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.