ORONO – Jon Jankus admits he was “overwhelmed,” a little homesick, and not ready for college when he was at the University of Maine in the fall of 2001.

So the University of Maine men’s hockey center returned to his native Stoney Creek, Ontario, after his first semester and played junior hockey in Hamilton, Ontario.

He had a change of heart, came back to Maine for the second semester last season, and practiced with the team.

He had a goal and an assist in the Blue-White intrasquad game Saturday and was one of the bright spots for third-year coach Tim Whitehead.

“He is a tough two-way player. He gives us a physical presence. And he has surprisingly good hands,” said Whitehead.

Jankus said it was nice to be back at Alfond Arena.

“I love the atmosphere here. I love the fans. I had a big smile on my face the entire game,” said Jankus, who had a goal in nine games in the fall of 2001.

“When I left Maine, Coach Whitehead said if I wanted to come back, I would be more than welcome. I kept that in the back of my head,” said Jankus.

He considered playing in the Ontario [Major Junior] Hockey League, “but after one day at [Major Junior] camp, I realized that it wasn’t for me.”

“A week later, Grant [Maine assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Grant Standbrook] called and offered me an opportunity to come back and I jumped all over it,” said Jankus, who is now 20.

He said he was able to raise his grade-point average last semester and by getting his feet wet in college hockey two years ago, he came into training camp this fall with confidence.

“I figured I did have my place here. My first year, I tried to work hard and they needed a line of guys to go take the body and set the tone so I did that. I didn’t care about numbers. I still really don’t. I have a lot of confidence. I’m two years older,” said Jankus.

Junior defenseman Mat Deschamps recalled seeing Jankus two years ago and saying “this kid is unbelievable. And he’s only 17 [18]. Now he’s more mature and a little more knowledgeable. You can tell. He made a big impact on Saturday night.”

Deschamps said the 5-foot-9, 200-pound Jankus is “a really talented forward. He has a great shot. He’s a bull. He’ll go in and mix it up and get dirty in the corners. He knows how to play defense, too.”

The Bears have 11 new faces this season, but Jankus is encouraged by what he has seen.

“We want to prove everyone wrong. Everybody is saying we’re young and inexperienced. That’s kind of true. But we’ve got a lot of guys who just want to win and will do anything they can to win. As long as we keep improving every day – and we made pretty good strides in the Blue-White game – we should be fine,” said Jankus.

He was a winger at Maine and in juniors, so he said he has to relearn the center position.

“I’ve been watching game tapes,” said Jankus. “I’ve got to be down low [in the defensive zone], be strong on the puck, and win faceoffs.”

Blue-White attracts big crowd

There were 4,877 tickets sold for Saturday night’s Blue-White intrasquad game at Alfond Arena.

Although there didn’t appear to be that many on hand, it was still one of the largest crowds to attend a Blue-White game and left a lasting impression on the first-year players.

“It was unbelievable. I had never been to a game here. This was my first experience,” said freshman defenseman Tom Zabkowicz of Greendale, Wis.

“It was amazing to see all these people at a Blue-White game. I can’t wait until the season starts,” said freshman winger Luciano Aquino.

“It was a good atmosphere,” said winger Mike Hamilton of Victoria, British Columbia.