Day 3 of the Maine High School Hockey Invitational

Well here we are at th final day of the MHSHI. Check back for photo galleries and game score updates. Please check out photo galleries!

12/28 Games
Deering at Newington/Berlin, NH
Hebron JV vs Cumberland, RI
Kennebunk vs BBD
Scarborough vs Newington/Berlin, NH
12/29 Games
South Portland vs Cumberland, RI
Cheverus vs Hampton, NB
Kennebunk vs Gorham
Thornton Academy vs St Joseph, CT
Coventry, RI vs BBD, CT
Falmouth vs DeMatha, MD
Yarmouth vs Hampton, NB
Lewiston JV vs Thornton Academy JV

Day 2 of the Maine High School Hockey Invitational

Here are some of your scores from Day 2 of the Maine High School Hockey Invitational

PORTLAND ICE ARENA
Tewksbury, MA over Kennett, NH 7-1
Hampton, NB over Cheverus 3-0
Cumberland, RI over So Portland 4-3

MHG ARENA
Belmont, MA over Cape Elizabeth 6-0

BIDDERFORD ICE ARENA
Biddeford over Cumberland, RI 3-1
Kennebunk over Gorham 3-0
St Joseph, CT over Thornton Academy 7-4
Coventry, RI over BBD, CT 5-1

Maineiacs win again

The Lewiston MAINEiacs couldn't wait to get onto the ice following their brief holiday break, and it showed on Tuesday night. Seven different players had multiple point games, including Francis Beauvillier, who scored a pair of goals, as Lewiston smoked the Victoriaville Tigres 7-1 in front of 2,831 fans at Colisee Desjardins.

After eight days off, the MAINEiacs took the ice with fresh legs in the first period, and it showed. Lewiston got out to a 2-0 lead on a pair of power play goals. At the 3:48 mark, Pierre-Olivier Morin picked up a loose puck in the slot, and slipped it through Antonio Mastropietro's legs. Four minutes later, Matt Bissonnette faked a wrist shot, then slid a pass across to Francis Beauvillier, who scored on a wrist shot in the right circle.

The MAINEiacs continued their offensive attack in the second period, lighting the lamp three more times. Etienne Brodeur was the first player to find the back of the cage in the middle frame, as he picked up the rebound of his own shot, and lifted the puck upstairs for his 30th of the season. 1:41 later, Francis Beauvillier netted his second goal of the night, potting a loose puck from the top of the crease. Cameron Critchlow picked up one assist on the goal, while Bryce Milson picked up the other in his MAINEiacs debut. Beauvillier's tally chased Antonio Mastropietro from the crease, as David Honzik took over from there. The relief goaltender played a solid second period, but was beaten once, as Michael Chaput scored Lewiston's third power play goal of the night off of a rebound.

Lewiston added to the lead in the third, scoring a pair of goals that were 1:13 apart. Olivier Dame-Malka scored the MAINEiacs' sixth goal of the night, finishing a cross-ice pass from Pierre-Olivier Morin. On the second goal, Stefan Fournier picked the top corner over Honzik's glove. Phillip Danault ended the shutout bid with 3:32 to go on a power play goal, but the damage was done, as the visitors cranked out the 7-1 victory.

Nicholas Champion earned the win for the MAINEiacs, as he stopped 22 of the 23 shots he faced. Antonio Mastropietro was the losing goaltender, as he allowed four goals on 15 shots before being pulled in the second. David Honzik took over in relief, and made 17 saves on 20 shots for Victoriaville.

The MAINEiacs will return home on Thursday, as Lewiston and Victoriaville will conclude their home-and-home series at 7:00. That will be the first of five straight home games for the MAINEiacs, who are also home on January 4th, 7th, 8th, and 13th.

--Maineiacs Communications--

Maine High School Hockey Invitational under way.

Scarborough gets first win of the day at PIA

DEERING VS NEWINGTON/BERLIN GALLERY BELOW

Scarborough Red Storm's Hunter Lynch scored the game winner just 1:32 into the 3rd period to help Scarborough to a 4 - 3 win over Newington/Berlin, CT Tuesday Morning at the Portland Ice Arena.

The win was not an easy one for Scarborough, as the Storm's Nick Bagley (head contact) and Conner Gullifer (cross check) were off the ice with penalties, with just 2:30 left to go. The Storm called time out to stradegize the 5 on 3 disadvantage. Whatever Coach Gagne said worked as the defense stood strong in front of goalie Doug Pitts, and the Red Storm escaped with a 4-3 victory.

Scarborough's RW Mark Pearson had a goal and an assist in the win.

Other Tuesday scores

PIA
BBD over Kennebunk 3-2
Newington/Berlin over Deering 4-2
Hebron JV over Cumberland, RI 4-0
So Windsor, CT over Portland 8-0
Tewksbury, MA over So Portland 5-0

MHG
Hebron JV over Hampton, NB 2-1
Lowell, MA over Gorham 5-0
Belmont, MA over Berlin, NH 3-1
Coventry, RI over Yarmouth 6-1
Brookfield/Bethal/Danbury, CT over Lewiston JV 5-4
Belmont, MA over York 3-2

Biddeford
So. Windsor, CT over York 6-2
Biddeford over Edward Little 8-0
Thornton Academy over North Haven, CT 4-2
DeMatha over Lewiston 5-4
Biddeford over Amity, CT 8-3

Lewiston Blue Devils vs DeMatha, MD LIVE on MBRRadio

UNFORTUNATELY DUE TO SCHEDULING CONFLICTS OF MANY THINGS CAUSED BY THE WEATHER, THIS GAME WILL NOT BE BROADCAST. 


MBR RADIO AND THE MAINE SPORTS NETWORK ARE COMMITTED TO BRINGING YOU MAINE HIGH SCHOOL HOCKEY OVER THE AIR AND ON THE INTERNET. PLEASE CHECK BACK FOR AN ANNOUNCEMENT COMING SOON. 

Maine High School Hockey Invitational cancels Monday's games

The Maine HSHI has cancelled all Monday games. Check back as we updates schedules ASAP. Paul Evans told PTP that the schedule for the rest of the week was being worked on and will be released possibly tonight.

10:32PM Monday Update - here is the revised schedule.


PORTLAND ICE ARENA Tuesday Dec 28th
8:00am Scarborough HS vs Newington/Berlin HS, CT
10:00am Kennebunk HS vs BBD, CT
2:00pm Hebron JV vs Cumbeland HS, RI
4:00pm Portland HS vs South Windsor HS, CT
6:00pm South Portland HS vs Tewksbury HS, MA
8:00pm Falmouth HS vs St. Joseph HS, CT

BIDDEFORD ICE ARENA Tuesday Dec 28th
Schedule stays same as before

MHG ARENA Tuesday Dec 28th
4:00pm Lewiston HS JV vs BBD HS, CT

PORTLAND ICE ARENA Wednesday Dec 29th
Schedule stays the same


MHG Ice Arena
12:00 Cape Elizabeth HS vs Belmont HS, MA

BIDDEFORD Ice Arena
8:00pm Thornton Academy vs TBA

USM Ice Arena
12:00 Dematha HS, MD vs Pilgrim HS, RI
4:00pm Gorham HS vs South Portland HS


PORTLAND Ice Arena Thursday Dec 30th
12:00 Greely HS vs Dematha HS, CT

The only other games scheduled for Thursday are at MHG Ice Arena and they all
remain the same.

Portland Pirates game in Worcester postponed

The AHL announced via Twitter that the Portland Pirates game tonight in Worcester has been postponed due to the snow storm heading New England's way!

Gary Prolman Talks Maine HS Hockey Invitational

Gary Prolman stopped by to talk about Maine HS Hockey Invitational tournament, check it out below.

Former Mariners coach John Paddock heads back to Philly

According to a press release from the Adirondack Phantoms, former Maine Mariners coach John Paddock will be returning to Philadelphia to resume his role as assistant GM for the Flyer. He had been serving as an interim coach for Adirondack.

Check out the release right here for more info.

#Pirates crowned by #Monarchs

Bud Holloway scored three times to lead the Manchester Monarchs to a 4-3 win over the Portland Pirates in an American Hockey League game played tonight in front of 4,049 at the Verizon Wireless Arena.

Andre Loktionov netted the other Manchester goal as the Monarchs took over sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division with an 18-11-1-1 record.

Marc-Andre Gragnani, Matt Ellis and Mark Mancari scored for the Pirates while Luke Adam collected three assists. The Pirates saw a three-game winning streak end and are now 17-9-1-1 on the season.

The Monarchs got off to a quick start as Holloway scored twice in the opening three minutes to give the home side a 2-0 advantage, which they carried into the first intermission. Gragnani scored midway through the second to bring the Pirates to within one but Holloway answered with just over five minutes remaining in the second to complete the hat trick and send his team into the third with a 3-1 lead. Ellis scored 28 seconds into the third to bring the Pirates back to within one at 3-2 but Loktionov countered with a shorthanded tally two minutes later to put the home side up by two again. Mancari made it interesting with a five-on-three goal with less than four minutes remaining to complete the scoring.

The Pirates out shot the Monarchs 35-26 in the game, including 16-5 in the third period, as Jhonas Enroth took the loss.

The Allied Home Mortgage Three Stars of the game were all from the Monarchs. Holloway was the first, Loktionov the second and forward Jordan Nolan the third.

--PORTLAND PIRATES--

Maineiacs drop one to Montreal

The Lewiston Maineiacs lost a 4-3 lead in the third period and fell to Montreal 7-5 on Friday night. Details to come...

MAINEiacs take home a 6-5 win over PEI

It was a back-and-forth night on Wednesday at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee, but in the end, the Lewiston MAINEiacs had the final say. Despite blowing a pair of two-goal leads, Lewiston erased a 5-4 deficit of their own, scoring twice in the third period, as they defeated the PEI Rocket 6-5 in front of 1,643 fans.

The MAINEiacs controlled the play in the first period, outshooting the Rocket 15-6. The lone goal of the frame came at the 11:40 mark, when Christophe Lalonde started a 2-on-1 rush down the left side of the ice. The rookie forward waited patiently for Cole Hawes, before slipping a pass across for the 1-0 lead.

Hawes scored again at the 3:03 mark of the second, finishing off a feed from Francis Beauvillier, starting what turned out to be a very eventful middle period. The Rocket came back to tie the game at two, as Cody Linteau and Samuel Morneau scored 1:08 apart from each other. Linteau's tally came off of a rebound in front of the crease, while Morneau's came off of a Lewiston turnover in the slot.

Lewiston was quick to respond, lighting the lamp twice more for a 4-2 lead with 6:45 left to go. Francis Beauvillier picked up the puck on the left side, and slid a backhander inside of the right post. Then, Antoine Houde-Caron jammed in a wraparound, with assists going to Stefan Fournier and Sam Henley.

Once again, the Rocket came back. This time, the visitors scored three straight goals, turning the 4-2 deficit into a 5-4 lead. Victor Provencher and Adam Polasek scored 1:12 apart, tying the game at four, before Ben Duffy found the back of the cage with 7.1 seconds remaining in the period.

Both teams switched goaltenders at the start of the third period, and that appeared to play to Lewiston's advantage. Stefan Fournier knotted the game at the 5:28 mark, taking a Sam Carrier pass off of the boards, breaking in alone, and scoring through the legs of Evan Mosher. 1:53 later, Sam Fin set up Michael Chaput, who didn't get all of his slap shot, but got enough of it to confuse Mosher for the game winning goal.

Andrey Makarov had a strong third period for the MAINEiacs, stopping all 14 shots he faced for his third win in a Lewiston uniform. Makarov filled in for Nicholas Champion, who allowed five goals on 24 shots in the first two stanzas. Evan Mosher suffered the loss, allowing both goals in the third period, while making 12 saves. Mosher took over for Maxime Lagace, who made 26 saves on 30 shots in the first 40 minutes.

The MAINEiacs will now head out on the road for a pair of games this weekend, starting in Montreal on Friday night at 7:05. The trip will then continue in Shawinigan at 4:00 on Saturday afternoon. Lewiston's next home game takes place on December 30th, when the Victoriaville Tigres come to town.

Adam returns to Pirates

The Buffalo Sabres re-assigned rookie forward Luke Adam to the Portland Pirates today.

Adam returns after his third recall of the season. The 20 year-old St. John’s, Newfoundland native enjoyed an eight-game stretch with the Sabres in which he collected his first NHL goal and assist. In 10 games this season with the Sabres Adam registered two points and eight minutes in penalties.

Adam returns to the Pirates where he sits third in team scoring with 11 goals and eight assists for 19 points in 17 games. Despite missing 10 games while on NHL recall, the 6-foot-2 forward still ranks sixth in AHL rookie scoring and his 11 goals are tied for fourth most among first-year players.

In another roster move, the Pirates released Justin Bowers from his tryout agreement. The veteran forward, who was returned to Greenville in the ECHL, played three games without registering a point.

--PIRATES COMMUNICATIONS--

The Weekend in Pucks 12/10-12/12

BRYAN FLYNN WITH A BIG WEEK FOR THE BLACK BEARS (Photo Jeff Schools)

Another weekend down, and more local hockey action to recap. Let's get to it:

Pirates

The Pirates started a road trip in Adirondack on Saturday night to take on the Phantoms, and Paul Byron and Derek Whitmore scored third period goals to lift the Portland Pirates to a 2-1 win over the Adirondack Phantoms at the Glens Falls Civic Center.

Jhonas Enroth made 27 saves to support the Pirates victory, their second straight. The win put Portland at 16-8-1-1 on the season. Luke Pither scored the lone Adirondack goal. The Phantoms dropped to 4-21-2-0 on the campaign.

Sunday, the Pirates once again rode the hot hand of Derek Whitmore, who scored a pair of power-play goals to lead the Pirates to a 4-2 win over the Manchester Monarchs at the Verizon Wireless Arena.

Max Legault and Colin Stuart also scored for the Pirates, who posted their third consecutive victory and moved into a first place tie with Manchester atop the Atlantic Division. The Pirates are now 17-8-1-1 on the season.

UMaine
The Black Bears kicked off their weekend in a sour way, blowing a 3-1 lead to UNH and losing in overtime 4-3. Gustav Nyquist tallied a goal and an assist, and his goal put the Black Bears up 3-1 5:12 into the second, but it wasn't enough, as UNH scored two third period goals, including a Dalton Speelman goal with 18 seconds left to tie it. In OT, Jeff Silengo tapped one in past Martin Ouellette 1:26 into the overtime period, and the Wildcats left town with a win.

On Sunday the Black Bears got one back, using a Brian Flynn hat-trick to beat UMass 4-1. Chase Langeraap got the scoring started when he put the Minutemen up 1-0, 14:34 into the first period, but the Black Bears scored four unanswered goals, the first being 5:33 into the second period when Brian Flynn notched his seventh goal of the season. In the third period, the Black Bears pulled away. They took advantage of a UMass interference call and Flynn notched his second goal of the game to put Maine up 2-1, 2:24 into the third period. Flynn would pick up his hat trick goal with 2:04 remaining in the third periodto put Maine up 4-1. Adam Shemansky added the other goal for the Black Bears, who are 8-4-4 on the season now.

Maineiacs
Lewiston played on Friday night, and avenged a loss to St. John's with a 5-2 win at the Colisee. Nick Champion had 44 saves on 46 shots, and Olivier Dame-Malka, Antoine Houde-Caron, Sam Henley, Michael Chaput, and Etienne Brodeur had the goals for Lewiston.

Marco Sturm trade to the Kings is finally official

The trade of Marco Sturm to the Los Angeles Kings finally is official. On Saturday, the Boston Bruins traded the left winger to LA for future considerations. Sturm was the last remaining player on the Bruins who was obtained in return for Joe Thornton in 2005.

--Official Press Release--

BOSTON, MA – Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli announced today that Boston has traded forward Marco Sturm to the Los Angeles Kings for future considerations. The trade is contingent upon Sturm passing a physical conducted by Los Angeles’ medical staff.

2010-11 marked Sturm’s 14th NHL season and sixth with the Bruins. The Dingolfing, Germany native is a veteran of 855 NHL games with 234 goals, 232 assists and 466 points and is the NHL’s all-time leader in those categories for German-born players.

In his Bruins career, the 32-year-old skated in 302 games with 106 goals and 87 assists for 193 points. He began this season on injured reserve after suffering a knee injury in Game One of the Bruins/Flyers Eastern Conference Semifinal series on Saturday, May 1, 2010.

The 21st overall pick in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft, Sturm was acquired by the Bruins from San Jose with Wayne Primeau and Brad Stuart for Joe Thornton on November 30, 2005.

Sharks bite Pirates

Jonathan Cheechoo and Sean Sullivan each scored a goal and an assist to lead the Worcester Sharks to a 4-2 victory over the Portland Pirates in an American Hockey League game played tonight in front of 4,896 at the Cumberland County Civic Center.
Dan DaSilva and Kevin Henderson also chipped in goals for the Sharks, who improved their record to 13-7-1-4 with the win and moved past the Pirates into second place in the Atlantic Division.

The two Pirates goals both came on power play goals by Corey Tropp and Matt Ellis. Portland has now dropped three straight and six of their last seven, to drop to 14-8-1-1 and third place in the Atlantic Division.

Tropp started the scoring midway through the opening period, beating Stalock on a power play to put the Pirates up 1-0. Worcester would strike twice late in the first as DaSilva beat Pirates goaltender Jhonas Enroth top shelf for his fifth goal of the season to tie the game, and Sullivan connected 50 seconds later to give the Sharks a 2-1 lead. Worcester would extend their lead to two halfway through the second period on Cheechoo’s ninth goal of the season. Continuing the offensive surge, Henderson earned his second goal in as many games against the Pirates to increase the lead to three at 4-1 early in the third. The Pirates would tally one late in the third period on the Ellis power-play goal to finish the scoring.

The Sharks outshot the Pirates 28-26 in the game and Jhonas Enroth took the loss.
The Allied Home Mortgage Three Stars of the game were all from the Sharks. Cheechoo was the first, Steven Zalewski (two assists) the second and Sullivan the third.

The Pirates hit the road for three games this weekend facing the Providence Bruins, Adirondack Phantoms, and Manchester Monarchs. On Friday (December 10), the game can be heard live from the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence as the Pirates face the Bruins in a 7:05 p.m. start. The next night (Saturday, December 11), Portland will be in Glens Falls, NY taking on the Phantoms in a 7 p.m. faceoff, and the weekend wraps up in Manchester on Sunday (December 12) for a 3 p.m. game. All Pirates road games can be heard live on News Talk 95.5 WLOB and on-line at portlandpirates.com beginning with the pre-game show at 6:50 p.m. in Providence, 6:45 p.m. in Adirondack, and 2:45 p.m. in Manchester.

Brian Dumoulin named Pine Tree Pucks Player of the Week

BIDDEFORD'S BRIAN DUMOULIN MAKES TEAM USA

PLAYER OF THE WEEK #1 STAR - Brian Dumoulin Boston College - A little unconventional, but Brian is a Mainer from Biddeford, so making the US National Juniors World Championship Tournament team is kind of a big deal. Congrats to Brian and looking forward to later this month as Brian takers the world hockey stage in Buffalo.

#2 STAR - Spencer Abbott Maine Black Bears - Abbott continues his great season, scoring 3 goals and dishing 2 assists in a lossless weekend in Providence.

#3 STAR - Etienne Brodeur Lewiston MAINEiacs - Brodeur racked up yet another short handed goal during his 2 goal and 2 assist week for the Lewiston MAINEiacs.

Brian Dumoulin US World Juniors Team in sight. Interview also

BIDDEFORD'S BRIAN DUMOULIN

The Maine Sports Network has learned that Biddeford and Boston College's Brian Dumoulin has been named to the 2010 US National World Junior Team that will compete against the world in Buffalo later this month.

While Brian still had to compete for a final spot on the final roster, all indications are that Brian is one of the best defenders, at his age and level, right now in the country.

Here is our interview with Brian this morning.

Maine shuts out Providence 5 - 0 Saturday.

 Martin Ouellette (St.-Hippolyte, Quebec) made a career high 32 saves as he shut out the Providence Friars on Saturday night en route to his first career win. The Black Bears broke the game open with three goals in the first 10 minute of the third period. Maine moves to 7-3-4 on the season and 5-2-2 in Hockey East play, while Providence falls to 6-6-4 overall and 3-4-4 in conference play.

Maine took a 1-0 lead at 12:16 of the opening period. Mike Cornell (Franklin, Mass.) sent the puck to Gustav Nyquist (Malmo, Sweden) in the right corner. Nyquist then passed to Joey Diamond (Long Beach, N.Y.) who was on the left post of the goal. Friar goalie Alex Beaudry went to his right to play the puck as Diamond skated through the goal line. Without an angle at the net, Diamond shot the puck towards the goal and it went in off a Providence defender, giving Maine a 1-0 lead. For Diamond, it was his eighth goal of the season and second of the weekend.

Maine extended its lead to 2-0 at 17:02 of the second period. Josh Van Dyk (Woodstock, Ontario) carried the puck out of the defensive zone and got it to Brian Flynn (Lynnfield, Mass.) in the neutral zone. Seeing Spencer Abbott (Hamilton, Ontario), but knowing he did not have a lane to pass, Flynn flicked the puck over the Providence defenders to Abbott. Abbott carried the puck in on Beaudry and beat him stick side for his 11th goal of the season.

The Black Bears made it 3-0 just 38 seconds into the third period when Nyquist scored his fifth goal of the season. Tanner House (Cochrane, Alberta) passed to Nyquist who was rushing the net. Nyquist was able to redirect the puck into the goal. Diamond also picked up an assist on the goal.

Brian Flynn (Lynnfield, Mass.) gave Maine a 4-0 lead when he fired a shot past Beaudry from the left face-off circle at 5:55 of the third period. The play was set up by Abbott, who got the puck to Flynn. For Flynn, it was his fifth goal of the season.

Kyle Beattie (Avondale, Ariz.) extended Maine's lead to 5-0 at 8:12 of the third when he received a pass from Matt Mangene (Manorville, N.Y.) and rifled the puck past Beaudry from the slot. For Beattie, it was his third goal of the season.

Ouellette was outstanding, stopping all 32 shots that he faced. He moves to 1-0-1 on the season. Beaudry made 23 saves for the Friars in 49:55. He falls to 5-6-4. Justin Gates made five saves in 10:05.

Maine returns to action on Friday, Dec. 10 when it hosts arch-rival New Hampshire at 7:30 PM at Alfond Arena in Orono, Maine. Tickets remain for the game and can be purchased by calling the Maine ticket office at 207-581-BEAR or 1-800-756-TEAM.

- University of Maine -

Paul Byron scores 2 for Pirates in shootout loss to Norfolk

Marc-Antoine Pouliot scored the only goal of the shootout as the Norfolk Admirals came-from-behind to top the Portland Pirates 4-3 in an American Hockey League game played tonight in front of 5,154 at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

Chris Durno and Mike Angelidis scored in the final four minutes of regulation for the Admirals to erase a 3-1 deficit and force overtime. Angelidis’ goal came with 33 seconds left in regulation. Blair Jones netted the other goal for Norfolk, who improved to 14-6-3-1 with the win.

Paul Byron paced the Pirates with two goals. T.J. Brennan had the other while Corey Tropp collected two assists. The Pirates dropped to 14-6-1-1 with the loss.

Byron brought the Portland fans to their feet early and often in the opening period, netting the first of his two goals at the 9:25 mark of the first period.  Brennan scored his third goal of the season, beating Norfolk goaltender Cedrick Desjardins to his stick side, followed by Byron’s second goal of the game two minutes later to give Portland a 3-0 advantage heading into the first intermission. The second period played at a calmer pace as Norfolk’s Pouliot scored his seventh goal of the season, pulling the Admirals within two only 33 seconds into the period. Norfolk blitzed Portland at the end of the third period, with Durno scoring with just over three minutes left and Angelidis netting the tying goal with goaltender Desjardins pulled for the extra attacker.

The Admirals out-shot the Pirates 46-39 in the game as Jhonas Enroth stopped four of five in the shootout but took the loss.

The Allied Home Mortgage Three Stars of the Game were 1. Pouliot, 2. Byron and 3. Gragnani.

The Pirates close out the weekend with a trip to Worcester to take on the Sharks in the second matchup of the UNUM Challenge at 3 p.m. The game can be heard live on News Talk 95.5 WLOB and on line at portlandpirates.com beginning with the pre-game show 15 minutes prior to the opening face-off.

The next Pirates home game takes place Tuesday (December 7th) when the Sharks visit the Civic Center for the third out of 12 games in the UNUM Challenge in a 6:30 p.m. faceoff. Tuesday will be the first of three Mini Bobblehead Collectible nights this season. Sponsored by UniFirst, the first 2,000 fans into the game receive a bobblehead of Pirates goaltender Jhonas Enroth. Come to the game right after work and enjoy great food and beverage specials in the Civic Center’s Penalty Box Grill, which will open at 4:30 p.m., as well as the following Pirates partners: Rivalries, Siano’s, Gritty’s, Nosh Kitchen Bar, Binga’s Stadium, Dogfish Café, Walters and Yosaku. Also, make a donation of $5 or more to the Bruce Roberts Toy Fund or donate an unwrapped toy (to be distributed among Toys for Tots and WGME’s Joy of Sharing) to receive two free tickets to a future Pirates game. Tickets for the game, as well as each of the remaining Pirates home games, are on sale now by calling 207-775-3458, visiting the Cumberland County Civic Center Box Office or on-line at ticketmaster.com.

- PORTLAND PIRATES -

#Pirates sign Roloff

University of Vermont alum Brian Roloff has signed with the Portland Pirates, agreeing to an AHL Standard Player’s Contract.

The 24 year-old from West Seneca, NY has appeared in all 21 games for the Pirates this season collecting five assists and four penalty minutes.

Roloff played five games for the Providence Bruins in 2009-10 after he finished his collegiate career at Vermont.

MAINEiacs get pounded in Saint John by Sea Dogs 6 - 1

The Saint John Sea Dogs have been at the top of the standings for most of the 2010-11 season, and offense has been the major reason for that. On Friday night, the Sea Dogs used six different goal scorers to defeat the Lewiston MAINEiacs 6-2 in front of 3,732 fans at Harbour Station. With the win, Saint John is now 14-0-0-1 on home ice.

The Sea Dogs controlled the play in the first period, outshooting Lewiston 20-4. However, the MAINEiacs stayed right with Saint John, playing to a 1-1 draw after twenty minutes of play. The visitors started the scoring at the 6:35 mark, when Francis Beauvillier laid a hit behind the net, before centering a pass to Cole Hawes, who beat Frederic Piche glove side. Just under four minutes later, the Sea Dogs evened things up, as Jonathan Huberdeau tapped in a feed on the right side of the crease. Ryan Tesink and Zack Phillips picked up the assists.

In the second period, the MAINEiacs took the shots advantage 15-10, but it was the Sea Dogs who made their shots count. A little more than two minutes in, Saint John got Lewiston running around in their own zone, thanks to a broken stick. A crisp pass from Steven Anthony to Danick Gauthier set up a one-timer, which Gauthier drilled into the back of the cage. Then, with less than four minutes to go, Michael Kirkpatrick cut toward the middle, before launching a slap shot just inside of the left post and the crossbar.

Saint John added to their lead in the third period, as Tomas Jurco finished off a cross-crease pass from Michael Kirkpatrick at the 2:16 mark of the final stanza. Just over six minutes later, Simon Despres made it 5-1, as he scored with a wrist shot from the slot. Lewiston's Jess Tanguy and the Sea Dogs' Mike Thomas exchanged tallies with less than seven minutes to go, producing the 6-2 final. Tanguy's 13th of the season was assisted by Christophe Lalonde.

Frederic Piche picked up the win for the Sea Dogs, making 28 saves on 30 shots. Nicholas Champion suffered the loss for the MAINEiacs, allowing six goals on 40 shots.

The MAINEiacs will return home on Sunday to begin a four-game homestand against the Montreal Junior at 4:00.

UMaine ties Providence

SPENCER ABBOTT CONTINUES HOT STREAK (PHOTO JEFF SCHOOLS)

Spencer Abbott (Hamilton, Ontario) had two goals and an assist as the University of Maine men’s ice hockey team skated to a 3-3 tie with Providence on Friday night at Schneider Arena. The Black Bears scored what would have been
the game-winner as the final buzzer sounded, but it was ruled that time had just expired. Maine moves to 6-3-4 on the season and 4-2-2 in Hockey East play. Providence sees its record move to 6-5-4 on the campaign and 3-3-4 in conference play.

Maine opened the scoring just 45 seconds into the game. Brice O’Connor (Londonderry, N.H.) carried the puck into the offensive zone. He got the puck to Robby Dee (Plymouth, Minn.), who was able to find Spencer Abbott stationed at the left post.
Abbott beat Friar goalie Alex Beaudry for his ninth goal of the season. It was the first career point for O’Connor, who was playing against his older brother, Ian, for the first time.

Providence knotted the score at 1-1 at 1:03. Kyle MacKinnon was able to beat Maine goalie Shawn Sirman (Blezard Valley, Ontario) on a rebound. Ian O’Connor and Kevin Hart each assisted on the goal which tied the game.

Maine took the lead back at 12:28 when Mark Nemec (Rouses Point, N.Y.) made an outstanding pass to Abbott, who had beaten the Providence defenders. Abbott then beat Beaudry for his second goal of the game and 10th of the season. Ryan Hegarty
(Arlington, Mass.) also assisted on the goal for the Black Bears.

Providence tied the game back up at 2-2 at 15:49 with a goal from Alex Velischek on a shot from just outside the left face-off circle. Andy Balysky and Tim Schaller each also assisted on the goal for the Friars.

Maine grabbed the lead back again 1:13 into the second period when Joey Diamond (Long Beach, N.Y.) stuffed the puck past Beaudry. Abbott got the puck to Dee behind the net, who was able to find Diamond, who picked up his seventh goal of the season.

Providence tied the game at with a short-handed goal at 15:10 of the third period by Chris Rooney. He was able to get a step on the Maine defense and break in alone on Sirman.

Maine goalie Shawn Sirman made 35 saves in goal for the Black Bears. He moves to 2-0-2 on the season. Beaudry stopped 36 shots for the Friars. He moves to 5-5-4.

Maine outshot Providence 39-38 in the game, including a 7-2 edge in overtime.

The two teams return to action on Saturday, Dec. 4 when they face each other once again at Schneider Arena in Providence. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 PM.

--UM COMMUNICATIONS--

The 10th Annual Maine High School Hockey Invitational Announce Schedule

The 10th Annual Maine High School Hockey Invitational Tournament Directors released the schedule of the 2010 MHSHI that takes place between December 27th through December 30th. The tournament takes place in 4 locations around Greater Portland at the Biddeford Ice Arena, MHG Arena in Saco, USM Arena in Gorham and the Portland Ice Arena.

Tickets are on sale now, $5 for adults and $3 for kids under 12.

MAINE HIGH SCHOOL HOCKEY INVITATIONAL SCHEDULE

Moncton holds on to 4 - 3 win against MAINEiacs

Luck was not on the Lewiston MAINEiacs' side on Thursday night, as they took on the Moncton Wildcats. Moncton's Allain Saulnier took advantage of a pair of fortunate bounces, as his two goals helped the Wildcats to a 4-3 win over the MAINEiacs in front of 4,369 fans at the Moncton Coliseum.

The Wildcats started the scoring early in the first period, as a defensive zone turnover cost Lewiston. Olivier Dame-Malka and Dillon Fournier were unable to start the rush at the side of the net. The puck was picked up by Alex Saulnier, who fed his brother Allain for the first goal of the contest. Just under six minutes later, Moncton extended the lead on a power play goal. The Wildcats used a lot of crisp passing, pinning the MAINEiacs deep in their zone. That allowed Alex MacDonald to sneak in from the point, firing home a one-timer from the middle of the slot.

Lewiston did get a goal back before the first intermission. Olivier Dame-Malka let a low slap shot go that was stopped by Owen. However, the shot produced a rebound which kicked out to Antoine Houde-Caron, and eventually Stefan Fournier, who ulitimately potted his tenth goal of the season.

In the second period, the Wildcats added to their lead, as Marek Hrivik scored a power play goal from the right side for a 3-1 advantage. However, the MAINEiacs had an answer, netting a pair of goals around the midway mark of the period. Pierre-Olivier Morin took a cross-ice feed from Sam Carrier, and blasted a shot through from the left circle, cutting the deficit to one with a power play tally. 26 seconds later, Sam Henley evened the score, knocking in a loose puck in the slot. Antoine Houde-Caron and Zach Shannon assisted on Henley's seventh goal of the season.

Just before the period ended, Moncton regained the lead with an unfortunate goal for Lewiston. Marek Hrivik tried jamming the puck in from the right side, but was fended off by Nicholas Champion. However, the rebound kicked over to Allain Saulnier, who scored before Champion could get to the other side of his crease.

Neither team could find the twine in the third period, despite a 17-3 shots advantage for the MAINEiacs, as the Wildcats held on for the 4-3 win.

Shane Owen was terrific again for Moncton, earning the win with 40 saves on 43 shots. Nicholas Champion took the loss for Lewiston, allowing four goals on 20 shots.

The MAINEiacs will conclude their three-game road trip on Friday night, when they visit the Saint John Sea Dogs at 6:30. Lewiston will return home on Sunday afternoon at 4:00 to play host to the Montreal Junior.

- LEWISTON MAINEiacs -

Marc Savard Talks To Media

Our buddy Tim Rosenthal from Inside Hockey provided us with video of Marc Savard talking to the media today.

Cape Breton's Andrew Hayes stops 49 shots, but MAINEiacs pull out 2 - 1 OT Win

Cape Breton's Andrew Hayes (Photo Wheat Kings.com)

If it weren't for the goaltending of Cape Breton's Andrew Hayes, Tuesday night's game could have had a significantly different outcome. The Screaming Eagles' backstop made 49 saves, forcing the contest into overtime. However, the Lewiston MAINEiacs ended up having the final say, as former Screaming Eagle Zach Evans-Renaud broke a 1-1 tie at the 4:15 mark, giving Lewiston a win in front of 2,835 fans at Centre 200. The MAINEiacs allowed a franchise record-low 11 shots on goal against in the victory.

The MAINEiacs had control for most of the first period, recording each of the first 13 shots on goal, en route to an 18-3 advantage after 20 minutes of play. Lewiston scored the first goal during the opening stanza, as Antoine Houde-Caron picked up a loose puck, drove down the left side, and let a wrist shot go into the top-left corner of the net. However, Cape Breton did pick up one goal on their three shots, as Nick Parker caught Andrey Makarov off guard with a slap shot from the right circle.

Lewiston also dominated the second period, outshooting the Screaming Eagles 16-2, for a two-period total of 34-5. However, neither team lit the lamp, as the score remained tied at one.

The score remained tied through the third, and eventually until the 4:15 mark of overtime. Jess Tanguy spotted Zach Evans-Renaud cutting toward the left side of the net. Evans-Renaud was unable to get a clean shot off right away, but spun around, and slipped a backhander past Andrew Hayes' left pad.

Andrey Makarov picked up his second win as a MAINEiac, stopping ten of the eleven shots he faced. Andrew Hayes was brilliant for Cape Breton, but came out on the losing end, despite making 49 saves on 51 shots.

The MAINEiacs will continue their three-game road trip in Moncton on Thursday night at 6:00, before finishing it in Saint John on Friday at 6:30. Lewiston's next home game takes place on Sunday at 4:00, when they host the Montreal Junior.

- LEWISTON MAINEiacs - 

Mark Mancari named PTP Player of the week.

Back on track after our little sidetrack of High School Football.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK #1 STAR - Mark Mancari Portland Pirates - While it was an off week overall for the Pirates, Mark Mancari stepped up and help get his team off the mat. A Hat trick and an assist Sunday against the Providence Bruins sent the team in the right direction emotionally, after a tough, lackluster week.

#2 STAR - Kirill Kabanov Lewiston MAINEiacs - Kabanov stepped up and is starting to fit in quite nicely with the MAINEiacs. Kirill had 2 goals and an assist in the MAINEiacs 2 wins last week.

#3 STAR - Zach Evans-Renaud Lewiston MAINEiacs - Renaud played helper this week, tallying 4 assists against Chicoutimi last Wednesday in the MAINEiacs 7 - 4 win.

Pirates knock off P-Bruins

Mark Mancari scored three times and added an assist to lead the Portland Pirates to a 5-1 win over the Providence Bruins in an American Hockey League game played this afternoon in front of 5,222 at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.

Drew Schiestel and Corey Tropp netted the other goals for the Pirates, who ended a three-game losing streak with the win and moved to 14-6-1-0 on the season. Matt Ellis and Marc-Andre Gragnani supplied two assist each in the win.

David Ling scored the lone goal for Providence, who dropped their second straight and are now 9-8-2-1 on the season.

The Bruins struck first as Ling capitalized on a power-play opportunity midway through the first to put the home side up 1-0. Sixty-eight seconds later Schiestel tied the game as his shot from the point found the back of the net. Mancari completed the scoring in the first as he struck on the power play with 5.1 seconds remaining in the period to give Portland a 2-1 lead after one. Mancari added his second of the game four-and-a-half minutes into the second to give the Pirates a 3-1 lead and Tropp connected in the final four minutes of the period to send Portland into the third with a 4-1 lead. Mancari completed his hat trick, and the scoring, in the final minute of the third.

The Bruins out shot-the Pirates 34-27 in the game as Jhonas Enroth posted the victory.

The Allied Home Mortgage Three Stars of the game were all from the Pirates. Mancari was the first, Enroth the second and Ellis the third.

--PIRATES COMMUNICATIONS--

Fournier Brothers on Weekend Warm Up Presented by Mister Sparky

Here is the full audio of Dillion and Stefan hanging in studio for a while with Matty and Jeff.

Fournier Brothers to join Matty and Jeff on Weekend Warm Up

THE FOURNIER BROTHERS WILL BE IN STUDIO WITH MATTY AND JEFF
TALKING LEWISTON MAINEIACS HOCKEY

CLICK PHOTO FOR LIVE STREAM

Sam Carrier nets shootout winner in MAINEiacs 3 - 2 Win

SAM CARRIER NETS SHOOTOUT GAME WINNER

 If fans didn't get their fill from Thanksgiving Dinner on Thursday, the Lewiston MAINEiacs and Moncton Wildcats certainly served up a wholesome dessert. Lewiston and Moncton battled to a 2-2 tie through regulation and overtime, before Sam Carrier broke the deadlock in the fifth round of the shootout, as the MAINEiacs won their seventh straight home game, as well as their 12th win in their last 13 games overall. The victory came in front of a season-high crowd of 2,811 fans at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee.


Lewiston opened the scoring at the 3:31 mark of the first period. Michael Chaput picked up the puck on the right side of the offensive zone, cut to the middle, and beat Shane Owen with a wrist shot on the glove side. Chaput's eighth goal of the season came on the power play, with Matt Bissonnette and Sam Carrier drawing the assists.

In the latter stages of the period, the MAINEiacs ran into trouble, as the home team took three penalties in 1:04, including a major penalty for elbowing to Olivier Dame-Malka. The Wildcats did get the equalizer with four seconds left, as Alex Saulnier found his brother Allain, who scored from the left side of the crease. After that, Lewiston dodged the remainder of the bullet, and ended up 3-for-4 on the penalty kill.

The score remained tied until the 3:39 mark of the third, when Lewiston took the lead once again. Jess Tanguy laid a hit on a Moncton player, freeing the puck for Kirill Kabanov, who spotted Francis Beauvillier on the left side. Beauvillier had little trouble depositing his fourth marker of the season.

Less than two minutes later, Moncton had an answer, as the Saulnier brothers connected for the second time. Alex found Allain once again, with Allain scoring on a high shot from the right circle. Scott Trask also had an assist, as the two brothers upped their season point totals to 37.

Both teams continued to battle through regulation and overtime, but neither could dent the twine, as the two netminders were fantastic. The MAINEiacs' Nicholas Champion made 34 saves on 36 shots, while the Wildcats' Shane Owen turned aside 40 of the 42 shots he faced.

In the shootout, the two sides exchanged goals in the opening round, as Kirill Kabanov and Daniel Pettersson both lit the lamp. After three straight misses for each team, Sam Carrier found space between Owen's legs in round five for a 2-1 Lewiston advantage. Thomas Flynn came up empty in Moncton's half of the round, as the MAINEiacs picked up the win.

With the win, Nicholas Champion tied Jonathan Bernier's franchise record, winning his 11th consecutive game. The victory was also Champion's 16th in his last 17 starts.

Pirates drop one at home to Falcons 4 - 2

Jill Crochere (right) and Sarah Mckay (left) from Chelsea, ME make a donation Friday night
during the Portland Pirates first official night of the Holiday Toy and Donation Drive 

Michael Blunden scored a power-play goal that turned out to be the game winner midway through the third period to lift the Springfield Falcons to a 4-2 victory over the Portland Pirates in an American Hockey League game played tonight in front of 4,881 at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

Maksim Mayorov, Brent Regner and Matt Calvert netted the other goals for the Falcons, who ended a two-game losing streak to improve to 11-9-0-1 on the season.

Paul Byron and Mark Mancari scored for the Pirates, who saw their 10-game home points streak (9-0-1-0) come to an end. Portland is now 13-5-1-0 on the season.

Mayorov got the Falcons rolling early in this one as he connected 2:13 into the game for the only goal of the opening 20 minutes. Byron answered the Springfield goal with the only goal in the second period as the two teams headed to the third tied at one. The two teams combined for four goals in the final period. Regner began the uprising less than five minutes into the period to give the Falcons a 2-1 advantage. Mancari connected for his first power-play goal of the season five minutes later to even things up at two before Blunden matched the man advantage goal just 1:06 later to deliver what turned out to be the game winner. Calvert hit the empty net in the final minute to complete the scoring.

The Pirates out shot the Falcons 30-23 in the game as Jhonas Enroth took the loss.
The Allied Home Mortgage Three Stars of the game were 1. Mayorov, 2. Byron and 3. Regner.

The Pirates continue weekend action with road contests Saturday in Manchester at 7 p.m. and Sunday in Providence at 4:05 p.m. Both games can be heard live on News Talk 95.5 WLOB and on line at portlandpirates.com beginning with the pre-game show 15 minutes prior to the opening face-off.

The next Pirates home game takes place Saturday, December 4th when the Norfolk Admirals visit the Civic Center for a Bud Light Hockey Night in Portland in a 7 p.m. start. State Farm presents the Teddy Bear Toss. Bring a teddy bear to toss on the ice when the Pirates score their first goal. All bears will be donated to local charities in advance of the holiday season. Plus, donate to Operation Tribute and receive two free tickets to a future Pirates game. Tickets for the game, as well as each of the remaining Pirates home games, are on sale now by calling 207-775-3458, visiting the Cumberland County Civic Center Box Office or on-line at ticketmaster.com.

- PORTLAND PIRATES -

MAINEiacs score 3 in :53 seconds on way to 7 - 4 win.

NICHOLAS CHAMPION GETS HIS 10TH STRAIGHT WIN

The Lewiston MAINEiacs exploded out of the gates on Wednesday night, shattering a franchise record, while taking a lead that they would not look back on. Lewiston scored three goals in 52 seconds, en route to a 4-1 lead after 20 minutes of play. The MAINEiacs and Chicoutimi Sagueneens traded three goals a piece in the final two periods, as Lewiston picked up a 7-4 win in front of 2,117 fans at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee. The MAINEiacs have now won six straight games at home, and have moved into a tie for first place overall in the QMJHL.

Shortly before the midway mark of the first period, the MAINEiacs drew first blood. Michael Chaput sent the puck through the crease to Pierre-Olivier Morin, who dribbled a shot in on the left side of the crease. A little less than four minutes later, Lewiston extended the lead in a big way. Kirill Kabanov picked up an Alex Zafiris feed, and knocked it in from the slot. 40 seconds later, Jess Tanguy deflected Zachary Evans-Renaud's point shot in for a 3-0 lead. 12 seconds after that, Etienne Brodeur joined in the fun, finding the back of the net for his 24th goal of the season. The three goals were scored in a span of 52 seconds, breaking the previous franchise record of three goals in 1:00, which was set on March 18, 2007 in PEI.

The Sagueneens got on the board at the 16-minute mark of the first, when Charles Hudon netted an unassisted goal. Early in the second period, Chicoutimi lit the lamp again, as Guillaume Asselin recorded a tally on the power play. However, the MAINEiacs had a couple of answers, as Pierre-Olivier Morin and Kirill Kabanov gave Lewiston a two-goal lead yet again.

Nicholas Therrien and Michael Chaput exchanged markers in the third period, as the MAINEiacs went on to the 7-4 win.

Ten of the 18 players in Lewiston's lineup recorded at least one point, with Etienne Brodeur (4), Zachary Evans-Renaud (4), Pierre-Olivier Morin (3), Michael Chaput (2), Samuel Carrier (2), and Kirill Kabanov (2) all earning multiple-point nights.

Nicholas Champion picked up his tenth straight win, as well as his 15th in his last 16 starts, stopping 31 of the 35 saves he faced for the MAINEiacs. Robin Gusse took the loss for the Sagueneens, allowing seven goals on 41 shots.

The MAINEiacs will be at home again on Friday night at 7:00, when they take on the Moncton Wildcats.

- LEWISTON MAINEiacs - 

Bridgeport Silences Pirates

Jon Sim scored twice to lead the Bridgeport Sound Tigers to a 3-0 win over the Portland Pirates in an American Hockey League game played this afternoon in front of 3,459 at Arena at Harbor Yard.

Rob Figren netted the other goal for the Sound Tigers while Kevin Poulin made 29 saves for his first AHL shutout. Bridgeport improved to 8-11-0-0 with the win.
The Pirates, shutout for the first time this season, dropped to 13-4-1-0 on the year and saw a three-game winning and five-game points streak (4-0-1-0) come to an end.

Bridgeport scored the only goal of the opening period as Figren slipped one past Jhonas Enroth from a sharp angle to give the home side a 1-0 advantage after one. Sim then connected for two power-play goals in the second half of the second to give the Sound Tigers a 3-0 lead heading into the third.

The Sound Tigers out shot the Pirates 36-29 in the game as Jhonas Enroth, reassigned to Portland earlier in the day, took the loss.

The Allied Home Mortgage Three Stars of the game were all from the Sound Tigers. Poulin was the first, Sim the second and Figren the third.

The Pirates return to action Friday at the Civic Center when the Springfield Falcons come to town for a 7 p.m. faceoff.

--Official Pirates Press Release--

Pirates ice Sharks

Luke Adam scored the shootout winner and David Leggio turned aside all four shooters that he faced as the Portland Pirates defeated the Worcester Sharks 2-1 in an Atlantic Division matchup played tonight in front of 4,505 at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

Alex Biega scored the lone regulation goal for the Pirates, who improved to 13-3-1-0 on the season. The victory also allowed the Pirates to equal the franchise record for consecutive games with a point on home ice set by the 1993-94 Calder Cup champion Pirates, who went 9-0-1 to start the season. The Pirates are now 9-0-1-0 to start the season on home ice.

Corey Tropp also scored in the shootout for the Pirates.

Sean Sullivan scored for Worcester, who dropped to 7-5-1-3 on the season.
Both teams got off to a slow start as the first period went scoreless. Biega got the Pirates on the board in the second period with a power-play goal, the first of his AHL career to give Portland a 1-0 lead. The score remained the same until Sullivan put one past Leggio with just over six minutes left in regulation forcing overtime and eventually the shootout.

The Sharks out shot the Pirates 30-21 in the game as Leggio posted the victory.
The Allied Home Mortgage Three Stars of the game were 1. Leggio; 2. Biega and 3. Tropp.

--OFFICIAL PIRATES RECAP--

The Pirates are on the road tomorrow (Sunday) when they travel to Bridgeport for a 3 p.m. showdown with the Sound Tigers. Sunday afternoon will be the fourth matchup of the season between the two clubs. Portland currently leads the season series 2-1 as the home team has come out victorious in each of the three games.

Brodeur takes PTP Player of the Week yet again

ETIENNE BRODEUR WITH ANOTHER GREAT WEEK (PHOTO JEFF SCHOOLS)

Pine Tree Pucks Player of the Week - Etienne Brodeur Lewiston MAINEiacs - Etienne continues to blaze, scoring 3 more goals last week to still lead the CHL in scoring with 21 goals. he leads all QMJHL scorers by five goals and leads the entire CHL by 1. Brodeur has been a big factor in the MAINEiacs continued roll through the QMJHL.

Brodeur had 2 goals and 1 assist in the MAINEiacs 5-0 win over Baie-Comeau on Saturday and had goal in Sunday's matchup with a +/- of plus 2. Brodeur finished the week with a +/- rating of +5.

2nd Star - Joey Diamond Maine Black Bears - Joey Diamond took home Hockey East POTW honor on Monday with his weekend against Northeastern. Diamond finished with 2 goals and an assist in the weekend series.

3rd Star - Spencer Abbott Maine Black Bears - Spencer Abbott continues his great season, putting numbers up in every series. This weekend against the Northeastern Huskies, Abbott finished 2 goals and an assist.

Joey Diamond wins Hockey East Player of the Week

JOEY DIAMOND (PHOTO JEFF SCHOOLS)

University of Maine sophomore forward Joey Diamond (Long Beach, N.Y.) was named the Athletic Republic Hockey East Player of the Week on Monday, Nov. 15. Diamond led the Black Bears to a weekend sweep of Hockey East foe Northeastern.

Maine recorded a pair of 4-2 wins.

He becomes the second Black Bear to be named Hockey East Player of the Week this year, as Brian Flynn (Lynnfield, Mass.) earned the honor on Oct. 25, after Maine swept a weekend series against then second-ranked North Dakota.

On Friday, Diamond assisted on Maine’s first goal of the game. He then scored the game-winning goal for the Black Bears at 9:51 of the third period. On Saturday, Diamond scored a goal early in the third period which knotted the score up a 2-2.

Diamond was named the First Star of the game on each night.

Diamond is fourth on the team in scoring with six goals and five assists for 11 points. He has two power play tallies and a game-winner.

On Monday, Maine moved up to third in the nation in each of the two national polls released each week. Maine trails Minnesota-Duluth, who is the top-ranked team in the nation, and Boston University who is second in both polls.

The Black Bears return to action on Friday, Nov. 19 when they travel to Boston College for a two-game Hockey East series with the Eagles. Boston College is ranked ninth in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll and 10th in the USCHO.com Poll. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 PM on Friday and 1 PM on Sunday afternoon.

- UNIVERISTY OF MAINE - 

UMaine beats Northeastern

MAINE'S JOEY DIAMOND

Joey Diamond’s (Long Beach, N.Y.) power play goal with 10:09 remaining in the game broke a 2-2 tie and propelled the fifth-ranked University of Maine men’s ice hockey team to a 4-2 victory over Northeastern on Friday night at Alfond Arena. The Black Bears move to 5-1-3 overall and 3-0-1 in Hockey East play. The Huskies dropped to 1-6-2 and 1-3-1 in league play with the loss.

Northeastern broke the scoreless tie 17:06 into the first period when Rob Dongara notched a power play goal for the Huskies. Garrett Vermeersch controlled the puck in the left corner for the Huskies. As Vermeersch skated with the puck, Maine goaltender Dan Sullivan (York, Pa.) stumbled while trying to get position on the left post. Vermeersch sent the puck to the center of the blue line where Wade McLeod unleashed a slap shot that was tipped in front by Dongara.

Maine opened the second period skating on the power play when Jeff Dimmen (Colorado Springs, Colo.) cashed in for his second goal of the season to tie things up at one goal a piece. Diamond would control the puck deep in the left circle. Diamond fired a pass that snuck through the slot and found Dimmen above the right circle. Dimmen unleashed a slap shot that hit the back of the net. Brian Flynn also assisted on the goal for the Black Bears.

Northeastern would re-take the lead with a power play goal of its own 13:12 into the second period. Mike Hewkin sent a slap shot at the Maine net that was kicked aside by Sullivan. However, Mike McLaughlin was in perfect position to put the rebound home once again giving the Huskies a one goal advantage, 2-1.

The Black Bears would fight back to tie the game once again when Spencer Abbott (Hamilton, Ontario) notched his seventh goal of the season, 14:42 into the second period. Tanner House (Cochrane, Alberta) started the play when he slid a pass to Josh
Van Dyk (Woodstock, Ontario). Van Dyk rocketed a shot that was saved by Husky goaltender Chris Rawlings. The rebound would kick out to the left circle where Abbott was waiting. Abbott would light the lamp with a wrist shot that snuck past Rawlings
to send the game into the third period tied at two goals each.

Diamond would give Maine its first lead of the night 9:51 into the third period while the Black Bears skated on the power play. Flynn controlled the puck for Maine, sending it around the boards to Adam Shemansky (Robbinsville, N.J.). Shemansky would
look for an opening in front, make a move, and sent a beautiful, quick pass right in front to Diamond who one-timed the puck past Rawlings.

Gustav Nyquist (Malmo, Sweden) added an empty net goal with 11 seconds remaining in the third period to lock up the win for the Black Bears. Abbott picked up his eighth assist of the season on the fourth goal for the Black Bears. With the point, Nyquist extends his scoring streak to 10 games, dating back to last season.

Sullivan picks up his third win of the season after making 17 saves for the Black Bears, moving his record to 3-1-1 overall. Rawlings made 30 saves of his own for Northeastern but drops back to 1-5-2. Each teamed cashed in with two power play goals
as Maine was 2-7 on the power play and Northeastern was 2-5 with the man advantage.

The Black Bears skate back into action tomorrow when they close out the weekend series with Northeastern at 7 p.m. from Alfond Arena. Tickets are available for tomorrow’s game and can be purchased at the door.

--UMaine Press Release--

Black Bears - Northeastern Series Preview

Hot off a comeback tie against the top ranked team in the nation, the #5 UMaine Black Bears are ready to come back home to the Alfond Arena.

Maine had visions of toppling Boston University last Saturday after they took the lead in the third period, only to see that vanish with just over a minute left to go in the contest.  The strike by Freshman Charlie Croyle for the Terriers would send the game into overtime, and eventually, the Black Bears back home with only one point in the draw.

The stalemate of the Terriers proved that Maine could overcome a deficit and hang around with the some of the top teams in the nation.  An even more welcomed sight, was once that horn sounded to end the elongated game, the Black Bears knew they were finally heading home.

Two conference one game road stretches in consecutive weekends against Vermont and BU respectively, left Maine with some much needed confidence and a 4-1-3 record overall.  This weekend Maine faces a struggling Northeastern Huskies squad with revenge on their mind.

Just two years ago, the Huskies shot a top the Hockey East, finishing second overall when the dust finally settled.  On Northeastern’s way towards arguably their best finish in the programs history, the Huskies notched a two game sweep against the University of Maine Black Bear in late October by a scores of 5-0 and 2-1 in Orono.

That series was labeled one of the low points in Maine hockey history as it was also the Black Bears first home stand of that year.  Though in 2010, both squads are drastically different then the teams that laced it up in 2008.

Maine is paced by Hockey East leading scorers Gustav Nyquist and Spencer Abbott (13 points) and have by far the most prolific scoring offense in the conference, besting the next highest team by a goal and half (4.33 g/gm).  On the other end of the spectrum is the abysmal Huskies offense which ranks dead last in scoring (1.75 g/gm) and also in penalty kill.

The Black Bears are undefeated in the Alfond and the Hockey East so far this season, and against the hapless Huskies from Northeastern, don’t expect that to change.  Injuries are also a concern for Maine who may be missing Joey Diamond and Will O’Neil for the series.  One thing is for sure, the fans will definitely be out in full force for the two game series, as the Black Bears look to move to second place in the Hockey East on the weekend’s end.

Bryan Stackpole is the play by play voice for UMaine sports on WMEB 91.9 FM, Orono, Maine.  WMEB can be heard on 91.9 FM and streaming on www.wmeb.fm.  91.9 FM is the only commercial free broadcast of UMaine sports.  Both games against the Northeastern Huskies can be heard on WMEB 91.9 FM at 6:45 p.m. both Friday and Saturday.

Oliver Wahlstrom Returns

Remember Oliver Wahlstrom? The kid who lit up the hockey world with this goal, then talked about it on ESPN?

He was at it again last night on NESN. One question: Tom Caron said Wahlstrom's favorite TV show is Family Guy. He's 10 years old. Think about that.

#Pirates Ground Falcons

Mark Mancari and Luke Adam each scored a goal and an assist to lead the Portland Pirates to a 4-2 win over the Springfield Falcons in an American Hockey League game played tonight in front of 2,498 at the MassMutual Center.

Jacob Lagace and Travis Turnbull netted the other goals for the Pirates, who moved to 11-3-1-0 with the win.

Ben Guite and Tom Sestito scored for the Falcons, who cropped to 7-5-0-1 on the season.

The two teams played through a scoreless opening period. Guite opened the scoring six minutes into the second to give the home side a 1-0 lead. Mancari, with his first power-play goal of the season, evened the game during a five-on-three Pirates man advantage a minute-and-a-half. Five minutes later Adam connected on his League-leading 11th of the season to give Portland a 2-1 lead after two. Lagace connected for his first career AHL goal six minutes into the third before Sestito made it interesting with 1:45 remaining in regulation. Turnbull hit the empty net in the final 30 seconds to insure the victory.

The Falcons out shot the Pirates 32-23 in the game as David Leggio posted the victory.

The Allied Home Mortgage Three Stars of the game were 1. Mancari, 2. Guite and 3. Adam.

The next Pirates home game takes place this Saturday when the Albany Devils visit the Civic Center for a 7 p.m. start. It’s Veterans & Armed Forces Night presented by News Talk 95.5 WLOB and Martin’s Point Health Care as the Pirates salute all the men and women who have served as members of the United States Armed Forces. It’s also another Bud Light Hockey Night in Portland. Tickets for the game, as well as each of the remaining Pirates home games, are on sale now by calling 207-775-3458, visiting the Cumberland County Civic Center Box Office or on-line at ticketmaster.com.

The game can also be seen live on Time Warner Cable Sports beginning at 7 p.m. and heard live on News Talk 95.5 WLOB and on-line on portlandpirates.com beginning with the pre-game show at 6:45 p.m.

::Programming Note:: Portland Pirates Head Coach Kevin Dineen will join Shoe and Matty at 7:25 this morning on 96.3

PTP Player of the Week - Etienne Brodeur

#1 Star Player of the Week - Etienne Brodeur of the Lewiston MAINEiacs takes home the Pine Tree Pucks Player of the Week this week. Brodeur has 3 goals and 3 assists with a +/- of +4. Etienne also leads all QMJHl scorers with 18 goals. Along with this award, Brodeur took home the QMJHL Player of the Week as well.

#2 Star - Mark Parrish of the Portland Pirates - Parrish has 2 goals and 3 assists for a +/- of +3 in the tough stretch for the Pirates.

#3 Star - Luke Adam of the Portland Pirates - Luke continued his torrid scoring pace in the AHL, adding 4 more goals this week.

Kevin Dineen Weekly Visit

Kevin Dineen, head coach of the Portland Pirates, joined Shoe and Matty for his regular visit to the Morning Jab after the Pirates completed their long road trip.

Pirates drop tough one to Charlotte 5 - 4

Luke Adam gets 2 more goals for the Pirates in 5 - 4 loss. (Photo Jeff Schools)

Nick Dodge scored a goal and an assist to lead the Charlotte Checkers to a 5-4 win over the Portland Pirates in an American Hockey League game played tonight in front of 3,689 at the Time Warner Cable Arena.

Oskar Osala, Nicolas Blanchard, Jerome Samson and Chris Terry also replied for the Checkers, who posted their first home victory of the season to improve to 4-6-1-1.

Luke Adam paced the Pirates with two goals while Corey Tropp collected a goal and an assist. Travis Turnbull netted the other goal for Portland, who saw their four-game winning streak come to an end. The Pirates are now 9-3-0-0 on the season.

For the sixth straight game the Pirates scored first as Turnbull’s deflection gave Portland a 1-0 advantage six minutes into the game. The Pirates upped the count six-and-a-half minutes later as Tropp registered his first career AHL regulation goal (he has scored twice in shootouts) to give Portland a 2-0 lead after one. The Checkers exploded in the second scoring three times (Osala, Dodge and Blanchard) in 4:07 to surge into a 3-2 lead but midway through the period Adam silenced the uprising to even thing at three after two. Samson connected 90 seconds into the third to give the Checkers a one-goal lead and Terry upped the advantage to 5-3 with 4:53 left in regulation. Adam scored his second of the game with 25 seconds left to make it close.

Alex Petizian, signed to a try-out contract earlier in the day, made his first career start for the Pirates and allowed five goals on 42 shots to take the loss.

The Checkers out shot the Pirates 42-28 in the game.

The Allied Home Mortgage Three Stars of the game were 1. Dodge, 2. Adam and 3. Terry.

The Pirates will be back in action at the Civic Center on Friday (November 5th) when the Adirondack Phantoms come to town for a 7:30 p.m. faceoff. All fans will receive two free tickets to a future Pirates game with a donation to Goodwill. It’s also United Way Night. As part of the pre-game, a check presentation will be made to the United Way of Greater Portland representing funds raised through the Pirates involvement in the current United Way Campaign. Saturday it’s a Bud Light Hockey Night in Portland when the Pirates host the Providence Bruins at 7 p.m. at the Civic Center.

Tickets for the games, as well as each of the remaining Pirates home games, are on sale now by calling 207-775-3458, visiting the Cumberland County Civic Center Box Office or on-line at ticketmaster.com.

There’s still plenty of time to cash in on great savings by purchasing discounted ticket plans and advance tickets for the Pirates 2010-11 season. Ticket packages are available to meet all budgets and schedules. Call a Pirates Ticket representative today at 207-828-4665 ext. 350 to see what you’ve been missing!

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