By Jacob Posik

Start ‘em

Even though the Atlanta Falcons are having a rough season, quarterback Matt Ryan should be back to his regular form this week against the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Buccaneers have been more competitive recently, but the Falcons should pick up a much-needed win this week. Ryan is finally feeling the pressure for his poor performance thus far in the season, and I expect him to respond in a big way. Look for Ryan to target wideout Roddy White and tight end Tony Gonzalez early and often through the air. If Atlanta can balance their attack with the ground game, play action pass sets could get Atlanta receivers open for Ryan to capitalize.

For those who fear the Kansas City defense, watch for running back Knowshon Moreno to have a big output in Week 11. His performance in Denver’s balanced offensive attack will be crucial for the Broncos to defeat the unbeaten Chiefs.

In my opinion, the Chiefs are the biggest fluke in the NFL. Their defense has proved formidable, but their strength of schedule is atrocious. Being 9-0 isn’t very impressive when the best team you’ve faced is the 5-4 Dallas Cowboys. Peyton Manning will be able to pick apart Kansas City through the air, and Moreno will pound it in between the tackles, handing the Chiefs their first loss of the season.

Sit ‘em

New York Giants wideout Victor Cruz will perform about as well as his team will in Week 11: not well.

Facing the Green Bay Packers, Cruz won’t make an impact because Giants quarterback Eli Manning won’t make an impact. The Packers’ defensive players and schemes will be too much for the Giants’ weak offensive line. Manning will be forced to rush his throws and will be hurried in the pocket. Look for him to be sacked and knocked down a handful of times.

With Manning disabled, Cruz should be shut down as well. Cruz put up big numbers in Week 1 and Week 4, but has been fairly unproductive since. I don’t see his luck turning around against Green Bay.

Cleveland tight end James Cameron should be sat in Week 11 as well. Even though the Browns defeated the Cincinnati Bengals the first time they faced each other in Week 4, a game in which Cameron recorded 91 receiving yards and a touchdown reception, I think Cincinnati has figured things out and won’t let a key division game get away from them.

Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton is still poised in the pocket, and the offense has been utilizing the talents of rookie running back Giovani Bernard, making for much more explosive offensive numbers. Their defense has tightened up as of late as well. It will be of the utmost importance for the Bengals defense to limit Cameron’s touches and key on him in the red zone, and I think they get it done.

Sleeper Pick

In a losing effort to New England last week, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery managed to score 27.6 points. Owned by only 7 percent of players in NFL.com fantasy leagues, Cotchery could be big down the stretch for the Steelers. He’s proven to be a reliable target for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, and with defenses keying on the speedy Emmanuel Sanders, Cotchery has been open for big gains through the air. He’s also proved to be a red zone threat, catching three touchdowns against the Patriots. Add him to your roster and see how he performs before giving him a start.

By Anthony Panciocco

When Dolphins offensive tackle Jonathan Martin left the team after their game last weekend, it was sudden and unexpected. By all accounts, Martin seemed like an average, everyday player. He was six games into his third NFL season before checking into a hospital for emotional distress and missing their Oct. 31 game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The media onslaught that ensued came in waves.

An alleged voicemail from fellow offensive lineman Richard Incognito to Martin was leaked, in which Incognito called Martin racial slurs and threatened to kill him. Text messages threatening the rape of his sister were released. Later there were further allegations that Martin was bullied into paying for a $15,000 trip to Las Vegas that he himself did not attend, as well as Dolphins rookies being tabbed with a $30,000 dinner bill.

Along with the emotionally-charged voicemails and use of rookies like ATMs, Incognito was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team and an investigation was launched regarding the extent of the situation.

Controversy also stemmed from claims that Incognito took Martin under his wing, treating him like his “little brother.” There were pictures of them sitting together on the team plane, and Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill claimed that “if you asked Jonathan Martin about Richie two weeks ago, he would’ve said he’s his best friend.”

Reactions from around the league were mixed, with some coming to Martin’s defense and others claiming this behavior was only part of the NFL’s locker room culture.

Dolphins defensive tackle Randy Starks blamed the situation on Martin, saying, “You can’t have thin skin around here. We’re trying to clear Richie’s name. He’s getting a bad rap.”

Martin was also defended by many, with former NFL defensive tackle Dave Pear coming to his defense.

“Back when I played, which was the ’70s, rookies did things like maybe have to sing at meals or do menial-type jobs for veteran players, but it was all in good fun.” Pear went on to say, “It sounds like this is bullying.”

Hazing, bullying or whatever it should be called, has always been a part of sports, particularly football. At its most mild, it is harmless and benign. Each preseason, SportsCenter shows rookies carrying veteran players’ pads into the locker room after practice or sporting wild haircuts courtesy of their teammates.

This kind of hazing welcomes rookies to the team in a way that lets them feel like a part of the brotherhood, while at the same time making them “pay their dues.”

Rookie hazing, or hazing in general, should be designed for team building. It should bring the team closer together. If the manner of hazing is harmful to even one player, it becomes detrimental not just to the player but to the group as a whole. When players are ostracized, it drives a wedge between the them and the rest of the team, instead of bringing them together.

Incognito’s behavior went far beyond what is acceptable anywhere in the world, including an NFL locker room.

NFL locker rooms are a place different than any other because of the pressure and physical, aggressive nature of the game its occupants are conditioned for. Players tend to retain some degree of the brazen attitude they are taught to embody on the field.

This does not excuse the harassment and abuse of those within it. Just because some of the players on the team are more famous, rich or are bigger than others does not give them a license to harass their teammates.

In the end, Martin had no choice but to leave the team. Had he fought back against Incognito, physically or otherwise, he would have been portrayed as the bad guy acting out against an older player. If he put his head down and continued to take the abuse of his teammates, nothing would have changed and he would have been subject to the same torment that he and some of his fellow Dolphins had been facing.

As the investigation continues, more storylines and controversy will certainly emerge. The fact that this won’t be the last bullying episode that comes to light in professional sports history, however, is the saddest part of all.

By Jacob Posik

The 10th-ranked Boston University women’s ice hockey team came away with two wins in their weekend set with the University of Maine this weekend by a combined score of 9-3.

The Black Bears will take their 0-7-3 overall record and 0-3-3 Hockey East mark into a two-game home set against conference foe University of Vermont Nov. 16-17.

The Terriers will face off against St. Cloud State University and the University of Wisconsin in Vail, Col. Nov. 15-16.

UMaine gives up five unanswered goals, loses 5-1 in Game 1

The Black Bears lost to No. 10 Boston University 5-1 Saturday afternoon in Boston, Mass.

Scoring UMaine’s only goal was senior forward Brianne Kilgour, her second of the season.

The first period of action was a back and forth battle until Kilgour found the back of the net on a shot assisted by sophomore forward Jillian Langtry. Kilgour received the pass and sent it past Terrier senior netminder Kerrin Sperry to give the Black Bears a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission.

BU responded just 3 minutes into the second period in what was the first of five unanswered goals.

Senior forward Taylor Holze made a pass in front of the net to freshman forward Maddie Elia who sent one past UMaine sophomore goalkeeper Meghann Treacy to knot the score at 1. The Terriers struck again just 2 minutes later when sophomore forward Sarah Lefort found the back of the net on a pass from freshman defender Sarah Steele to enter the final frame up 2-1.

The Terriers didn’t hold back in the third period. They received a goal apiece from sophomore forward Jordan Juron and senior forward Louise Warren as well as Elia’s second tally of the night. Warren’s goal was her team-leading ninth of the season.

BU outshot UMaine 35-22. Treacy made 30 saves in net while Sperry managed to keep out 21 shots for the Terriers.

BU completes sweep with 4-2 victory

No. 10 BU bested UMaine for the second time this weekend, this time by a score of 4-2 Sunday afternoon.

Senior defender Kelly McDonald and freshman forward Emilie Brigham scored goals for UMaine, but the Black Bears didn’t have enough firepower to hold off the potent Terrier offense.

The Terriers drew first blood 4 minutes into the action when sophomore forward Rebecca Russo made a pass in front of UMaine redshirt-freshman goaltender Mariah Fujimagari. Juron received the pass and chipped it past Fujimagari for the goal.

Another Terrier shot found the back of the net with 2 minutes remaining in the first period when Juron scored her second short-handed goal of the season. Fujimagari made an attempt of clearing the puck behind her net when Russo skated up and applied pressure on the UMaine defender, gained control of the puck and wrapped it around the empty net for a score.

UMaine tightened things up just 3:28 into the second period when McDonald stole the puck in BU territory and sent a slap shot that clapped off the crossbar and fell behind Sperry. The Black Bears had another opportunity in the second period to score on the power play but were denied by the BU goaltender.

The BU lead was increased by two goals midway through the third period when senior defender Kaleigh Fratkin scored the puck off a rebound kicked away by Fujimagari after the initial shot by Elia.

Brigham made things interesting late in the third when she found the back of the net on a play similar to Fratkin’s. Sperry made a save with her stick before Brigham recovered the puck and sent the puck by her for an easy goal.

The Terriers finally closed the door with just 2 minutes remaining in regulation when a Fratkin slap shot was deflected in front of the net. There was a scrum in front in which Fujimagari was unable to cover the puck. Terriers freshman forward Samantha Sutherland poke checked the puck past Fujimagari for an insurance goal to seal the win.

Fujimagari made 31 saves in net for the Black Bears to Sperry’s saved 18 as UMaine was outshot in the contest 35-20.

By Andrew Stefanilo

The University of Maine men’s basketball team split their two games this weekend, falling to the University of Rhode Island on the road on Friday before handling Fisher College Sunday afternoon in the Memorial Gym.

The Black Bears will look to start a winning streak when they hit the hardwood against George Washington University in our nation’s capital Nov. 12. Tipoff is TBA.

 URI bests UMaine in 100th all-time meeting

 UMaine dropped its first game of the season to the University of Rhode Island 97-77 on Friday. The meeting was the 100th between the two teams, with Rhode Island having won 86 to Maine’s 14.

 Junior guard Xavier Pollard led the Black Bears in scoring with a career high 23 points off 9-16 shooting. Sophomore guard Dimitry Akanda-Coronel also had a career high in points with 18.

 The Rams had four players in double figures. Leading the way was freshman center Ifeanyi Onyekaba with 21 points on 8-10 shooting from the floor. Sophomore forward Jarelle Reischel also had an impressive game with 18 points.

 Rhode Island dominated UMaine in rebounding with 55 rebounds compared to the Black Bears’ 28. The Rams also took advantage of their time at the charity stripe, going 33-49 on foul shots. The success from the line for Rhode Island was partly because of the Black Bears’ 31 fouls committed.

 UMaine did shoot 41 percent from the field while Rhode Island shot 46 percent.

 The Rams got out to a 9-4 lead to start the game but Pollard helped lead the Black Bears back with a steal and a pass to Akanda-Coronel for a score. UMaine cut it to 19-13 midway through the first half when Akanda-Coronel had another dunk off a steal to close the gap.

 The Black Bears found themselves down by just five points at 29-24 until the Rams went on a run to put it at 40-30. Rhode Island ended the half on a 12-5 run to head into the break up 52-35.

 The fouls piled up for UMaine in the first half as the Rams had 18 points off of free throws and were out rebounding UMaine 28-13.

 Pollard cut the lead to 15 when he hit two free throws and had a layup only moments later to make it 56-41.

 URI outscored UMaine 45-42 in the second 20 minutes to cruise to the 97-77 victory.

Onyekaba had 11 of his 21 points in the second half and grabbed 10 rebounds to record a double-double.

 Valjarevic, Akanda-Coronel lead Black Bears to first win of 2013

UMaine got its first win on Sunday when they beat Fisher College 111-64 in the Memorial Gym.

UMaine was led by junior guard Zarko Valjarevic, who had 19 points and was 5-7 from behind the arc. Sophomore guard Dimitry Akanda-Coronel added 17 points and freshman forward Erik Nissen had 16 to go along with nine rebounds and three blocks.

“Anytime we get a chance to play these games it’s good for us. We get a chance to use a lot of our guys and they really just get to work on a lot of things they need to get better at,” head coach Ted Woodward said.

The first half was all Black Bears as they jumped out to a 25-10 lead. Fisher battled in the beginning of the first half by getting to the foul line and trying to get easy layups but missed a lot of high percentage shots.

“Today was about trying to stay aggressive each and every play and get better from yesterday,” Valjarevic said. “We could try out some things and clean up some stuff because the season is just beginning and we have to start playing better and this was a great opportunity to try some things out.”

Junior guard Xavier Pollard was 2-2 with 4 points and four assists before getting fouled hard and leaving the game with 9:49 remaining in the first half.

Despite losing one of their best players, UMaine continued to pile it on. Valjarevic shot 5-8, four of those shots being 3s, for 15 points at the break.

Fisher decided to lay on a full court press against the Black Bears for much of the first half, but it didn’t end well for the Falcons as UMaine shredded the press for easy layups.

“If anybody tries to press us we try to attack and stay aggressive,” Valjarevic said. “And that’s what we did for 40 minutes.”Nissen and Akanda-Coronel were both in double digits in scoring at the half with 13 and 11.

“Everything was just flowing, my shot felt good,” Nissen said. “I was getting to the rim and it just felt natural.”

UMaine shot over 56 percent from the field and 55 percent from behind the arc in the first half.

Fisher had some trouble finishing some easy chances, evidenced by their shooting 22.9 percent from the floor and 1-12 from three point range in the first half.

Despite their rebounding troubles in their first game, UMaine came back against Fisher with 30 rebounds in the first half alone compared to Fisher’s 16.

UMaine came out of the break with much of the same success as in the first half. They started in a half-court zone and would use it off and on throughout the second half.

Fisher came out on a 5-0 run, but Akanda-Coronel got UMaine on the board with a layup before adding a steal and one of his many ferocious dunks to push the lead to 61-32.

“Everyone has to play with confidence,” Akanda-Coronel said. “We don’t have anything to lose.”

Fisher increased their offensive output in the second half and made a much higher percentage of shots. The Falcons shot just over 38 percent in the second half and 46.2 percent from 3-point range.

The Black Bears were more efficient in the second 20 minutes as well, finishing with a 59.5 percent shooting effort from the floor and a 10-20 showing from behind the arc. UMaine also grabbed 51 rebounds compared to Fisher’s 31.

Nissen continued his strong performance in the second half as well making a layup, drawing a foul and making the free throw to make it 69-36 UMaine.

Both teams traded 3s to make it 82-44, but in the end UMaine was too much for the Falcons to handle offensively.

“It was a good 40 minutes,” Woodward said. “We got a lot of guys in the rotation and there’s a lot of things we got to work on, so back to work tomorrow and play again on Tuesday.”

By Jacob Posik

The University of Maine women’s soccer team’s season ended last week after suffering a tough defeat to America East conference foe Stony Brook University in penalty kicks. After regulation and two overtime periods, failure to convert penalty kicks ultimately led to the end of the Black Bears’ season.

Although the season is over, the team finished 9-5-5 overall, and head coach Scott Atherley isn’t hanging his head.

“We met our expectations this season, and collectively I’m happy with our performance this season,” Atherley said. “I think our best game of the season was last week against Stony Brook. We haven’t had a lot of success against them, and to give them a game like that, in that atmosphere, it was great.”

The season didn’t start out easy for the Black Bears. Their non-conference opponents were tough, and they battled hard to stay in contention in America East.

“I think we had one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country,” Atherley said. “We had tough battles against Virginia Commonwealth and Wagner, as well as our other non-conference opponents, and I think finishing up .500 in nonconference games showed our girls that we can play and contend in America East play. I think we gained confidence in those games, and that made a huge difference for us down the stretch.”

Conference opponents gave UMaine all they could handle as well, but the Black Bears played well against their conference opponents. Beating the University of Maryland-Baltimore County early in conference play during the regular season helped lift the Black Bears in the standings, but some opponents got the best of them, including Binghamton University and Stony Brook.

“We should have won the Binghamton game. All season long I feel like we played better from behind,” Atherley said. “We got up early in that one and played the clock, not the game, and ended up losing. I think we battled better from behind, and sometimes giving up leads amounts to a lack of experience, but that comes for every player.

“We played well in conference. We determined our fate entering the last regular season game against Stony Brook, we just came up short,” he added.

The Black Bears are graduating five seniors, including America East defensive player of the year Maggie Malone. Replacing Malone will be tough, but the Black Bears’ youthful roster should be promising for the future.

“Maggie played great for us all season. Not only was she great defensively, she was probably our best offensive weapon on our back line. She was also a model student athlete. I’m not sure if she was more important on the field or off, from a leadership perspective,” Atherley said.

Even with the loss of Malone, there is still plenty of talent left on this squad. Returning for the Black Bears next season is goalie Lauren Swant, who had an outstanding season in net before going down with a knee injury in the quarterfinal against Binghamton. Also returning are leading goal scorers Eve L’Abbe and Charlene Achille. Not only are these girls talented, but they are doing all they can to get better.

“Most girls on the team study here year round,” Atherley said. “They take classes in the summer and stay here so they can all get workouts in together with our strength and conditioning coach. It’s remarkable the sacrifices these girls are making for the team. They’re great student athletes and have excellent work ethic.”

Even after a heartbreaking loss on penalty kicks, Atherley is anxious and hopeful for next season. With the talent he has returning and the discipline his players are showing on and off the field, another winning season is not out of the question in 2014.

By Anthony Panciocco

When the top two offenses in the America East Conference squared off in the field hockey quarterfinals Thursday evening, the expectation was a high-scoring shootout.

This expectation never came to fruition, as the second-seeded University at Albany Great Danes downed the third-seeded University of Maine 1-0 to end the Black Bears’ hunt for an America East Championship.

UMaine finishes the season with an 11-9 record, while Albany ends with a 16-5 mark after falling in the America East Finals against the University of New Hampshire on Sunday.

After a quiet first half, UMaine nearly capitalized on one of their three penalty corner opportunities in the second.

Junior Annabelle Hamilton, fresh off being named the America East Player of the Week, fired a shot from the top of the circle, but it was turned away by an Albany defender before it could reach the goal. Hamilton finished the season with a team-high 35 points.

Albany scored the lone goal of the contest halfway through the second half. Senior forward Daphne Voormolen, an America East first team selection, passed ahead to freshman forward Molly Mariano who put it past UMaine sophomore netminder Natasha Ford for a 1-0 lead.

Ford was strong in goal, saving two of the three shots she was tasked with. On the other side of the field, Albany freshman goalie Maxi Primus performed just a bit better, saving both shots sent her way.

Defense was the focal point of contest, as there were only 13 total shots on the day. Albany led in shots 8-5 as well as penalty corners 10-3.

Voormolen led the Great Danes’ offense in shots with three and assisted on the lone goal of the game to add to an already noteworthy season. She was named the America East Offensive Player of the Year last week after her impressive 40-point campaign.

The Black Bears had eight players make all-conference teams this season, highlighted by three first-teamers in Hamilton, sophomore midfielder Nicole Sevey and junior forward Holly Stewart; two second-teamers in senior defensive back Francesca Rowley and freshman midfielder Sydney Veljacic; and three all-rookie team honorees in Ford, Veljacic and forward Danielle Aviani.

ORONO – The University of Maine men’s ice hockey team began a season-high four-game homestand by beating the University of Vermont Catamounts Friday night before their comeback bid fell short in game two on Saturday.

UMaine senior netminder Martin Ouellette started both games, accruing a shutout to lead the Black Bears in game one before allowing four goals in the loss the following evening. Ouellette is now 4-4-1 in 2013.

The Black Bears still hold the edge in the all-time series with Vermont with a record of 21-17-4 against the Catamounts.

UMaine sits in seventh place in Hockey East in the early going, just one point back from UVM, who is deadlocked with three other teams for the third spot.

The Black Bears — 4-4-1 overall, 1-2-1 in Hockey East — will try to start another winning streak in the Alfond when they take on another conference foe in the Boston University Terriers Nov. 15 at 7 p.m.

The Catamounts — 3-3-1 overall, 2-2-0 in Hockey east — host No. 5/6 Providence College for a two-game set Nov. 15-16.

 Ouellette, late power play goals boost UMaine past Vermont

The Black Bears began their 2013 campaign with four straight wins on home ice for the first time since the 2006-07 season by besting the Catamounts 2-0 Friday night behind Ouellette’s shutout and power play goals by sophomore defenseman Ben Hutton and sophomore forward Steven Swavely late in the third period.

The game was a physical, tightly-checked battle for the first 50 minutes, with both teams struggling to find the back of the net.

Hutton’s goal on the Black Bears’ fifth power play of the night, a 5-on-3 chance, finally broke the scoring drought with just under five minutes remaining in regulation. Swavely added the insurance marker by beating Vermont sophomore goaltender Brady Hoffman with two minutes left to seal it.

The Catamounts had killed off 24 straight penalties before Friday night’s game against UMaine, including a 12-12 effort against the second-ranked power play unit in the nation in No. 4 Notre Dame University.

“It was a big win,” UMaine head coach Dennis Gendron said. “It’s our first Hockey East win, and we want to get points in the league, so that was big. Two teams that were struggling to score and we got a chance on the power play late, 5-on-3 — the guys made a play and scored.”

“The better team won tonight,” Vermont head coach Kevin Sneddon said. “I just didn’t think we played very well tonight, to be honest with you. I didn’t think we had enough of a full, complete roster that was willing to pay a price to try and win this hockey game. We’re in a 0-0 hockey game with five minutes to go and we take an absolutely terrible penalty — two terrible penalties really — and we just give the game away.”

Although the defenses kept the quality scoring chances to a minimum throughout the night, both goaltenders were called upon to make key saves in a tightly-fought first period that saw both teams carry the play in spurts.

Ouellette made three huge stops around the 10-minute mark of the opening period before Hoffman stoned UMaine sophomore forward Ryan Lomberg on a wrist shot from the left slot with five minutes remaining until intermission.

Hoffman finished with 36 saves in his first start this season, while Ouellette stopped all 23 shots he faced to come away with the shutout victory.

“I thought both goalies played really well tonight,” Sneddon said. “I don’t think there were a lot of grade-A opportunities. We certainly had some good looks at times and they had some good looks at times. For Hoff, his first game of the year, he made some key saves for us.”

“Even though we had the better of the play for parts of the game, Vermont had some glorious chances and [Ouellette] made 3-5 spectacular saves,” Gendron said. “Obviously if they score on that, the game’s a lot different. It was a great team win.”

The physical play continued in the second and third. Although a lot of the action occurred along the boards and in the neutral zone, both teams saw scoring opportunities.

UMaine freshman forward Brian Morgan missed wide on a backhand in the slot, senior forward Jon Swavely hit the crossbar on a shorthanded opportunity and Lomberg was denied on a rebound chance in the middle period.

Vermont had their best chance of the night on a one-timer from the slot that was saved by Ouellette early in the third period before a few quality looks on the power play later in the frame.

Hutton’s game-winner came 11 seconds after UMaine was granted a 5-on-3 advantage after Vermont senior forward Connor Brickley was given a game misconduct for intentionally tripping a UMaine skater into the boards.

Sophomore forward Devin Shore fed Hutton for a one-timer from just below the right circle that beat Hoffman top shelf for his third goal of the year. UMaine remained on the power play for the remainder of the game due to Brickley’s game misconduct, leading to Steven Swavely’s second marker of the season on a wrist shot that beat Hoffman low on the glove side.

“I thought we battled really hard,” Hutton said. “We didn’t bury any in the first two periods but we just kept battling and ended up getting the win. If we outcompete teams we’re going to continue to win.”

The Black Bears finished 2-7 with the man advantage while holding the Catamounts to an 0-4 effort on the power play. UMaine also held the edge in shots 38-23.

“I feel our D contained their offense pretty well the whole game,” Ouellette said. “They only got about 20 shots tonight so I can’t complain about that. The guys played well, especially on the PK, they didn’t get much. We’re all pretty satisfied tonight.

“We didn’t want to go 0-2-1 after three games,” he added. “Last weekend we didn’t play bad hockey [against the University of Massachusetts], but we didn’t play well enough to win a game, so we had to battle through some adversity tonight. That win was huge for us.”

Vermont holds on for 4-3 win after late UMaine onslaught

The Catamounts handed the Black Bears their first loss on home ice Saturday night thanks to four unanswered goals in the second and third periods. UMaine fought hard in the back half of the final period to climb within one but eventually fell 4-3 after their comeback bid came up short.

The physical play from Friday night’s matchup carried over into the first period Saturday, with the Black Bears seeing more of the puck thanks to three power play opportunities despite not finding the back of the net.

UMaine freshman defenseman Eric Schurhamer gave the Black Bears the 1-0 lead on a 4-on-3 advantage with just under 12 minutes remaining in the second period for his first collegiate point before Vermont rallied off three quick goals heading into the second intermission.

“You can’t win if you don’t play for 60 minutes,” Gendron said. “The score was 1-0, we thought we had it won, and that’s how we played the rest of the second period. That’s essentially where the game was lost.”

Vermont freshman defenseman Chris Muscoby was credited with the first Catamount goal, the first point of his career, after his attempted centering pass took a redirection off a UMaine stick and past Ouellette to tie it up.

They went ahead on the power play two minutes later on a goal by freshman forward Brady Shaw after a long scrum in front of Ouellette. Sophomore forward Robert Polesello and junior forward Jake Fallon were given assists.

They finished up the second period scoring with 43 seconds remaining  to go up 3-1 heading into the third. Freshman forward Mario Puskarich won a battle in the corner before walking the puck in front and stuffing it by Ouellette for the two-goal lead.

Vermont outshot UMaine 20-10 in the middle stanza. They carried that momentum into the third period on a breakaway goal by senior forward Chris McCarthy 9 minutes in after the Black Bears coughed up the puck along their own blue line.

“I think they call it human nature,” Gendron said when asked why his team seemed to get complacent following their go-ahead goal in the second.

“It is painful to win a hockey game. You must compete for 60 minutes. And if you think you have it won, you can avoid pain and seek pleasure and not work hard and not battle and not get slashed and poked and hit – but that’s how you lose.”

The Black Bears began their comeback with seven minutes left, with senior forward Mark Anthoine netting his team-leading fifth goal of the season past Vermont freshman goaltender Mike Santaguida.

Freshman forward Blaine Byron scored his third of the year off fellow freshman forward Cam Brown’s second assist of the night to bring the score to 4-3 with under two minutes remaining.

UMaine earned a power play and pulled Ouellette in favor of the 6-on-4 advantage with under a minute to play but could not beat Santaguida to send the game to overtime despite a couple of golden chances in the final moments.

“I like the way our team competed for most of the night tonight. I thought building the 4-1 lead after going down 1-0 – I give our guys a lot of credit,” Sneddon said. “What I didn’t like tonight was how we played in the third period. I thought Maine played an unbelievable third period. The fans were certainly feeding the energy in the building and quite frankly, we were lucky to come away with the win at the end.”

“In the third period we played our tails off, but that obviously wasn’t enough,” Gendron said. “I suppose you can say that’s good, but we needed to push back in the second period. If we had pushed back in the second we might’ve won this game, but we waited to the third, and you saw what happened.”

Ouellette finished with 29 saves on 33 shots in the loss, while Santaguida produced 31 stops on 34 shots in net for Vermont.

The Catamounts were 1-5 on the power play while holding the Black Bears to 1-10 with the extra skater.

Saturday’s win was Sneddon’s 200th career victory and 150th behind the Vermont bench.

Dave Manz and Jon Englehart left the University of Maine with degrees in their hands. They’ve returned with hardhats on.

Manz was a middle-distance runner for the UMaine cross country and track and field teams before he graduated with a degree in Construction Management in 2007. He’s come back to work on the renovation of the Memorial Gym and adjoining Field House as the project engineer for Portland-based PC Construction.

“I was excited, number one, to hear that this project was going to take place,” Manz said. “As a former athlete, you always want to have the best facility. And to hear that it was going into effect, I was glad to be a part of that. I think it’s going to be beneficial not just for the individuals but for the track program altogether.”

Englehart is PC’s intern on the project, his first since graduating with a degree in civil engineering last May. He now has the chance to continue working on the campus that has been a part of his family for generations.

“It’s something I think I’m really enjoying,” he said. “Just to have the opportunity to work on the campus that I graduated from – I spent almost five years here. My brother went to school here, my sister did and my family did, so just to improve the campus that’s had a huge part of my family’s background history is great.”

The project is the first major upgrade for the two buildings since the Field House’s inception in 1924 and Memorial Gym’s addition in 1932. This renovation, which Associate Athletic Director for Internal Operations Will Biberstein says has been in discussion for many years, is a part of a $15 million project, with $6 million of that going towards the Field House and Memorial Gym.

The money was generated by a state bond, gifts from New Balance and the Harold Alfond Foundation as well as other smaller donations. The Field House will be renamed the New Balance Field House upon completion of the project.

Manz, Englehart and their team began work in early May, and total completion of the two buildings is scheduled for fall of 2014.

Manz – who ran the half-mile, the 1,000 meter and the mile in college – says his previous experience as a track athlete who used the Field House to train on a regular basis has helped him in his role in the renovation.

“It’s really great from my perspective,” he said. “I get to come back, walk the old walk, see the old facility; and being able to update it has been great for me.

“I think having an understanding of how the track meets work and how the events work – it’s a project that I do have some background knowledge on how the overall process works,” he added. “It’s great to be able to come in and see what we’re doing and understand why, from a track perspective, why you may want to have something built a certain way. To be able to put the two sides together, personally, has been beneficial and helped me do my job.”

Biberstein says the goal of the renovation is to “bring it up to modern day” as far as electrical and mechanical services go as well as to “keep it a multi-use function facility [to provide] the best services to the students, the student-athletes and the community.”

Although final completion of the total project is scheduled for next fall, Biberstein says the Field House – which also hosts non-university events such as high school track meets and the Special Olympics – should be open by early 2014.

“Our hope is that by January, the athletes, the students and the community will be able to get back in [the Field House],” he said. “We will still have some work that needs to be ‘completed’ that will happen in the summer with the Field House, but we know how important the facility is to the student-athletes, the students on campus with all the rec programs as well as all the other on- and off-campus entities that utilize the Field House.”

According to Biberstein, the west entry to the building will be completed by February or March and the last phase – which deals with the construction and renovation of office space and locker rooms – will be completed in the fall.

Among some of the work being done are: life-safety, accessibility, structural, ventilation and electrical code upgrades; replacement of the track, athletic surface floors and roof; and the improvement of restrooms and public areas in addition to the aforementioned renovation of the offices and locker rooms.

Part of the mechanical upgrades include improved lighting and sound system, a new air-handling system and the replacement of the doorways on the north and west sides. The track size will be reduced by an approximate total of 20 meters to make room for a new seating area that Biberstein says will “add more flexibility” in terms of concerts and overflow from sporting events.

Biberstein, Manz and Englehart all say they are extremely pleased with the progress of the renovation to this point.

“Every decision we’ve made as a project team has been in the interest of the student and the university and the life of the buildings,” Biberstein said. “We’re really pleased with the project and the way it’s continued to develop throughout the process. I think people will be pretty impressed with the end product.”

“The existing facility was definitely dated,” Manz said. “It needed a facelift. This is a great time to do this project, and I think having this new facility is going to be a real eye-opening experience for everyone who uses it.”

A big goal of the project team is to make the renovation match up with the pre-existing architecture in order to keep it in line with its standing as a historic building.

For them, making sure the “Big M” is still the “Big M” when the project is done is important, but so is giving the UMaine community a facility that can benefit everyone.

“The Field House is one of the first things you see when you come on campus,” Englehart said. “Just being able to add just the west addition gives a new face to a building that’s been here a long time and just improves the campus overall for everyone, and that’s important.”

By Andrew Stefanilo

The University of Maine football team is ranked No. 8 in the Sports Network poll and No. 9 in the coaches poll following their 19-14 win against Stony Brook University this past Saturday.

“We’re very happy and pleased with the win,” head coach Jack Cosgrove said. “We got ourselves in a type of football game that is expected in this league.”

The Black Bears had their hands full with the Seawolves, who ran for 184 yards as a team, most of it coming in the 2nd half of play after the Black Bears shut the Stony Brook offense down in the opening half.

“We have great respect for Stony Brook,” Cosgrove said. “They came out in the start of the 2nd half with great drives and we were being outplayed.”

Senior quarterback Marcus Wasilewski led a game-winning drive midway through the 4th quarter, hitting senior wide receiver John Ebeling on a 34-yard bomb and then a  24-yard touchdown pass to give the Black Bears the lead. Wasilewski went 5-6 through the air on the drive.

“I’m pleased with our seniors,” Cosgrove said. “Those were the guys that set the tone to get the win.”

The Black Bears had a 13-0 halftime lead over one of the best defenses in the Football Championship Subdivision. UMaine would have their trouble in the second half and didn’t produce a solid drive until the Wasilewski took over on that drive midway through the final period.

The Black Bear defense really set the tone, stopping Stony Brook on multiple 4th downs and getting two interceptions, one to stall a drive into Maine territory and the other to end the game.

“I think we made them one dimensional in an area where they couldn’t do as much damage,” Cosgrove said. “I thought our guys played with a lot of heart to keep fighting and hang in there.”

Senior and junior defensive back’s Kendall James and Axel Ofori, Jr. helped the Black Bear defense by making plays all game on Stony Brook’s passing attack and holding senior quarterback Lyle Negron to a 6-22 showing through the air to go along with those two picks.

“We are blessed with two corners that we can afford to play man-to-man coverage with,” Cosgrove said. “We can bring pressure and count on those guys in one-on-one coverage against some very talented wide receivers.”

The Black Bears travel to play the University of Albany on Saturday, a team that’s 1-8 overall this season and a winless 0-5 versus Colonial Athletic Association opponents.

UMaine needs to clean up some of the mistakes they made last week and come out strong like they have in every other week they’ve played this year to avoid an upset.

“We have to stay focused on the task at hand,” Cosgrove said. “One week at a time, what’s in front of us is what we need to focus on.”

Albany has beaten UMaine three out of the last four years, with two of them in Alfond Stadium. Last year’s matchup ended in a 30-20 loss for the Blue and White. 2011 was the last time the Black Bears beat Albany, 31-15. This year’s squad looks poised to change all that.

“That’s a football team that’s given us fits and our players know that,” Cosgrove said. “For us to even think we can just get on a bus and play a game [is not realistic], but we have to go about our preparation the way we have been and that’s what I’m confident will happen.”

The Black Bears will try to up their win streak to six games when Saturday’s game kicks off in Albany at 3:30 p.m.

By Anthony Panciocco

The University of Maine field hockey team trounced the Providence College Friars Monday afternoon. The win improves the Black Bears’ record to 10-8 while Providence falls to 8-8. It was an important win for the Black Bears, as they had dropped their last two games over the weekend.

In a high-scoring first half, UMaine capitalized on an early penalty corner. Freshman midfielder Sydney Veljacic sent a pass to junior midfielder Becca Paradee who tipped it in, giving the Black Bears the 1-0 lead.

Four minutes later junior forward Holly Stewart added a goal of her own. Fellow junior midfielder Annabelle Hamilton sent her a centering pass that she shot and was deflected past the Friars junior goaltender Deidra Clymer. Hamilton and Stewart continue to lead the team in points with 29 and 27, respectively.

Clymer had a difficult day in net. While the Black Bears only managed five shots on goal, Clymer only managed to keep one out of the back of the cage. She saw her record on the year fall to 8-8 with the loss.

Providence responded later in the half when senior forward Sally Adua corralled a rebound and sent it past sophomore netminder Natasha Ford, bringing the score to 2-1. It was the only goal that Ford gave up on the day, saving 10 of the 11 shots she faced. Ford earned her ninth win on the day.

Minutes before halftime, sophomore midfielder Nicole Sevey restored the Black Bears’ two-goal lead off another penalty corner. Veljacic was credited with the assist, her second on the day. Those two assists give Veljacic 16 for the season, adding to an already strong freshman campaign.

UMaine led in penalty corners 7-5 including five in the first half that led to two Black Bear goals.

After an exciting first half, the second was relatively quiet. Forty seven minutes into the contest sophomore midfielder Marisa Shaw passed it to freshman forward Danielle Aviani, who carried it into the circle and sniped the final goal past Clymer to cap off the Black Bears’ 4-1 victory.

The Black Bears will return home to host the winless University of Vermont Catamounts for senior day in the team’s regular season finale Nov. 2.