Hello again,
I see that the PPH did not put the Mansoff article in the "Pirates
Cove" part of their web site, so I hope they won't mind me
posting it here. Consider it free advertising for the paper. :->
"For Two Weeks Maine's Mansoff Played Like a Pro"
-Mike Lowe (Pirates Notebook; Maine Sunday Telegram; March 16)
While Jason Mansoff's college friends regale him with tales
of Florida fun from their recent college break, he'll have
different stories to tell.
No sun. No bikinis. No beaches.
Instead, he can talk about hockey sticks under his chin,
elbows in his chest and body checks into the boards. He can
tell them about his two-week stint as a pro hockey player.
Mansoff, the former University of Maine standout, has played
defense for the Portland Pirates the last two weeks. He resumes
classes in Orono Monday, continuing his work toward a degree in
electrical engineering.
"It's been a great experience," he said before leaving the
Pirates. "I was able to find out what this level of hockey
is all about. You cannot substitute for experience.
It is invaluable."
And Mansoff, a rugged 6-1, 200-pound, 24-year-old from Edmonton
showed that he can play at the AHL level.
"I feel he has a good chance to play in Portland (next year),"
said Pirates Coach Barry Trotz. "He's a good skater. He plays
his position well. He's not going to score a lot of points,
but he is steady."
"He is sort of like (Ron) Pascucci or (Chris) Phelps. We're
always willing to take a chance on guys like that. I don't
see why we wouldn't want to take a chance on him."
Mansoff said he wouldn't mind returning. "It seems like
a pretty good city," he said. "There's a good bunch of
guys here, and I'm comfortable with the coaches. From what
I've seen, it's a pretty good place."
Mansoff had a stellar career at Maine, scoring 22 goals and
39 assists in 140 games. More impressive: he was a +80, an
eye-opening stat for a defenseman.
He said the schooling he got there helped prepare him for this
short stint in the pros. "You get a lot of good coaching
there," he said. "And they really prepare you well for defense.
That's the main thing you need if you want to step up."
*** End of Article ***
Incidentally, the Pirates' playoff roster was in today's PPH,
and Jason is listed as the "emergency" defenseman. If there
is an injury to a couple of the Pirates blue-liners (which, the
way this season is going, is highly probable), Jason could be
called up to play.
On another note, concerning media coverage by the BDN, to
paraphrase our C-I-C: Since I left campus in '93, I have read
the BDN once, I didn't like it and I didn't read it again.
* 5 months until dryland training begins *
John Forsyth
Assistant Coach: hockey/baseball - North Yarmouth Academy
1997 Class A State Hockey Champions 17-3-0
http://maine.maine.edu:80/~johnfors/nyahock.html
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