It wasn’t the type of season Husson College baseball coach John Winkin envisioned. The Eagles finished a disappointing 15-21 and lost to rival Saint Joseph’s College of Standish in the North Atlantic Conference tournament championship game. However, Husson loses only three players and has a… Read More
Mike Coutts is a former University of Maine baseball star and assistant coach who owns and runs the Frozen Ropes indoor training facility for baseball/softball in Portland. He and wife Lynn work with players year-round as they seek to improve their skills. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
There’s a vacancy atop the Maine schoolboy tennis world. Hampden Academy’s Eliot Potvin, who reached the finals of the state singles tournament as a freshman and won the individual championship each of the last two years, won’t be back to defend that crown when preliminary… Read More
ORONO – Kyle Harrington’s 53-yard interception return set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Eric Whitman that helped lift the Blue team by the White 25-18 in the UMaine Football Club team’s intrasquad game at Alfond Stadium Saturday. The TD gave the Blue a 19-18… Read More
Mars Hill Country Club has all of its 18 holes open for the season. Riding carts are allowed. Those seeking more information may call 425-4802. Caribou Country Club has set its opening date for Saturday at 8 a.m. Read More
BOSTON – University of Maine women’s swimming and diving student-athlete Tal Shpaizer and the University of New Hampshire basketball player Danielle Clark of Corinna are nominees for the America East Woman of the Year Award, league Commissioner Patrick Nero announced Tuesday. Shpaizer and Clark are… Read More
Like many teams this season, the Brewer High softball team has had to play a lot of games in just a few days after weather and field conditions washed out the early part of the spring. But not many teams have played so well in… Read More
Like most springs in our neck of the woods, I’ve been giving a lot of thought to the Boston Red Sox. Having grown up listening, watching, and following the highs and the lows of the Olde Towne Team, I bask in the glow of early-season… Read More
The fallout has begun from Ann McInerney’s sudden resignation last month as the women’s basketball coach at the University of Maine. Tonya Young, a 6-foot-1 post player from New Hampshire who in November signed at National Letter of Intent to play basketball at UMaine beginning… Read More
Warmer weather has arrived and second-session turkey hunters are getting up early to target their toms. Hopefully I’ll have a turkey tale or two to share later this week, but until then, it’s time to catch up on a number of news items that have poured in over… Read More
UMaine commits another turnover How is it possible that the UMaine athletic department can throw the ball away yet again? First, the jump ball that left Stephen King out of bounds. Second, passing the ball to a coach that had already fouled out complete with… Read More
Not too many years ago, an acquaintance and I began talking about fishing. He told story after story about his favorite fishing holes and the monstrous trout he pulled from various pools. After quite a few similar stories, I recall him leaning toward me conspiratorially,… Read More
The Detroit Tigers were the surprise success team of the major leagues last season. Throughout the year, their manager, Jim Leyland, repeated the mantra that the team’s performance was not just about the 2006 season, but about building a winning tradition. “I think they heard… Read More
If you ask most hikers to name their favorite destinations, you’ll get answers that range anywhere from Acadia, to Camden Hills, to Baxter State Park, and all points in between. East Orland probably isn’t even on the list. But, that may change once hikers hear about the great… Read More
LANDER, Wyo. – Ben Huber of Franklin recently completed a 75- day semester course on the South Island of New Zealand with the National Outdoor Leadership School. According to a NOLS news release, Huber’s group of nine students and two instructors spent Sept. 28-Dec. 11… Read More
Is it safe to come out yet? Have the ice chunks left the lakes (not so up north) and have the streams settled back into their banks? I’m getting the itch to be on some water, any water, in my kayak, and by the time… Read More
Nearly a year has elapsed since the Bangor High baseball team has lost. It was May 9, 2006, when Brewer parlayed single runs in the first two innings into a 2-1 win over the Rams at Mansfield Stadium. That marked the second half of a… Read More
BANGOR – It’s easy to see why Shawn Nye is such a highly regarded trainer in the local harness racing community. The 34-year-old Bangor native’s love for horses is obvious, but more importantly, so is their love for him. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
The Pro All-Stars Series’ Super Late Model Division wasn’t decided until the last race a year ago. Farmingdale’s Johnny Clark held off Turner’s Mike Rowe to claim his second points championship in three years. Clark edged Rowe by 31 points. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
The Lucerne Golf Club opens today at 8 a.m. Carts will be available. VaJoWa Course in Island Falls will open its front nine holes on Saturday. No carts will be allowed and a rate of $15 a person for unlimited golf will apply through May… Read More
ORONO – The University of Maine Football Club’s first Blue-White game will be held Saturday night at Alfond Stadium in Orono. Pregame festivities start at 7:30 p.m. while kickoff time is 7:50. The seniors on the NIFL East Division championship team will be playing their… Read More
The University of Maine’s concrete canoe team earned top honors for the second consecutive year at the American Society of Civil Engineers New England Reigonal Concrete Canoe Contest. The squad faced 12 teams from schools throughout New England, and its latest boat ranked first overall… Read More
For more than four years, Catherine Jalbert has eagerly participated in the outdoor education offerings of Brewer High School. But while Jalbert has proven her willingness to climb out of her wheelchair and take part in a wide variety of activities, there has been one… Read More
Bryan Biggers, a standout cornerback for the Husson College football team, hadn’t played baseball since 2004 but approached Eagles coach John Winkin about trying out for the team this spring. “I knew him from football. I knew he was a good athlete and he said… Read More
The University of Maine men’s hockey team received National Letters of Intents from four players, raising the number of incoming players to eight for next season. Forwards Andrew Sweetland from Bonavista, Newfoundland, and Nicholas Philips from Copenhagen, Denmark, along with Ontario defensemen Josh Van Dyk… Read More
For Charlie Zink, the Portland Sea Dogs have become his Double-A Mafia family. Every time he tries to get away, they keep pulling him back. Since signing with the Boston Red Sox as a free agent in 2002, the knuckleball pitcher has spent all or… Read More
KENDUSKEAG – Kenduskeag Golf and Country Club will open for the season on Friday for walkers only. The club anticipates allowing riding carts starting May 12. Read More
Retaliation is an unfortunate part of sports. Some will insist it is necessary to save face or ensure aggressive actions are put to a swift halt. During Saturday’s first game of a doubleheader between Husson College and Castleton State (Vt.), there were a couple of… Read More
One solution to alleviating a shortage of athletic fields is to build a new one. Another solution, one being utilized at the Weatherbee School complex in Hampden, is to lengthen the day – or at least the availability of light. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
As the new executive director of the Maine Golf Hall of Fame, Gary Rees of Newport has taken over an organization with a number of projects looming on the horizon. And he’s eager to take them on. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
With three weekends left in the America East season, the University of Maine baseball team is still in the thick of the postseason hunt. However, the fifth-place Black Bears will need better overall pitching if they’re going to contend for a third consecutive league title… Read More
With apologies to the talented outdoor writers who frequent this newspaper, thoughts today turn to fishing. I was never much of a fisherman, but I did love the time I spent on the water, especially when I was a kid. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
The Husson College baseball team has lost five in a row. Two of those losses came in a pivotal North Atlantic Conference doubleheader Saturday against visiting Castleton State (Vt.), 7-5 and 9-5. Even though the Eagles can’t finish higher than second, they can host the… Read More
UMaine needs to invest in proven coaching talent Recent efforts by the media to influence the selection of a new women’s basketball coach at UMaine have been good in at least one respect: They are evidence that UM women’s basketball still excites the media and… Read More
Maine’s high school cheerleading teams will be allowed two more athletes on the floor in their routines next year. The Maine Principals’ Association voted last Thursday in its general membership meeting to increase the maximum per routine from 18 to 20 with two alternates, MPA… Read More
BANGOR – Dave Link of Glenburn rolled the first 300 game of his bowling career at Family Fun Lanes during Sunday’s Eastern Maine USBC Open event. The 32-year-old Link had a 791 series with strings of 246, 300 and 245 for his Andy’s Army team. Read More
VASSALBORO – The Eastern Maine Seniors Golf Tournament at Natanis Golf Course has been postponed until Monday, May 7 at 9 a.m. Any questions contact Ned Collins at 549-3399. From Staff and Wire Reports… Read More
The position has only been advertised for a week, but already the University of Maine is compiling an impressive list of candidates for its women’s basketball head coaching job. Candidates will need to demonstrate a commitment to the academic excellence of the student-athletes, put them… Read More
The lights were dimmed, a button pushed, and a hush fell over the crowded TV studio at Bangor’s New England School of Communications. The occasion: The preview screening of “Irrevocable Decisions,” a cooperative effort of NESCOM and the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife. Read More
When Tara MacDonald of Corinth first heard about the job of grand marshal at Bangor Raceway, she thought it was a paid position. After checking into it, she found out it not only wasn’t a paid position, it didn’t even technically exist. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
For many, the pronouncement this week by baseball commissioner Bud Selig that he favors the admission of Marvin Miller into the Hall of Fame came as a shock. Miller is the former head of the Major League Baseball Players’ Association from 1966 to 1982. During… Read More
BREWER – Bill Krohn, author and professor of wildlife ecology at the University of Maine, will give a slide presentation about Manly Hardy during the meeting of the Brewer Historical Society at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Brewer Auditorium. Krohn, a resident of Brewer like… Read More
Throughout the years, on many occasions I’ve either overheard or been among a group of sportsmen when the subject of fly fishing vs. worm fishing has come front and center. Often there is a general consensus that selecting the correct pattern, precision casting, and presenting a fly with… Read More
Recently, I received an e-mail from Kathryn McCatherin in Hermon. She recalled bluebirds had occupied nest boxes she had on her property some years back; but, year after year they seemed to be increasingly driven out by other birds. “Bluebirds used to make their summer… Read More
As we await the salt-water paddling season to get into full swing, it’s a good time to take stock of our equipment and brush up on paddling etiquette. Dive into the equipment piles you’ve managed to bury over the winter. Drag out all your gear,… Read More
Politicians and bureaucrats can argue whether sports are essential to the high school experience, particularly when it comes to who pays the bill. But to understand how meaningful they can be, just have a chat with Prentiss Swett. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
STANDISH – Saint Joseph’s College in Standish has been selected to host the Association of DIII Independents Northeast Softball Tournament on Sunday. Second-seeded Saint Joseph’s opens the single-elimination tourney at 10 a.m. vs. No. 3 Newbury, followed by No. 1 Green Mountain vs. No. 1… Read More
J.W. Parks Golf Course in Pittsfield has opened for the season and carts are allowed on the nine-hole course. The course opens at 8 a.m. Dexter Municipal Golf Club will open for the season Saturday at 9 a.m. All regular tees and greens will be… Read More
HIGH SCHOOL At Eastport googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) { if (isMobileDevice()) { if (slot_sizes[i][0]… Read More
With a full week of snow-free scouting behind us, it’s now time to start thinking about spring. In these parts, that often means it’s time to talk turkey. Maine’s wild turkey reintroduction effort, which began 30 years ago, has been a huge success, with birds… Read More
Kevin McHugh, who has served as the director of athletics at The College of New Jersey since 1987, has been named the athletic director and chair of the physical education department at Bates College in Lewiston. He had also been the executive director for student… Read More
Name a three-letter word representing “failure” in Eastern Maine sports circles. That word would be “P-R-O.” Four professional sports teams, two basketball teams and two baseball teams, have tried to make a go of it in the Bangor area. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
HOLDEN – Kodi Legassie lined up his putt, about a 12-footer uphill. He waggled his putter, drew it back, and swung smoothly forward, rolling the ball toward the cup. It came up a couple of feet short. It disappointed but didn’t discourage the 7-year-old from… Read More
PITTSFIELD – If his debut this spring is any indication, pitching without pain will be pitching with pleasure for Maine Central Institute senior Victor Quint. The righthander opened the Huskies’ season Saturday by striking out 16 batters and walking no one in a complete-game effort… Read More
ORONO – The University of Maine football team has scheduled community events to coincide with its spring practices. Coach Jack Cosgrove’s Black Bears have slated a Football Youth Day for Friday and will play their annual Jeff Cole Memorial Scrimmage on May 5 to wrap up workouts. Read More
Bangor Municipal Golf Course will be opening today at 8 a.m. All greens and tees will be in play, but no golf carts at this time. There is a spring special green fee of $22. At Charleston, WhiteTail Golf Course will open for the season… Read More
Two Mainers have been honored with New England Emmy Award nominations this year, and they both work at Fox Sports Net New England. Addison native and Narraguagus High School graduate Barry Alley has received his third New England Emmy nomination and Rumford native Gary Tanguay… Read More
I couldn’t help thinking while I was watching former UMaine women’s basketball coach Joanne P. McCallie being introduced as the new Duke University women’s hoop boss last Friday that it may be time to return to the same winning formula that brought the likes of Joanne and Sharon… Read More
Over the 41-year existence of the Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race, I’m happy to report, I have never flipped, nor flopped, at Six Mile Falls. I have not succumbed to “shopping cart hole.” I have not asked for, nor accepted, any help from Dirigo Search and… Read More
Instead of heading straight to college from Old Town High in 2006, Katie Bergeron decided to make a rare move for a Maine schoolgirl basketball player. She decided to spend a year at a college preparatory school. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
Nat Birdsall and Mark Nome stood on the bridge at Six Mile Falls on Friday morning, looking at the roiling, muddy water and discussing their plans for the day. Birdsall, from Penobscot, and Nome, who splits his time between Maine and Durham, N.C., had headed… Read More
We are at it again. The Red Sox and the Yankees have begun yet another year of highly touted and much watched baseball battles. Is there any doubt about how good this rivalry is for major league baseball? googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
The state added 10 new game wardens to its ranks at a graduation ceremony at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in Vassalboro on Friday. The wardens will fill 10 vacant positions in districts across the state. The newest Maine game wardens and their districts: Alan… Read More
Late last week I dropped into Epic Sports to see owner Brad Ryder to pick up a few more raffle tickets to sell on the Old Town Cayuga kayak we gave away at Paddle Smart. Scott Finlayson of Bridgton, a manufacturer’s representative for MSR products, was in the… Read More
Maine’s wild turkey season gets under way one week from today, April 28, at daybreak with a special Youth Day hunt. Any youngster between the ages of 10 and 16 who has a valid hunting license, a turkey permit and a qualified partner to oversee their hunt can… Read More
As I write this, I’ve noticed the forecast for this weekend calls for sunny skies with temperatures in the 60s. The storms and rain will soon be just a bad memory. However, there is some concern within the birding community that the early spring cold… Read More
The sun is out, temperatures are rising, and the earth is drying. No, it’s not time to talk global warming. It’s time to talk high school baseball and who will emerge as top contenders for the Eastern Maine titles. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
Bangor Raceway is off and running Sunday as it starts its 124th season with a 12-race program at Bangor Historic Track. This is the third straight year in which Bangor Raceway’s race schedule has expanded. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
The stock car racing season will get under way this weekend with Wiscasset Raceway opening on Saturday at 2 p.m. Wiscasset got rained out last weekend. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for… Read More
Husson College of Bangor men’s basketball players Jason Harvey and Tyler Muzzy, Saint Joseph’s of Standish’s Chad Pulkkinen and Bowdoin of Brunswick’s Kevin Bradley have been selected to participate in the Division III New England Basketball Coaches Association Senior All-Star game. The game will be… Read More
Hermon Meadow Golf Club and Sonny’s Driving Range in Winterport will open for the season today. Bucksport Golf Club will open for the season on Saturday at 8 a.m., with all greens and tees in play. According to Hermon club pro Thea Davis, all 18… Read More
After the final game of the basketball season, Earl Anderson knew he was ready to finish up his coaching career at Nokomis of Newport. He took a few months to think about it, and now Anderson is sure of his decision. He told the Warriors… Read More
Each year, it seems, the same rumor eventually makes its way to Tracy Willette’s desk. When the water in nearby Kenduskeag Stream is low – as it has been in recent years – he hears a rumor. And when the water’s high – as it… Read More
For the past few years, the Orrington 10-kilometer road race was the first in the Sub 5 track club’s race series. After a year’s absence in 2006 the fast, popular 10K returns to the circuit this spring, thanks to the efforts of Sub 5 member… Read More
The University of Maine-Presque Isle baseball team wanted to make up for lost time. So it did. The Owls played four games against two teams in one day last Saturday in Massachusetts. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
From assistant basketball coach to head coach to athletic director to commissioner. It has been an interesting climb for former University of Maine men’s basketball coach Rudy Keeling, who was named commissioner of the ECAC. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
Despite playing only six of their scheduled 13 Eastern League games so far this season, the Portland Sea Dogs are on the verge of equaling a franchise record. With one more postponement, the Sea Dogs will equal the team record for postponements in a season… Read More
Head Style: head42 – 42 Point, 1 deck, Minion-SemiboldBDN95, Plain; 45; 5 col Body Spec: Body Text; colw: 11p0; depth:7.37 (in.) googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i… Read More
ORONO – The University of Maine’s four-game series against New York Institute of Technology will start with a nine-inning game Friday at Husson College’s Winkin Complex in Bangor with a start time of 7 p.m. The series will continue Saturday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader. Read More
If you followed high school sports in the mid-1950s, you may recall an outstanding South Portland High School athlete named Glenn Brown. Glenn was my father’s kid brother, and he could play football and baseball with the best of them. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
These days, softball practice is a bit boring at Lee Academy as it is across the rest of the rainy, muddy state. “It’s a very limited situation,” said Pandas coach Ron Weatherbee, who is likely just as exasperated with the weather as the rest of… Read More
Just seconds after Dave Klausmeyer clamped the first bare hook of the day in his fly-tying vise, the editor of Fly Tyer magazine found out what kind of crowd he’d be working with on Sunday. “It’s missing a fly,” Douglas “Cap” Introne cracked, drawing the… Read More
Give Blodgett the job The University of Maine has lost another coach. Ann McInerney decided to call it quits after only two years. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i =… Read More
WALNUT, Calif. – Ellsworth native Joey DeWitt placed fourth among Division II and Division III runners with a time of 3 minutes, 57.89 seconds in the 10,000-meter run at the Mount San Antonio College Relays Friday night. DeWitt, a junior at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, was 13th… Read More
BANGOR – The racing season for Speedway 95 kicked off with its annual car show at the Airport Mall. Jeff Overlock, Jr. of Hermon earned honors in four categories on Saturday. Overlock was picked Best of Show, Best Display, People’s Choice Award for Super Street… Read More
With the state’s spring wild turkey season looming just more than two weeks away, you could be forgiven for beginning to forage for some cold-weather camouflage gear … just in case. The weather, after all, hasn’t been typical for mid-April, and piles of snow decorate… Read More
The battles of attrition have begun, otherwise known as the Stanley Cup playoffs. Four overtimes in the Vancouver-Dallas series? That will wear your sweater off and that was Game 1 of the first round. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
On behalf of the dedicated core group of planners and volunteers I would like to send out a big “Thank -You” to all who turned out for our 7th Annual Paddle Smart Safety Symposium last night at the Y on Hammond Street in Bangor. I hope it was… Read More
While growing up I’m sure we all heard the bedtime fable of “The Three Bears” dozens of times. Recently, all these many years later, I had the opportunity to actually experience a real-life three bears story, and while it was a unique and very rewarding event, it was… Read More
Thrill-seeking paddlers will get to enjoy a full weekend of fun today and Sunday with four races on tap. This morning paddlers will head to Souadabscook Stream in Hampden, where sprint races will be staged beginning at 9 a.m. and the downriver race to start… Read More
Recently, the Maine-Birding listserve I subscribe to has been filled with reports of returning migrants, glad tidings of FOY (first of the year) sightings of killdeer, kestrels, and song sparrows, to name a few. However, one post by Jeff Wells stood out in my mind. Read More
For veteran sportscaster Gary Thorne, taking a job as Baltimore Orioles’ television play-by-play announcer is almost like returning to his roots. No, not his geographic roots. It does, however, hearken back to the Old Town native’s broadcast roots. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
The cliched thank-yous and good-luck sentiments hadn’t been copied off the “coach resigns/is fired” template to be placed on the press release yet, and already Cindy Blodgett was being anointed as the next University of Maine women’s basketball coach. The Internet, the radio, and newsrooms… Read More
BREWER – The Brewer High School Alumni-Staff Track and Field meet, scheduled for Saturday, has been canceled. Brewer’s javelin and discus fields are covered with mud and snow, and with more snow forecast for today, the facility was deemed unready. Read More
PORTLAND – The Portland Sea Dogs have announced make-up dates for all four games with the Connecticut Defenders that were postponed due to snow and poor field conditions. The April 5-8 postponements will be made up during doubleheaders June 2, June 27, June 28 and July 27 at… Read More
The University of Maine’s hockey program has had players from several European countries including Sweden, Finland, Scotland, Austria and Switzerland. They will have their first Danish player next season. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner… Read More
The level of activity at Scarborough Downs the last few weeks has resembled that of Santa’s workshop in December. Maybe that’s why track employees and officials have been eagerly counting down the last few days like children awaiting Christmas. Saturday is opening day for Scarborough’s… Read More
Back in January, as we tinkered with ice fishing traps while waiting impatiently for our lakes and ponds to freeze, a late April thaw of those same lakes and ponds seemed far-fetched. Now, as we eye yet another approaching Nor’easter, we’re left looking at those… Read More
It has been a long-awaited day. The Fenway Park debut of Boston Red Sox righthander Daisuke Matsuzaka today will receive the media attention usually reserved for playoff games. It will be particularly monitored in Japan where it will be the wee hours of the morning. Read More
A fee increase highlights a number of changes in this year’s 43rd annual Whited Ford Paul Bunyan Amateur Golf Tournament. A change in starting times and eliminating free entries for some players have also been instituted. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More