25 a.m. flight out of Saskatoon that would eventually return him to Maine.

“I called the RCMP at 11 o’clock that night and they said they had reopened the highway,” said Standbrook, who promptly jumped in his rental car and began driving to Saskatoon.

Then the adventure began. Due to the forest fires, the highway became extremely crowded with nervous, fleeing deer.

“There were hundreds of them. They were everywhere. I had to slow down to 45 miles an hour,” said Standbrook, who also saw a wolf and a bobcat on his trip.

The reflection in the eyes of the deer from his headlights made the trip a little less dangerous.

But the wildlife was just part of the experience. The other was the night itself.

“There was a three-quarter moon and the aurora borealis [luminous streamers of light],” said Standbrook.

“[Best-selling author] Stephen King would have loved it. It was somewhat eerie and beautiful at the same time,” said Standbrook.

In spite of the deer delay, Standbrook reached Saskatoon at 5:40 a.m. and made his 6:25 a.m. flight.

Bosley to run Bangor Rec leagues

Husson College women’s soccer coach and Rising Sun Sport Club director Keith Bosley says “what could be better than spending your summer evenings watching soccer games.”

That’s what Bosley will be doing this summer courtesy of the Bangor Parks and Recreation Department.

The Bangor Parks and Recreation Department will be sponsoring six soccer leagues beginning on June 18.

There will be high school boys and girls leagues; men’s and women’s adult leagues, one for men over 30 years old and another for coed teams.

The high school league games will be played on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and will be the regulation 11 vs. 11. Each team will play nine games. Registration will be $252 per team.

The adult league games will be on Monday and Wednesday evenings and games will be six vs. six. Each team will play eight games. Registration will be $224 per team.

There will be a $50 non-resident team for high school and adult squads outside of Bangor.

There will be referees and Husson athletic trainer Lisa McGowan will be on hand.

The idea for the merger between Bangor Parks and Recreation and Rising Sun came about when Bosley, who has been running a girls high school summer soccer league at Husson as well as soccer camps, called Bangor Superintendent of Recreation Tracy Willette to inquire about field availability.

Husson’s soccer field became part of the new John Winkin Baseball Complex and the Bangor-based school’s new soccer field is currently being built.

“I was looking for a field and Tracy was interested in doing something [with soccer],” explained Bosley who will run the six leagues, which will hold their games at the two Union Street Fields in Bangor. The games will start at 4, 5, 6 and 7 p.m.

“Tracy has been super supportive,” added Bosley.

Games in all six leagues will be comprised of two, 25-minute halves. Scores for the high school games won’t be recorded, according to Bosley.

“The high school portion is going to be recreational in nature. It is designed for coaches to be able to experiment and develop players,” said Bosley.

Teams must register by June 1 and can do so by calling 941-7017.