* Get out – How many times did you find yourself in your dorm last semester with nothing to do, bored out of your mind, flipping the TV on and off and wondering where all the fun was? I was one of those people. If you’re spending a bit too much of your free time back in your dorm room, maybe you should look at getting out every once in a while. We’ve all heard this time and time again, but it’s true. There is a lot to do on campus. There are plenty of activities going on and you’re bound to find something of interest. No suggestion is better than the next one.

*Go to more hockey games – This is a big thing I really missed out on last semester. I had all the old excuses: “I didn’t have the time,” “I had too much work,” or “I had no one to go with.” I actually went to one last Sunday, and I can’t believe what I was missing all this time. The crowd, the game, the noise, even the food – all fun. I can’t see why I thought spending time in my dorm watching a movie was better than hockey. Plenty of my friends are hockey fans, as are many people in my building. Thereis no longer any excuse for me to pass up every game this season, especially after seeing that awesome 6-0 victory last Sunday.

*Keep up the grades – I was lucky this past semester. I managed to get decent grades in all of my classes – in my important courses that I was severely worried about failing. I even managed to make it out ok. But a couple of my colleagues and friends weren’t as fortunate. All the upperclassman already know this, but some of us first-years learned the hard way about college classes. It’s not high school, and you can screw up pretty badly if you’re not careful. This semester, I’m going to spend a little less time goofing around, and a little more time bringing up that GPA. It’s a suggestion everyone should take to heart.

*Keep a resolution – So you’ve made them, written a huge list, now what? Go ahead and try to keep a few of them. Even if you manage to do so for a few weeks it’s a start. If you manage to make it through half of a year without breaking one of them, that’s an even greater accomplishment. I know it’s something I’d be proud of.

Paul Goodman is a freshman new media major.

If I had any understanding as to the terrible nature of the HIV-AIDS epidemic, that conception was shattered when I saw a film titled “A Closer Walk.” I was greatly disappointed, however, at the lack of true media coverage on World AIDS Day. There was a 10 second sound bite on CNN, a shot of marchers with their red ribbons, but there was little statistical information regarding global case numbers. There was no mention as to what health care workers and the medical community are doing to combat the rising epidemic in African and European nations. The staggering numbers came to light through seeing this independent film. At the end of it, I was left with that same feeling of shock and disbelief that I felt when viewing pieces of Michael Moore documentaries: Why isn’t the rest of the country opening their eyes to this terrifying reality?

First and foremost, I retract comments of judgment I have made about the hand of God being the silent killer behind the scenes of viral infections. Living in the incubated and safe territory of Northern Maine, I was one of many who believed only those with a moral weakness or deficiency could contract the virus. Though I believe that the nature of grand design, for lack of a better metaphor, has allowed these infections to keep some sort of check and balance among human populations, I have no right to judge anyone, period.

The opening sequence in this film shows a girl no older than five contorted in pain with bones stretching the elastic limits of her frail frame. All the doctor could do was sadly stand watch for the inevitable flat-line, and the film’s grim narrative begins. At the film’s end, this young girl perishes; the innocence in her eyes fade like a dying sun. Seeing that face, and the same hopeless expressions on other people in the final stages of the disease, made me choke back tears. This particular disease goes beyond the individual – especially the mothers who are infected and pregnant. The children, who have done nothing, are coming into the world dying as they are born. The ones who have the misfortune of being born in an already under-developed country, without health care, are ultimately left behind without the benefits of temporary remission drugs.

One of the most impressive characters in the film was a young doctor who sacrificed a potentially lucrative practice, foregoing a hospital or small town clinic to help African villages without proper medical resources. Day and night he would travel and give freely of himself in the hopes of making people’s suffering easier to burden. His philosophy was that the neighsayers be damned. He spoke passionately about the world’s lack of empathy for human suffering when it comes to HIV-AIDS.

I sat uneasily in my chair as I realized my blessing of being born into this country without having to suffer disease and a slow death as a result. I looked around the room at my peers and colleagues and wondered what they might be thinking as harrowing images rolled across the screen from one to the next.

One astonishingly cold fact was the current HIV-AIDS virus explosion in the impoverished regions of the former Soviet Union. It was much like the bombed city scene from “Saving Private Ryan” – decimated buildings, bleak skies, colorless and dead vegetation spilling out from caves. A great number of teenagers in those war-torn areas had the misfortune of encountering heroin, which ultimately leads to the sharing of needles among peers – a junkie’s right of passage, according to the film; a symbol among them of trust. The film depicted one teenage couple living in a cave. A heartbreaking scene of the girlfriend shooting dope into her hip while her boyfriend anxiously waited for his turn. Though I cannot remember the exact figure, the number of new cases in former Soviet Union has exponentially multiplied over the last two decades.

Though big-money health care seems staunch in its greed and policies, there are a few people who take to the streets and educate the poor through condom and sterile- needle distribution. They are saving future lives, and helping those already suffering to bare the burden. With all of the madness going on in the world already, I fear that the HIV-AIDS viruses will continue to spread and perhaps mutate into more deadly and terrible strains if left unchecked by the world’s major medical organizations. How the medical community decides whether or not to send planes full of drugs and supplies can live with their own greed is beyond me. Thus, the age-old paradox of man continuing on to bitter ends with no ear to the ground, as the dead cry out to a world refusing to listen.

Adrian Wingard is an English major who wants to someday change the world.

Set up like the type of history book you may remember from eighth grade or high school, it even includes the “This book is the property of:” stamp on the inside of the front cover.

While the basic premise of the book is truthful, “The Daily Show” staff definitely took some historic liberties for comic effect. Although some parts of the book are fabricated, it is the author’s ability to find humor in actual history that delivers. These are the type of people who could find something about the Holocaust to laugh about.

In the chapter that deals with the Judicial Branch of government, there is one controversial segment where you try to match the correct judicial robe to naked Supreme Court justices. My daydreams about what Clarence Thomas looks like naked have finally come true.

“Daily Show” regulars, like Stephen Colbert, Ed Helms and Samantha Bee, to name a few, contribute hilarious sidebars, such as, “Warren G. Harding: Our Worst President,” by Colbert. Colbert compares Harding’s presidency to “a taint, not just in the sense of a ‘stain on the office,’ but literally a taint – the anatomical area between the anus and the testicles.”

No person, country, ethnicity, organization, or celebrity is safe from the wrath of the “Daily Show” writers. The media itself is not free from the stinging sarcasm of the book. Chapter seven is entitled “The Media: Democracy’s Guardian Angel,” in which with only one short page, they tear down current media trends. This media tribute is followed by chapter eight, titled “The Media: Democracy’s Valiant Vulgarians.”

Chapter nine, “The Rest of the World: International House of Horrors” is one of funniest chapters in the book, as it gleefully perpetuates every possible stereotype of major countries and continents. Each nation is given a page or two, which includes a map and humorous facts and comments. On the New Zealand page, it states, “New Zealand boasts a remarkable 50 sheep for every Orc.” In the Middle East section it has a matching activity where you have to match 15 different countries to their sworn enemy, but your only option is Israel. It is antics like these that keep the book fresh and funny from cover to cover.

“America (The Book)” is not the kind of book you sit down and read straight through in one sitting, but the kind that should adorn your coffee table for years to come. You can’t read a page without laughing out loud at least a few times.

While local chain restaurants like Applebee’s, Ruby Tuesday and Ninety Nine have more or less the same menu, Chili’s offers something a little different. Its menu does have the expected hamburgers and turkey wraps, but it also offers food with a southwestern flair.

The Margarita Grilled Chicken is marinated in margarita mix and served with rice, black bean and tortilla strips. It actually tastes like something you might find in Texas – I’ve never actually been to Texas, but I can just imagine.

Over break I frequented Chili’s a few more times than I should have, and each time I had a solid experience, whether I was there for dinner or just for drinks. Only once did I have to wait for a table, which is very impressive considering that when a new restaurant opens in the area, people flock to it like religious fanatics flock to see weeping statues.

The wait staff who served me were always very nice and patient, regardless of how long it took me to make up my mind on my order and no matter how many Dr. Peppers they had to refill.

The Turkey Combo, comprised of half of a turkey sandwich with french fries and your choice of soup or salad, is my Chili’s meal of choice. While this sandwich can easily be found at other chain restaurants, both times I ordered it, I was pleased. For $6.49 it’s quite a bit of food for a good price.

The bar area is fairly stylish. It has a calming blue tone and the lack of televisions help make it pretty relaxing. It’s not the kind of bar you would go to if you wanted to get wildly drunk, but it’s a nice place to have a couple of drinks before or after a movie or dinner. There are no drink specials, most beers are in the $3.50 and up range, and the mixed drinks can be pricey, but that’s to be expected at bars in chain restaurants – If you really want to drink a lot, rock Uno’s $2 Killian’s deal.

If you’re looking for something a little different than the usual chain restaurant, then you should give Chili’s a try. The food is good, the service is excellent and the prices are very fair.

“Totally Obsessed” is the perfect cure for any self-pity you may be feeling. This program showcases some of the biggest losers and freaks in the country. It is basically a documentary about people who happen to be obsessed with certain aspects of life. However, these are not healthy obsessions: there are no Howard Hugheses or Edgar Allen Poes in this bunch. Instead, we are left with the degenerates of society, the kind of people you physically shy away from when you pass on the sidewalk.

For instance, one episode chronicled the lives of various people obsessed with the desire to play the “Madden Football” video-game series. Now, I’ve played an unhealthy amount of video games in my day, but these people put Jimmy from “The Wizard” to shame. One guy, for example, had an unusually good-looking girlfriend, but was always too busy playing “Madden” with his friend to give her any attention. I’m not even sure he knew what sex was – unless it involved him rubbing his X-Box controller on his groin. His girlfriend eventually broke up with him, because “Madden” was the only thing in his life that seemed to matter.

Another guy competed in “Madden” tournaments and seemed to believe that playing a sports video game somehow made him an athlete. He dressed up like Michael Vick and may have actually believed he was Vick while playing the game, even though he was about 75 pounds overweight with a bad case of acne.

In another episode of the show, I saw something that still haunts my nightmares to this day. A normal looking pair of parents, who had normal jobs and a normal daughter, have been raising a Cabbage Patch doll for the past 19 years, treating it as a normal kid. You couldn’t make this kind of stuff up. “Kevin,” as the “parents” of the doll called it, received toys and food, watched television went fishing, and even had its own college fund.

Now, if you thought your parents were weird in any way, just be thankful that they don’t have a doll they treat like a real boy. At any moment I expected the doll to bust out the “Hi, I’m Chucky. Wanna Play?” line.

So, my advice to everyone is: If you’re feeling depressed or down, and think that life can’t get any worse, catch a few minutes of “Totally Obsessed” and you will quickly feel much better. Nothing helps inflate self-esteem like seeing someone who believes himself to be part-Klingon.

The iPod Shuffle is the smallest iPod yet, and is Apple’s answer to the growing range of compact flash digital music devices.

Barely the size of a pack of chewing gum, the iPod shuffle dispenses with a screen display, and instead plays its music on constant shuffle mode, or by pre-set playlists, determined via the iTunes interface.

It features the trademark iPod click wheel, a 12-hour rechargeable battery and built-in USB port. It works with PCs and Macs, and can be worn around the neck with a built-in lanyard.

Most appealing is that this iPod will be more affordable for the masses. One model features 512MB – 120 songs – of memory and will retail at $99 in the US, with a 1GB -240 songs – model costing $149. The iPod shuffle has already been shipped from factories.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs also announced that the first generation of iTunes compatible mobile phones – produced by Motorola – will be available in shops within the next six months. Additionally, Mercedes, Nissan, Volvo, Scion and Ferrari join BMW in manufacturing cars with iPod inputs.

*

The band Garbage is releasing their first album in four years on April 11.

“Bleed Like Me” – the follow-up to 2001′s “beautifulgarbage,” features Dave Grohl on drums for the track “Bad Boyfriend.”

Tracks set to appear on “Bleed Like Me” are: “Run Baby Run,” “Right Between the Eyes,” “Why Do You Love Me,” “Bleed Like Me,” “It’s All Over But the Crying,” “Boys Wanna Fight,” “Sex is not the Enemy,” “Metal Heart,” “Why Don’t You Come Over” and “Happy Home.”

Speaking about the album, lead singer Shirley Manson said, “The record is done, and not only is it done, but it’s pretty f*cking stellar.”

*

R&B artist Michael Eugene Archer, better known as D’Angelo, was charged with operating under the influence and drug possession after a traffic stop. Police in Richmond, VA arrested the Grammy Award-winning singer early Sunday. A subsequent search turned up “what we believe to be cocaine and marijuana,” said police Captain Karl Leonard.

Along with drunk driving, Archer was charged with possession of marijuana and possession of a controlled substance.

The artist has kept a low profile since the 2000 release of his last Virgin album, “Voodoo.” That set has sold around 1.8 million copies in the United States.

*

After months of speculation, Chris and Rich Robinson are reviving the Black Crowes for a five-night stand at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom.

“Regardless of the speculation, we are going to see how these shows at the Hammerstein evolve before giving any further consideration to additional shows,” he said. Tickets for the March 22-23, 25-27 shows will be available Jan. 25 via presale on the band’s official Website, and Feb. 5 via Ticketmaster.

The Robinsons have yet to announce which, if any, musicians will back them at the shows, which will feature support from the John Butler Trio (March 22), the Bees (March 23), the Soundtrack of Our Lives (March 25), North Mississippi Allstars (March 26) and Ben Kweller (March 27).

In the sequel to the 2000 comedy, Greg (Ben Stiller) and Pam (Teri Polo) travel with Pam’s parents (Robert De Niro and Blythe Danner) to meet Greg’s wacky parents (Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand).

While the movie does a decent job of creating a few laughs, it pales in comparison to the original. “Meet the Parents” succeeded because the humor was natural and unforced, which is not the case in this installment. A lot of the humor is recycled jokes from the first movie. There are very few original funny moments.

The movie does have a few shining moments, however, including Greg’s truth-serum-induced speech in front of his entire family, where he admits to fathering a child with his childhood nanny. Hoffman makes a nice addition to the cast and helps to carry more than his share of the movie. De Niro’s role has been reduced to being a complete jackass to help juxtapose the carefree nature of Hoffman’s character.

If you are able to watch the movie without comparing it to the original, you may be able to enjoy it. However, as soon as you begin to think about “Meet the Parents” you will realize just how truly hollow “Meet the Fockers” is.

*

In “Ocean’s 11,” Danny Ocean, played by George Clooney, and his gang of thieves stole $160 million from Vegas tycoon Terry Benedict, played by Andy Garcia. In “Ocean’s 12″ Benedict has tracked down the gang and wants his money back. In order to pay back the money, much of which they have already spent, the gang has to reassemble and travel to Europe to start thieving again.

The entire star-studded cast from the original has returned, with the addition of Catherine Zeta-Jones, who plays a law enforcement agent on the tail of the gang. The cast is pretty solid, though nothing spectacular. Clooney and Brad Pitt do a good job of holding it together. Matt Damon’s character is one of the brighter spots of the movie – his self-consciousness is both funny and relatable.

While “Ocean’s 11″ was nothing amazing, it at least had a good plot and high entertainment value. “Ocean’s 12″ struggles in both of these categories, proving that a star cast can not make up for a weak plot.

The plot isn’t necessarily weak, it’s just that some scenes are ridiculous. The movie can seem to drag and there is no real climax. It is just still just as flashy as the original but without any substance, which makes the flash useless. The movie ends leaving the viewer wondering if that’s all there is. The “big heist” is lame, anticlimactic and un-suspenseful.

With so many heist movies out there, “Ocean’s 12″ does nothing to set itself apart from the others, and the cast can’t salvage it from the depths of the mundane.

*

Leonardo DiCaprio doubters be scared, be really scared. In this year’s sure-fire best picture contender “The Aviator,” the talented playboy manages to give the type of performance that will go down in acting history and silence disbelievers everywhere.

In Martin Scorsese’s elegantly filmed biopic about Howard Hughes, DiCaprio is at the top of his game. If you thought he was good as wandering Jack in “Titanic” or Frankie in Steven Spielberg’s “Catch Me If You Can,” wait until you see “The Aviator.” As the daring Hughes, DiCaprio gives himself over to the film, firmly establishing the high flying epic as his movie.

Although that’s not to say the movie doesn’t have its own fantastic supporting performances. Look no further than Alan Alda as Maine senator Owen Brewster, who leads the charge against Hughes as being a war profiteer. In the film’s most jarring battle, Brewster and Hughes go head-to-head in a series of congressional hearings. Alda crafts Brewster as the sniveling villain that audience love to loathe. Cate Blanchett follows up Alda’s portrayal with her own Oscar-worthy performance as Katherine Hepburn, one of Hughes many love interests.

The drama’s most satisfying scene may come in a dinner table exchange with Hepburn’s Connecticut family and a visiting Hughes. Scorsese also manages to get help from the rest of his cast, which includes John C. Riley as Hughes’ agent, Alec Baldwin as Hughes’ rival and Kate Beckinsale as Eva Gardner.

Scorsese may get his first win for best director after skillfully blending action, drama and sympathy together. More than anything it is a film about one trying to overcome their own demons. Definitely one of the best films of the year.

*

One year removed from scoring his first-ever Oscar nomination for “Pirates of the Caribbean,” man of the moment Johnny Depp is poised to return to film industry’s version of the Super Bowl, thanks to a magical performance in Marc Foster’s delightful “Finding Neverland.”

While Depp’s flashy role as the erratic pirate Jack Sparrow garnered uber press, it is his heartfelt performance as “Peter Pan” playwright J.M. Barrie that is the stuff of cinematic glory. Depp manages to perfectly portray Barrie as a man searching for his creative moment of truth, while yearning for an honest relationship. Barrie finds that special friendship with ailing widow Sylvia Llewellyn Davis and her four young sons, one of whom is named Peter, inspires what would be his most illustrious work.

Davis, played with the type of grace only three-time Oscar nominee Kate Winslet could behold, nearly steals the show. In the role of Davis, Winslet gives the drama its most tear-jerking power and provides the backing for the Barrie-Davis relationship, which is the heart of the film.

Rounding out the well-acted ensemble is newcomer Freddie Highmore as Peter. Highmore, bowing in at the grand old age of nine, gives the most powerful performance of any child actor since Haley Joel Osment in “The Sixth Sense.” He provides an unforgettable portrait of an emotionally distraught boy trying to deal with the loss of his father and the approaching death of his mother.

Although the story drags at a few different parts it is more than excusable thanks to the brilliant performances of its cast.

*

“Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events” follows the misadventures of the three Beaudelaire children, starting with the tragic death of their parents in a fire and spiraling through a steadily worsening series of unfortunate events from there. Their villainous “cousin,” Count Olaf (Jim Carey) sets out to obtain their large inheritance any way he can.

Carey’s typical overacting is, for once, appropriate in this role. He plays Olaf as a melodramatic caricature of a villain, which works well in the role, which is a blatant cliche of the old-fashioned bad guy, attempting utterly devious and ridiculous plans and failing miserably every time. The children, Violet (Emily Browning), Klaus (Liam Aiken) and Sunny (Kate and Shelby Hoffman) struggle through numerous trials, tribulations and near-death experiences, escaping Count Olaf and working their way through some horrible – and horribly funny – situations.

In the end, the children pull together to save the day, resulting in laughs and sighs of relief. With cameos by Meryl Streep, Billy Connelly and Jude Law, “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events” is a well-rounded film that combines dramatics, comedy and excellent effects into a visually and mentally pleasing production, along with a great cast.

The biggest news of the second half thus far is the assault that Colorado College delivered to previously top-ranked Minnesota. The Tigers of CC swept the Gophers on their home ice. Colorado College won Sunday’s matchup 5-3 after escaping Saturday night with a 3-2 victory in overtime. Standout forwards to watch on CC are Marty Sertich, who to this point has 18 goals and 21 assists for 39 points in just 21 games, and Brent Sterling with 19 goals and 17 assists for 36 points in 21 games. Minnesota’s Ryan Potulny was held scoreless over the weekend. Potulny currently has 19 goals and 9 assists for 28 points and is another player to watch.

Wisconsin and Denver continued to roll in the Western College Hockey Association with victories over St. Cloud State and Michigan Tech, respectively.

In the Central Collegiate Hockey Association there were some close games and some not so close. The conference leading Michigan Wolverines defeated Western Michigan 6-5 with Michigan getting the game winning goal with under a minute to play. The game showcased two of the top forwards in the country. Michigan’s T.J. Hensick who recently showed off his talent for team USA in the World Junior Tournament has 13 goals and 15 assists for 28 points in just 19 games. While Western Michigan’s Brent Walton has 15 goals and 18 assists for 33 points in 20 games. Ferris State surprised second seeded Ohio State with a 3-2 overtime victory.

The big game of the week in the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference was Harvard defeating Cornell 1-0 Saturday, with stellar net-minding on both sides. The goalies will likely appear in the Hobey Baker running: Dov Grummet-Morris of Harvard and David Mckee of Cornell. Grummet Morris has a 8-4-2 record with a .942 save percentage and a 1.78 GAA for the Crimson, while Mckee has a 9-4-2 record with a .924 save percentage and a 1.67 GAA.

The College Hockey America Conference showcased a pair of close games over the weekend. As well. Conference leading Alabama Huntsville and Wayne State skated to a 3-3 tie Saturday and second seeded Bemidji State squeaked by Air Force 4-3 in over time.

There are some great match-ups set for Jan. 14 and 15 with North Dakota at Colorado College in the WCHA, Boston University at Boston College in Hockey East, and Ohio State at Notre Dame in the CCHA.

Although the UMaine squads did not come away with a team victory, there were many individual wins, most notably Megan Wolters, who continuined her hot streak. On Sunday, Wolters set a new UMaine women’s swim record in the 500 yard freestyle with a time of 5:07.16.

To go along with her record-breaking 500 yard freestyle, Megan Wolters also took first place in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:56.18. Tal Shpaizer took two wins in the meet with first-place finishes in the 100-yard backstroke in 1:00.32 and in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:08.55.

Karin Feldman had a strong meet with a first-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly. Feldman posted a time of 1:01.25 and a second-place finish in the 200-yard butterfly in 2:16.11. Heather Griffin finished second in two events, the 50-yard freestyle in 26.37 and in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 56.67.

Brittany Harrington finished second in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:28.65. In the relay events, the Black Bears took first place in the 200-yard medley relay.

In diving, Jessica Pratt managed to take second place in the one-meter diving event, while Shannon Scott took third place in the same event.

On the men’s side, the Black Bears were paced by Andy Magiera, who had two first-place finishes, one in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 55.73, and another win in the 200-yard individual medley. Zach Gray swam away with a win in the 500-yard freestyle in 5:17.91.

UMaine also came away from the meet with a handful of second-place finishes. Martin Fitch placed second in the 100-yard backstroke in 58.65, Zach Weinman was second in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:03.68, and Jason Stevens took second in the 100-yard freestyle in 50.45. Scott Forrestall raked in a memorable performance with a personal best in the 1,000-yard freestyle with a time of 10:48.97.

In the relay events, the Black Bears took first place in the 200-yard free relay and a second place finish in the 200 yard medley relay.

Both UMaine swim and diving teams will face Providence College for their final home meet of the season at noon Friday, Jan. 16 at Wallace Pool.

After an overwhelming 6-0 pounding of Quinnipiac Sunday night, the Black Bears will begin a stretch of 14 Hockey East contests before the start of the conference tournament. UMaine will usher in the Hockey East portion of their schedule with a road excursion this weekend with an important two-game slate against the University of Massachusetts.

UMaine head coach Tim Whitehead believes the Black Bears are ready to make an assault on the conference standings.

“I think we are ready to make a run,” said Whitehead. “The competition will continue to get tougher and tougher each weekend but I think we are prepared for that.”

The Black Bears enter the series currently 11-8-3 on the year and 6-3-1 in conference play. The squad ranks fifteenth in the nation in the USA Today-USA Hockey Magazine poll and in the USCHO-CSTV poll. UMass enters the series coming off a tough loss to UMass-Lowell last Saturday and a 10-11-1 overall mark. However, the Minuteman stand just two points behind the Black Bears in the Hockey East Standings with a 4-6-1 record, good enough for fifth place.

Whitehead believes the opening series against the Minuteman will bring with it weighted importance.

“We need to start strong out of the gate against UMass,” said Whitehead.

UMaine heads to the Mullin Center coming off a pummeling of Quinnipiac, which saw Troy Barnes tie a program record for assists in a game with five. Barnes joined Adred Aubut, Paul Kariya, Chris Ferraro, Marcus Gustafsson and Martin Kariya who all share the record. Barnes also tied the school records for assists in a game by a defenseman and points in a game by a defenseman.

Whitehead commented on his defenseman’s record-setting performance.

“Its remarkable, I’m very happy for him,” said Whitehead. “To put together five assists like that is special. He has had a great career here.”

Whitehead also believes the play of a senior leader like Barnes at this time in this season could create many benefits.

“It’s very important, we have been looking to our junior and seniors to elevate their games and expand as the year goes on,” said Whitehead.

On Monday afternoon, Barnes was named the Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week. It was the first defensive player of the week honor for Barnes in his career. It is the second time this season a Black Bear has been named Defensive Player of the Week.

After the game, Barnes discussed his achievement.

“Its a huge plus, its an honor to be in a category like that,” said Barnes. “I give all the credit to my teammates.”

When asked when was the last time he recorded that many assists in a game Barnes jokingly responded, “The outdoor rink at my home probably.”

Barnes’ teammates were the sudden outburst of production for Barnes. Goaltender Jimmy Howard, who earned his third shutout of the season, took time to talk about Barnes’ night after the game.

“[Barnes] came out of nowhere,” said Howard. “That will do wonders for his confidence, we are really going to need him down the stretch.”

Howard talked about his third shutout, as well.

“The shots they had I saw them all the way and when I can see them I usually stop them,” said Howard.

Whitehead feels the shutout is just what Howard needs to get on a hot streak.

“I think Jimmy is really going to have a great second half,” said Whitehead. “He has been cleared by the doctors to train all out to get into great shape for the stretch run.”

Josh Soares contributed significantly for the Black Bears against the Bobcats hauling in two goals in the match.

“Soares is perhaps our most improved player,” said Whitehead. “Great guy who has worked extremely hard to get into great shape, I am really happy for him.”

After the decision, Soares talked about the chanced to play at home after being away for nearly a month.

“It was really nice to be back playing in front of the home crowd,” said Soares. “They give you that boost, that extra jump in your stride.”

Soares also feels the shutout victory will give the team some much needed momentum.

“It’s something we really need right now, to have a complete game like we did we are really happy with it,” said Soares.

UMaine will hope to carry over their recent success against a deadly UMass squad that will be eager to avenge two straight losses. The first of which came in an epic triple overtime duel for the Hockey East Championship. The most recent came in November when UMaine squashed the Minutemen 6-2 at Alfond Arena. Overall, the teams have played each other 40 times, with the Black Bears carrying a 31-6-3 record into this weeks series.

The Minutemen assault will be led by junior Stephen Werner who currently has a team best of eleven goals and ten assists for 21 points. Sophomore Matt Anderson leads the way in the assist department with 13, as well as seven goals. Rounding the top three for UMass is freshman P.J Fenton who has recorded nine goals and seven assists.

In net, the Minutemen will be backed by junior stopper Gabe Winer. The often overlooked keeper has registered a 2.71 goals against average and a .897 save percentage in 16 games.

Senior Tim Warner backs Winer in net with a 3.15 goals against average and a .887 save percentage.

The matchup with the Minutemen is one the Black Bears are eager to get under way with.

“I can’t wait, if we keep sticking to the game plan we are going to come together,” said Howard. “If we focus on the things we need to do we are going to be a tough team to beat.”

Barnes also believes the time is now for the Black Bears.

“We’ve had a lot of meetings and we know we have to come prepared in the second half or were going to be in danger of not making the tournament,” said Barnes. “We don’t want that to happen, so hopefully collective we pick it up.”

Both games are slated to begin at 7 p.m. in Amherst, Mass.