MikeM wrote..
>UMass plays 10 of its 24 HE games in the first half, before Lovell can
>play.  They could be in a pretty deep hole by then.  ...
 
Lovell has the option of sitting out the year and returning for a full
1997-98 season with UMass, should he want.  Anyway, I may be the only
one in the world, but I think UMass will play on HEA quarterfinal home
ice *this* season if Lovell plays immediately after this semester.
 
>Either way, the real question isn't why UMass took him - anyone would be
>thrilled to have him, he's a terrific player.  But why would he go?  ...
 
Coach Cronin admitted this morning on WZON radio that Lovell was very
unhappy at Maine and had some troubles both academically and with hockey
(my words ...  hopefully close to Cronin's intention).
 
Fans could only guess there was some undisclosed tension as Lovell would
have game after incredible game performance, only to be ignored in
post-game comments by the coaching staff, IMHO.
 
>                                     ...  Still, why pay to go anywhere
>else when you're getting a scholarship from Maine, which I presume he was?
 
He was, according to Cronin.
 
>Note that if he was getting one from Maine, this presumably opens up
>another scholarship that Maine could use on another player this season.
 
Yes, but this is presumably one that will be used next year when the
additional NCAA penalties kick in.  I suspect that it might be used to
others now on partial athletic scholarship, but this is simply
speculation.
 
------
 
Jeff Tory and Trevor Roenick, both at times on the fence have, among
others, been re-recruited, according to Cronin.  Tory is especially
important as an on and off-ice leader.  Tory had some nice comments
in this mornings' Bangor Daily News, including a remark saying that
Maine took a chance on him when his academics was questionable and
he wants to repay (my words, not Jeff's) Maine by returning and doing
well in classroom and with Hockey team.  He was quoted by Cronin this
morning as saying he will approach every regular season game as if it
were a post-season playoff game.
 
This leaves goalie Allison as probably the last question mark of the
veteran players.  He will make a decision today whether to try out for a
Canadian National team.  If he does, he will miss about a week of
classes, starting about 10 days from now.  If the tryout is
unsuccessful, and with permission and help from his instructors, he
could return to Maine.
 
Midnight madness approaches!
wayne
 
Wayne T. Smith                         Systems Group -- CAPS
[log in to unmask]                    University of Maine System
Co-owner of the College Hockey lists - Hockey-L/Info-Hockey-L/Hockey3