Author Archives | Dalton Bartlett

Nadeau brothers breathe life into Black Bears men’s hockey team

With the 30th pick in the 2023 NHL draft, the Carolina Hurricanes selected forward Bradly Nadeau months after he committed to the University of Maine. He became the fourth-ever Black Bear to get drafted in the first round since Barrett Heisten was selected 20th overall in 1999 by the Buffalo Sabres. Bradly Nadeau’s older brother Josh Nadeau also committed to UMaine. 

Bradly Nadeau and Josh Nadeau are from British Columbia, Canada. Before coming to UMaine, the brothers played for Penticton Vees in the British Columbia Hockey League in the Junior A league. In their first season playing at Junior A, Josh Nadeau was second on the team with 70 points, totaling 40 goals and 32 assists, while Bradly Nadeau scored 46 points with 20 goals and 26 assists. They helped lead their team to win the Fred Page Cup.

In their second season with the club, Bradly Nadeau took off, winning the Vern Dye Memorial Trophy. He led the league, scoring 113 points on 45 goals and 68 assists. Josh Nadeau was not far behind his brother, scoring 110 points with 44 goals and 66 assists and leading the team to their second consecutive Fred Page Cup. While Bradly Nadeau could have chosen to play for a higher division in junior hockey, he instead chose to follow his brother to UMaine.

In their home opener against RPI, Bradly Nadeau immediately showed everyone why he was a first-round pick, nearly scoring a hat trick in just the second period alone. Although the third goal was called back, as the puck hit the upper net, this ultimately did not matter, as UMaine won 4-1. While Bradly Nadeau was the more well-known out of the two coming into the season, Josh Nadeau proved himself in the next game, as he matched his brother, scoring two goals himself and helping to lead UMaine to the 6-3 victory.

“That’s a prime example of why [Josh Nadeau] is a special player,” linemate and captain Lynden Breen said after the second RPI game. “Both those guys make the game easy for me, and I hope I can make it a little easier for them.”

In the year’s biggest series, the Black Bears faced off against No. 1 seed Boston College. Bradly Nadeau scored on a snapshot right near the net, contributing to the 4-2 upset victory. In game two, UMaine lost in a shoutout, though Josh scored both on a power-play goal and in the shoutout.

So far this season, the brothers are tied with Breen for the most points on the team, with 10 each. Bradly currently leads the team with six goals and four assists with a +/- of seven. Bradly was named Hockey East Rookie of the Week. Josh Nadeau is tied with Breen for most assists, with seven to go along with three goals with a +/- of five. 

“It’s been great,” Josh Nadeau said about his experience with the Black Bears so far. “I’ve been working hard, and we’ve had a good start to the season with 6-1-1, and we’re really happy with it.

The brothers’ impact has not just been felt on the ice, however. Their Saturday game against Boston College on Saturday was sold out before game time. For each home game, Harold Alfond Arena was at near full capacity, and it paid dividends on both the score and record sheet.

“It’s fun, as hockey players, to play in front of those fans,” Bradly Nadeau said when asked about the atmosphere at Alfond Arena. “To know that we have their support, it helps us perform on the ice.”

Currently, UMaine sits with the No. 9 seed in the nation and will return home on Dec. 1 to face off against arch-rival University of New Hampshire Wildcats at 7 p.m.

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TWISH: Bare-Knuckle champion John L. Sullivan arrested in second round for cruelty

On Tuesday, Nov. 18, 1884, future heavyweight Champion John L. Sullivan faced off against Al Greenfield at Madison Square Garden in New York City. However, in New York, boxing did not become legal until 1920, so in the second round, both fighters were arrested for cruelty. This would be one of many almost mythical stories about the last bare-knuckle boxer champion.

Sullivan was born in Boston in 1858 to Irish Immigrants. When Sullivan was young, he was arrested several times for fighting as boxing was illegal Sullivan’s parents wanted him to become a priest, but he chose baseball instead, making $30 to $40 a game. From there, he got into boxing and decided to fight instead. But his fighting style is not the kind we are accustomed to today. His style was no gloves, called bare-knuckle fighting.

Bare-knuckle fighting originated in England in the 17th century, though the exact year is disputed. The first official bare-knuckle champion was mixed fighter James Figg, who is seen as the father of boxing while being the first bare-knuckle champion in 1719. While he may be considered the father of boxing, there is evidence of this in the 688 BC Olympics in Ancient Greece.

Sullivan would begin his boxing career on Mar 13, 1879, against Jack Curley in a fight that would last one hour and 14 minutes without the winning round being recorded, followed by beating Johnny Cocky Woods in five rounds. Throughout his time, there was no formal boxing champion, but in his 14th fight, he would fight Paddy Ryan on Feb 7, 1882, in Mississippi for the bare-knuckle championship, where he would win.

Sullivan would tour the in 1883-84, facing challengers, which is how he ended up in New York to fight against Greenfield. The fight with Greenfield was originally supposed to be on Nov. 17. Still, New York authorities threatened to arrest them, so it was moved to Nov. 18. The next day, there was heavy police resistance, but New York City Police Captain Alfred S. Williams allowed both fighters made it to the ring. In the first round, Greenfield seemed to have the early advantage, but Sullivan would knock down Greenfield as the first round ended. 

In the second round, Greenfield would start off hot once more, but Sullivan would fight back once more and looked like he was ready to end the fight in a knockout. However, right then, Captain Williams would enter the ring and arrest Sullivan while a fellow sergeant arrested Greenfield. It is not known why Sergeant Williams allowed the fight to happen or why he made the arrests he did and when.

After the fight, Sullivan would continue to fight both gloved and bare-knuckled for nine years before taking two years off. One of his most notorious fights came on Jul 8, 1889, when he faced Jake Kilrain in a 76-round match that lasted two hours and 16 minutes, where Sullivan won via knockout. This would be the final bare-knuckle fight under the London Prize Ring Rules, making him the final bare-knuckle champion in one of the first U.S. sporting events to receive national press coverage, with 3000 fans showing up from around the country.

On Sep 7, 1892, he came out of retirement and lost his first match against James J. Corbett, losing the heavyweight title in the 21st round via KO. After retirement, Sullivan would be affected by the 46 fights he endured and became overweight and an alcoholic. He would die at age 59 due to heart failure with just $10 to his name.

In any sport, one person always brought the sport into the national spotlight, and for boxing, that person was Sullivan. It’s thanks to him that boxing became the sport it is today he highlights the issues that boxing has always had, but without him, the sport may have never become what it is today.

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Soccer wins their first America East title in an overtime thriller against UMass

On Sunday, Nov. 5, the No. 2 seeded University of Maine Black Bears Women’s Soccer team hosted the No. 4 seeded University of Massachusetts Lowell River Hawks for the America East Championship to a crowd of 754 fans. This would mark the first time the school has ever hosted the championship. In a thrilling game that went to overtime, former Oregon transfer third-year midfielder Lara Kirkby scored on a corner kick with just five minutes left in overtime, with UMaine pulling off the 3-2 victory.

“I felt pretty confident about our team,” Kirkby said after the game. “We’re such a good possession-based team. But this is a final, and tonight showed that anything can happen.”

UMaine entered the championship coming off a 2-1 victory over the University of Vermont, while the Riverhawks were coming off an upset victory over top-seeded Binghampton 2-1. When these two teams met earlier in the season, UMaine lost their only game all season against the River Hawks back on Oct. 12, 2-0. The Black Bears had not beaten UMass since Oct. 11, 2018. 

The Black Bears opened the scoring when fourth-year forward Kayla Kraemer scored off of a deflection from fifth-year goaltender Taylor Burgess, who was distracted trying to deflect a shot, and the ball came right to Kraemer, who drilled it left unassisted.

Photo by Liv Schanck

UMaine would score once more after Burgess was given a yellow card after a hard collision with a Black Bear offensive player. This would give Kirkby the penalty kick opportunity, and her shot went left while Burgess went right, making it a 2-0 game.

With 14 seconds left in the first, UMass would be awarded a free kick in which fourth-year forward Calliste Brookshire found fifth-year midfielder/defenseman Julia Edholm, who scored off a header in tight defense by the Black Bears making it a one-goal game after the first.

In the second, it would be a defensive battle that saw both teams getting shot opportunities. Still, neither could capitalize off of them until the 85 minutes when third-year midfielder Kristina Kelly would be called for a yellow card, giving the River Hawks a penalty kick opportunity for Brookshire, who capitalized on the opportunity, tying the game at two as the game went to overtime.

In the first overtime period, neither team could score, with the score staying the same going into the second overtime period. With five minutes remaining, off of a Kelly throw-in, fifth-year defenseman Doireann Fahey’s shot was deflected off a Black Bear right to Kirkby, who is a right-footed kicker, would drill the shot top post with her left leg, giving UMaine the one-goal lead as in college soccer, there is no golden goal in overtime.

UMass would have one more chance to send the game to a penalty kick shootout as with 14 seconds remaining, fifth-year defenseman Allison LeBlanc attempted a shot from the center circle, which fifth-year goalkeeper Kira Kutzinski caught the shot and fell on it with four seconds remaining, winning the game for the Black Bears.

Photo by Liv Schanck

Both goaltenders shined under the lights as Kutzinski made two incredible saves while Burgess made seven, being the reason why UMass stayed in the game as long as they did.

“We were good at just staying present,” UMaine head coach Scott Atherley said after the game. “We never let our emotions get away from us. We knew they were a good team, and they were going to come back in the game, and we just stayed with it.”

After the game, multiple Black Bears were awarded for their efforts in the championship win. Kirkby would be named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Along with this, Kirkby, Kelly, third-year forward Abby Kraemer and second-year defenseman Rebecca Grisdale would be named All-Championship Team.

The Black Bears will play in the NCAA soccer tournament for the first time in program history. They will travel to face no. 2 seed and Ivy League champion Harvard University Crimson on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 5 p.m. This will be the second time these schools have faced off, with the last being in 2018 when UMaine beat Harvard 1-0.

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South Africa wins their second straight Rugby World Cup

On Saturday, Oct. 28, the South African Springboks National Rugby Team defeated the New Zeland All Blacks National Rugby Team 12-11 to win their fourth World Cup and their first since 2019 and becoming the first country to win four World Cups as well as just the second team to win back-to-back titles after New Zealand did it themselves in 2011 and 2015.

South Africa, led by Inside-Centre Handré Pollard, opened group stages as the second position handily behind Scotland, with an 18-3 victory over Scotland, with the Springboks scoring two tries to Scotland’s zero while also converting one conversion. Scotland’s only points were scored on a penalty, though South Africa scored two.

In rugby, a try, also known as a touchdown, is when you run the ball in and touch the ball down, which is worth five points. After scoring a try, a team can attempt to score a conversion by kicking the ball through the crossbar, similar to a field goal in American football, though it is worth two points instead of one. If a team is called for a penalty when within 45 yards of the goal point, the team can try a penalty kick for three points by either place-kicking or drop-kicking the ball.

Following their victory against Scotland, South Africa had no issue with Romania winning-handedly 76-0. Just 10 minutes in, the Springboks led 26-0, scoring 11 of 12 tries in the game led by Cobus Reinach with two. Along with this, they went 7-11 on conversion kicks. Romania was the only team to attempt a penalty kick, which they missed.

After beating Romania, South Africa faltered against Ireland 13-8. Ireland’s wing Mack Hansen scored the first touchdown that South Africa gave up the entire tournament, and Ireland could hold onto the narrow victory. Following their first and only loss, the Springboks responded handily, defeating the Tonga National Rugby Team 49-18 to enter the knockout stage.

In the first round of the knockout stage, South Africa faced the host country, France. France led 25-19 after two penalty kicks, but Eben Etzebeth scored a try, and with the teams trading penalty kicks, the Springboks survived 29-28 and advanced to the semi-finals to face a rematch of the 2019 World Cup final against England.

In the semi-finals, the Springboks found themselves in a tight game once more. England scored all their points on penalty kicks and be up 12-6 at halftime. In the second half, Owen Farrell scored on a dropkick, making it 15-6 for England. However, South Africa came back with RG Snyman scoring a try at the 68:45 mark, and with a conversion, the Springboks only trailed by two and with a penalty kick at the 77:22 mark, South Africa won 16-15, advancing them back to the championship to face New Zealand.

In the championship, South Africa took the lead at the beginning of the game and never relinquished it as they made four penalty kicks and though they gave up a try to Beauden Barrett. However, New Zealand’s conversion went right, and South Africa held onto the win 12-11, breaking New Zealand’s record for the most World Cups in the process with four.

While the South African offense was one of the best in the World Cup, their defense proved even better. The defense alone had 974 team tackles, 100 tackles more than anyone else in the Cup, and only surrendered one try the entire World Cup.

The next men’s Rugby World Cup will be held in 2027, with Australia being the host country. The women’s Rugby World Cup will be held in 2025, with England being the host country.

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Women’s soccer clinches two-seed in the America East Tournament

The University of Maine women’s soccer team played their final regular season game on Friday, Oct. 27, against their rivals, the University of New Hampshire Wildcats. In a defensive battle, the game was a 0-0 tie at the end of regulation, capping off a 9-1-6 and 4-1-3 conference play season good enough for the second-seed and a first-round bye in the America East Conference playoffs. This marks the highest seed UMaine has ranked since 2005.

“We played well in moments, and the most important thing was the outcome,” Black Bears head coach Scott Atherley said after the game. “We didn’t get a number of opportunities in the second half, but neither did they.”

The game was initially scheduled to happen on Thursday. However, due to the Lewiston shootings that occurred Wednesday night, the game was moved to Friday. Before the game, the team held a moment of silence to remember the 18 people who lost their lives.

The game was defined by how well the goaltenders played. UMaine’s goaltender, fifth-year Kira Kutzinski, saw nine shots, though the defense made sure none of them were threatening. The same cannot be said for UNH as second-year goaltender Sally Rainey saw 14 shots, multiple of which were threatening shots on goal, including deflecting a shot high that looked like a for-sure goal, securing the tie.

Throughout the season, the Black Bears have proven to be one of the most threatening teams entering the playoffs. The season kicked off against Le Moyne College, where UMaine dominated, winning 5-0, beginning a nine-game winning streak until they faced off against the University of Massachusetts Lowell River Hawks. The Black Bears faltered and would lose 2-0. After this loss, UMaine did not lose another game all season.

UMaine’s top offensive player this season, without a doubt, is second-year forward Abby Kraemer, who led the team in goals with 11 to 29 shots on goal and was second on the team with four assists, with her being the only player on the team to average a goal a game. In comparison, the next highest goal scorer is her older sister, fourth-year Kayla Kraemer, with four goals. As in the UNH game, UMaine had multiple shot opportunities but failed to capitalize off them, something the team needs to do in the playoffs.

“Our buildups were great, and the entries into the final third were great, but what was missing was the final pass,” Atherley said about the offense after the game.

Kutzinski started all 16 games for the Black Bears, saving 58 shots, with her save percentage being 0.806. Kutzinski has been a major reason for UMaine’s success, and she will be important for the playoffs.

UMaine will face off against the winner of UNH vs University of Vermont (UVM) this Thursday, Nov. 2. If UNH wins, the Black Bears will face off against them again, and it should be another tight playoff. Third-year forward Meghan Guarente leads the team with five goals. Rainey has started all 15 games for UNH with 62 saves and a 0.849 save percentage. She will be the centerpiece for success as she was in the first game.

If UMaine plays UVM, they will face off against a different team specializing in offense instead of defense. UVM is led on offense by third-year forward Kate Bossart, who has 10 goals with a 0.581 shots-on-goal percentage. Third-year midfielder Bailey Ayer is second on the team with five goals and a 0.478 shots-on-goal percentage. Goaltender-wise, both fifth-year Erin Murphy and second-year Kylee Carafoli have split the games this year, with both finding minimal success, with Murphy having a 0.839 save percentage to Caraolis’ 0.769. The last time the Black Bears faced UVM, UMaine won 3-2.

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Black Bears cross country places second and fourth in America East Championships

The University of Maine men’s and women’s cross country teams competed in the America East Championships on Friday at the Penobscot Country Club for the first time. The men’s team placed second, finishing behind the University of Massachusetts Lowell River Hawks, tying their highest placement since 2016. The women’s team placed fourth with 88 points, their highest placement as well.

The men’s race kicked off first at 10 a.m. UMass had the top performer of the day, second-year Jan Wouter Van Den Akker, who had the fastest time by 20 seconds with 24:07.14. UMass had five racers finish in the top ten: third-year William Benoit finished sixth with 24:45.79, fellow third-year Hunter Marion finished in eighth place with 24:59.28, second-year Sean Kennedy-Wonneberge in ninth place with 25:00.94 and second-year Joseph Young finishing in 10th.

Photo by Dalton Bartlett

Fourth-year Luke Marsanskis had the fastest time for the Black Bears, finishing in fourth place at 24:39.16. Second-year Evan Thornton-Sherman finished right behind Marsanskis with a time of 24:39.75. Fourth-year Alec Troxell finished in 12th place with a time of 25:11.07, while third-year Lucas Bergeron rounded off the top 20 for UMaine, placing 16th with a time of 25:28.34.

The final standings for the men’s race were UMass with 34, UMaine in second with 76, University of New Hampshire (UNH) and Binghamton University tied with 97, The University of Vermont (UVM) finished with 114 for fifth, the University Of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) finished sixth with 123, Bryant University finished seventh with 182, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) finished eighth with 229 and the University at Albany finished ninth with 261.

The women’s race would get off to a rough start as some of the racers on multiple teams tripped and fell. UMass second-year Mary-Kate Finn had the fastest time of the day for the women, edging out UMaine’s first-year Megan Randall after a tight race with a time of 17:17.18 to Randall’s 17:25.27. Though Finn had the fastest time, it was Binghampton who wound up winning the race with a score of 69 points. They were led by fourth-year Sophia Ryan, who finished in fourth place at 17:46.00.

Third-year Marlee Yoder led the Black Bears as she finished in 11th place for the Black Bears with a time of 18:33.50. Fourth-year Lydia Gilmore finished the race in 18th place at 18:45.89. Fellow fourth-year Rachel Hodge finished in 25th place with a time of 18:58.91.

Photo by Dalton Bartlett

Vermont would finish second with a score of 77, beating UMass’ 81 and UMaine’s 88. UNH finished in fifth place with a score of 113, UAlbany finished in seventh with a score of 126, Bryant finished in eighth with 148, NJIT finished with 220 and UMBC finished in ninth with 240.

Following the match, Black Bears head coach Adam Ward was named the 2023 America East Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year.

UMaine will compete in the NCAA Regional Championship in the Northeast region on Nov. 5 at Columbia University in New York City.

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Haylie Calver sets a school record in Black Bears swim home opener

The University of Maine Black Bears men’s and women’s swim and dive teams opened their seasons on Friday, Oct. 20, against the Maritime Academy Mariners. Entering as the favorites, the Black Bears did not disappoint, as they won every event. The women’s team won 159-104. Second-year diver Haylie Calver did very well in the 3-meter dive, where she scored 291.23, breaking PhilAnn Dixon’s record of 281.10 set last year.

“I am very happy with where we are as a team at this point,” head coach of both the men’s and women’s teams, Susan Lizzotte, said after the match.

The night got underway with the 200-yard medley relay. While the women’s teams were close for UMaine, the team of fifth-year Kennedy Kilger, second-years Kayla Loughman and Carmen Braden and third-year Hannah Deighan won gold with a time of 1:51.64. In the men’s, third-year Nick Scott, third-year Zach Hopp, and fourth-years Zareck Tello and Max Ginsburg won with a time of 1:37.98.

In the 200-yard individual medley, first-year Eva Welsh shined in her debut, as she won it for the girl’s heat with a time of 2:12.77, almost six seconds ahead of teammate third-year Marlee Canalee with a time of 2:18.22. 

In the men’s, first-year Matthew Bendoraitis would squeak out a one-second victory over teammate Liam Hood with a 2:02.19 time. Bendoraitis won bronze later in the night during the 50-yard backstroke. During the 100-yard, Loughman posted the highest time of 1:01.00, four seconds above teammate third-year Emma Glover with a time of 1:05.31. In the men’s 100, first-year Cooper Polzin won at 58.31, beating second-year Calvin Comeau, who had a time of 58.74. Maritime Academy’s fourth-year John Markillie kept it close with Comeau the whole way, just barely losing second place with a time of 58.90.

In the freestyle events, Braden won gold in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:58.42, three seconds above teammate Laura Dube. In the 50-yard freestyle, Kilger won her second gold with a time of 24.79, less than one second ahead of Deighan. Second-year Julian LaPietra won his first of two gold medals with a time of 1:47.42, just under one second from Tello. In the 50, third-year Finn Devers won gold with a time of 22.13, 13 milliseconds ahead of Ginsburg.

Second-year Alicia Littler won the 100-yard backstroke by the skin of her teeth as she defeated teammate and fellow second-year Liz Stoelzel by 0.02 seconds in a photo finish. In the 50-yard, third-year Morgan Thompson beat Braden by 13 seconds, claiming gold. 

The men did not compete in the 100-yard but competed in the 50, which saw third-year Cam Watlet win with a time of 24.68.

In the breaststroke competitions, Loughman beat teammate and fellow fourth-year Morgan Bui by under one second to win gold in the 50. In the 100, second-year Sage Dentremont won gold at 1:25.39. In the men’s 50, first-year Nick Partridge won his first gold with a time of 27.16, beating teammate and fellow first-year Nick Teerlinck by less than one second. In the 100-yard, Partridge would once again beat Teerlnick by under one minute once more.

In the butterfly events, second-year Mia Poirier won the 100-yard by over one second ahead of her teammate, second-year Kathleen Bendoraitis. In the 50-yard butterfly, Glover came away with the fastest time, 28.54.

In the men’s 100, third-year Cam Watelet dominated with a time of 52.38, two seconds faster than teammate third-year Derek Whyte. In the 100-yard, Scott would post the fastest time with 24.53, beating teammate Comeau.

In the 500-yard freestyle, second-year Kathleen Bendoraitis put up the fastest time of 5:27.55, edging out her teammate, third-year Lindsay Matthews, who had a time of 5:27.97. In the men’s, second-year Casey Laliberte won with a time of 5:05.71, exactly one second ahead of teammate third-year Donovan Durand.

In the final swim competition of the night, the 200-yard freestyle relay, the team of Poirier, Deighan, third-year Lauren Witte and fourth-year Morgan Bui posted the fastest time with 1:44.06. In the men’s, the team of Watelet, Ginsburg, first-year Ian Mallari and third-year Nicholas Plese had the fastest time of 1:29.35.

The Black Bears performed impressively in diving, as well. In the one-meter dive, Calver scored the highest for the women with a score of 276.60, 24 points ahead of teammate second-year Maddie Ruppert. In the men’s, fourth-year Riley Clarke dominated, putting up a score of 314.40, the highest he has ever scored for UMaine, 60 points higher than teammate second-year DJ Mulligan. In the three-meter, Calver shined, scoring 291.23, breaking the school’s record. Clarke continued to shine, putting up 302.33, once again a career-high, 53 points higher than Mulligan.

While Maritime was outmatched, they fought hard in every event from start to finish. In the men’s, they were consistently in the middle of the pack, fighting to the finish every race.

“We need to continue our team culture as family!” Lizzotte said after the meet. “Stick together, work hard in the pool and weight room, and always represent our program at the highest level.”

The Black Bears will head on the road to face Holy Cross on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 12 p.m. They will not return home until Jan. 27, when they face off against rival Providence College.

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Nadeau brothers shine in their debuts as the Black Bears sweep the Engineers

The University of Maine Black Bears Men’s Hockey team opened their season and faced off against the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Engineers on Thursday and Friday. While the Engineers fought hard in both games, the Black Bears dominated on both sides of the ice, winning handily 4-1 and 6-3. 

UMaine finished last season with a record of 15-16-5, losing in the first round of the playoffs against rival University of Vermont 4-2. RPI finished last season with a record of 14-20-1.

In game one, it was the Engineers who scored the first point of the season as on the power play, fifth-year defenseman CJ Regula scored with a wrist shot to the net off of an assist from second-year forward Sutter Muzzatti, and RPI held the 1-0 lead after one period.

While RPI scored first, it would be all Black Bears from that point forward, dominating time of possession for the rest of the game. In his first game with UMaine, 2023 NHL first-round draft pick and first-year forward Bradly Nadeau scored on a close slapshot near the goal assisted by his brother, first-year forward Josh Nadeau, and second-year defenseman Grayson Arnott. Bradly Nadeau would score once more on the power play on the doorstep, thanks to a feed from fourth-year forward Lynden Breen and second-year forward Thomas Freel to make it 2-1.

With just two seconds left in the second, it appeared that Bradly Nadeau scored a hattrick as his slapshot got past third-year goaltender Josh Watson. However, RPI’s head coach, Dave Smith, challenged the call, and on review, 42 seconds before the goal, the puck hit the back net, resulting in the goal being waved off and keeping the score at 2-0 going into the third.

It took just 17 seconds into the third to get the goal back, as after winning the faceoff, Breen would get the pick back on the doorstep and score with assists from the Nadeau brothers. 

Thirty-one seconds later, third-year forward Nolan Renwick would save the game as he scored off the fast break from fifth-year forward Ben Poisson and second-year defenseman Brandon Chabrier.

Bradly Nadeau would have a shot at his hat trick once more on a 2-1 fast break, though he would collide with the official, preventing that from happening.

“Sometimes you catch them off guard, but I think we have a good team this year, and we have a lot of great shooters, so when you shoot, and you go to the net, good things happen,” Bradly Nadeau said after the game.

UMaine dominated offensively, outshooting RPI 57-13 in the game, as the Engineers did not have a shot on net in the second period until four minutes left. Fourth-year goaltender Victor Ostman rarely saw the puck but easily saved all 12 shots he saw. Watson would have his moments, but no team will win when you give up 57 shots on goal. The Black Bears dominated on faceoffs as well, going 37-20.

Photo by Liv Schanck

 

“We started off shaky,” head coach Ben Barr said after Thursday. “The puck was bouncing around, and we took unnecessary risks, but we settled down, and we did our thing.”

UMaine struck first on Friday as, on the power play, Josh Nadeau scored the first goal of his collegiate career. Breen’s shot hit second-year goaltender Carson Cherepaks’ skates, and Josh Nadeau was able to tip it in for the score. 

Four minutes later, third-year forward Harrison Stott found the back of the net from the right face-off spot, and his snap-shot put the Black Bears up 2-0 thanks to assists from first-year forward Reid Pabich and Freel. RPI responded before the end of the first as fourth-year forward Jake Gagnon scored on a 2-1 fast break while on the penalty kill, making it a 2-1 game going into the second.

In the second, UMaine found themselves on a 5-3 powerplay opportunity. First-year defenseman Brandon Holt found Breen, who set up the one-timer for Josh Nadeau to score his second goal of the night. With just 20 seconds left in the second, the Black Bears would go up by three, as after Breens’ shot missed, Cherepaks was out of position for Arnott to score the snapshot goal, making it 4-1 heading into the final period.

After playing well throughout the first two periods, UMaine started to play carelessly. It took just 14 seconds for RPI to score in the third as second-year defenseman Lucas Matta scored on a wide-open shot from just inside the blue line unassisted to make it a 4-2 game. The Black Bears retained their three-point lead as fourth-year forward Donavan Villeneuve-Houle tapped the puck in from right near the doorstop with assists from Poisson and third-year defenseman David Breazeale. RPI was not about to go away as Gagnon scored from in between the circles, making it a 5-3 game, though UMaine would end the game after Poisson scored on an open netter after the Engineers pulled their goalie, securing the 6-3 victory.

“We knew they were going to bounce back,” Josh Nadeau said after the game. “We were expecting that, and we just had to adjust to their playing today.”

“[RPI] definitely played much better, ” coach Barr said after the game. “We did not play our best hockey, but I thought they played much harder. It is difficult to win back-to-back games.”

Photo by Liv Schanck

UMaine will head on the road next to face the defending national champions, the Quinnipiac University Bobcats, on Oct. 27 and 28 before returning home on Nov. 10 to face the Boston College Eagles, with the puck dropping at 7 p.m.

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Former Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield dies from brain cancer

Three days after it was revealed that former star pitcher Tim Wakefield had brain cancer, the Boston Red Sox released a statement on Sunday announcing the star’s passing. In this sad story, controversy has arisen surrounding the announcement of Wakefield’s cancer.

It was not Wakefield or his family who revealed the news of the diagnosis but a former teammate of his, Curt Schilling. On his podcast, Schilling said:

“Tim Wakefield is sick. Tim was recently diagnosed with a very serious, aggressive form of brain cancer. The situation in Tim’s case is dire, and he went in and had surgery.”

In Schilling’s podcast, he also stated that Wakefield’s wife, Stacy, was also battling pancreatic cancer. Following Schilling’s outing of Wakefield’s illness, the Red Sox would release a statement of their own:

“We are aware of the statements and inquiries about the health of Tim and Stacy Wakefield. Unfortunately, this information has been shared publicly without their permission. Their health is a deeply personal matter they intend to keep private as they navigate treatment and work to tackle this disease. Tim and Stacy appreciate the support and love that has always been extended to them and respectfully ask for privacy at this time.”

Even though Wakefield was a pitcher for his entire major league career, he was drafted as a first baseman by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the eighth round in 1988. After being told he would never go past Double-A level, Wakefield switched to pitcher and developed his famous knuckleball and quickly rose up the ranks of the minor leagues, debuting in the majors in 1992, where he would play for two seasons between the major league and Triple-A team before being cut and signing with the Red Sox.

In his first season with Boston, Wakefield proved to be a steal of a signing. With starters Roger Clemens and Aaron Sele struggling, Wakefield was called up from Triple-A. Throughout his first 17 games, he had a 1.65 ERA, a 14–1, and six complete games. While he cooled off to end the year, he still finished with a 16-8 record with a 2.95 era, being a significant part of the Red Sox winning the American League East title and winning Comeback Player of the Year.

Throughout his next three seasons, Wakefield never regained his glory of 1995, though he was still a serviceable starter. In 1999, closer Tom Gordon was injured, and Wakefield was switched to closer and would pick up 15 saves before Derek Lowe replaced him, though, through his success, he would regularly come out of the bullpen for the rest of his career.

Wakefield was a major part of Boston winning their first title in 86 years, helping the Red Sox defeat the New York Yankees in game 3 of the ALCS, pitching over three innings though only pitched game 1 of the World Series. He was also part of the team that won in 2007, though he was injured during the run to the title. Wakefield would play until 2011, when he retired after the 2011 season, third all-time in wins behind Clemens and Cy Young.

Outside of baseball, Wakefield was also known to be charitable off the field. He worked closely with Pitching in for Kids, a charity dedicated to providing specifically earmarked grants designed to improve the lives of children across the New England region. He was nominated by the Red Sox eight times for the Roberto Clemente Award, an award to the player who best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy, and positive contributions, both on and off the field, and won it in 2010.

Wakefield will be remembered for his long baseball career and his incredible legacy off the field that will live on forever through the countless people he has helped.

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TWISH: Black Sox throw the World Series

Scandals are commonplace in any sport. Sometimes, scandals are minor and do not significantly impact the game. In contrast, others have significant and long-term effects on the sport, like the 1919 Chicago White Sox or, as they are better known, the Black Sox after they infamously threw the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds.

Entering the World Series, Chicago was the heavy favorite entering the series. Led by outfielder Shoeless Joe Jackson, the White Sox finished the season with 88 wins. While the Reds had the better record with 96 wins, the team was led by outfielder Edd Roush. Entering the series, the White Sox were the 5-1 favorites, but rumors of a fix started swirling as the series began.

When looking at why the White Sox would throw the World Series, the easy argument is pay. Owner Charles Kominsky was supposedly cheap. On average, White Sox players were making $3,000 to $6,000 or about $50,000 to $100,000 today, accounting for inflation. However, when looking at the average salaries at the time, they were one of the highest-paid teams.

On Sept. 18, 1919, first baseman Chick Gandil, the mastermind behind the scheme, met with gambler Joe “Sport” Sullivan, who agreed to throw the World Series for $80,000, along with Gandil, pitcher Eddie Cicotte, center fielder Happy Felsch, utility player Fred McMullin, shortstop Swede Risberg, third baseman Buck Weaver, pitcher Lefty Williams and Jackson. Jackson’s role in the scandal has been widely disputed as it has been stated he could not read or write, and after the series, Jackson attempted to turn the money back.

With the second pitch of the series, Cicotte drilled Reds player Morrie Rath, signaling that the fix was in. In the fourth, he made an intentional bad throw to Risberg. Williams would lose three games in the series, a record with a 6.63 era. However, after game five, the gamblers reneged on the deal of payments, causing the athletes to play to win games six and seven, both wins for Chicago, though they lost game eight after the gamblers threatened the players’ families. After the series, each player involved received $5,000, and Gandil took $35,000.

Rumors swirled the following season about the White Sox throwing the World Series and fighting for the AL pennant with the Cleveland Indians. Later, in 1920, Cicotte, Williams, Jackson and Felsch would admit to throwing the World Series, resulting in Cominsky suspending the seven players still on the roster, minus Gandil, who was no longer with the team. In 1921, they would be acquitted mysteriously due to crucial evidence, including the original confessions of the players, disappearing from the grand jury files.

While they may have been acquitted, this would not be the end for the players involved. On Nov. 12, 1920, Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis became baseball’s first commissioner, and just one day after the verdict, Landis would issue his own:

“Regardless of the verdict of juries, no player who throws a ball game, no player who undertakes or promises to throw a ball game, no player who sits in confidence with a bunch of crooked ballplayers and gamblers, where the ways and means of throwing a game are discussed and does not promptly tell his club about it, will ever play professional baseball.” 

All eight players who took part in the scandal were placed on MLB’s ineligible list, which means they are not allowed to play or coach baseball professionally or be allowed into the Hall of Fame. This rule would come up again in 1989 when baseball legend Pete Rose was banned for betting on games as a manager.

To this day, none of the eight players are in the Hall of Fame and likely never will be, even though there has been much support for Jackson getting in. Even then, there may never be a scandal in baseball that will ever be as infamous as this scandal for the impact it still has today.

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