ORONO – They came so close to annexing their third national championship in 10 years last season.

But the University of Maine’s hockey team has put the heart-breaking 4-3 overtime loss to Minnesota in the NCAA championship game in St. Paul, Minn. behind them.

Minnesota tied it with 52.4 seconds left in regulation and won it with a power play goal.

Those are just memories as the Bears go through their dry land training regimen in preparation for their first official on-ice practice on Sept. 30.

Tim Whitehead’s team will have its annual Blue-White scrimmage on Oct. 5 before opening against the University of New Brunswick in the Black Bear Classic on Oct. 11.

The Bears used the Sept. 24 death of 18-year head coach Shawn Walsh (complications from kidney cancer) as motivation a year ago. They went on to beat Harvard (4-3 in overtime), Boston University (4-3) and New Hampshire (7-2) in the NCAA tourney to earn the berth against Minnesota.

“It’s a new year, a new season and a new team,” said senior center Robert Liscak, who will be sidelined for a couple of weeks after suffering a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery. “We should have a lot of depth. We have a lot of returning players.”

Maine will return 10 of its top 13 scorers off last year’s 26-11-7 team but will have two new goalies in redshirt sophomore Frank Doyle and freshman Jim Howard.

“We’ll use the whole experience last year as a positive,” said junior right winger Todd Jackson. “Every game you play in the NCAA Tournament is a learning experience. A lot of us have played in big games.”

“We came that close last year and we have pretty much the same team this year although we did lost four or five key guys,” said senior left winger Lucas Lawson. “Last year, we were a Cinderella team. Coach Walsh was our motivation. This year, our expectations are high. We expect to do well. That will be our motivation.”

He added that the Bears can make another run at a national championship “if we come together like we did last year.”

Junior defenseman Francis Nault said he is “proud” of what the team accomplished a year ago and likes what he has seen so far.

“Everybody gets along,” said Nault.

Maine strength and conditioning coach Will Biberstein is putting the Bears through their paces. They will take the ice for captain’s practices next Wednesday but the coaches won’t get to work with the whole team until Sept. 30.

In addition to Liscak, there have been two other injuries. Assistant Campbell Blair said Doyle and sophomore defenseman Prestin Ryan have suffered sprained ankles.

Husson to host baseball tourney

Husson College has been named as the host site for the 2003 Sunrise (NAIA) Conference Baseball Tournament, school officials announced Friday.

The tournament will be held May 2-4. Sunrise Conference participating baseball schools are Husson, UM-Farmington, UM-Presque Isle, Thomas, Lyndon State and Fisher. The event will be held on the Alfond Diamond at the Winkin Baseball Complex.