By Andrew Stefanilo

The University of Maine Black Bear football cracked the top 10 nationally in the Sports Network poll after their 37-35 win at the University of Villanova on Saturday.

The Black Bears are ranked 10th in the poll and 11th in the Coaches Poll with a 7-1 record and a perfect 4-0 start in the Colonial Athletic Association.

“Our starts to the games have been very positive,” head coach Jack Cosgrove said. “We were very efficient offensively. We didn’t get rattled because they scored on the first drive; we went out and played better on offense and defense after that drive.”

Senior quarterback Marcus Wasilewski went 28-34 for 334-yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 86-yards in the victory against the Wildcats.

Sophomore quarterback John Robertson ran for 214-yards on the UMaine defense with four touchdowns on the ground. Robertson had 256 in their game against the University of New Hampshire just a week before.

“He’s a very talented kid,” Cosgrove said. “He’s a very smart football player, very difficult to tackle and just a real playmaker for them.”

Robertson also threw for 111-yards and a touchdown. However, the Black Bears would eventually figure it out when they intercepted his throw late in the game to seal the win.

“We had hoped to do a better job containing him but he’s got the ability to make people miss and break tackles. He’s a quarterback who has some great running back skills,” Cosgrove said.

UMaine’s passing attack is second in the conference behind only Richmond University with 262.2 passing yards a game.

“Marcus’s completion percentage has been 60 percent or better throughout the course of the year,” Cosgrove said. “That’s an attribute to his preparation but also we have caught the ball very well. Our guys have done a nice job of finishing the throws that Marcus provides to them.”

The Black Bears take on a struggling Stony Brook University squad that’s been hit with some injuries to key players and are at 3-4 on the year and 1-3 in the CAA.

“They’re a very good football team. I’m impressed with their physicality on offense. They have a veteran offensive line and play a very physical style of football,” Cosgrove said.

Stony Brook had won two in a row before losing to UNH 31-13 this past weekend.

“They’re a team that doesn’t make a lot of mistakes and play together as a unit,” Cosgrove said. “They’re a program that has a winning pedigree and a great coaching staff. They’ve had some setbacks with the injuries they’ve suffered but they’re a team that doesn’t make excuses.”

UMaine will have to come out strong like they have been lately and establish an early lead to put away a tough, Seawolves team that plays with a chip on their shoulder.

Stony Brook is second in total defense in the CAA and first in passing defense. They held UNH to just 336-yards of total offense last game, which is unusual for a Wildcats team that averages 460 per contest.

The Black Bears will need to continue scoring early and controlling the game like they have been on their four-game winning streak.

The two teams will meet on Morse Field Nov. 2, with kickoff scheduled for 12:30 p.m.

With a revamped roster that features six freshmen, five sophomores, three juniors and zero seniors, it remains unclear what fans can expect from the University of Maine men’s basketball team in 2013.

After Saturday’s season-opening 83-57 exhibition victory over the McGill University Redmen, it appears the future looks bright.

Freshman guard/forward Garet Beal added 13 points on 5-11 shooting to lead the Black Bear rookies and junior forward Zarko Valjarevic poured in 18 points on 6-10 shooting to go along with four rebounds to drive the UMaine offense on Saturday.

UMaine’s first-year players — Beal, guard Troy Reid-Knight, forward Christian Ejiga, forward Marko Pirovic, forward Erik Nissen and guard Mitchell Worcester — combined to score 33 of the Black Bears’ 83 points. Reid-Knight lined the stat sheet with seven points, six assists, three steals and three rebounds.

Junior guard Xavier Pollard chipped in 6 points, five assists and one steal in the win.UMaine shot 47.6 percent from the floor compared to McGill’s 36.4 percent showing. The Black Bears shot 45 percent from the 3-point line, led by Valjarevic’s 4-7 showing from beyond the arc.

The Black Bears were dominant inside as well, earning 20 second-chance points on the heels of a 45-34 rebounding advantage. UMaine outscored McGill 42-18 on points in the paint on Saturday.

McGill’s 18 turnovers translated to 21 UMaine points, while the Black Bears’ mistakes turned into 12 points the other way.

The Redmen, who were led by freshman guard Dele Ogundokun’s 14 points on 6-10 shooting, held a 12-9 lead in the first half after UMaine shot a frigid 4-16 from the field to start the ball game. The ensuing 15-3 run by the Black Bears put UMaine up for good.

Junior shooting guard Vincent Dufort finished with 5 points in the contest and led McGill on the glass with 10 rebounds.

Both teams’ next contest comes against Laval University. UMaine’s final exhibition of the year tips off at 7 p.m. next Friday in the Memorial Gym, while the Redmen travel to Quebec City for an 8 p.m. tipoff Nov. 8.

By Andrew Stefanilo

The University of Maine Black Bears take to the road this weekend when they play the Villanova University Wildcats in a conference battle Saturday afternoon.

The Black Bears are coming off of a 34-20 victory against William and Mary University that pushed UMaine’s record to 6-1 on the year. The Black Bears are in sole possession of first place in the Colonial Athletic Association with a perfect 3-0 mark against conference foes.

“Our preparation and habits when getting ready each week has been very, very good,” head coach Jack Cosgrove said. “We’ve been very consistent in practice and I’m pleased with our resiliency in games where we’ve had to respond to some things that may not have gone our way. Our reaction to that is, ‘we can overcome this.’”

Senior quarterback Marcus Wasilewski led UMaine with 192 yards in the air and two scores to go along with 71 rushing yards. Wasilewski earned CAA Co-Player of the Week and also went over the 4,000 passing yard mark for his career. He needs 392 yards to move into seventh place in Black Bear history.

UMaine got off to a quick start against the Tribe on their homecoming game, jumping out to 24-0 lead before giving up a touchdown at the end of the first half.

“We had a great start to the game,” Cosgrove said. “It’s something that we talked about a number of times because of the length of time we had off with the bye week to prepare.”

The win was the first time UMaine beat William and Mary at home since 2002.

“We were very sharp. I’d say even sharper than the Delaware game because we didn’t get the turnovers and easy scores but we drove down the field and played very good defense, it was good to see,” Cosgrove said.

UMaine travels to a Villanova school with a lot of history and tradition. The two teams are 8-8 in the all-time series, with the Black Bears taking six out of the last 10 matchups.

Villanova won last year’s game in Orono 35-14 while the Black Bears won at Villanova in 2011 41-25. The 2013 version should be another high-profile game.

“This is a great opportunity for us and our program because Villanova is one of the consistent, top-rated teams in our league,” Cosgrove said. “They’ve won a national championship, they’re a very reputable university with great tradition, history and a great coaching staff.”

The Wildcats are coming off a 29-28 loss to the University of New Hampshire. Villanova had won four in a row prior to the loss, outscoring opponents by a 135-63 margin in those four games.

“For us, we’re going to have to prepare as well or better than we ever have,” Cosgrove said. “We’re going to have to really play a better 60 minutes than we have all season.”

Being just over the halfway point in the season, the Black Bears have done a number of things well this year that’s helped them achieve their 6-1 record.

“The relationships I see in the hallways between our players and coaches; you have to have a relationship that is built out of respect and trust and I think our players and coaches are working on those things in a positive way and that speaks to the mental and physical performance we’ve seen on Saturday,” Cosgrove said.

Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. Oct. 26.

By Andrew Stefanilo

The New England Patriots sit at 5-2 this season atop the AFC East after a 30-27 overtime loss to the New York Jets Sunday afternoon.

The Pats responded after a horrible performance against the Cincinnati Bengals two weeks ago with a win last week against the New Orleans Saints where their offense looked like it used to for much of the game.

There are many, many Patriots fans who don’t believe in the team this year. In fact, I’ve never heard so much whining from fans whose team is three games above .500.

I saw Facebook friends post statuses after Brady’s interception in the last few minutes against the Saints, saying things like, “Brady isn’t the same,” “I don’t have the same faith in him anymore,” or that the “Pats suck and the play call is worse.”

And then after his game winning pass to rookie wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins just a possession later, the feed becomes crowded with posts like, “Brady!!!” and “I love the Patriots!” from the same people who, just one week ago, were willing and ready to throw the entire organization under the bus.

The same things were mentioned after the tough loss yesterday.

Brady is getting older, and he’s not the same as he was in 2007. But are we forgetting the weapons he had? These rookie wide receivers are playing well don’t get me wrong, but they aren’t Randy Moss or Wes Welker.

Speaking of Welker, he wasn’t a big name player before he came to the Patriots. Brady helped him become the player he was when he left for Denver. Brady will mold some of these new guys into solid players by season’s end if you give him time.

So let’s stop blaming Brady and making these silly comments and realize that he’s throwing the ball to primarily rookies or journeymen players. The Patriots lead the league in dropped passes, and that’s a testament to the inexperience they throw out on the field every week.

Julian Edelman has really come a long way, but even he had two huge drops at the end of the game against the Saints. If Austin Collie can stay healthy and stay away from concussions, he should help out. He had two big catches for first downs on the game-winning drive against the Saints but was a non-factor against the Jets.

Speaking of concussions, all I heard after Danny Amendola left the game last week is how he’s always injured and needs to toughen up. I’ll admit, Amendola has an unusually hard time staying healthy, but the hit that he took would have sent almost anybody to the locker room.

Oh, and let’s not forget that Brady hasn’t had his best option, tight end Rob Gronkowski. Gronk returned against the Jets and had a solid game with eight receptions for 114 yards. In a few more weeks they’ll be even better together.

The Patriots have definitely had their struggle so far with injuries, but once they get fully healthy, they’re going to be a load to handle on the offensive side of the ball.

They’ve taken a hit defensively with Jerod Mayo’s injury for the rest of the season, but they’ll bounce back. They always do. The defense was fourth in the league before the Jets game in points against, having let up just 97 this season.

With Aqib Talib having the season he’s had, the defensive unit should still be OK without their leader Mayo. Talib is tied for first in the league with four interceptions and has broken up 13 passes, including one that sealed a win against the Atlanta Falcons a couple weeks ago. Once Talib is back, that’ll be another big help for the team.

The loss to the Jets yesterday was a hard game. Brady didn’t play great but that Jets defense is stout.

Just because we’re not seeing the same numbers in years past doesn’t mean Brady can’t lead this team in crunch time. It doesn’t mean he can’t win another Super Bowl either.

As fans, let’s realize that he doesn’t have the same weapons as he used to. There’s injuries to key players and all of these young guys are going to get better. That’s what happens when you play with someone like Tom Brady.

But with the team at 5-2, let’s not forget that they’re still getting the job done. The wins haven’t always been pretty this year, but the operative word here is “win.” I’ll take an ugly victory over a loss any day.

By Anthony Panciocco

Nobody grows up dreaming of being a great middle reliever or a shut-down set-up man, but the Boston Red Sox proved that relievers are essential to a successful playoff run. By adding solid starting pitching and timely hitting, the Red Sox have given themselves the chance to compete for a World Series title.

Koji Uehara wasn’t the first choice to be the Red Sox closer this year. He wasn’t even the second. But when Joel Hanrahan and Andrew Bailey went down early in the regular season, Uehara inherited the job. Since being given the opportunity, Uehara has been everything the Sox have wanted and more.

In the regular season Uehara shined, converting 21 of 24 save opportunities with a miniscule 1.09 earned run average, the lowest among major league relief pitchers. Uehara has continued his dominance this postseason, recording five saves and a win thus far. He saved three of the Red Sox four games in the American League Championship Series against the Detroit Tigers, including a rare five-out save in Game 5 in which he retired all five batters he faced in order.

Uehara was awarded the MVP of the ALCS, becoming the first reliever since the great Mariano Rivera in 2003 to win a League Championship MVP award.

But he couldn’t do it alone. As a team, the Red Sox have had a 3.05 bullpen ERA this postseason with a low 1.22 WHIP — which stands for walks plus hits per inning. Junichi Tazawa, Craig Breslow and Brandon Workman have combined for 17 and one third scoreless innings pitched, locking down the oppositions’ hitters between the starting pitchers and Koji.

At the plate, the Red Sox hit an anemic .202 in the ALCS, struggling against a Tigers rotation that is considered one of the best in the league. The offense was propelled by two huge homers, the first coming from David Ortiz in the eighth inning of Game 2. With the bases loaded, down by three runs, Ortiz launched a grand slam into the Red Sox bullpen to put the Sox ahead and even up the series.

In Game 6, with one win away from a World Series appearance, Boston found themselves down by a run in the seventh inning. Shane Victorino, who had been hitting .086 in the series, made up for his poor play with a grand slam over the green monster to put the Red Sox up 5-2, a score that would stand for the rest of the game.

While the Championship Series wasn’t the prettiest for the Sox, it mirrored the team that they have become. The wins were gritty and hard fought. They have become famous for their unruly beards, a sign of their toughness and camaraderie as a team.

The Red Sox will meet the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series for the fourth time. Boston swept the Cards in their last meeting in 2004, a result Red Sox Nation hopes will repeat itself in 2013.

By Cody Lachance

Vince Wilfork, Jerod Mayo, Danny Amendola, Aqib Talib, Rob Gronkowski, Shane Vereen; the list of key Patriots players dealing with injuries seems to grow weekly. With a defense that was just coming together, and an offense that is full of “what ifs,” this team is starting to be the team that could have been.

On defense, the Patriots have improved greatly this year compared to the past few seasons before the injuries began to pile up. Defensive captain Vince Wilfork — out for the season with a torn Achilles — and fellow defensive captain Jerod Mayo — out for the season with a torn pectoral muscle — were key cogs in head coach Bill Belichick’s defensive scheme, and their absences will undoubtedly have a negative impact.

On the offensive side of the ball, wide receiver Danny Amendola has had multiple injuries and no one is quite sure whether or not tight end Rob Gronkowski will ever be truly 100 percent.

The Patriots have held their own so far with these injuries, but can this continue? If any team can overcome this, it would have to be New England. Belichick’s “next man up” mantra truly applies to the Pats in 2013. The Patriots seem to always find a way to overcome key injuries and continue to be a competitive team.

Take, for instance, in 2008 when quarterback Tom Brady tore his ACL in the season opener. Backup quarterback Matt Cassel stepped into the starting role and lead the team to an 11-5 record. This team knows how to overcome adversity and find a way to win.

Defensive tackles Joe Vellano and Chris Jones have stepped in and done a serviceable job for the large hole — both literally and metaphorically — left by Wilfork. Recently-signed DT Andre Neblett also looks to add depth to this position.

Linebacker Dont’a Hightower will fill in as the defensive signal caller without Mayo in the lineup. The two-year captain at the University of Alabama has had experience leading a defense, and should be able to do a decent job filling in for Mayo.

Sliding into a starting role looks to be rookie linebacker Jamie Collins. The second round draft pick out of the University of Southern Mississippi was the team’s highest draft choice this past year and the team is hoping he can step up in a big way.

Recently-signed wide receiver Austin Collie looks to fill Amendola’s vacated spot. Collie looked to be turning into a very solid receiver in Indianapolis before knee injuries plagued his career. If he can stay healthy, look for Collie to become one of Brady’s favorite targets in the passing game.

And when it comes to Mr. Gronkowski, nobody really knows at this point. When he steps on the field it will be a mystery of whether or not he is truly ready to play, or if the Patriots and Team Gronkowski are even on the same page as far as his health goes.

One thing that is for certain is that the Patriots offense will improve even if he is only used as a decoy, which would allow the younger receivers to find more space to get open down field while also creating more space for Stevan Ridley and company in the running game.

Will we ever know how good this team could have been without such substantial injuries to key players? No. But, with strong leadership and a strong belief in one another, this team can still be very successful.

Injuries are something teams deal with in the NFL on a day-to-day, practice-to-practice basis. Now is the time for the New England Patriots to show us how great of an organization they truly are.

By Jacob Posik

 With Week 7 in the books, here are some changes you can make to your fantasy football roster to maximize your point total next weekend.

Start ‘em

San Francisco running back Frank Gore is a certain start this week. There have been past weeks where Gore has underperformed, mostly when quarterback Colin Kaepernick was having difficulties as well, but the 49ers are going up against a Jacksonville Jaguars unit that is certainly the worst in the league.

Look for Gore and the rest of San Fran’s offensive weapons to have a heyday. Jacksonville’s interior run defense is porous, and I don’t see them stopping Gore until he reaches the second layer of the defense. Even though he’s getting up there in age, he’s as explosive as ever through the hole. He doesn’t need to rip off big gains when he can hammer runs of 6-10 yards at a time through the heart of the defense. Gore could easily get back on track with a 100-yard, two-touchdown performance.

Green Bay running back Eddy Lacy deserves a start this week as well. I think in Week 8 we will see just how good he really is. The Packers will have to have a good balance of run and pass to overcome Minnesota this week. I think the Vikings are better than their record shows, and they’re still pretty stout defensively. Lacy is strong, and his big legs can move the pile after first contact. The Packers are still a pass-oriented offense — and who wouldn’t be with Aaron Rodgers at the helm — but a solid fantasy output from Lacy isn’t out of the question, especially if he gets rolling early.

 Sit ‘em

 Washington’s Alfred Morris probably isn’t your best bet at running back this week when the Redskins face off against the Denver Broncos. The Redskins have some identity issues this year, and Robert Griffin III is having some real problems getting the offense moving on all cylinders. Morris hasn’t had the same effect on the offense that he had last year, and I don’t think he’ll be able to get anything going against Denver. The Broncos are too big up front, and with Elvis Dumervil screaming off the edges or on an interior blitz, Morris could be in for a long day.

Washington could be forced to play catch-up if the Denver offense continues its torrid start to the season, which would hinder Morris’ touches. All signs point to a rough day fantasy-wise for the second-year tailback.

C.J. Spiller should also be on the bench this week. The versatile running back likely won’t have much success against the much-improved New Orleans Saints defense this weekend. Fred Jackson’s emergence as the Bills’ number one runner has cut in to Spiller’s carries. I don’t expect that to change this week.

Sleepers

San Diego wide receiver Keenan Allen is the sleeper pick for this week. If your receiving core has struggled to put up points thus far, Allen is definitely worth a look. He is quickly becoming one of quarterback Philip Rivers’ favorite targets. He’s caught touchdown passes from Rivers two weeks in a row, and had over 100 yards receiving on Monday night in the win against the Indianapolis Colts. He has a lot of vertical speed, but his versatility allows him to line up in the slot and create mismatches for the opposition. Pick him up and see how he performs for a few weeks before giving him the start.

By Jacob Posik

 The University of Maine women’s hockey team fell to the No. 10 Quinnipiac University Bobcats twice this weekend by a combined score of 9-2. The Black Bears slip to 0-3-1 on the season, while the Bobcats remain unbeaten at 5-0-1.

The Black Bears were plagued by penalties in their 4-0 defeat Friday night, and were incapable of capitalizing on scoring opportunities.

The scoring began for Quinnipiac in the first period when senior center Kelly Babstock took a wrist shot that clapped off the torso of UMaine sophomore netminder Meghann Treacy. Starting sophomore left winger Nicole Connery scooped up the rebound and fired a shot past Treacy to put Quinnipiac up 1-0 heading into the first intermission.

The second period was scoreless, with both teams missing out on two power play chances. Quinnipiac was in control for most of the period and possessed the puck in the UMaine zone, but Treacy held strong in net to keep the Black Bears within one heading into the final period.

The Bobcats poured it on in the final frame. Just 1:02 into the third, freshman right winger Emma Woods scored on a slap shot from the point that buzzed by a screened Treacy. Babstock earned the assist on the play.

Quinnipiac struck again with nine minutes to go when sophomore defender Cydney Roesler passed the puck to a wide open Taryn Baumgardt on the power play. The freshman snapped one by Treacy to increase the lead to three.

UMaine junior forward Hailey Browne got a 5-minute major penalty for a shot to the head with just over three minutes remaining in the game. Quinnipiac enjoyed a 36-20 shot advantage on Friday, thanks in large part to the Black Bears’ five penalties.

The Bobcats capitalized on the 5-minute major when junior forward Anna Borgfeldt received a pass from senior defender Shelby Wignall before finding the back of the net to bring the score to 4-0.

The second game of the weekend between these two teams was a little more competitive, but Quinnipiac remained in control from beginning to end to pace themselves to a 5-2 win despite two goals from UMaine freshman forward Karissa Kirkup.

Babstock and Woods connected three times to propel the Bobcat offense Saturday afternoon.

The scoring began in the first period when Babstock received a pass from Woods just inside the slot and sent a wrist shot past Treacy for her first tally.

Babstock scored a pair of goals in the second period to complete her hat trick to add to tallies by senior captain Amanda Colin and sophomore defender Lindsey West that put Quinnipiac up 5-0.

UMaine found the back of the net for the first time on the weekend when Kirkup sent a wrist shot past Quinnipiac junior goalie Chelsea Laden for her first goal as a Black Bear. She added her second on an assist by junior forward Jennifer More with just over three minutes remaining in regulation.

“We were getting more shot opportunities, and I was glad to see one go in,” Kirkup said. “I think we needed some confidence, and I knew once we got one, we could put more on the board.”

The Black Bears were outshot 28-11 Saturday afternoon.

Before Kirkup’s first tally, Treacy was pulled in net and replaced by freshman goalie Mariah Fujimagari. Fujimagari allowed only one goal in 30 minutes of ice time for the Black Bears. Coach Richard Reichenbach hasn’t announced who will start in net for the Black Bears for the first game of their two-game set at Mercyhurst University Oct. 25-26.

“We’re in a hole right now, but I’m not complaining,” Reichenbach said. “If you look at our schedule, we have one of the hardest starts in the country. We still have a long way to go, and I know these girls can win.”

Quinnipiac travels to Cambridge, Mass. to take on Harvard University Oct. 25.

ORONO, Maine – The University of Maine men’s hockey team used five different goal scorers and overcame 10 trips to the penalty box to beat the Dalhousie University Tigers 5-1 in an exhibition matchup Sunday afternoon.

The Black Bears begin the regular season on the road against St. Lawrence University Oct. 11-12.

UMaine head coach Dennis “Red” Gendron was pleased with what he saw out of his team in their first contest with him behind the bench.

“Other than taking five straight penalties in the second period, it was good,” he said. “The things we worked on all fall: hard work, incredible compete level. Those kinds of things were there. Attacking the net, getting on people on the forecheck and stealing pucks and counterattacking – that sort of stuff was there today.”

UMaine sophomore forward Ryan Lomberg broke the 0-0 tie a little less than five minutes in on a net drive down the right-side boards. He was able to beat a Dalhousie defender before tucking one past Tigers senior goaltender Bobby Nadeau to give the Black Bears the 1-0 lead. Junior defenseman Jake Rutt assisted on the play.

“I don’t really remember it, honestly,” Lomberg said with a laugh after the game. “I was going to chip it, but I realized that he was moving his feet pretty slowly so I just kind of tried taking it wide. And as soon as I realized that I was behind him I just flicked it upstairs. At first I thought it didn’t go in because I saw the puck beside the net because it bounced out so quickly, but as soon as the fans started going nuts I realized that it had gone in and I was pretty happy.”

Nadeau was tested constantly on Sunday, producing 37 saves on 42 shots in net for Dalhousie. His counterpart, fellow senior goaltender Martin Ouellette, gave up one goal on 18 shots to get the win for the Black Bears.

“Oh, Bobby is great for us,” said Dalhousie head coach Chris Donnelly. “Just hoping he can stay healthy for us. He’s only played about four games in the last two years with his groin issues, so he’s been tested quite a bit in the last three contests and this exhibition. We like the way he’s playing and the fact he’s been able to stay healthy is tremendous for our program.”

“I mean I played pretty well, but not a lot of action going on at my end,” Ouellette said. “We took maybe too many penalties, but I think the [penalty kill] did a great job blocking shots and forcing turnovers and clearing pucks.”

Junior forward Andrew Cerretani put UMaine up by two three minutes after Lomberg’s goal on a rebound chance. Freshman defender Eric Schurhamer earned the assist after his wrister from the point was blocked by Nadeau. Freshman forward Brian Morgan was also credited with an assist.

The Black Bears capped the first period scoring on a 5-on-3 power play, again off a rebound. Sophomore defender Ben Hutton fired one on net that was initially saved before junior forward Connor Leen put it home.

“We can’t just rely on making plays. We have to take the puck to the net hard and throw some hand grenades there and look for rebounds. We have to screen goalies, we have to tip pucks. That’s just freaking how it is, and we were good at that today,” Gendron said.

Dalhousie went 0-3 on the man-advantage in the first stanza, thanks in large part to an aggressive UMaine penalty kill that created almost as many shorthanded chances as the Tigers created on the power play. They would finish 1-10 with the extra skater.

“The whole idea is, as soon as you sniff out an opportunity to attack, attack. We don’t care if we’re short-handed or five-on-five. If we steal the puck we want to go and put pressure on the other team,” Gendron said.

The Tigers saw a little more of the puck in the second period thanks in large part to the Black Bears inability to stay out of the box.

Their best opportunity to break through came with just over seven minutes remaining in the period on a partial breakaway. Ouellette missed on a poke check as he came out of his crease and the puck looked headed toward goal until senior defenseman Brice O’Connor swooped in to bat it away.

“That was a great play. I mean he pinched and maybe should not have. The puck just bounced over my shoulder and rolled behind […] and Brice was able to make a great play on it,” Ouellette said. “I don’t how many times I said ‘thank you’ to Brice.”

UMaine’s penalty woes finally caught up to them three minutes into the final stanza. Rutt lost the handle as he skated along blue line and Dalhousie junior forward Chris Ivanko picked up it, skated in alone on Ouellette and snapped a wrist shot over the netminder’s shoulder to get the Tigers on the board at 3-1.

Donnelly said he was proud of the way his team competed despite missing four of his top six forwards.

“They’re a strong, star program,” Donnelly said of the Black Bears. “I liked the way our guys hung in there despite the numbers, and competed hard. We felt pretty good about our game at the end of it all but Maine’s got a nice hockey team.”

UMaine put two more in the back of the net to bring the score to 5-1. Freshman forward Cam Brown scored his first goal as a Black Bear after a net drive by sophomore forward Will Merchant forced a rebound. Sophomore defenseman Connor Riley also helped out on the scoring play to notch an assist.

The final tally came via a slap pass from the point by freshman defenseman Dan Renouf who was initially fed by redshirt-freshman defenseman Bill Norman. Sophomore forward Steven Swavely kept his stick on the ice and deflected the puck past Nadeau to cap the scoring.

The Black Bears outshot the Tigers by a 42-18 margin despite the disparity in penalty minutes.

“I thought we played really good as a team today,” Lomberg said. “We came out strong, it was exciting, it was a lot of fun and the Alfond was rocking and it was awesome. It was a good win, a good team win.”

Dalhousie will play one more exhibition game against Acadia University before their regular season begins at home against the University of Prince Edward Island Oct. 18.

 The fact that the University of Maine men’s hockey team had a disappointing season in 2012-13 has been beaten to death in virtually every article written about them since the firing of head coach Tim Whitehead in April.

The fact the Black Bears went 11-19-8 overall last season with a 7-12-8 mark in Hockey East, were bounced out of the Hockey East playoffs with a 2-1 overtime loss to the University of Massachusetts-Lowell in the first round and missed the NCAA tournament for the fifth time in the last six seasons has been mentioned a time or two.

This year’s UMaine team is ready to put all of that behind them.

“For me, it’s all about what we’re doing now,” first year head coach Dennis “Red” Gendron said. “Last year was last year. Whether a player was successful or not so successful is irrelevant. This is a new year, a new time. It’s about what we do now. All we want to focus on is getting better every single day.”

“We definitely, obviously haven’t forgotten about it,” said sophomore forward Devin Shore, who will wear an ‘A’ on his chest as an assistant captain this season. “We know we didn’t have the season that measures up to University of Maine standards. You can’t dwell on it, but you have to take the lessons you learned from it and apply it to this year.

“You can learn a lot more from losing than you can from winning,” he added. “Obviously we don’t want to stay there but we take what we learned from last year and use it this year and hopefully we have a lot better of a year.”

Shore had a team-high 26 points last season to pace the offense. He’ll need help from fellow sophomore forward Ryan Lomberg and junior forward Connor Leen – who each found the net seven times in 2012-13 – to fill the scoring void that is sure to be left by departed forward and captain Joey Diamond. Diamond led the team in goals with 14 last year.

“Obviously a player like Joe is hard to replace, as well as all the seniors, but I think the biggest thing we’re trying to change is making sure it’s a family this year and everyone’s contributing,” said senior defenseman Brice O’Connor, the team captain. “We’re going to need the freshmen to step up and pick up some of the slack on the points. Overall everyone needs to be pulling weight this year, and I think that’s how we’re going to make up for the players we lost, uniting and moving forward together.”

O’Connor will be called upon to fill the skates of departed defensemen Mike Cornell and Mark Nemec. He’ll be helped along the blue line by sophomore Ben Hutton, who led all UMaine defensemen with 15 points as a freshman. Senior assistant captain Mark Anthoine was second on the team in shots last season, and will try to turn more of those shots into goals to help make up for the loss of Diamond and company.

“I think the guys that had good years last year, they’re the type of players that can bring it back and do well [this season],” Anthoine said. “We have some good freshmen coming in too. I’m anxious to see how they play once the games get going because they’ve been battling hard in practice. Everyone this year seems prepared just because everyone is really excited to get the season going.”

Although a coaching change is never an easy thing to adapt to at first, the transition between Whitehead and Gendron has gone as smoothly. Gendron said in early September that he sensed “nothing but great enthusiasm from the players”, and was optimistic about how the team had adjusted to the change.

“I think probably the intensity that Coach Gendron brings to the ice,” O’Connor said when asked what the biggest difference was between Gendron and his predecessor. “You have to bring everything you’ve got every single shift otherwise he’s in your ear, you know? So I think that’s the biggest thing, is making sure you’re doing every single thing right every time you step on the ice, and off the ice as well.”

“It’s been a little bit different from the hockey operations point; different ways of practice and meetings and lift,” Anthoine said. “Coach Red, what he says is very powerful. Not that he speaks a lot, but when he speaks and when he’s in the room, his presence is felt and you listen to everything he says.”

One of Gendron’s biggest challenges this season will be getting a young roster up to speed and acclimated to his system. UMaine is made up of 28 freshmen and sophomores, although even the upperclassmen will have to adjust to a new system and coaching style.

“We’re definitely going to have to outwork every team. We won’t be able to trade three-on-one, three-on-twos with the other team. We’re going to have to play strong team defense and just high-paced hockey,” Shore said.

“Everything we do has to be fast; aggressive on the forecheck and in transition. Just being aggressive – playing with emotion and playing with passion and just playing high tempo hockey,” he added.

“I’m pleased. I see these guys working their tails off and trying to do absolutely everything that I’ve asked them to do,” Gendron said. “So I don’t have any issues with our team right now. They’re trying to give me what I’m asking for. What I don’t know, is if they really understand, yet, just how hard they’re going to have to work to get what they want.”

UMaine returns two senior goaltenders in Dan Sullivan and incumbent Martin Ouellette. The pair split starts in net in 2012 until Ouellette took over the majority of the action midway through the season. Gendron said he still hasn’t decided who will be the starter when the regular season begins Oct. 11-12 against St. Lawrence University.

“They’ll tell me who should play by virtue of their performance. It’s really that simple,” Gendron said. “I don’t care who you are, where you’re from or what you’ve done in the past. In the case of the goalies: stop the puck, we win the game and you get to play the next night – simple.”

The Black Bears were picked to finish eighth in Hockey East this year in the Preseason Coaches Poll Sept. 24. Although he’s aware how tough it will be to compete in the loaded conference, Gendron said he’s too concerned about the guys in his own locker room to pay attention to premature speculation.

“I think a lot of the teams in the conference are returning a lot of players,” he said. “I’ll be honest with you, I haven’t really studied it. I have too much to worry about right here with our guys to be concerned with what’s happening in the conference. I don’t care that we were picked eighth. I wouldn’t care if we were picked 12th. I wouldn’t care if we were picked first. It doesn’t matter. The games are played this winter – end of story.”

The University of Massachusetts-Lowell and Boston College tied for top honors in the conference in the preseason poll, and were followed by the University of New Hampshire and the University of Notre Dame who tied for the third spot. Providence College, Boston University and Merrimack College were selected fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively. UMaine was selected ahead of Vermont University, the University of Massachusetts and Northeastern University to round out the preseason standings.

UMaine opens up conference play against the UMass Minutemen Nov. 1-2. The Black Bears begin play with an exhibition matchup with Dalhousie University Oct. 6. Gendron said he will use this Sunday’s contest to gauge where his team is at in their progression.

“I can’t wait for that game on Sunday because I’m going to learn a lot about our team,” Gendron said. “We’re going to see where our fitness level is at that point in time. That’s certainly something that we’ve worked pretty hard at. We’ll see exactly where we are in terms of executing our systems and what adjustments we need to make in terms of how we practice and if we have to adjust any of the things we do systemically or tactically.”

“I think, with a new coach, it’s a good opportunity for everyone to showcase their stuff and prove that they belong out there on the ice,” O’Connor said. “Our mentality this year is that we’re not going to do something unless we do it 100 percent, so we’re excited. We’re excited to get battle-tested. We’ve been working here as a team for the past couple weeks, and this is a true test to see where we’re at and evaluate ourselves and realize what we have to do from here.”

The bottom line for this year’s Black Bear team is to leave the past in the past. Their fresh start begins this Sunday at home against Dalhousie.

“If we stumble, we won’t make excuses. We’ll look at it, and then we’ll make the adjustments so we’re better next time out,” Gendron said.

“I don’t want these guys thinking about the past, good or bad, cause it’s not going to help us today, and it’s certainly not going to help us tomorrow.”