The University of Maine hockey team’s aspirations to earn a sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament berth next season have received a severe blow.

First team All-Hockey East defenseman Francis Nault, one of the nation’s top-scoring defensemen with 10 goals and 26 assists in 39 games this past season, has been denied his fourth season of eligibility by the NCAA.

NCAA Bylaw 14.2.3.5 states that a student-athlete who competes in any outside competition after his or her 21st birthday, and prior to his or her initial full-time enrollment in a collegiate institution, forfeits one year of eligibility.

The institution appealed to the NCAA to have his fourth year re-instated but the NCAA denied it.

Nault stopped playing for his Connecticut Clippers junior team on Feb. 14, 2000, when he turned 21, but played in a couple of collegiate tournaments in Massachusetts the following summer.

“I had asked around to see if was OK for me to play in those tournaments and people told me since they weren’t sanctioned by USA Hockey and since the academic year was over, they assumed it was OK,” said Nault.

He added that he didn’t play in them to get noticed by college recruiters.

“I had been turned down by schools in the MAAC. I guess they thought I wasn’t good enough. So I was planning to go to college in Canada. I played in those tournaments just to have fun,” said Nault.

However, he was noticed during the first tournament by Gene Reilly, a Maine assistant at the time, and one thing led to another. He decided to walk on at Maine but earned a scholarship after a productive freshman season in which he was chosen the team’s rookie of the year.

Nault, who is a smooth skater and a slick stickhandler, accrued 18 goals and 54 assists in 110 career games at Maine. He was one of the key components on Maine’s power play.

He said he didn’t find out about his eligibility dilemma until a month ago.

Nault has the option to retain his scholarship and practice with the team next season. He could also assist the coaching staff and travel with the team. He is one year away from earning his degree in marketing.

Nault is open to that possibility but indicated he would rather sign a pro contract if possible. He is a free agent.

“If I came back and finished school, I would lose some visibility,” said Nault, a native of Tracy, Quebec.

“Since this has just happened, I don’t know what’s available [in pro hockey] right now,” said Nault. “I had planned on returning to Maine next season.”

Nault said he “loved” playing at Maine.

“The people are great, the school is great. Things went real well for me here,” said Nault. “I’m moving forward. This is a bummer but I’ve got to make things happen and keep on going.”

Maine coach Tim Whitehead said, “Francis has emerged as one of the top college defensemen in the east and has been an extremely valued contributor to our success over the past three seasons. I’m confident he will land a professional hockey job in the very near future. However, I would love to see him back here as a student-assistant coach, sharing his experience and knowledge with the younger guys on this team. I look forward to the possibility of his continued involvement with the program.”

In addition to being an All-Hockey East selection, Nault, Maine’s third leading point-getter, was a second-team choice on the New England Hockey Writers’ all-star team and was an Inside College Hockey third team All-American.