University of Maine men’s soccer coach Travers Evans has named his captains for the upcoming season. Evans announced Tuesday that seniors Jason Jacobe of Windham and Cooper Friend of Ellsworth will share captain duties for the Black Bears this fall. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
I was happy to learn recently that longtime Machias Memorial High School sports booster and fan extraordinaire Dick Shaw had retired from his day-to-day job at Machias Savings Bank. In all my years of coaching – 34 of them, to be exact – no one… Read More
Armed with his Mickey Mouse fishing rod and a positive attitude, 3 1/2-year-old Nathan Cartier headed onto Pushaw Lake on Sunday hoping for the best. Three hours later – still grinning – Cartier returned to Lakeside Landing with a fish … a fish tale …… Read More
ORONO – A limited number of tickets for the University of Maine football game against Boston College will go on sale today at 8:30 a.m. The game will be played Sept. 30 at BC. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
NASCAR Nextel Cup crew chief Richard “Slugger” Labbe of Biddeford was released as Dale Jarrett’s crew chief by Robert Yates Racing on Monday along with teammate Elliott Sadler’s crew chief Tommy Baldwin Jr., according to a release on the team’s Web site. Butch Hylton will… Read More
PORTLAND – The Boston Red Sox promoted lefthanded pitcher Tommy Hottovy from Single-A Wilmington to Double-A Portland on Monday. Hottovy replaces Luis Mendoza, who was traded to the Texas Rangers for Bryan Corey. In 21 games for Wilmington this season, Hottovy recorded an 8-6 record… Read More
Ever since he graduated from college in 2002, Justin Page has been searching for a social studies teaching job. This summer, he found what he wanted. But accepting the position means Page will have to give up his job coaching the Old Town High School… Read More
Former Providence College men’s basketball standout Mike Brown was hired as an assistant men’s basketball coach at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, the school announced Friday. Brown played on the Friars’ 1994 Big East Championship team, and has spent the last 10 seasons playing overseas, including… Read More
Jurors in criminal cases are asked to apply the reasonable man test. The system asks people to view an issue from a neutral, non-biased position and draw conclusions that a reasonable person would draw. Sports fans are being asked again to apply this test. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
As luck would have it Saturday I had the afternoon free. The weather was OK (deteriorating as has been the case this season) and I had the itch to do a little sightseeing – some paddling, actually, somewhere relatively close to home. I drew a… Read More
The cozy town of Grand Lake Stream has a fine reputation as a destination for anglers looking to wade the nearby stream, troll West Grand Lake for togue, or try their luck at any number of other waters known for world-class bass fishing. But on… Read More
State delegates and members of the council of national trustees has elected James Konkel of Cape Elizabeth to the Ducks Unlimited board of directors. Konkel has been a member of DU since 1979, and has served in many capacities as a DU volunteer. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
Deep within a column in the July 17 edition of Sports Illustrated, Bangor was crowned ground zero of New York Yankees hatred. The Queen City didn’t earn that label for creative use of the English language in describing why the Olde Towne Team is simply… Read More
The first 16 editions of the Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl Classic football game have been largely an exercise in offensive futility for the East squad. Only once has the team scored more than 18 points – a 55-point eruption in its most recent victory in… Read More
Jeff Taylor may be the busiest man in the state of Maine this week. The Farmington native owns Distance Racing Products in Fairfield and he figures 30 of the 80-90 cars that will try to qualify for the race will have DRP bodies and chassis. Read More
BOSTON – Bob Davis has been doing the same job for 38 years – more than half of his life. At age 61, the Topeka, Kansas, native not only has no plans to switch jobs, he wants to keep increasing that percentage as he gets… Read More
When the days grow hot and water temperatures rise, many anglers see that as a signal to move on to other pursuits. The best fishing is behind us, they’ll say. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var… Read More
HEBRON – The annual Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl Classic and the weeklong training camp that precedes the game serve multiple purposes. At the forefront, proceeds from the event, which this year features top high school football players from the Class of 2006, benefit the Shriners… Read More
Bill Ryan is not your typical stock car short-track owner. He received a degree in political science from prestigious Williams College (Mass.) in 1989 and obtained a law degree from Suffolk University in Boston four years later. But the Topsfield, Mass., native, who owns Oxford… Read More
It has been a number of years since I’ve been camping. Now, with a 6-year old boy in our lives, dreaming outdoor dreams, we’ve succumbed to the notion of packing the SUV and heading out. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
As a teacher and social worker, Guy Cousins likes to introduce students to different parts of the state. As a soccer coach he wants them to get good competition in scrimmages. And as a Caribou native, Cousins wants his charges to get to know Aroostook… Read More
Humid or not, the muggy Maine summer weather the last few weeks has been pleasing and a welcome relief to native Georgian Chad Spann. In fact, the Portland Sea Dogs’ third baseman’s hitting has been even hotter than the weather. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
Games for children, not coaches, parents Being from “away” (I have lived in Bangor for over seven years), I have witnessed the seriousness parents, coaches and officials place on athletics in this great state of Maine. It is both admirable and astonishing. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
OK. Summer reading time and here’s a late suggestion to the reading list if it’s not already there: “The Only Game in Town” by former MLB Commissioner Fay Vincent. If you are a baseball fan, a history fan or just like a good read in… Read More
BANGOR – Mike Baker, the former Greater Bangor Open champion who has worked at a number of clubs in Maine, has now taken a summer job out of state. Not very far out, though. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
As much as I enjoy casting for trout and salmon, more and more each summer I look forward to fishing for smallmouth bass. Referred to as bronzebacks, black bass, smallies and other nicknames by devoted anglers, this acrobatic, aerobatic, hard-fighting species always battles twice as hard as its… Read More
Enough already with this rain, lightning and thunder stuff! You know where you can put the fog that seems to have taken up permanent residency along the coast – California comes to mind. Would it be too much to ask for a week or two of warm, dry… Read More
When I moved to Orono from West Old Town at the beginning of June, I did so with the regret that I’d be seeing and hearing a lot fewer birds. After all, how could living on the busy Kelley Road compare to living on six private, mostly wooded… Read More
Michele Amidon, who guided the Bowdoin College women’s hockey team to a 140-52-12 record and four NCAA Division III Tournament appearances, has been named USA Hockey’s first director of women’s hockey. Amidon will begin her duties on Aug. 15. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
ELLSWORTH – At 18, Matt Homich is a little young to give a lot of thought to giving back to a sport that has given him so much enjoyment. That sort of payback usually is reserved for later, when a player evolves into a coach… Read More
BOSTON – It dawned on Don Orsillo fairly early on that his chances of becoming a pro ballplayer were slim and none. So rather than give up on his dream, he simply substituted it for a new one. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
Shortly after the Paul Bunyan Marathon and 15K kicked off Sunday morning, race director Phil LeBreton hopped in a Ryder truck filled with bagels, water and other finish line goodies and headed for the finish line to set it all up. When he zipped past… Read More
BOSTON – Just call them the Downeaster Quartet. Last year, they were playing Double-A ball for the Portland Sea Dogs. This season, they’re up in the majors, not only playing for the Boston Red Sox, but making valuable contributions. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
BOSTON – They haven’t held a parade for him yet and his number retirement ceremony is a long way off, but Mike Lowell is making a name for himself with Boston Red Sox fans. Heck, they’re even naming a team after him. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
For years, seven-time Women’s Maine State Golf Association champion Abby Spector Kershner had dreams of becoming a pro, playing in tournaments around the country. Emergency open-heart surgery in October 2003 left her with severe complications that focused her efforts on health recovery, not golf. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
A town builds its identity, in part, through its activities. So it was nice to see the Paul Bunyan Marathon resurrected. It had been a fixture from 1975 to 1984 and Brewer’s Phil LeBreton took the initiative and brought it back. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
OLD TOWN – As Peter Kenny surveys some 25 Old Town football players as they go through the paces of summer camp at Victory Field this week, he doesn’t dwell on the program’s past, but looks aggressively toward the future. “I have an old-school philosophy,”… Read More
The subject is coaching. News out of Fort Kent last week that longtime soccer personality and coach Bill Ashby has returned to his native state to coach men’s soccer at the branch of the University of Maine there was good for all those involved with… Read More
LOUDON, N.H. – NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France has made it known that the current Nextel Cup points format will be tweaked for next season. A decision on exactly how it will be tweaked remains to be decided. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
For years it’s been a given that if you’re going to attend a regional or state cheerleading competition, you’re going to sit. For a long time. But the Maine Principals’ Association is exploring a number of options that would reduce the amount of time it… Read More
BOSTON – Back when the only things big league about Alex Gonzalez were his dreams, he got a gift that was both practical and inspirational at the same time. It was a pair of nearly new, baseball cleats – an item that was hard to… Read More
As Boston announcer Jerry Remy said to me last week, “People ask me how to improve the Sox for the second half, and I say, ‘Look at the standings. Look at the team. The Sox have to be happy with where they are.'” That does… Read More
LOUDON, N.H. – Kevin Lepage is the only remaining New England driver racing in the Nextel Cup series. And the Shelburne, Vt., native, who drives for BAM Racing, spent three years living “near the ocean” in the Scarborough area while racing cars and doing excavation… Read More
As the light of a single bulb cast dim light on the task at hand, I made myself comfortable, folded back a brittle page, and took a step back in time. Back to an era when man was still a decade away from walking on… Read More
Two veteran coaches familiar with the Brewer High School athletic program will guide new teams for the Witches during the next school year. Sort of. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var… Read More
LOUDON, N.H. – Newburgh’s Ricky Craven may return to racing next weekend during the Busch race at Martinsville Speedway (Va.) in preparation for the TD Banknorth 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway on July 30. Craven hasn’t raced since the final NASCAR Craftsman Truck series race… Read More
The Pleasant River Fish & Game Conservation Association will hold a Sportsman’s Flea Market and 50/50 Turkey Shoot with cash prizes July 30. The event will run from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the club’s headquarters on Tibbettstown Road in Columbia. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
There are definite rewards to performing trail work on the Appalachian Trail. First, you get to maintain the trail. I find great benefits in the hard work of clearing winter blowdowns, painting blazes, cutting brush, volunteering for work trips and receiving “thank yous” from hikers. Read More
Have you noticed how during the last 25 years or so that outdoor sports have become far less pedestrian and more motor dependent? Four-wheel drive trucks, four- and six-wheel ATVs, snowmobiles, and personal watercraft are all transporting sportsmen to areas that used to require a good deal of… Read More
Last weekend two friends of mine from work, Marguerite Roosen and Mary Vollick, met for an early morning stroll along the Orono Bog boardwalk. I was curious about their experience, for I’d not been out there for some time, and asked for details about what they had seen… Read More
The New England Patriots Rock Radio Network will roll along on I-95 this season. After kicking around locally on Clear Channel Communications station WNSX (97.7 FM) of Winter Harbor the last three seasons, the Patriots are hooking up with a new partner now that Cumulus… Read More
These are the dog days of competitive mountain biking for Adam Craig. The International Cycling Union World Cup schedule that guides his life from early spring to late summer – and that this year already has taken him to Curacao, Spain, Belgium, Scotland and Quebec… Read More
PORTLAND – The Portland Sea Dogs and the Portland Pirates are teaming up to present the Ameriprise Financial Celebrity Softball Challenge to benefit the Maine Children’s Cancer Program on Tuesday at Hadlock Field in Portland. The family event is free and open to the public. Read More
Agreements have been made. Task forces have been formed. And the state legislature has been given new oversight over the future of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. All of those factors aside, the actions of last week have once again proven that when it comes to… Read More
The Boston Red Sox have promoted outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury from Single-A Wilmington to Double-A Portland. In 60 games with the Blue Rocks this season, the 22-year-old Ellsbury ranks fifth in the Carolina League with a .298 batting average to go along with four home runs… Read More
University of Maine men’s hockey team recruiting coordinator/assistant coach Grant Standbrook’s decision to retire after 18 years and become the Black Bears’ volunteer assistant can be looked at in two ways. One, the program has lost one of the nation’s premier recruiters and the talent… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – When David Carey first took over the Foxcroft Academy boys basketball program for the 2001-02 season, he inherited an 0-19 team. But after one year of growing pains, those Ponies flourished, as Carey guided Foxcroft to a 62-19 record, three Big East Conference… Read More
CARIBOU – Bill Haggett, the former head of Bath Iron Works and former partner in Sugarloaf/USA, has joined the board of directors of the Maine Winter Sports Center. Haggett is currently the chief executive officer of Pineland Farms Meats, a natural beef producer located in… Read More
PORTLAND – The Portland Sea Dogs, Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, will be hosting NASCAR night on Monday, July 24 at Hadlock Field when the Sea Dogs play the Reading Phillies at 7 p.m. NASCAR night is in anticipation of Maine’s premier stock car race, the… Read More
Brewer is proud of Coffin Field, coaches Recently, the BDN published two letters criticizing Brewer’s Coffin Field as a venue for the Class B softball championships. The first was from a Bucksport fan, the second from a Brewer resident apologizing and reminding readers such complaints… Read More
Interested in coaching an Eastern Maine Class B girls basketball team that made it to the tournament last season and only lost two players? If so, there’s an opening at Belfast High School. But here’s the catch – it’s unlikely you’ll get a teaching job… Read More
As rocks go, ours is neither majestic nor monstrous. It doesn’t strike fear into those who clamber up it, and has rarely reduced its visitors to trembling wrecks as they perch on the edge, one hop away from the cool waters below. No, our rock… Read More
With the professional baseball season reaching its middle innings, it’s a good time to touch base on Maine hardball prospects in the minors. Former Monmouth High School star Thomas “Tip” Fairchild is enjoying a stellar first professional season in the Houston Astros organization. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
Will America East follow Hockey East’s lead and move its men’s basketball tournament permanently to Boston? It is being considered among several other possibilities. Hockey East holds its conference semifinals and final at Boston’s TD Banknorth Garden. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
Nels Kramer knew the day would come. He had said as much three years ago, when the first Northern pike was discovered in Pushaw Lake. Still, as the longtime state fisheries biologist stood next to the West Enfield Dam on Friday morning – ground zero… Read More
With due reverence to the late singer/song writer Jim Croce: You don’t tug on Superman’s cape, you don’t spit in the wind, you don’t pull the mask of that ole Lone Ranger and you don’t call the All-Star Game real. Tuesday, MLB will again stage… Read More
LEWISTON – Matt Dence, Chris Kempton and Josh Hedrick have been hired as assistant football coaches at Bates College, head coach Mark Harriman announced Friday. Dence will serve as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach while Kempton will coach the defensive backs and special teams. Read More
Kinney gets Lincoln Academy post Former Fort Kent baseball coach takes over Eagles’ girls basketball
Jeff Kinney spent much of last summer taking a team of baseball players from the St. John Valley more than 250 miles each weekend to compete in the Midcoast Babe Ruth League. This summer, he’s still coaching the St. John Valley team – though the… Read More
I get a lot of odd, questioning looks when friends learn I’m visiting Florida in June, and no small number of snide comments about trying a vacation during winter sometime. Fishing enthusiasts understand my travel plans at once, however, knowing that regardless of the stifling heat, May and… Read More
Summer’s here and the hiking is easy. Well, some hikes are easier than others. There are miles of hiking trails in the Maine outdoors, ranging from beginner to difficult. From the coast to the inland mountains, hikers want the scoop on which trail offers the best views, the… Read More
Holders of Maine conservation, or “Loon” license plates will enjoy free admission to Maine’s state park and historic site day-use areas over the weekend of July 15 and 16. The Maine Department of Conservation, which manages state parks, historic sites and public reserve lands, will… Read More
Is there a more decorated player in the state’s American Legion baseball history than Kevin McAvoy? Through last summer the third baseman already had been a two-time Penobscot Valley Conference Class A player of the year for Brewer High School, and he’s a three-time AL… Read More
Changes in the coaching staff for the University of Maine’s men’s hockey programs are in the offing. Grant Standbrook, who has been the recruiting coordinator and assistant coach for 18 years and has recruited 32 All-Americans in that time, has informed head coach Tim Whitehead… Read More
In downtown Campbellton, New Brunswick, a monstrous sculpture of an Atlantic salmon reminds casual visitors what the region is famous for. The Restigouche River separates the town from the province of Quebec. Nearby are other famous salmon rivers, each with a name that is at… Read More
Tuesday’s 26th annual Walter Hunt Memorial 3,000-meter road race wasn’t just a race. It was a way for hundreds of runners from all over Maine to remember one of Maine’s most recognizable, beloved runners, who died tragically in this race last year. Many of the… Read More
Questions, questions and more questions…. . Isn’t it time for the NCAA to include baseball among the sports (i.e. football, ice hockey, basketball) in which players are required to sit out a year if they transfer from one Division I school to another? The Sunbelt… Read More
Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, isn’t a popular post-high school destination for Maine’s high school student-athletes, but it is for any high school swimmers who aspire to intercollegiate competition. The Lords have won 27 straight NCAA Division III national championships, a run that is unparalleled… Read More
Happy Fourth of July. My father passed away July 28, 2005, but he was able to enjoy one last family gathering on the Fourth. In my father’s house, sports were what he watched while others played them. When we took up summer residence at our… Read More
Ex-Brewer coach made field best in state I read the letter regarding the state softball tournaments at Coffin Field (BDN, June 27) with a mixture of emotions -anger, sadness and amusement. I had driven by the field the afternoon prior to the games and it… Read More
Walking into AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, it seemed that everything was perfect. The park is beautiful. It’s a baseball fan’s paradise. It’s wide open, but fans are still close to the game. Everything a fan needs – memorabilia, food and drinks,… Read More
Happy Fourth and let’s hope the sun actually makes an appearance. The bunting will be hung and the flags will be unfurled with a little extra touch around ballparks of many different baseball leagues this holiday. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
Corey Poulin, who won the Maine Amateur Golf Championship last year after several tries, has embarked on a career as a playing pro. It has turned out to be an enlightening experience. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
This week I’d just like to share various bird-care tips I’ve picked up over the years. Many people have expressed concern that feeding birds alters their behavior, causing them not to migrate when they should. Although there is some truth in this, it is not… Read More
While trolling for landlocked salmon in late May, a sport and his guide came upon a cow moose swimming across the lake’s narrows, a short stretch 200 yards or so wide. Considering the cow was only about halfway across, the sport couldn’t believe his eyes when its humped… Read More
I did my best to contribute to the economy of Washington and Hancock counties last weekend. With the weather really lousy (fog and rain) Friday and Saturday, my kayak sat on the roof of my car for a ride to South Addison via the Black Woods and back… Read More
Ever wonder what might have happened if Len Bias hadn’t died two days after being drafted by the Boston Celtics, and he and Reggie Lewis played together for many seasons before retiring? How about if the trade of Manny Ramirez from the Boston Red Sox… Read More
With ‘Maine’s Fastest Road Race’ only five days away, registration forms for the 26th annual Walter Hunt Memorial Fourth of July 3K from Brewer to Bangor have been flowing in consistently. “They’ve been coming in steadily, I’ve got around 150 maybe,” race director Dave Torrey… Read More
Danny Ainge surely is energetic in his role as executive director of basketball operations for the Boston Celtics. He’s also can be quite frustrating to his team’s fans, like during his performance at Wednesday’s NBA draft. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
When he first took up wrestling as a sixth-grader in 1976, Patrick Kelly probably wasn’t looking at the experience as an introduction to a 30-year relationship with the sport. Wrestling was a fledgling program in the Camden-Rockport school system back then, a far cry from… Read More
Watch for a new style of basketball when new coach Jason Allen takes over the girls basketball program at Maine Central Institute in Pittsfield next winter. “Last year they played a lot of run-and-jump, trapping all over the place,” he said. “It was kind of… Read More
For the better part of the last four years, Brandon Moss and David Murphy have enjoyed a close association. They were both drafted by the same Major League Baseball franchise (Boston), were both on the same minor league baseball team the last four years, and… Read More
I am not a big fan of NBA basketball. I am, however, a fan of courage, especially courage under fire. 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
Coffin comes up short On Saturday (June 17), we were fortunate to have both the boys baseball and girls softball represent Bucksport in the State Class B tournament. We traveled to Mansfield Stadium (in Bangor) in the morning to cheer on the boys. We were… Read More
PORTLAND – The Boston Red Sox signed former University of Maine lefthander Rusty Tucker and assigned him to the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Saturday. Tucker, a 25-year-old native of Gloucester, Mass., started the season with the Chicago White Sox Double-A affiliate Birmingham Barons. He had… Read More
The Chicago Blackhawks selected University of Maine defenseman Simon Danis-Pepin 61st overall in the second round Saturday in the NHL Entry Draft in Vancouver. Danis-Pepin played in 23 games for the Black Bears. He had five assists and seven penalties for 14 minutes and was… Read More
Moments after the Maine Atlantic Salmon Commission voted to allow salmon fishing on the Penobscot River this fall, Pat Keliher was ready to get back to work. Keliher, the ASC’s executive director, had helped formulate the regulation that will allow catch-and-release fishing for a one-month… Read More
Thanks to a surprising surge in the supply of horses in particular and increased interest in the harness racing industry overall, fans may see even more race dates at Bangor Raceway next season. Although the average harness racing fan wouldn’t know it by looking at… Read More
It wasn’t exactly what coach Jack Cosgrove was hoping for, but the University of Maine football team finally found a game to complete its 2006 schedule. The Black Bears’ home opener will be played Sept. 23 against Division II Shaw University of Raleigh, N.C. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
HOUSTON – He could have been making the start with the Red Sox, but no, it was back to the Astros on Thursday. The seven-time Cy Young Award winner was back on the mound. It was the return of Roger Clemens. It was the third… Read More
Throughout life it seems that certain lessons are best learned through some degree of pain and suffering. It’s also been my personal experience that even some of those unpleasant life lessons are occasionally, temporarily overlooked, usually leading to another round of tutoring via discomfort. For… Read More