It is getting close now....  yeah!!!



 By JENN MENENDEZ, Portland Press Herald Writer  Thursday, September 21,
2006

ORONO Goalie Ben Bishop bounded onto the ice in full gear, his smile wide,
his body language illustrating what he exclaimed next: "It's like the first
day of school." The University of Maine men's hockey team, six months
removed from its latest trip to the Frozen Four, pulled on game jerseys
Wednesday for the team's annual media day. As drills buzzed and still-dusty
Sheetrock hung from new luxury boxes, players lined up for a team photo and
head shots.
Meanwhile, players did their best to answer questions about the upcoming
season.
What kind of team will this be? Who will emerge? What are their
capabilities?
Tough questions that make this time of year so exciting.
"You have a little idea but the only way to know is when we play the first
game, then see how the year goes," said team captain Michel Leveille. "It's
exciting to see who's going to step up, who's going to be the man."
Maine lost key players to graduation: 25-goal scorer Greg Moore, 15-goal
scorer Derek Damon and stay-at-home defenseman Steve Mullin. Forwards John
Hopson and Jon Jankus and gritty defenseman Travis Wight also factored into
the team's success.
Leveille, among the most skilled centers in Hockey East, is a clear
candidate to be among the team's go-to players. He's been a critical cog for
at least two seasons.
He worked on his speed and fitness over the summer and added a few pounds to
increase his strength.
"I'm not one of the biggest guys," said Leveille, who is 5-foot-9. "I'm a
lot stronger though and excited to see how I'm going to do."
Josh Soares, a linemate of Leveille and Moore last year, is expecting to
break out even further this season.
"I think I have a lot more to give," said Soares, who had 15 goals last
season. "Every year I've had a little more improvement, and I'm focused on
improving."
Maine Coach Tim Whitehead said he has an idea what kind of team his group
will become, but letting their growth build naturally is important.
"I've been doing this long enough that you know you can't force a team to be
something they're not," Whitehead said. "You try to mold your team to the
talent it has. Each year it takes time. We've got some glimpses this year."
Whitehead said he expects his team to play hard, smart and as a team. And
though it is less clear who will emerge this season, he is eager to see what
unfolds.
"It could be slightly different this year," he said. "There's a few more
players who could emerge, and it's going to be exciting to see who those
guys are going to be."
Maine's junior forwards Billy Ryan, Keenan Hopson and Rob Bellamy will be
counted on early. And stocky, 5-foot-8 defenseman Bret Tyler, who was
injured for portions of last year, could also have a breakout season.
"We're definitely going to have to jump in from the start and make an
impact," said Bellamy.
Among Maine's freshman class is standout Teddy Purcell, a 6-foot-3 forward
from St. John's, Newfoundland, who has two years of junior hockey
experience.
"He's coming in with the best resume, no question," said Whitehead. "He's
got a couple years of junior hockey experience. He's got tremendous skill
and vision, an elite guy. He's somebody we're very excited about."
No matter what identity the Black Bears forge, said Bellamy, they're
confident they'll be difficult for opponents to play.
"A lot of teams have a guy with 60, 65 points a year. We have a bunch of
guys who can get 25, 30," said Bellamy. "We find our identity every year and
when we find it, we're going to be dangerous."
And for now, Maine will rely on attributes that have carried the program for
nearly two decades.
"I think right now we're going to have to have that identity of most Maine
teams," said Soares. "We're going to have to outwork teams.
"Talent can only take you so far. We have a lot of capable players and we're
going to work hard."
NOTES: Maine has four goalies on its roster, including starter Bishop and
backup Dave Wilson, with two others in the hunt for the third position:
Shane Foley and Dan Morse. A decision is expected by the end of the month.
*Staff Writer Jenn Menendez can be contacted at 791-6426 or at:
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