Subject:  Re: Maine vs. Michigan

The University of Maine is a proud program and as fans we will always
expect more than the players probably deserve.  But if players want to
play for a team that has fans that don't expect the best every game,
there are several schools in Massachusetts that they can go play for.


THATS AWESOME!!!!!     So, so true.  BU, BC to name a few.

Sheilds would be a contender for #1 for the C and Jackson a definate A from me.

>>> [log in to unmask] 03/31/03 11:47AM >>>
> Ouch!
>
> 24-10-5, and you'd "just as soon have it be forgotten"?!  Are you
> from
> Minnesota or something?  ;-)

Expectations are a fluid thing.  Did we meet expectations?  Yes, I'd
say that in general a 24-10-5 season meets expectations.  Third-place
in Hockey East, an NCAA Tournament berth meet expectations.  Neither
really exceed expectations, but are what we've come to expect/demand.

ZERO playoff wins (two of which were at home) and an absolutely
horrible last month and a lack of leadership/passion/heart from our
program are NOT items I want to see repeated.

I would rather have had a 17-17-5 team that missed the NCAA Tournament
that came to play and played hard every night.  That is a team you can
really rally around.

(Incidently, I did vote Minnesota in the blackbears.net poll) ;-)

> As to this year's team, I wonder if here wasn't significant burnout.
> Last year we had the memory of Coach Walsh and a few terrific senior
> leaders.  Both were missing, so what took their place?  As typical
> fans,
> we don't get to see the inner workings of the team;  I don't know how
> it
> worked, but we saw a huge difference in confidence, in game results
> and
> how many just "held themselves", in 2003.

We've also seen posts here questioning the conditioning of the team as
well.  All of these are not exactly traits we would like to see
repeated, me thinks.

> Even without a loss to the pros, next season may have 50% new
> players.
> (Hopefully the returning players will have shed the 50% that was up
> tight or not confident).  :-)

Look at Michigan.  They are extremely young and they are on their way
to the Frozen Four.  They consistenly have lost top players and recent
years and yet they still turn out great teams.

Maine won the national championship in 1999 with no player on that team
having NCAA Tournament experience.

The University of Maine is a proud program and as fans we will always
expect more than the players probably deserve.  But if players want to
play for a team that has fans that don't expect the best every game,
there are several schools in Massachusetts that they can go play for.

:-)

> A good questions is "Who will be captain next year?" I'm hoping for
> Prestin Ryan, but then he would have been my captain this year.

Colin Shields and Todd Jackson also merit strong consideration.



=====
Deron Treadwell -- [log in to unmask]
http://www.blackbears.net

GOD BLESS OUR BRAVE SOLIDERS!