Defenseman Wight recognized for unselfish play Maine hosts UML in HE quarterfinals

ORONO – University of Maine senior defenseman Travis Wight will tell you he isn’t the type of player who wins awards.

So when he had a message on his answering machine from men’s hockey head coach Tim Whitehead, “I thought I was in trouble or something.”

When he contacted Whitehead, he was informed that he was chosen the recipient of the Bruce Griffin Memorial Award given to the team’s unsung hero by the Monday Night Insiders Club, a group that meets on selected Monday nights to discuss the team’s play in an in-depth discussion with Whitehead.

“It was a pretty big surprise,” said Wight. “It’s a great honor.”

“I don’t get a lot of points or anything like that. It’s nice to be recognized for other things like playing hard, blocking shots, and stuff like that,” added Wight, who has a single-season high nine points (2 goals, 7 assists) in 36 games this season after collecting six points in his previous 62 games over his first three seasons.

Senior right wing and captain Greg Moore said it is a richly deserved award for Wight.

“Even though he may not put points on the board, he’s the heart and soul of our team,” said Moore. “He leaves everything on the ice and blocks six shots a game. He has definitely been a huge contributor to our team.”

UMass Lowell coach Blaise MacDonald, whose River Hawks invade Orono for a best-of-three Hockey East quarterfinal series beginning tonight, called Wight a “very dependable, trustworthy player. I like his competitiveness. He adds a lot to their defense corps.”

Wight leads the Bears in plus-minus with a plus-16. A player receives a plus-one if he is on the ice when his team scores an even-strength or shorthanded goal and a minus-one if he is on the ice when his opponent scores one.

It is the unsung heroes that often decide playoff games and Wight would love to be a difference-maker this weekend.

Wight said it is often one of those important “little things like a blocked shot or taking a hit to make a play that can be the difference between winning and losing [in the playoffs]. That’s what I try to pride myself on.”

Maine has dominated the series with UMass Lowell, including nine straight wins. Maine outscored UMass Lowell 19-4 in three victories this year, although the River Hawks are healthier than they were in those three games. Senior left wing Andrew Martin is the only question mark.

Maine ousted UMass Lowell 7-2, 5-2 from the quarterfinals last year.

“They won’t forget last year,” said Maine senior center Jon Jankus referring to the fact the teams knew that only the winner of that series would qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

“They’ll be looking for some payback,” Jankus added.

Moore said Maine’s recent dominance is worrisome.

“They’re due for a win against us, so we have to make sure we play our best,” said Moore.

UMass Lowell senior right wing, leading scorer, and captain Bobby Robins said, “They’ve had our number. In my four years, we have one win and one tie against them. And they probably look at those as flukes. They’re definitely ripe for an upset and what better way for us seniors to help close out our careers than by beating Maine.”

Freshman goalie Ben Bishop will make his playoff debut tonight and he said he isn’t going to put any undue pressure on himself.

“I’m just going to treat it like another game. You can’t get too nervous or too psyched up for it,” said Bishop.

Maine is hoping the home-ice advantage prevails again. Maine is 34-4 in playoff games at Alfond Arena, including a 25-2 mark in Hockey East playoff games.

“It’s like having an extra player on the ice. The crowd really gives us a boost and helps switch the momentum,” said Moore.