From today's Portland Press Herald, Colin Shields says:
"We were a little lackadaisical," Maine forward Colin Shields said. "When
you play a team that is not your biggest rival, there is a letdown, and we
let down a little bit too much. You can't expect to go out and just win."

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So let me get this straight.. in the media all week we see Tim Whitehead
publicy guarding against a "let down" and he mentions how he's been clear
to point that out to his players.

Then we see that, apparently, leaders like Colin Shields feel it is ok to
let down, a little, as long as you don't let down too much.  That's ok,
you see, because UMass-Lowell isn't a big rival of Maine's.  No Colin, you
are right, you can't just expect to go out there and win... so why does it
happen?

I'd like to point something out to Mr. Shields and the rest of his "let
down a little" buddies... the success of this Maine team is truly based on
their hard work, consistently for 60 minutes each game.  In case they
haven't noticed, they are not exactly burning holes in the back of
opposing nets.  This team cannot afford to be picking and choosing which
games they get up for and which games they take it easy.

Why am I so fired up about this?  Because March is hours away and if we
all recall, we got a little too.. lackadasical.. at the end of last year
that prompted a quick HE exit (at home, to one of those schools not
considered a rival) and then a trip out west to play Michigan in their own
building and a one-and-out NCAA Tournament experience.  This is not the
time to be letting down at any level.

It seems that we've had this discussion before, on more than one occasion,
has the message not been clear?  What is this showing the younger players?

The point is, to truly be a championship team you have to stay focused and
take care of business.  Yes, you are going to have off nights and lose
games.  But last night, there is absolutely NO excuse to come out flat and
not hyped.  You still had a chance to win a championship (regular season
title).  Not only did they not get it done, they didn't seem to really
care (Aw shucks, we just let down.)  That's a poor excuse.

Don't get me wrong, Maine has had a great year and if it ended today I'd
call it satisfactory (despite not winning the title).  But this idea that
we can pick and choose when we play hard is not the MAINE that I grew up
on and is much closer to some of our underachieving brothers to the
southwest.  I don't like how this idea is tollerated.

-Deron