Pursuit of excellence helps Kostacopoulos reach milestone

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ORONO – Paul Kostacopoulos is a demanding coach.

He has extremely high expectations for himself, his players and his University of Maine baseball program.

That quality, along with his extensive baseball knowledge and recruiting ability, have made him tremendously successful in the Division I ranks.

Kostacopoulos achieved a coaching milestone Saturday, earning his 500th career victory by virtue of the Black Bears’ 6-5 win over Binghamton at Mahaney Diamond.

In the process, UMaine earned a berth in the America East tournament for the fifth consecutive year. The 31-16 Bears play Vermont in Thursday’s 7 p.m. contest.

Kostacopoulos downplayed his accomplishment.

“You meet a lot of great people,” he said. “It means you’ve been around a long time and I’ve been lucky enough to coach at two great schools.”

In 16 seasons, Kostacopoulos’ teams at UMaine and Providence College have combined to post a 500-326 record.

“That’s such a great tribute, a great honor for him, a great testament to his character,” said senior Mike Ferriggi.

Kostacopoulos’ UMaine teams have won consistently during his nine seasons in Orono. The Bears are 280-192 under his tutelage, claiming one America East championship (2002) and making seven postseason appearances.

UMaine is 179-87 (.673) over the last five seasons.

“The teams that I’ve been on, he just breeds winners,” said senior co-captain Aaron Izaryk. It’s a winning mentality.”

The 40-year-old Kostacopou-los requires his players to work hard every day and tries to teach them to maintain their intensity and focus regardless of the situation.

“Whether we’re down 20-1 or up 20-1; if we have first place clinched or last place clinched; he’s always intense and that rubs off on his players. We carry that into our ballgames,” Ferriggi said.

Izaryk said Kostacopoulos’ attention to detail is never lacking.

“Every area we work on in practice is important because it’s the same area that will carry over into a game,” Izaryk said.

Kostacopoulos’ relentless pursuit of excellence is complemented by an energetic personality that has him pacing the sidelines and shouting encouragement to his players during games.

“It’s a joy to play around him,” said sophomore Joel Barrett of Brewer. “Without a doubt, he’s the toughest guy I’ve played for in my life. I wouldn’t accept it any other way. His personality just makes you go 100 percent.”

Robinson moving up charts

Junior Scott Robinson continues to stake his claim to being one of the most successful relief pitchers in UMaine history.

On Saturday, the righthander from Ajax, Ontario, appeared in his 25th game of the season for the Black Bears. That is one stint shy of the single-season record set by Garrett Quinn in 1996.

Robinson, a 5-foot-11, 210-pounder, has compiled a 2-1 record this season with a 4.18 earned run average and nine saves.

The nine saves in 2005 also equals the feat accomplished by Quinn in 1995. Mike LeBlanc holds UMaine’s single-season saves record with 12 in 1989.

Robinson, who has been used almost exclusively in relief since undergoing shoulder surgery prior to the 2003 season, also is making a run at UMaine’s career saves mark.

With 15 saves the last two seasons, he ranks third and is quickly closing in on LeBlanc (19) and Quinn (17).

Bears lose another defenseman

The University of Maine men’s hockey team has lost a third defenseman prematurely.

Tom Zabkowicz, who would have been a junior this fall, is academically ineligible and has been dismissed from the team according to Maine coach Tim Whitehead.

“I love him as a player and as a person but college isn’t for everybody,” said Whitehead. “Unfortunately, he has struggled academically since he has been here. He had difficulty juggling academics and hockey and that kept him out of the lineup on quite a few occasions. This is best for Tommy and the team right now.”

Whitehead said Zabkowicz intends to pursue a pro hockey career.

Zabkowicz played in just 19 of Maine’s 40 games and had a goal and five assists. He also saw some duty at wing.

In his freshman season, he had four goals and five assists in 27 games. His four goals tied him with Prestin Ryan for most among Bear defensemen.

The other two defensemen who decided not to return were Jeff Mushaluk, who had three assists in 17 games, and Tim Maxwell, who had 2 & 5 in 11 games. Mushaluk had one year of eligibility remaining but had enough credits to graduate and is pursuing a master’s degree while Maxwell plans to transfer after feeling he didn’t fit into Maine’s defense-first ideology.

Incoming freshmen Matt Duffy of Windham and Bryan Plaszcz of Apple Valley, Minn., and senior Travis Wight are three of the defensemen who could benefit significantly. Wight was moved up to forward and appeared in 13 games. They will join regulars Steve Mullin, who will be a senior, junior Mike Lundin and sophomores Bret Tyler and Travis Ramsey.

Whitehead said he feels Duffy and Plaszcz “can impact our team right away” and expects Wight to have a productive senior year.

“Travis can really skate and he’s a fierce competitor who will dive in front of a shot to save a goal. If he works hard to improve his skill level and ability to handle and shoot the puck, his role can expand,” said Whitehead.

The Maine coach added that they are looking to bring in another defenseman “but only if he can impact our team right away.”

If they don’t bring in another defenseman, Whitehead said they will probably convert a forward to defense and the three likeliest candidates are centers Derek Damon and Jon Jankus and winger Keenan Hopson.