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UMaine honoring the past by fighting for the future

Michigan State vs University of Maine in game two of the 19th Annual NCAA Ice Breaker Tournament. Maine is hosting the 19th Annual NCAA Ice Breaker Tournament at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, Maine on 10/9/2015. (Photo by Michael Mcsweeney)

Michigan State vs University of Maine in game two of the 19th Annual NCAA Ice Breaker Tournament. Maine is hosting the 19th Annual NCAA Ice Breaker Tournament at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, Maine on 10/9/2015. (Photo by Michael Mcsweeney)

PORTLAND – The University of Maine men’s ice hockey team is on the verge of something.

It could be something special, or it could be right off a cliff into the abyss of other NCAA Division I programs that have experienced past success.

That is going to be determined over time. One thing is for certain. While the days of the program’s success from the 90’s are long gone, they’re not forgotten.

Oh boy, are they not forgotten.

Embracing the past is important, but it’s time to allow this generation to grab hold of the program and build toward its own future and blaze their path into Black Bear folklore.

“These guys have to put their own footprints in the sand,” said third-year Maine head coach Dennis “Red” Gendron. The past is the past, good or bad, and it’s about them putting their own footprints in the sand. At the same time, it’s also about being prideful about the level of excellence that’s existed at the University of Maine.”

“You do want to leave the program in a better spot in when we found it,” said senior forward and Maine captain Steven Swavely. “We’re disappointed in how the past has been. That motivates us, and especially this year we want to leave here knowing that (Cam) Brown and the classes behind him have a good reputation for years to come.”

Maine enters the season with nine freshmen. Many of whom were not even born when Maine won its first NCAA Division I Championship and were too young to remember when the Black Bears won its second title in 1999.

Many of the players didn’t know anything about former Maine coach Shawn Walsh. Once they arrived on campus they heard the stories, they learned of his triumphs in Orono and they slowly understood why the mere mention of Shawn Walsh carried such a reverence in Maine.

They’re proud to wear a Maine jersey. They’re proud to embrace the past, but they also understand that the pressure associated with wearing a jersey with ‘M-A-I-N-E’ blazoned across the chest.

“I came here when my brother was playing here, so I was able to see two years of games,” Swavely said. “I’d summon it up in words like passion that everyone has for hockey in the state of Maine. It’s pretty evident when you go to a game at the Alfond or come to a game down here how much the state of Maine loves their hockey.”

Maine began its season Friday against Michigan State where they played host to the four-team Ice Breaker Tournament at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland. The Black Bears muscled a hard-fought 3-3 tied on Friday and face even a tougher test on Saturday against No. 4 ranked North Dakota in the nightcap on Saturday.

The Black Bears are a budding program in a rebuilding process. Led by a senior core that includes Swavely, Will Merchant, Conor Riley and Cam Brown, Maine has an underclass that’s ready to chart their own path in the storied history of the Black Bears.

“What happen at Maine, happened at Maine, and it was a great thing,” said Gendron, but these guys, their job is to create their own memories and their own great things. They just happen to wear the same sweater that others wore in the past. This is about us and the 2015-16 Black Bears.

For Maine to improve upon its 14-22-3 record from a year ago, they will need contributions in all facets of the game.

The Black Bears have many detractors this season after being selected to finish 10th in the preseason coaches’ poll and 11th in the media poll.

Maine, who finished ninth last season, will be looking to prove the naysayers wrong, but to run you must learn to walk first and before walking you have to learn how to crawl.

A team that has nine freshmen, as many as four or five could be in the lineup every night, will need to gel and come together as a team.

What a perfect time to blaze a path to the top of Hockey East?

“The real pressure is trying to prove yourselves every single day so that individually and collectively you can give yourself a chance to create those moments and memories that last a lifetime,” Gendron said. That’s what it really comes down too. I really believe this group understands that better than anybody, and I think they’re teaching everyone on the team precisely that.”

Maine finished 25th in the nation in scoring, averaging 2.77 per game. They allowed 3.26 goals per game which ranked them near the bottom of all NCAA DI schools. The power play was 47th at 13.1 percent.

Ask a player from last year’s squad about those stats and the answer is pretty swift.

“Last year was last year,” said Maine forward Conor Riley. “We know we have to try to get off to a good start. Last year doesn’t mean we’re going to get off to a good or bad start. It’s a new season. We can worry about getting off to a bad start. We have a new opportunity.”

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