A pair of Canadian defensemen who played on the same Pembina Valley Midget AAA team in Manitoba and now play against each other in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League have verbally committed to attend the University of Maine.

Steve Mullin, who plays for the Winkler Flyers, and Travis Wight of the Portage La Prairie Terriers, will be scholarship athletes.

They are both 19-year-old Manitoba natives.

“They will both be very good additions to the Maine hockey program,” said Don McGillivray, the coach-general manager for Portage La Prairie.

Ken Pearson, Winkler’s coach-GM, said Mullin chose Maine over Harvard and Yale, and McGillivray noted that North Dakota showed a lot of interest in Wight.

Mullin, according to Pearson, “moves the puck quickly and sees the ice very well. He doesn’t usually get beat in one-on-ones and he quarterbacks our power play. He’s a very intelligent all-around kid.”

The 6-foot, 180-pound Mullin had 16 goals and 35 assists in 60 regular season games and was the league’s second-leading point-getter among defensemen.

According to McGillivray, the 5-11, 185-pound Wight “is a very mobile defenseman. His lateral movement is exceptional. And he’s very, very competitive. He comes to play every night.”

Wight had five goals and 18 assists in 54 games.

Both were MJHL All-Stars and played for Team Manitoba in the prestigious international Viking Cup Tournament.

Mullin and Wight visited Maine during the Bears’ recent sweep of Massachusetts.

Mullin said they spent time near the band in the student section and the lively atmosphere helped sell him on Maine.

“I’ve never played in front of 6,000 fans. That will be new to me,” said Mullin. “I went to a couple of classes and the teachers were friendly and approachable.

“Everybody is into hockey there. It will be nice to be in the spotlight, so to speak,” said Mullin.