The University of Maine women’s basketball team has pretty much dropped off the radar of coaches in the America East Conference. Coach Cindy Blodgett’s Black Bears were picked to finish eighth in the nine-team league in the America East preseason coaches poll released Thursday. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
With hunting season fast approaching, the time for planning is nearly over. You likely already know where you’re going to go on opening day, and with whom you’ll hunt. That’s good. You’re nearly ready. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
STOCKHOLM, Maine – Russell Courier of Stockholm is one of five men selected by the U.S. Biathlon Association to participate in the December Biathlon World Cups. Courier is the first Aroostook County athlete to progress from the Maine Winter Sports Center youth program in Fort… Read More
PORTLAND – The Portland Sea Dogs, the Class AA affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, will place their individual game tickets for the 2008 season on sale beginning Saturday at 9 a.m. at the Hadlock Field box office in Portland. Phone and Internet orders begin… Read More
ORONO – The University of Maine volleyball team raised $1,610 during its 2008 “Dig Pink” match last week. Leading up to their match against the University of New Hampshire, the Black Bears collected donations to support the “Dig Pink” program sponsored by the Side-Out Foundation,… Read More
The No. 5 University of Maine women’s soccer team (6-5-6, 3-3-2 America East), plays at No. 4 Hartford (8-6-4, 4-3-1 AE) tonight at 6 in the America East quarterfinals. The teams battled to a 0-0 double-overtime tie Oct. 9 in Orono. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
It will go mostly unnoticed by fans in the aftermath of the Red Sox season, but Boston has lost a good man. John Blake, Sox vice president for media relations since 2006, is headed back to the Texas Rangers where he spent 20 of his… Read More
It has been a memorable fall at Husson University. The men’s and women’s soccer teams and the women’s volleyball teams all earned the top seed for their respective North Atlantic Conference Tournaments by going undefeated in league play. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
Viktoriya Rybalko turned 26 last Sunday and she spent it at a star-studded luncheon at the Best Western Black Bear Inn in Orono. Rybalko was one of six University of Maine Sports Hall of Fame inductees. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
There is something very wrong here. At the gym [Tuesday] two men were talking about the World Series and the attempt to play in the windswept, freezing rain Monday in Philadelphia. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = [];… Read More
Bill Reynolds of Newport, who served as the boys junior varsity basketball coach at Nokomis of Newport last winter, has been nominated to become the next boys varsity basketball coach at Piscataquis Community High School of Guilford. Reynolds will replace Jamie Russell, who resigned to… Read More
When Erica Dorso decided to transfer to Husson College from the University of Maine because she wanted “something smaller,” she never anticipated becoming Husson’s all-time field hockey scoring leader. But that is exactly what has transpired. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
Early Saturday morning, a select group of parents likely had little trouble waking their sons and daughters, even hours before sunrise. It was Youth Deer Day, a day that rivals only Christmas morning in terms of anticipation for many of the youngsters who head into… Read More
When they were in middle school, Kayla Legassie and Sarah Porter played soccer against each other for different schools in Presque Isle. When they entered Presque Isle High as freshmen, they were more than ready to hit the soccer field together. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
Back in the day before television rights affected most of what professional sports did in the preseason, the Boston Celtics played some of this exhibition stuff right in our own backyard at the Bangor Auditorium. Back then – the 1950s and the 1960s – some… Read More
Baseball players have inside code to play by This is in reply to M.D. Wilson’s letter in the Fan Feedback of Oct. 21, regarding pitchers throwing at batters. To give M.D. Wilson a better understanding of pitchers “drilling” the batters, Bangor Public Library has a… Read More
Opening day for many eager deer hunters isn’t for another week, which means we have seven more days to plan. Seven more days to plot. In a nutshell, we’ve got just seven more days to formulate a game plan for the early hours of Nov. 1. Read More
It’s hard to believe it was ever a tough task to convince athletes and celebrities to appear on ESPN-TV’s now-famous “This is SportsCenter” promotional ads. These days, an appearance in a long-running commercial campaign is considered not only a mark of achievement but also validation… Read More
Every hunter has a favorite quarry, a particular species of game that draws that outdoorsman afield with the strength of an addiction. Time after time the huntsman matches wits with this preferred game animal, not in spite of being outsmarted time and again, however, but because of the… Read More
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife reminds waterfowl hunters that a state migratory waterfowl permit is required for individuals 16 years of age or older. In addition, waterfowl hunters are required to have a small game or big game hunting license and a… Read More
Following the leaders at last Sunday’s Mount Desert Island Marathon produced a certain degree of personal jealousy. For while merely getting out of the car to record their progress renewed the back pain of a weekend spent moving firewood from pile to pile, hundreds of… Read More
PORTLAND – Sonny Noel of Raymond will be honored at a testimonial dinner by the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame on Nov. 9 at the Holiday Inn by the Bay. In 1975, Noel was the first umpire from Maine to be selected to work the… Read More
When Jessica Wolfenden steps onto the floor to warm up for her team’s volleyball match against New Hampshire today, there will be more on the line for her than just a victory and conference bragging rights. The University of Maine setter and outside hitter, along… Read More
As the Husson University women’s swim team prepares for its opening meet Saturday, coach Jeff Wren said, “it has been quite gratifying to see the kids learn.” The Eagles will travel to St. Joseph’s College in Hartford, Conn., for a 1 p.m. meet. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
Jim Bower watched in frustration during most of the 2007 football season as his Maine Maritime Academy teammates played their New England Football Conference schedule. After a productive start, including two 100-yard performances, the rugged fullback from South Paris was lost for the season because… Read More
The Boston Red Sox were beaten by a better team. Tampa Bay won four of six critical September games and were able to recover from that devastating 8-7 loss in Game 5 in which they squandered a 7-0 lead. The sad thing is, the remarkable… Read More
Football has meant a lot to Ricky Gibson since he first took up the sport four years ago. “My football team is kinda like another family in a way, it keeps me out of trouble and my grades up,” said the 15-year-old sophomore at Maranacook… Read More
The members of the Northeastern University defensive staff must be shaking their heads after watching film to prepare for Saturday’s Colonial Athletic Association game against UMaine. The Black Bears produced yet another incarnation of their offense Saturday night and ground out a 41-40 double-overtime victory… Read More
The Searsport girls soccer team didn’t exactly start its season out on the right foot, with a 10-4 loss to George Stevens Academy of Blue Hill. Since then, however, the Vikings have been sailing through the Eastern Maine Class C ranks, posting a 9-1-1 record… Read More
I didn’t laugh. I didn’t cry. I chose rather to reflect. As the 2008 baseball season came to a disappointing end Sunday night for the Boston Red Sox, I chose to look back on a season and evaluate why the team finished the way it… Read More
Pitchers should not be throwing at batters Yesterday, today or tomorrow, I, personally, find no place in the game of baseball for a pitcher to deliberately throw a pitch with the intent of hitting a batter. My choosing to write this letter at this time… Read More
If you’re a hunter in Maine, this may be the best time of year. Today alone, for instance, could be hunting ducks, or deer, or moose or grouse or woodcock … and that’s just a start. With all those seasons running concurrently, there are a… Read More
Former University of Maine men’s hockey coach assistant coach Campbell Blair, now the top assistant at the University of Alaska-Anchorage, admitted he was really looking forward to Friday night’s game against the Black Bears in the Alaskan Goal Rush Tournament in Fairbanks, Alaska. “This will… Read More
It’s not nice to fool with the baseball gods. That’s a small “g,” since these gods come in many shapes and sizes and are often times found in the minds of players, who sometimes fancy themselves as gods. The gods were not happy Thursday night… Read More
SOLIDIER HOLLOW, Utah – Athletes from the Maine Winter Sports Center took advantage of perfect fall conditions after a weekend of winter-like weather and fared well during training races with the U.S. Biathlon Team on Thursday. Thursday’s race was the first in a three-race series… Read More
In January, I wrote an article suggesting New Year’s resolutions for sportsmen in 2008. One of my prime objectives was to become more involved with cultivating young anglers and hunters, especially kids who had no family or close relatives to mentor them along the way. I suggested other… Read More
Maine hikers are used to dealing with the seasons. They soon learn to embrace the changing conditions. They throw on a rain jacket, fleece jacket, hat and gloves and either keep on hiking or know when to turn back. This autumn’s weather so far has… Read More
No matter how many times I witness the spectacle of bird migration, it never ceases to awe and humble me. And the most magical experiences always seem to occur in the late hours of bright, moonlit nights, when the air is completely still and everything is silent. Read More
As Greg Curry loaded firewood on a trailer Sunday morning for delivery to his mother’s house, the Dover-Foxcroft man and avid Boston Red Sox fan couldn’t help bring up the subject that has come to epitomize his favorite team’s current playoff plight. “Why Timlin,” he… Read More
ORONO – Christi Holmes, a junior civil engineering major at the University of Maine, will compete in her first triathlon Sunday at the Black Bear Triathlon and is trying to raise money in the process to pay for a guide/service dog. The dog is to… Read More
A lot of things have changed in the six years that have elapsed since the Husson University football program’s modern history began. Husson College is now Husson University, the Braves have become the Eagles, and the season win totals have increased year by year. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
While Maine’s fall foliage is hitting its peak, hundreds of marathoners from across North America hope to hit theirs at Sunday’s Mount Desert Island Marathon. The 26.2-mile journey from downtown Bar Harbor to downtown Southwest Harbor starts at 8 a.m. with walkers going off at… Read More
Some Maine hunters didn’t like the fact that this year’s second session of the annual moose hunt didn’t follow recent trends. Gail Read of Phippsburg wasn’t one of them. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner… Read More
The inaugural Penobscot Valley Conference soccer championship matches have been set for next Wednesday and Thursday. The games match the highest-rated Class B team in the conference against the Class C or Class D team that has the most Heal Points as of Oct. 14. Read More
As strategists and supporters of the candidates for the American presidency intensify the heat on the opponent in the final days of the campaign, perhaps the following from Thomas Jefferson has application, “On matters of style, swim with the current. On matters of principle stand like a rock.”… Read More
It is always sweet when justice prevails. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out that way. 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())… Read More
Sometimes a winning tradition within an athletic program can be a burden for those trying to match or surpass the feats of the past. This year’s Dexter field hockey team, however, is embracing both the tradition and success the Tigers have enjoyed over the last… Read More
Jovan Belcher of the University of Maine has been named The Sports Network’s Football Championship Subdivision National Defensive Player of the Week. The senior defensive end from West Babylon, N.Y., made seven tackles, including two sacks, and forced two fumbles in the Black Bears’ 27-10… Read More
When the potato harvest break occurs in Aroostook County, this is a typical day of a Presque Isle soccer player: Work in the potato fields from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., go to practice for an hour and a half, head home, sleep. It’s very… Read More
For many Maine anglers, a trip to northern Aroostook County is an annual event, and a variety of lakes offer plenty of fishing options. The Fish River chain of lakes tempts anglers of all stripes, and those seeking togue, salmon, trout or smelts can do… Read More
I used to be an owner of one of those amplifying devices that gives the user – yours truly – an added edge in listening to a sports broadcast at the volume of his or her convenience. Obviously designed for those around you, these smaller-than-a-credit-card… Read More
Many have said the NLCS with the Phillies and Dodgers has the makings of a classic. That may have changed after the first two games, but the ALCS has no reason to take a second seat. Up front is the 4th youngest team in the… Read More
Ski buffs of all ages are invited to an open house on Sunday at the Ski Museum of Maine in Farmington. The event runs from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. at the Church Street museum and refreshments will be served. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
When Jay Robinson began hunting birds seriously, he remembers the feeling he got when a dog went on point, the bird flushed … and he missed a shot. “I used to be a lot different,” Robinson said on Thursday, taking time out during a daylong… Read More
My first deer hunting ventures to “The Big Woods” were in a 4×4 International Scout. Since that vehicle hasn’t been built for decades, I guess I’m aging myself. I wasn’t as tall as Dad’s Long Tom shotgun the first few years, but I remember those apprentice outings like… Read More
The recent storm that traveled up through the Gulf of Maine produced lasting effects on some of the birds in the region, as I was to find after corresponding with my friend Paul Markson in Orono. Paul said he’d received a call from Jim Bird,… Read More
When it comes to fall harness racing, the third time does indeed seem to be a charm for Bangor Raceway. If the first two days of the 21-day fall racing schedule are any indication, fall racing is trotting toward a banner season in its third… Read More
Johnny Clark said his third Pro All Stars Series Super Late Model North Division points championship was his most satisfying. He annexed the title last weekend. His previous championships came in 2004 and 2006. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
ORONO – The University of Maine men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs were selected to finish fifth in the 2008-09 America East head coaches preseason poll. University of Maryland Baltimore County was chosen to finish first in the men’s and women’s polls, receiving 16… Read More
When you consider that their two losses have been to well-established Division II football programs that are a combined 8-2 on the season, the 3-2 Husson University Eagles are having a good season entering Saturday’s 1 p.m. Homecoming game against Springfield College. And this will… Read More
At first glance, it would seem a little odd for cross country runners to go from racing the championship-meet distance of 3.1 miles one week to two miles the next. However, some of Eastern Maine’s finest runners will welcome that switch Friday, as a mixture… Read More
For many Maine outdoors enthusiasts, the Stud Mill Road is the gravel superhighway of choice … if there is such a thing as a gravel superhighway. Hop on in Costigan, or Great Pond, or way Down East in No. 21 Township, and you can use… Read More
History books record Benjamin Franklin’s contributions in science, economics and law. Students studying American literature and history have read Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanac. But, how many of today’s swimmers know that the American swim fin, used today as a training aid by competitive swimmers and… Read More
She is the Energizer bunny but opposing defenders probably don’t find her amusing. Hannah Breton’s job is to come off the bench, harass them into mistakes and give her University of Maine women’s soccer team a lift. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
In the past, the only time you’d see Mattanawcook Academy student-athletes kicking balls is on the football field. Now, the Lincoln school has officially added the European style of football, as the local school board approved boys and girls soccer as varsity sports, starting in… Read More
ORONO – The University of Maine football team is back in game preparation mode this week after having a bye last weekend. The Black Bears (2-3 overall, 0-2 Colonial Athletic Association) hit the road for the fourth time in six games Saturday to face perennial… Read More
The loyal opposition for the Red Sox will come from the Tampa Rays in the ALCS. As Sox players and fans have come to learn from the regular-season meetings, this is a very good, confident and balanced Rays team. They are headed by manager Joe… Read More
Come soccer season, the expectations are always high at George Stevens Academy in Blue Hill. So far, the GSA girls have flown toward the top of the Eastern Maine Class C heap, breezing to an 8-1 start with the only loss being to Hancock County… Read More
In his recent forays afield, Brad Allen has seen signs of good times for the state’s game bird population … and perhaps not so good for unimaginative hunters. “I have never seen so much natural food in the woods,” said the biologist who serves as… Read More
High school football has a rich history in this country. Arguably one of the most popular sports in the United States, early games date back to the late 19th century. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var… Read More
Article on bear baiting not amusing to reader I found nothing amusing about Bill Graves’ piece on bear baiting “Animal Antics Amusing” (BDN Sept. 20-21). googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var… Read More
The University of Maine men’s soccer team won three games last season after winning just two in the previous two seasons combined. That included an 0-17 season in 2006. Just eight games into this season, second-year coach Pat Laughlin and his Black Bears already have… Read More
BANGOR – Cecil Bischoff of Bangor bowled his third career 300 game Friday night, the first of the season at Family Fun Bowling Center. Bischoff, 48, rolled a series of 246-300-233 for a total of 779. Read More
All told, many of the most interesting hunting stories make no mention of shooting. While some of the recounts are dramatic – such as the late Dr. Carl Ruhlin’s golden retriever, Penny, being attacked by a bald eagle while fetching a duck – others are amusing. Like the… Read More
When October rolls around, many Maine outdoors enthusiasts forget all about lakes, ponds and streams and start foraging for shotgun shells and orange caps. Make no mistake, ruffed grouse hunters are out and about – their season started Wednesday – but that doesn’t mean there’s… Read More
Alexandra McLain, a Bowdoin College sophomore from Stockton Springs, recently finished second in the U.S. Surfski Championships in San Francisco. Only an Olympian from South Africa topped McLain in the championships, held Sept. 20-21, which means McLain is the fastest American female Surfski paddler. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
Climbing Katahdin on a Monday morning a couple of weeks ago I was struck with this thought. I really love this mountain. I was on the Helon, (pronounced “heel on”), Taylor trail and it was a perfect autumn day. It was the autumnal equinox, in… Read More
When Paul Soucy became Hermon High’s athletic administrator in 2002, one of his early priorities was to identify sports-related needs at the steadily growing school. What he has discovered since then is an abundance of community spirit that is steadily turning that wish list into… Read More
Husson University’s golf program is off to its best start in program history, as the Eagles have won their first seven tournaments this fall. This weekend, Husson will host the Husson Invitational at Penobscot Valley Country Club in Orono. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
BANGOR – Jeff Wren was very pleased with his Husson University women’s swim team after one of its first practices last week. “We worked a dry land set today which was every bit as good as any other groups’ with which I have worked,” said… Read More
Most cross country runners are introduced to the racing distance of 3.1 miles at the high school level. Jennie Lucy, however, got her baptism to the 5-kilometer distance in college, competing for a Division I program no less. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
For moose hunters, the opening week of Maine’s split-session season can offer significant opportunities. It can also present serious obstacles that must be overcome. When it comes time to lure a big-bodied moose out of his shady lair, those September hunters sometimes find themselves at… Read More
ORONO – Vanessa Vani has been the Maine women’s hockey team’s leading scorer the past two years after being the fourth-leading point-getter her freshman year. Genevieve Turgeon owns the school record for career saves (1973), games played (70) and saves in a season (907). She… Read More
It’s that time of year again. Time for my annual plea to Maine Maritime Academy athletic director Jim Dyer to put Husson University on the football schedule and create a special rivalry between NCAA Division III schools that are only 35 miles apart. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
A major league baseball coach, a surgeon and some of the most respected teacher-coaches in Maine are among the inaugural class to be inducted into the Orono High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Ceremonies are scheduled during halftime of Friday night’s LTC football game against… Read More
After two days of driving dirt roads, setting up in likely looking spots and calling to apparently nonexistent moose, Chris Lander needed something … anything … that would encourage his hunting party. Just before sunset, the Orrington hunter got his wish. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
In 2007, Jared Turcotte won the Fitzpatrick Trophy as the top senior football player in the state of Maine. Saturday night, the former Lewiston High School star had a breakout performance for the University of Maine. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
For the third time in my life I am an interested parent involved in the youth soccer program of the Bangor Parks and Recreation Department. Playing their games and practicing for them at the Union Street Athletic Complex, the fine facility on outer Union Street… Read More
Here’s a little math equation for high school cross country fans: What does 61 schools with 1,239 runners equal? The answer: The largest field in the seven-year history of the Maine Cross Country Festival of Champions. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
The Red Sox will go to the playoffs as a favorite because the postseason necessities are in their clubhouse. John Lester’s start against the Indians last week is an even more favorable sign for the Sox. He gave up only one run on two hits… Read More
WISCASSET – A full weekend of rain forced Wiscasset Raceway to postpone a rescheduled race card that was supposed to be a makeup of a previous rainout. The planned racing doubleheader will now be made up Oct. 12 and Oct. 19, weather permitting. The track’s… Read More
Regular readers of this column will know that early every autumn I select three or four items of outdoor gear to review. Visit your local sporting goods store and neighborhood gun shop, walk the aisles and peruse the shelves and it’s quickly apparent there’s no lack of new… Read More
Hurricane Ike made its presence felt locally, but last week’s two days of unusually balmy weather weren’t the only things it gave us. As nice as the weather was, those same high temperatures caused a big headache for Kennebunk-based Blueberry Broadcasting’s radio network. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
The undefeated Camden Hills of Rockport boys soccer team put on a dominant performance Wednesday afternoon, easily defeating a Gardiner team that had come into their midseason clash with just a single loss of its own. That the Windjammers rolled to a 6-0 victory will… Read More
There will be a cozy atmosphere at Ritchie Field for a unique Homecoming football game between Maine Maritime Academy and Bridgewater State University Saturday in Castine. The bleachers that were leveled by 200-year-old elm trees which were blown down on top of them during a… Read More
A varsity football team gets only one chance to score the first victory in program history, so Calais-Woodland’s 48-6 victory over Mount View of Thorndike on Saturday will be memorable Down East on several counts. But perhaps no one will have greater memories of that… Read More
Last November, the Bowdoin College field hockey team became the first team in school history to win a national championship when the Polar Bears annexed the NCAA Division III crown with a 4-3 victory over rival Middlebury College (Vt.) in Collegeville, Pa. That triumph capped… Read More
When Kendall Lunn and Katie Porter decided to go out for Bangor High’s cross country team this fall, coach Pattie Craig was pleasantly surprised. But what the veteran coach and local road racer didn’t expect was for Lunn and Porter – in particular Porter, a… Read More
Fall is here, but don’t expect me to book any trips to check out the foliage. After the first six trees, it gets old quickly. It’s the most beautiful time of year in Maine and it is also a special time in sports with the… Read More
BANGOR – Chris Fogler has been one of the state’s most versatile track and field performers for the last two years, as well as a top-notch soccer player at John Bapst High of Bangor. Now he’s taken that versatility to a new sport as a… Read More