MILWAUKEE – Bangor, Maine, is not a city steeped in hockey tradition. Even though it has sponsored recreational programs for decades, it didn’t even have its own enclosed indoor rink (Sawyer Arena) until the early 1990s.

All of which makes Derek Damon’s hockey career that much more remarkable.

When the University of Maine men’s hockey team takes the ice against Wisconsin tonight in the NCAA Frozen Four, Bangor native Damon will be among the leaders for the Black Bears as they try to take a step toward a third national championship.

At 25, Damon is the oldest player on the UMaine roster. He has spent the last nine years working to reach the highest level of college hockey and has aspirations to play professionally.

The 6-foot, 195-pound center already has accomplished one of those goals and likely will reach the second.

“If you’re saying what about Derek playing pro hockey, I wouldn’t bet against him,” said UMaine coach Tim Whitehead. “He’s come so far, and he’s so determined, and he’s so talented. That’s a pretty dangerous combination.”

Damon had humble hockey beginnings. He spent his early years in Bangor Youth Hockey, then moved to a higher level of play in the Penobscot Valley Hockey Conference.

With a love for the game burning inside him, he continued to improve. His brother Shawn, who is five years his elder, continuously challenged Derek to get better.

“He was the guy that I really looked up to,” Derek Damon said of Shawn. “He made me a better player. We’d always play one-on-one in our garage, and he was tough on me, constantly.”

Throughout his youth career, Damon was coached by his father, Doug Damon. Despite lacking any high-level playing experience, he was able to motivate Derek to excel.

“He was always somebody who was there for me on and off the ice,” Derek Damon said. “He wasn’t afraid to bench me when I wasn’t playing well or working hard enough, and he really helped inspire me to be a better hockey player and a better person.”

Damon had plenty of other positive role models at UMaine. The Damons served as a surrogate family for former Black Bears star Dave Capuano, who quickly became Derek’s hero. Being exposed to Capuano and often watching UMaine play kept Damon dreaming about the possibilities.

“It was obviously my dream, because I grew up and I learned how to skate in that rink,” Damon said of Alfond Arena, where PVHC played its home games. “I always wanted to play at Maine, and I was fortunate to get the opportunity.”

In high school, Damon spent his first two years at John Bapst Memorial High School in Bangor, a program that first had taken to the ice only five years earlier. Realizing he wanted to accelerate his development, he transferred to St. Dominic Regional High School in Lewiston where he and future UMaine teammate Greg Moore sparked the Saints to the program’s first undefeated season in 26 years.

“He’s always had a great feel for the puck, great stick handling,” Moore said. “He’s a pure goal scorer.”

In 1999, Damon was selected the state’s top player. That led to a productive Junior career with the Manchester Junior Monarchs and the Exeter Snow Devils.

His success in Junior hockey then opened the door to Division I hockey and UMaine, whose coaches realized his potential. While Damon initially was a recruited walk-on, he soon earned a scholarship.

It didn’t come easily, as the offensive-minded center was forced to expand his repertoire of skills beyond simply putting the puck in the net.

“Just to see his improvement each year, it’s been really enjoyable,” Whitehead said. “He’s become a full-scholarship player who’s led our team in scoring, and he’s now one of the best defensive centers in our league. He’s great on faceoffs, and he’s got such good hockey sense.”

Damon long ago accepted the challenge of doing whatever was asked of him to get better. His tireless work ethic and coachability have enabled him to become a consistent performer for the Bears.

This season, he is tied for second on the team with 15 goals and is fifth in points with 35.

“I think the biggest strides that I’ve made is I’ve become more of a complete player,” Damon said. “What I learned from coach Whitehead is, if you want to make it to the next level after this, you have to be a complete player. Having the offensive skills is great, but in the pros there’s a lot of guys with great offensive skills, so you need to have that defensive side. I’ve really worked hard at being a defense-minded player.”

Damon recently had to endure being suspended from UMaine’s regional opener against Harvard because he missed too many classes.

“It was definitely tough, but I had a lot of faith in our team that they were going to do well,” Damon said.

He returned in the regional final victory over Michigan State with renewed enthusiasm and commitment to his teammates.

“You’re in the NCAA Tournament; it’s one and done,” Damon said. “We don’t want to lose. We want to win our last game of the year. Belief is the most powerful thing in the world, and the guys in that locker room believe we can win a national championship.”

Whitehead said Damon’s presence on the team has been special because of his ability to represent Bangor and eastern Maine so well.

“He’s a guy that’s come from the bottom up, and he’s earned every bit of ice time he’s gotten with us,” Whitehead said. “It hasn’t come easy. We’re very proud of Derek, and it’s been a pleasure working with him. Having him as a kid from Bangor, it’s really been great for our program and our university and for Derek and his family.”