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Although the University of Maine men’s basketball team came up short in its quest to log some prime time on a major network in the NCAA tournament, UMaine winter sports teams again dominate the television limelight this weekend.
The action starts early, as Maine’s hockey team faces off against Boston University in the Hockey East Conference tournament semifinals today at 5 p.m. Both HE semifinals and Saturday’s 7 p.m. championship game will air live from the FleetCenter in Boston on New England Sports Network.
NESN announcers Andy Brickley, a University of New Hampshire graduate and former NHL player, and Tom Caron – a former sportscaster at Portland TV station WGME (Channel 13) and the former communications director and radio voice of the Portland Pirates – will handle color analyst and play-by-play duties for all three games.
All of Maine’s games will also be carried live on Bangor radio station WZON (620 AM) as well as WDME (103.1 FM) of Dover-Foxcroft, Presque Isle’s WEGP (1390 AM), and Portland’s WLOB (1310 AM).
The 8 p.m. semifinal matches Brickley’s Wildcats against the University of Massachusetts.
The Black Bear women’s basketball team is getting prime time cable network coverage of its NCAA tournament first round game against Texas Tech from ESPN2.
The game will air in its entirety in the entire state of Maine as well as seven counties in the state of Texas. All other areas of the country will get “whiparound” coverage, which involves jumping from the action in one game to another.
“We may take viewers to a compelling finish in another game, but that would be the only time we would interrupt the game,” said ESPN spokesperson Mike Humes. “You’ll see most, if not almost all the [Maine] action.”
Cara Capuano will handle play-by-play duties for the game while Jimmy Dykes will provide color commentary.
Both Bangor’s WZON and Portland’s WLOB will air Maine women’s game live, although it may be joined in progress, depending on how late the Hockey East championship lasts – and that only applies if Maine is in the title game.
WNSX revving it up
Racing fans who are unable to be near a TV set will be able to follow NASCAR Busch Series races on the radio.
Winter Harbor radio station WNSX (97.7 FM) will air its first Busch race Saturday at 12:30 p.m. The Diamond Hill Plywood Company 200 will air live on both WNSX and the FX Network (TV) from Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.
WNSX takes over Busch Series coverage from sister station WFZX (101.7 FM) of Searsport, which aired the first three races on the Busch schedule due to high school basketball tournament coverage commitments by WNSX.
“This is our first year doing the Busch Series,” said Jeff Pierce, Clear Channel Bangor director of operations. “We feel there’s some interest in that circuit with drivers like Ricky Craven coming out of it. The Busch Series is a step up from BUSCH North and just below NASCAR [Nextel Cup].”
The Diamond Hill 200 is the first of 31 races scheduled to air on WNSX, which is in the second year of a three-year contract with NASCAR. Busch racing was added this year.
“We felt it was worthwhile because some really good racers have come from there like Jeff Gordon and Craven. It’s the testing ground for future NASCAR racers,” Pierce said. “We had a great response from NASCAR fans last year and we’ve had zero complaints, so that’s another reason we were doing it.”
All NASCAR Nextel Series races are airing on fellow Clear Channel station WBFB (104.7 FM) of Belfast.
ESPN2 calls for icing
The NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament’s official selection show will air live on ESPN2 at 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
During the show, Maine fans can learn which regional the Black Bears will be sent to play in and what UM’s seeding will be.
Andrew Neff can be reached at 990-8205, 1-800-310-8600 or aneff@bangordailynews.net
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