Bears to focus on offense Lynch moved up to forward spot

The University of Maine’s hockey coaching staff will occasionally take a defenseman and move him to forward. Michael Schutte and Kevin Clauson are the most recent examples.

Schutte, who passed up his senior year to sign a free agent contract with the Phoenix Coyotes last summer, scored approximately half of his 30 career goals as a winger including 11 of his 15 during the 2000-2001 season.

Western Michigan transfer Clauson, who graduated in 2001, developed into a physical and productive two-way winger on a checking line.

University of Maine coach Tim Whitehead and his staff have moved sophomore defenseman Paul Lynch up to a wing in the hopes he can develop into a power forward.

“We feel he can bring something to the table offensively. He skates well, he can hit and he has a pretty good shot. His shot is surprisingly good for a defenseman,” said Whitehead. “We’d like to find a way to get him in the lineup. He has done an excellent job on defense. He’s a good hockey player and he’s been working very hard.”

Lynch, who has played in just three of Maine’s 12 games and in only one of the last 10, is open to the move.

“It has been going pretty well. Hopefully, I can break into the lineup as a forward sometime soon,” said the 6-foot-2, 198-pound Lynch, who had two goals and four assists in 22 games a year ago.

He hasn’t registered a point in his three games this year. He has occasionally been hurt by defensive zone turnovers but by moving to wing, those turnovers wouldn’t be as potentially damaging.

He said he has a good understanding of the systems “because we go over everything pretty extensively in practice. I’ve just got to adjust to it.”

Women’s hockey signs 2

Grit and skill are the two ingredients University of Maine women’s hockey coach Rick Filighera has addressed by signing defenseman Kelly Law of Markham, Ontario and center Kate Sunstrum of London, Ontario to National Letters of Intent.

“This is the first time in our history that we have early signees and that’s significant for us because it’s usually the top 50-60 players [available] who sign early,” said Filighera.

He said both of them were heavily recruited.

“They believe in what we’re trying to do,” said Filighera. “Both of them played on boys teams until a couple of years ago so they will bring a toughness to our team. They both play with a lot of desire and passion.

“Kelly is a strong, physical player. She skates and handles the puck extremely well and can create offense. She has played both forward and defense,” said Filighera. “She played with one of our freshmen defenseman, Morgan Janusc, so they could be a good tandem next year.”

Filighera said Sunstrum “sees the ice well and can definitely handle the puck well in traffic.” He added that she can both score and distribute the puck as a playmaker.

The 5-foot-5 Sunstrum had 34 goals and 44 assists in 68 games for the Intermediate AA London Jr. Stang last year and is with them again this year.

Law plays for the Intermediate AA Beatrice Aeros and competed against the U.S. women’s national team a year ago.

Filighera said both of them have played 12-13 years of hockey and have a sound knowledge of the game.

The admission of all student-athletes is contingent upon following NCAA rules, including registration with the NCAA.

Filighera’s current team will try to snap out of its scoring doldrums on Saturday and Sunday when it visits 5-2-1 Princeton and 2-6 Yale, respectively.

The Bears have scored only three goals in their last six games and had gone 234:14 without a goal in one span.

“We’re trying to be too fancy and we’re making poor shooting decisions,” said Filighera, who has moved junior defenseman Naomi Smethurst up to left wing while moving freshman Alanna Pfeffer back to defense.

Sophomore right wing Cheryl White has been sidelined indefinitely with a broken wrist suffered in practice a couple of weeks ago.

“If it heals quicker than expected, I’ll be back. If not, I’ll redshirt,” said White, who has two assists in five games.