Bangor coach Snowdeal set for challenges

When Nancy Snowdeal filled out her application form for the Bangor High softball coaching position this year, she fudged the section that asked for her name, putting down her maiden name instead of her new married name.

That’s kind of a big deal, right? But hear her out:

“I wasn’t sure if [the Bangor administration] was up on local softball,” said Snowdeal, who was known as Nancy Deshane when she coached at Hermon and got married July 4. “We’re neighbors but we didn’t really play each other.”

Snowdeal took over the Bangor High position this spring. She replaced Lisa Richards, who stepped down to pursue a graduate degree. Richards had coached the Rams for 15 years. Her teams compiled a 168-96 record and twice reached the Eastern Maine Class A championship game.

Snowdeal spent four seasons at Hermon High and was named the Penobscot Valley Conference Class B Coach of the Year in 1999. She played softball at the University of Maine and at John Bapst of Bangor.

Community support and personal goals were among the reasons Snowdeal decided to apply for the Bangor job.

“There are parents who are working on building a program here before [the players] get to high school,” she said. “Also, one of my aspirations has always been to coach at a higher level. I’m looking to build this program to be in the Eastern Maine championships on a regular basis, which is something the girls want.”

Right now Snowdeal, a guidance counselor in the Brewer school system, is working on forging a Class A mentality after coaching the Class B Hawks. There are some big differences between the two classifications – especially in the consistent quality of pitching.

“We’re going to see good pitching every day,” she said. “We’re going to see good defense every day, we’re going to see good hitting every day. That’s not something I saw at Hermon. The strategies are different.”

One thing that isn’t different: Like the rest of the area, the Bangor team will have to wait to get on its field thanks to snow over the weekend. An exhibition game against Lawrence of Fairfield set for Monday was canceled, and Snowdeal said the Rams may not get out until Thursday’s exhibition against George Stevens depending on the condition of the field in Blue Hill.

New Web site for MASO

Brad Fogg of Gray, who will assume the position of Maine’s soccer rules interpreter this fall, has launched a new Web site for the Maine Association of Soccer Officials.

Fogg has posted information about local contacts, new rules and rules changes, articles of interest, points of emphasis, referee fitness, safety issues for parents, frequently asked rules questions, how to become a referee, and a you-make-the-call quiz.

The Web address is www.masointerpreter.com.

Fogg replaces Bob White, who was the rules interpreter for 28 years before retiring at the end of the 2002 season. According to the Web site, Fogg has been a member of the Western Maine Board of Approved Soccer Officials since 1975 and a member of the National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association since 1977.

Jessica Bloch can be reached at 990-8193, 1-800-310-8600 or jbloch@bangordailynews.net.