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MLB should learn from LLWS

By Anthony Panciocco

America’s favorite pastime has been, and still is, baseball. But who is to say that Major League Baseball is the right place to satisfy our need for this very important sport? The league is constantly surrounded by steroid scandals, dominated by teams with the highest payrolls and plagued by millionaire divas who refuse to play hard unless their needs are met.

 

No, that is not America’s favorite pastime. For our baseball fix, I suggest we think smaller. About as small as 208 little leaguers from around the globe in the small town of Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

 

Since August 1947, 11-, 12- and 13-year-olds from around the world have competed for the opportunity to represent their country in the Little League World Series. In this, the dreams of every little leaguer in the world come true as they step onto the field to play baseball with the best around. While they put forth an inspiring amount of heart into competing for a championship, we are reminded of how baseball should be played: Hard, fair and for fun.

 

It has been difficult to watch baseball through the years as teams like the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees have often dominated due to their ability to spend freely without a hard salary cap to restrict them. It seems that everything revolves around money, with no real regard for the game. In the Little League World Series, there is no money.

 

The players are not compensated, the coaches are not compensated and even the umpires receive no money for their work. Even the grounds crew are volunteers. All of these people come together for their love of the game, to ensure that these kids have the best experience possible. There have never been any arguments or disagreements about being paid; the coaches, umpires and grounds crew realize that it isn’t about them. It’s about the kids. Kind of beautiful, isn’t it?

 

Major League Baseball has been grabbing headlines for nearly two decades for the wrong reasons, with the aforementioned steroid scandals being the main topic of conversation. Our spirits were lifted with the home run chase between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa during the 1998 season, then crushed as we found out they were both juicing. Time and time again we have believed in players that seemed to be larger than life, only to realize years later that it was a steroid-laden facade.

 

The Little League World Series has been a great way to elude such controversy. The only scandals that troubled the LLWS were about age restrictions, which hasn’t been an issue for over a decade. With these issues seemingly curbed for the time being, it is refreshing to watch a broadcast of a baseball game without having the announcers interrupt the commentary by reminding everybody that the player is breaking a record that will have an asterisk, or that the pitcher is returning from a lengthy suspension due to his use of performance-enhancing drugs.

 

In the Championship game of the 2013 LLWS, Chula Vista, California shortstop Giancarlo Cortez was struck in the head by Japan’s starting pitcher, Kazuki Ishada. While Cortez collapsed into a heap on home plate, a fearful hush fell over Lamade Stadium as coaches from both sides rushed out to tend to him.

 

Close to five minutes later, when Cortez was deemed to have avoided a concussion, he walked slowly down the first base line. The stadium of 40,000 erupted as he reached first, but something was different. Japan’s entire infield had crowded around Cortez to give him high fives and make sure he was okay.

 

At the end of the line was Ishada, who wrapped him up in a hug and seemed to exchange a few words before returning to the mound. These were kids who didn’t speak the same language, who were born and raised nearly 6,000 miles apart, but were brought together in a moment of compassion for a fellow baseball player who had felt hurt and embarrassed in front of the largest audience he had ever played in front of.

Would this happen in the majors? I would guess not. They had gone from giving their all for a championship, to one of the most heartwarming displays in sports, then back again in a matter of minutes. Kind of beautiful, isn’t it?

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After hectic offseason, Patriots offense will be just as deadly in 2013

By Cody Lachance

Saying the New England Patriots’ offseason was a roller coaster ride would be an extreme understatement. Losing wide receiver Wes Welker to the Denver Broncos for pennies on the dollar, signing “quarterback” Tim Tebow, the continuing health ailments of tight end Rob Gronkowski and of course the murder charges on tight end Aaron Hernandez have made the Patriots one of the most interesting teams to follow throughout the offseason, preseason and now into the regular season.

But what scares defensive coordinators is that this offense has the potential to be even better than last year. With a receiving core that is younger, faster, stronger and bigger to supplement one of the NFL’s most efficient running back cores, this offense will be able to put up plenty of points, perhaps even enough to make New England a Super Bowl favorite this year.

          

Last year, the Patriots biggest wide receiver was Brandon Lloyd, who is listed at 6 feet even and weighs 200 pounds. This year, the Patriots will sport multiple receivers who are bigger than the departed Lloyd, headlined by 6’3” second-round pick Aaron Dobson out of Marshall University. Dobson hopes to be the deep threat receiver that the Pats can use to open up the field more.

Another rookie receiver, Kenbrell Thompkins, looks to be another player who will see many targets as there has been a definite connection between him and quarterback Tom Brady throughout the training camp and preseason.

The man who looks to become Brady’s No. 1 option is free agent signing Danny Amendola. The 27-year old, 5’11” slot receiver showed off how talented he was in the second preseason game against the Buccaneers when he and Brady connected on six passes for 71 yards and a touchdown. If Amendola can stay healthy, look for him to catch over 100 passes and be an immediate replacement for Welker. Brady has shown chemistry with his new core of receivers, and No. 12 looks to have another dominating, MVP-type year as he enters his 14th season in the league.

At tight end, the Patriots will get a big boost when Rob Gronkowski is cleared to play and can return to his status of being arguably the best tight end in the NFL. In the meantime, the load will be shared by Michael Hoomanawanui and rookie Zach Sudfield.  Hoomanawanui looks to see more running plays as a blocking tight end, while Sudfield has shown that he can be used in the passing game, especially in the red zone.

The Patriots sported one of the best backfields in football last year, and look to do the same this year. Entering his third year in the league, Stevan Ridley looks to be a top-10 back in the league and recreate a season similar to last year when he rushed for over 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns. With the loss of Danny Woodhead, Shane Vereen will try to fill the role of “jack of all trades” and be used in third down sets. The speedy back also sports some of the softest hands on the team; look for him to be one of Brady’s favorite targets out of the backfield. LeGarrette Blount and Brandon Bolden should be used more around the goal line where their size and power can be used to the Pats’ advantage.

The Patriots offense has the potential to be at an even higher level than it was last year. The Patriots relied on five to ten yard gains and lacked in the “big play” category in 2012-13. New England should look to take advantage of having a passing game that can include all levels of the field from the deep pass all the way down to the short passing attack Brady has seemingly perfected. Their potent rushing attack will make defenses play honest and allow Brady to read and react to defenses.

The hurry-up offense will be a large part of the Patriots arsenal, although it may take a few games for the offense to be able to run it a level that last year’s team could. If the Patriots’ defense can continue to improve in the areas of pass rush and secondary coverage, look for this team to make a deep run in the playoffs and hopefully be playing on Feb. 2 at MetLife Stadium in New York, the sight of Super Bowl XLVIII.

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Tebow must adapt to keep NFL dream alive

By Andrew Stefanilo

Tim Tebow has become either one of the most hated athletes in sports, or one of its most beloved. Some fans love Tebow’s religious persona. Others are sick of it. Some think he can play quarterback in the league, but most believe he should change his position if he wants a spot on an NFL roster.

Either way, I’ve found myself wondering if Tebow will find another job in the NFL, and if so, if he’ll ever start at quarterback again.

Tebow most likely won’t get another job at quarterback this season, unless something happens to Ryan Mallett and the New England Patriots re-sign him. Earlier this week, it was rumored that an NFL team reached out to him about possibly playing another position for their squad, but Tebow refused.

When the Patriots cut Tebow he took to Twitter, saying that he will “remain in relentless pursuit of continuing my lifelong dream of being an NFL quarterback.” It is very unlikely Tebow will consider a position change. So where does he go from here?

I would like to see the former Heisman-winner back on the field for an NFL team under center. I don’t believe he was the right fit in New England because one, he wouldn’t play a down for them; and two, the Pats aren’t going to change their offensive scheme and design plays just to fit his skill set.

However, there are a lot of things Tebow does well on and off the field. He will never be a negative distraction. TebowMania may follow him wherever he goes, but he isn’t going to start fights in practice, end up in jail or any of the other things some NFL players are doing nowadays.

I know it takes more than simply a good work ethic to play quarterback at the highest level, but people forget he took the Denver Broncos to the playoffs after a 1-4 start with Kyle Orton at the helm just two seasons ago. He won six games in a row during the 2011-12 season before losing to the Patriots to finish 8-8. Tebow went into Pittsburgh and helped beat the Steelers — albeit without a healthy Ben Roethlisberger — in overtime in the first round of the playoffs that same year, and was a major part of the league-leading Broncos rushing attack that season.

Despite his odd throwing mechanics, the guy can play. He’s a winner, something he proved at the collegiate level at the University of Florida. Obviously, you can’t blame John Elway for choosing to part ways with him for Peyton Manning, but I’d like to think a team would take a chance on a guy that knows how to win and will do whatever it takes to win, no matter the cost. It’s not always pretty with Tebow, but he does get the job done when given the chance.

If New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan wasn’t holding Mark Sanchez’s hand last year, Tebow would have gotten a chance to do what he did in Denver the year before. For some reason, Ryan never wanted to give Tebow a legitimate opportunity in New York.

Now, Tebow is without a job but continues to cling to his dream of being a starting NFL quarterback. His goal could be achieved if everything falls into place. Tebow needs a general manager or owner who will take a chance on him and revamp their offense to fit Tebow’s playing style. Joining a team with a solid defense couldn’t hurt, either.

I’d like to see him in Jacksonville. Although it’s unlikely, if he landed with the Jaguars he’d put fans in the seats and would have a warm welcome coming back to Florida. Jacksonville would need to work on that defense, but adding Tebow to a rushing attack that already includes star running back Maurice Jones-Drew could transform the Jags into a potent ground-and-pound offense.

The other thing Tebow could do is consider a position change. It’s the last thing he wants to do, but it may be the only way he’ll play or start in the NFL again. We all know he’d make a solid tight end or fullback with some time spent in the offseason working at it.

I’d like to see Tebow at the quarterback position again. He’d put fans in the seats of whatever team he lands on and is good for the NFL. It doesn’t look like a team is going to completely change their offense for him, however, so a position change might be his best course.

The future is uncertain for Tim Tebow. It will be interesting to see how the rest of his career plays out.

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UConn hands UMaine women’s soccer first loss of 2013

By Jacob Posik

The University of Maine women’s soccer team lost a close game to the University of Connecticut by a score of 1-0 Friday afternoon at Morrone Stadium. The Black Bears’ first loss of the season sees their record dip to 3-1, while the Huskies improve to 3-2 on the year with the win.

 

The only goal of the game was scored by UConn junior midfielder Riley Houle in the 10th minute of action. She took a shot from the right side of the net from about 10 feet out and it soared past UMaine sophomore goalkeeper Lauren Swant.

 

The Black Bears were on the defensive side of the play most of the game as UConn outshot them 23-2, including a 10-1 edge in shots on goal. The Black Bears’ best chance came off the foot of sophomore forward Eve L’Abbe 10 minutes into the second half. UMaine’s leading scorer was denied her third goal of the season when her strike banged off the crossbar to preserve the Huskie lead.

 

Senior defensive back Meaghan Bradica produced the Black Bears’ second opportunity, but her offering was saved cleanly by UConn freshman goalkeeper Emily Armstrong. Armstrong’s lone save on Friday was good enough to earn her third straight shutout.

 

Swant had a relatively good outing in goal for UMaine. She stopped nine of the 10 shots the Huskies put on net, matching her single-game career high for saves.

 

The Huskies would go on to record their fourth straight shutout with a 1-0 victory over Syracuse University on Sunday.

UMaine, Wagner battle to 1-1 tie

 

The University of Maine women’s soccer team tied Wagner College 1-1 in double overtime  Sunday afternoon. Wagner — who was undefeated heading into the game — keep their record unblemished at 4-0-1 on the season while UMaine moves to 3-1-1 on the year with the draw.

 

The first half was a scoreless defensive struggle between two evenly matched teams. UMaine earned the breakthrough on a tally by junior midfielder Camille Varin-Tremblay following a well-placed cross by junior forward Jordan Pellerin at the 6:06 mark of the second half. Varin-Tremblay was able to beat Seahawk junior goaltender Katie Marcy for her second goal of the season to give the Black Bears the one-goal edge.

 

Wagner would tie the game at 1 on a corner kick of their own 8 minutes later. Senior forward Jackie Nicholas beat UMaine sophomore netminder Lauren Swant for her third goal this season.

 

Swant saved four of five shots she faced on Sunday while Marcy saved one shot in net for the Seahawks. Wagner held an 18-11 edge in shots during the contest.

 

The defensive battle continued for the remainder of regulation and into the two overtimes, leaving the two teams to settle for a 1-1 draw.

 

Maine returns to the road once again when they take on Virginia Commonwealth University on Friday, Sept. 13 at 7:30 p.m. before concluding the weekend with a game against the University of Richmond Sept. 15 at noon.

The Seahawks travel to New York to take on the Stony Brook University Seawolves at 7 p.m. on Sept. 12 before returning home to take on Manhattan College Sept. 14 at 1 p.m.

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UMaine field hockey picks up two wins during weekend road swing

By Anthony Panciocco

 

The University of Maine field hockey team earned their first two wins of the season over the weekend to improve their record to 2-3. Sophomore forward Cassidy Svetek and sophomore defensive back Nicole Sevey led the Black Bear offense, combining to score six of UMaine’s 10 goals in the two games while also adding three assists between them.

 

This concludes a busy 10 days for UMaine field hockey, with Sunday’s contest marking their fifth game during that span. The Black Bears hit the road again next weekend when they take part in the Sheraton Catamount Classic in Burlington, VT. They take on the University of Virginia Sept. 14 at 11 a.m. before matching up against Brown University at 2:30 p.m. the following day.

UMaine Tops Hofstra for first win of 2013

 

The University of Maine field hockey team recorded their first win of the season over Hofstra University Saturday afternoon with a strong defensive showing and a great team effort on the offensive end. Sophomore forward Cassidy Svetek was the star of the game, scoring her second and third goals of the season to lead the Black Bears to the 5-2 road victory.

The Pride see their record dip to 1-3 on the young season following Saturday’s loss.

 

Hofstra drew first blood when freshman midfielder Stella Schoen put one home off an assist from junior forward Jonel Boileau just under 10 minutes into the game.  The Black Bears responded three minutes later as Svetek put one past senior goaltender Kaitlyn De Turo on a rebound chance to tie the game at one.

 

Just before the end of the half, UMaine sophomore midfielder Marissa Shaw scored on a redirected shot from junior midfielder Annabelle Hamilton to continue her torrid start to the season. Shaw now has three goals in just four games and continues to be a key playmaker for the Black Bears on offense.

 

UMaine sophomore defensive back Nicole Sevey put the Pride down 3-1 to open up the second half off of another assist by Hamilton in the 44th minute.

 

Schoen scored again for Hofstra 11 minutes later on a penalty corner that ricocheted off of a Black Bear defender and into the goal, cutting the Pride’s deficit to one. This wouldn’t last for very long, however, as Svetek took a centering pass from junior forward Hannah Keating and put it home to give UMaine some breathing room and a 4-2 lead.  

 

Freshman midfielder Sydney Veljacic also had a big day for the Black Bears as she scored the first collegiate goal of her young career. She received a quick pass from fellow freshman forward Danielle Aviani, danced around the last Hofstra defender and scored the last goal of the game to cap the Black Bears’ 5-2 victory. Veljacic looks to be a difference maker even as a freshman, something UMaine could certainly use in the offensive third of the field.

 

UMaine outshot the Pride by a staggering count of 28-4 Saturday afternoon. Sophomore netminder Natasha Ford was solid in her fourth start and second full game in goal for the Black Bears, saving two shots as her teammates kept the pressure off of her by putting Hofstra on the defensive for the majority of the game. Ford has played well this year, anchoring a solid UMaine defense that seems to be improving by the game.

 

Sevey Leads Black Bears to Impressive Win Over Quinnipiac

 

UMaine notched their second win of the season with a dominant 5-2 victory over Quinnipiac University Sunday afternoon. Sevey had a hand in each Black Bear tally, exploding for three goals and two assists to lead the UMaine offense. Her eight points in the contest are just two shy of the program’s single-game record.

 

The Bobcats fall to 1-3 on the season with the loss.

 

Sevey began the scoring with an unassisted goal off a penalty corner five minutes into the contest.  The sophomore would notch her second of the day four minutes after that off another penalty corner, this time assisted by Veljacic. Senior defensive back Kaitlynn Stymiest also earned a helper on the play that put UMaine up 2-0.

 

The Bobcats responded on a penalty corner of their own at the 13 minute mark when senior forward Kristin Engelke wired a shot passed Ford for her fourth tally of the season that cut the deficit to one. Senior forward Christa Romano was credited with an assist on the goal for Quinnipiac.

 

Sevey completed her hat trick seven minutes later off an assist by Svetek that capped the first half scoring and gave the Black Bears the 3-1 lead heading into intermission.

 

Quinnipiac senior forward Jess Rusin started off the second half by tipping in her team-leading fifth goal of the season off of a shot by Engelke that pulled the Bobcats within one once again.

 

The threat of a comeback didn’t last long, however. Hamilton ripped a shot by Quinnipiac junior goaltender Megan Conaboy three minutes later to make it 4-2. Sevey and junior midfielder Becca Paradee both earned assists on the play.

 

Sevey and Paradee would get the assists once again on Hamilton’s second goal in as many minutes to cap the scoring and give UMaine the 5-2 advantage.

 

Conaboy finished with 11 saves on 16 shots in net for the Bobcats, while Ford produced two saves on four shots for the Black Bears to pick up her second win of the season.

 

UMaine’s offensive barrage of 18 shots resulted in their five goals, showing the constantly improving offense that they have been looking for. Similar to Saturday’s game against Hofstra, the Black Bears put the pressure on Quinnipiac’s defense and kept the ball on the offensive side of the field for the majority of the contest.

The Black Bears held an 11-7 edge in penalty corners Sunday afternoon, an important stat considering all seven goals came off those opportunities.

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UMaine football tops UMass at Gillette Stadium

By Andrew Stefanilo

 

The University of Maine football team beat the University of Massachusetts Minutemen by a score of 24-14 Saturday afternoon at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass. The Black Bears’ second win against a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent in program history pushes their record to 2-0 on the season.

Maine’s defense held UMass to just 64 yards rushing on the day. Senior defensive back Jamal Clay lead the Black Bears with seven tackles, including two for a loss. Senior linebacker Cabrinni Goncalves also added seven tackles to aid the Black Bear defense.

UMaine senior quarterback Marcus Wasilewski went 20-28 passing for 267 yards and an interception. He also ran 10 times to the tune of 76 yards and a TD against the Minutemen on Saturday.

UMaine senior running backs Rickey Stevens and Zedric Joseph each rushed for 65 yards and a touchdown to add to the Black Bears successful ground game.

UMass got on the board first with a 7-yard TD pass from sophomore quarterback Mike Wegzyn to sophomore wide receiver Bernard Davis.

The Black Bears almost answered when Wasilewski marched them down the field on the next possession, but the drive ended after he threw an interception in the end zone on a fade route.

Both teams traded possessions for much of the first quarter until UMaine sophomore kicker Sean Decloux nailed a 26-yard field goal to cut the deficit to four.

The Black Bear defense stopped the Minutemen and the offense wasted no time on their next drive as Stevens finished off a 35-yard run untouched for the touchdown to put UMaine up 10-7.

UMaine outplayed UMass in the first half and racked up 242 total yards compared to UMass’s 187. The Black Bear defense held UMass to only 48 yards on the ground in the first 30 minutes.

The Black Bears scored next in their second drive of the third quarter. UMaine worked it into UMass territory until a 15-yard penalty had the Black Bears facing a third and 17. Wasilewski scrambled and was able to find sophomore tight end Justin Perillo for the catch down to the UMass 6-yard line. Joseph eventually punched in a rushing TD from one yard out to put UMaine up 17-7.

After stopping UMass yet again on the following drive, the Black Bears capped off a six-play drive when Wasilewski broke a tackle for a 39-yard TD run to increase the lead 24-7.

The Minutemen cut into that lead when sophomore quarterback A.J. Doyle hit sophomore wide receiver Tajae Sharpe for an 8-yard touchdown pass on their next possession.

The Black Bears finished with 514 total yards, 247 of them on the ground. Maine held the Minutemen to just 265 yards of total offense.

This was the 59th meeting between UMaine and UMass all time, with the Minutemen going into the game leading the series 41-16-1.

The Black Bears open their home schedule next Saturday, Sept. 14 against Bryant at 3:30 p.m.

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Gendron set to revamp men’s ice hockey

First year University of Maine men’s hockey coach Dennis “Red” Gendron isn’t wasting his time by looking at the past.

 

The struggles of last year’s team under former head coach Tim Whitehead are no secret to the hockey community. To call their 11-19-8 record, their first-round exit in the Hockey East playoffs and their fifth missed NCAA Tournament in the last six years a disappointment would be an understatement for a program that is normally synonymous with college hockey greatness.

 

For Gendron, however, what’s happened in the past no longer matters. What matters now is establishing a culture of progress, hard work and accountability moving forward.

 

“I’ll be honest with you: I really don’t care what happened last year,” Gendron said. “I’m not going to spend a lot of time thinking about or watching what happened last year.”

 

Gendron spent the 2012-13 hockey season with the Yale University, helping guide them to their first NCAA Championship in program history as an assistant under head coach Keith Allain. Although some may question the decision to leave a program fresh off winning college hockey’s most-coveted hardware to join another coming off one of its worst seasons in recent memory, the New Hampshire native said coming here was almost a no-brainer given the success from his first tenure with the Black Bears.

 

“For me, personally, this is a bit of a homecoming,” Gendron said. “All the wonderful things that have happened to me and to my family were the result of the success that we had here at Maine.”

 

Gendron was an assistant coach on UMaine’s NCAA Championship-winning squad during the 1992-93 campaign under the late Shawn Walsh before going on to coach in a variety of roles at the college, professional and national team levels. He won three Stanley Cups with the NHL’s New Jersey Devils in the late ’90s and early ’00s to go along with last year’s NCAA Championship with Yale before becoming the fifth men’s hockey coach in Black Bear history this past May.

 

Gendron said leaving the Bulldogs after two seasons behind the bench was not easy, but ultimately a decision he had to make.

 

“Leaving Yale was difficult in the sense that you grow attached to the players,” he said. “That’s always difficult, but given this particular opportunity and my very strong feeling about this community and this university… [that] made it possible for me [to leave Yale].

 

“I think as you get older, things like that get easier,” Gendron said when asked how difficult it is to transition from one program to the next, something he has done multiple times throughout his hockey career.

 

“The game of hockey is pretty much the same. The athletes are different in terms of where they’re at in their development, but they’re all the same [in that] they all want to win. Every [team] puts three forwards, two defensemen and a goalie out there. The object is to get it in their net and keep it out of yours.”

 

Gendron — who’s had the chance to coach alongside some hockey legends like Walsh, Grant Standbrook, Jacques Lemaire and Don Cahoon — believes the fact that he’s bounced around in the hockey community has only helped him become a better teacher on the ice. He says he is “extremely excited” to begin his college head coaching tenure at one of the storied programs

in the nation.

 

“The University of Maine men’s ice hockey program is unlike any in the country. This program doesn’t belong to me. It belongs to this university; to the young people who wait in line for tickets on Friday and Saturday night; to our fans, who are rabid,” he said.

 

“People care about this program. They care about it deeply… That’s something to embrace here. That’s one of the great strengths of this program.”

Gendron thinks his newest roster has responded well in the wake of Whitehead’s departure

and his arrival.

 

“I haven’t sensed anything but great enthusiasm from our players,” he said. “Coach Whitehead did a great job here. It was much more good than bad. But the change was made and I really do believe the players have embraced it.”

 

The Black Bears open their 2013-14 campaign with an exhibition matchup against Dalhousie University on Oct. 6 in Alfond Arena. Although the contest is weeks away, Gendron did give some insight into the type of playing style fans can expect from the guys in Blue and White this season.

 

“There are only two kinds of pressure,” he said. “The pressure you feel, and the pressure you apply. That’s the kind of style we play. If you’re going to beat the University of Maine, we want to make sure you earned it and we didn’t give it to you.

 

“We want competitive people,” he continued. “If people aren’t competitive, aren’t fit, they won’t be in the lineup. If they are, they’ll play. And if we have enough of those kinds of people, we’ll win.”

UMaine is coming off a season that saw its lowest attendance rate since 1991-92. Winning should help put the faithful back in their seats.

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