ORONO – University of Maine senior hockey player Josh Soares has signed an amateur tryout contract with the Peoria Rivermen of the American Hockey League.

Soares remained in St. Louis after the NCAA Division I Frozen Four and reported to the Rivermen, an affiliate of the National Hockey League’s St. Louis Blues.

He made his debut for the Rivermen on Saturday night in a 4-0 loss to the Manitoba Moose.

Soares, a forward from Hamilton, Ontario, played in all 40 games for UMaine this season as the Black Bears reached the Frozen Four for the third time in the last four seasons. He had a goal and an assist in the first 3 minutes, 24 seconds of Maine’s national semifinal as the Black Bears built a quick 2-0 lead before falling to eventual national champion Michigan State 4-2.

The 5-foot-11, 202-pound Soares tied for the team lead with 45 points, including a team-best 20 goals. He registered 13 multi-point contests this season and two hat tricks as well as nine power-play goals. Soares earned All-New England accolades as well as All-Hockey East second-team honors.

Soares finished his career at Maine with 49 goals and 63 assists for 112 points in 132 games.

He joins former Black Bear Peter Ferraro on the Rivermen’s roster.

Leveille named All-America

University of Maine senior hockey player Michel Leveille has been named to the RBK American Hockey Coaches Association All-American East first team, becoming just the seventh Black Bear hockey player to earn All-America honors in multiple seasons at Maine.

Leveille, a forward from Levis, Quebec, played in all 40 games for the Black Bears this season. He tied for the team lead with 45 points on 19 goals and 26 assists. He was named to the All-Hockey East first team and was selected as the most outstanding performer in the NCAA East Regional.

Leveille was named to the All-American second team in 2006 after totaling 16 goals and 24 assists for 40 points while helping Maine reach the Frozen Four.

He became the first Black Bear to earn All-America honors in back-to-back seasons since Jeff Tory in 1995 and 1996. Other multiple hockey All-America honorees from Maine were David Capuano, Keith Carney, Chris Imes, Jim Montgomery, and Jean Yves-Roy.

Joining Leveille on the 2007 AHCA All-American East first team are goalie John Curry of Boston University, defensemen Drew Bagnall of St. Lawrence and Reid Cashman of Quinnipiac, and forwards Brian Boyle of Boston College and David Jones of Dartmouth. The West first team consists of goalie David Brown of Notre Dame, defensemen Alex Goligoski of Minnesota and Jack Johnson of Michigan, and forwards Ryan Duncan and Jonathan Toews of North Dakota and T.J. Hensick of Michigan.