UM’s Walsh OK after bout with virus

University of Maine hockey coach Shawn Walsh, who is fighting a form of kidney cancer known as renal cell carcinoma, returned to his Veazie home on Friday after spending several days at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md.

Walsh, who was the recipient of a stem cell transplant from his brother Kevin in May in the hope that his brother’s cells will eventually destroy the remaining cancer cells in his body, said “I contracted a transplant-induced virus and went down there to get it taken care of. They got it cleared out.

“I’ll be going back in a few weeks so they can do some routine tests,” added the Maine coach, who will start his 18th year behind the bench next month.

“I feel fine. I’m just trying to get my strength back,” said Walsh.

He has been taking immunosuppressive drugs to shut down his immune system and allow his brother’s stem cells to attack the cancerous cells in his chest.

“I’ve got another week to go on them. When I finish them up, I should start to get a little stronger,” said Walsh.

He said his team will have its first meeting on the first day of school, Sept. 4, and will take the ice for the first time on Sept. 25.

Walsh has guided his Maine teams to 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, seven Frozen Fours and two national championships.

He was diagnosed with kidney cancer 14 months ago and has endured the loss of a kidney and a lung, two grueling immunotherapy treatments and the stem cell transplant.

He led his Bears to the NCAA Tournament’s quarterfinals last season where they lost to eventual national champ and Hockey East rival Boston College 3-1.

He will enter this campaign with a 399-215-44 record.

“I’m excited about the upcoming season,” said Walsh, whose Bears will open against his alma mater, Bowling Green State University (Ohio), in the Ice Breaker Tournament in Orono on Oct. 12.

Husson gets new bleachers, lot

Husson College basketball fans will be more comfortable this season.

The school recently installed new bleachers in the Newman Gymnasium with a price tag in the $100,000 range, according to John Rubino, the dean of the Bangor-based school.

“I believe the old bleachers had been here from day one in 1968,” said Rubino. “They didn’t meet ADA [American Disabilities Act] codes although you can grandfather it.

“But it’s time to enter the 21st century. This will be handicapped accessible. It will be easier for the fans to get to their seats and to move up and down. It will also be safer,” said Rubino.

There will be handrails in the aisles to help people get to their seats and there will be railings at the end of the bleachers to prevent people from falling off.

The bleachers also have an electric attachment which dramatically reduces the amount of time it takes to pull them out from the wall or push them back into the wall. Now, someone just has to press a button to set them up or slide them back into the wall. It takes less than two minutes.

The bleachers, which will hold approximately 1,500, are one of several projects undertaken recently as the result of the Legacy of Leadership fund-raising campaign.

The parking lot next to the Newman Gym is currently being paved and Rubino said the school is hoping to receive approval from the City of Bangor’s planning board on Tuesday to begin construction of the $1 million Clara Swan (fitness) Center.

The Swan Center will include various workout apparatus and a human performance laboratory that will research injury rehabilitation and athletic performance.

“If we receive approval, we’ll begin construction on Aug. 27,” said Rubino. “It will take 32 to 34 weeks to complete.”

Swan, who will turn 90 on April 28, was affiliated with Husson for 34 years as a student-athlete, professor, coach and administrator.