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University of Maine men’s ice hockey interim coach Tim Whitehead succinctly characterized the task at hand for his Black Bears in the Frozen Four at a pep rally in Memorial Union on Monday.
“We have some unfinished business to care of.”
The team was sent off in grand style as students and fans packed the seating area of the Maine Marketplace to give their encouragement to the hockey team.
The rally was an exhibition of the spirit that guides this year’s team.
“We’ve tried to make this a season that Shawn [Walsh] would be proud of,” Whitehead said at the rally. “I think that he’d be proud of this team.”
“This team has lived true to what Shawn Walsh established,” UMaine President Peter S. Hoff said. “They have remained committed and they will bring him back a trophy.”
“This team has come a long way this year,” Whitehead said. “We’ve had plenty of highs and lows. At the beginning, we had a lot more lows than highs, and now we have a lot more highs than lows. The one constant that remained was the commitment from everyone on this team to play for Shawn Walsh and to make sure he would be proud of us.”
And while it was another opportunity to remember what Walsh gave to the program, it was also a love-in for Whitehead.
When he was introduced to the crowd, he received an ovation that lasted a minute-and-a-half. The ovation may have lasted longer had Whitehead not cut it off by beginning to speak. Even the humble Whitehead snuck a smile through the ovation. He then thanked the fans for making Alfond Arena, “the best home ice advantage in all of college hockey.”
Senior captain Peter Metcalf addressed the crowd, saying that his group of seniors has been a part of something special.
“This is our third time in the Frozen Four in four years. And if we win, it will be our second national championship, which is not something that happens a lot. It would be really special to us.”
He also asked the crowd for one more “Let’s Go Maine!” chant, since he would never play at Alfond Arena again, a request that was duly obliged.
Senior goalie Mike Morrison also addressed the crowd, asking them to break into an “M-A-I-N-E Go Blue!” chant, which the crowd did. He was also sentimental.
“When we got together six months ago, it was for the wrong reasons,” he said. “Now we’re on the verge of another championship. That trophy will be a beauty and you will all see it.”
Bangor Daily News