The following article appeared in the Maine Campus
http://www.mainecampus.com

Hockey rally lacks pep

By Eric Russell
It's that time of year again. No, not spring, I'm talking about the
NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament.

At some other schools, that may not mean a hell of a lot, but in Orono
it's become a March tradition.

The Black Bear faithful has grown accustomed to seeing its beloved team
march into the postseason with gusto, and despite a woeful month of
February, this year's team still managed to nab a No. 2 seed.

Unfortunately, the University of Maine is headed west - the Midwest
Regional, specifically - to face a tough University of Michigan team
that will be playing on its home ice in Ann Arbor, Mich.

But even more alarming than the Black Bears' bracket (top-seeded
Colorado College likely awaits UMaine should it win in the first round)
or their late-season slump, is the team's seeming lack of
determination.

Yeah, I said it.

At a pep rally held yesterday afternoon in the Memorial Union
Marketplace, coaches and players of this year's team were introduced
and given a (lukewarm, at best) send-off to the NCAA Regionals. The
event was missing - for lack of a better work - pep.

Interim Director of Athletics Paul Bubb did his part to engage the
crowd, most of which consisted of students who didn't realize what was
going on and simply wanted to eat their lunch.

Bubb congratulated the team and even extended gratitude to the
cheerleaders and the pep band, who played the Stein Song as the players
lined the hallway connecting the North Dining Hall to Union Central.

"We have the greatest college hockey fans in the nation," Bubb said.

That may be true, but where were they yesterday afternoon?

Bubb introduced Coach Tim Whitehead, who perhaps sparked the most noise
out of the tepid crowd of people.

Whitehead also did his part to praise the fans who supported his team
during a tough run.

"It's no secret we had a slump in February," Whitehead said. "But you
have stuck with us through it all and that means a ton."

Things went fine during Whitehead's speech and Bubb was a showman,
using his booming voice to talk over the rustling of restless
onlookers. But something was missing.

Senior captain Chris Heisten was the only player to stand over the
microphone, and he only spoke briefly. The rest stood stoically in the
background, almost as though they didn't want to be there at all. Come
on guys, where is the heart?

Everyone realizes that last season was an anomaly. They were playing
for the memory of their fallen coach, the late Shawn Walsh. Last year
was great and will never be forgotten, but players shouldn't need
motivation of that magnitude.

All seven seniors should have been allowed to speak, and by all
accounts, should have wanted to take the spotlight. If you're going to
hold a pep rally, it better kick ass, because if not, it's going to
come off as amateur.

I'll be rooting for the team this weekend as a sports fan and as a fan
of Black Bear hockey. But I hope the players show a lot more effort on
the ice than they put into yesterday's rally. Not many teams get the
chance to be showcased in front of the student body, don't take your
recognition for granted.