Refs didn’t ‘lose’ game Congratulations to the Black Bears hockey team and coach Tim Whitehead on a thrilling postseason. To the fans who would blame the officials for the loss [in the championship game], I have a few questions: Did the referee lose the faceoff prior to the game-tying goal? Was it the referees who were outdone on faceoffs the whole game? Did the officials call a penalty on the Black Bear defender who tackled the Minnesota player from behind during overtime?

No, the official didn’t call a penalty until a Black Bear defender (who had no other choice) tripped up a streaking Gopher to prevent a possible one-on-one scoring chance. Do we have such short memories that we can’t even go back to a year ago when the roles were reversed in the regional tournament and it was the Black Bears who benefited? May we all take a cue from coach Whitehead and handle the disappointment with class and dignity.

Dan King

Kennebunk

Runners-up show class

[On April 6] I watched my first hockey game; it was awesome! I, like everyone else in Maine, would have preferred a different outcome. Didn’t happen.

We’re all proud of our hockey team, win or lose, but I don’t think those guys are losers. I’ve heard comments from bystanders that an official “had it in for UM,” that a “penalty shouldn’t have been called.” Maybe, maybe not. In interviews with team members that I’ve read, they aren’t whining about it – only some of the fans are.

Being a good winner is easy. Coming in second place (no mean feat, at that) and being gracious and polite about it is better.

Congratulations Black Bears!

Margaret Deane

Milo

Bears made superb effort

They left it all on the ice. Coach Tim Whitehead and the players made us all very proud with that incredible effort in the final game most inspiring.

Cooper Friend

Ellsworth

Fired coach feels cheated

I agree with Gavin Kane.

After reading Gavin Kane’s letter in Fan Feedback (BDN, April 9) I couldn’t agree more. The last two winters, I had the privilege of coaching a basketball team at a local high school. I devoted a lot of time to that job, and loved every minute of it. To my knowledge, the student-athletes enjoyed playing for me, and I feel that we all accomplished some great things in that time.

Unlike the situation in coach Kane’s letter, the parents of the student-athletes were very positive and supportive, both of the team and of myself as coach. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my student-athletes and their parents for their hard work and support over the last two winters.

However, due to an unfortunate incident, I was removed from my position as coach as I was asked to leave the game for the second time in my coaching career. While I do not condone being ejected from a game, I do not believe the incident itself was just cause for removal. Again, I received great support form players and parents alike. However, I did not receive enough support from my superiors, and I was let go.

I feel it is unfortunate that at age 23, my entire coaching career could be in jeopardy over an incident that many do not feel even justified an ejection.

What I’m trying to show is that not only should parents be supportive, which they were in my case, but administrators and school board members should also be supportive. If they continue to live in glass houses, there will be nobody left to coach or officiate, and tomorrow’s kids will lose out on many opportunities.

Jeff Kinney

Waldoboro