Sports

Meet our “cool as ice” first-years

By Nick McCrea

Posted on Nov. 05, 2007, at 12:00 a.m.

The 2007-2008 Black Bears have a large contingent of first-year players. It’s early in the season but many of them are seeing plenty of playing time and are contributing to the team early in the season. They’re a varied group, each with their own talents and level of experience. Here you’ll learn a little about them and get some of their views on their first experiences in University of Maine uniforms.

#3, Jeff Dimmen, Defense

This 6-0, 188 lb. first-year started playing hockey at the age of eight in Colorado Springs, Colo. He played in Colorado through high school. From there, he went on to play with the St. Louis Bandits, a North American Hockey League team. Dimmen was the Bandits’ top defenseman and helped lead the team to victory in the Junior A National Championship. While with the Bandits, he tallied nine goals and 38 assists for a total of 47 points in just 48 games. He was named First Team All-NAHL and St. Louis Bandits’ Defenseman of the Year for his efforts last season. Dimmen played with the Alaska Avalanche in the 2005-2006 season and the Pikes Peaks Miners AAA in 2004-2005. He describes himself as “a gritty defenseman that has good offensive abilities and a strong skater.”

#4, Mike Banwell, Defense

This 6-2, 190 lb. first-year said he lost out on his usual No. 15 jersey when Glenn Belmore snagged it by committing to Maine earlier. Banwell has been on skates since he hit four years old. For the past four years he played for the Pickering Panthers of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League, where he was assistant captain. The Panthers lost in the South Conference Final, but Banwell was given the squad’s Best Defenseman Award. In his latest season, he played in 35 games, scoring five goals and adding nine assists. Conditioning is no problem for Banwell, as he won the city-wide Toronto Maple Leaf High School Fitness Challenge in 2005. He’s also a standout in cross-country and track and field, winning the Ontario Indoor Track and Field Championship in the 1,500 meters.

He’s a physical player and takes pride in keeping the opposition away from the net. However, he says he’d like to improve on his offensive game this year and avoid over analyzing situations.

#5, Josh Van Dyk, Defense

The 6-1, 190 lb. first-year started skating and playing hockey at just four years old in an outdoor rink at a park behind his home in Woodstock, Ontario. Most recently, he played for the Hamilton Red Wings Provincial Junior A team, which won the division title in his second year there. In that season, he wore an “A” on his jersey and totaled 59 points in just 46 games, earning him the team’s Best Defenseman Award. He finished second in defensive scoring in the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League. Prior to that, he played for the Woodstock Navy Vets Junior C team and Stratford Collitons Junior B team.

He says he’s an offensive defenseman who sees the ice well and makes quality passes and plays. But he hopes to improve his level of physicality and his speed this season so that he can become an all-situation player for the Black Bears. Coach Whitehead said he was “perhaps the most talented of our incoming freshmen.”

Van Dyk was as impressed as the other freshmen with the atmosphere and tradition associated with UMaine hockey. “My first experience at the Alfond was intense, the crowd was amazing with the chants, the band playing and skating out of the bear head was awesome. It’s nice to have that kind of fan support, I think that it shows you what kind of tradition that the University of Maine hockey brings to the table. Every year they have a great team and I hope that I can help contribute to or at least be apart of the success in the future that they have been known for in the past.”

#6, Andrew Sweetland, Forward

The now 6-2, 204 lb. first-year from Bonavista, Newfoundland, started skating at the age of three, and it shows. Last year, he was a goal-scoring machine with the Amherst Ramblers. He set a club record last season by putting 56 pucks into the net and doling out 61 assists for 117 points in just 54 games. Those numbers made him the Ramblers’ Most Valuable Player which earned him the Vern Hurley Memorial Award in the Maritime Junior Hockey League. He also earned first-team All-Star honors in the MJAHL. Sweetland has three relatives in the NHL: Michael Ryder, who played for the Montreal Canadians and Daniel Ryder and Adam Pardy, both of whom were drafted by the Calgary Flames.

Sweetland is a big forward who’s good on his skates and can put the puck in the net. He said he’d like to improve his physicality, puck protection and overall strength and conditioning.

#15, Glenn Belmore, Forward

This 6-0, 198 lb. first-year comes out of Cornwall, Ontario. He last played for the Wellington Dukes of the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League, where he tallied 45 points in 45 games with 20 goals in his latest season. He helped lead the team to the Eastern and Southeastern Conference Championships last year. Belmore and his teammates (including fellow Black Bear first-year Keif Orsini) on Team Canada East won a silver medal at the World Senior A Challenge. He was also an avid rugby, soccer and basketball player throughout secondary school.

He sees himself as a physical forward who can get back to the other end of the ice and play solid defense. This season, he would like to improve his acceleration, starting and stopping on his skates, as well as his overall defensive play and vision with the puck.

#18, Keif Orsini, Forward

A 5-11, 185 lb. first-year who started playing hockey at the age of five in Montreal, Canada. Most recently, he played for two years in a Junior A Canadian League with the Nepeon Raiders and St. Jerome Panthers. In his latest season, he racked up 70 points in 44 games on 25 goals and his team went on to with their regular season championship. In the 2006 World Senior A Championship his team (including fellow first-year Belmore) won the silver medal. Orsini was named Most Promising Player at the Eastern Canadian Championship.

He describes himself as a well-rounded player who “likes to get his nose dirty” on both ends of the ice. He’s a smart player who knows the game, but said he’s going to work on his shot power and overall strength this season so he can outmuscle larger players.

#20, Nick Payson, Forward

This 5-11, 200 lb. first-year is a local product; he grew up just across the town line in Veazie and attended Bangor High School. He played for two years at Bangor High under new UMaine assistant coach Dan Kerluke. He had one of the more successful high school hockey careers in recent memory in his two years as captain of the Bangor High squad. Through those two seasons he boasted 141 points in just 45 games .After that but before coming to UMaine, he spent two years playing for the Portland Junior Pirates. In 2006-2007 he compiled 23 goals and 17 assists in 40 games.

#22, Lem Randall, Forward

The 6-1, 205 lb. first-year hails from Snow Lake, Manitoba, Canada. He played four years in the Manitoba Junior League with the OCN Blizzard. While with the Blizzard, he earned a trip to the MJHL All-Star game and won the Human Wrecking Ball Award. Last season, he finished second on the team in points scored, with 101 in 63 regular season games.

Randall sees himself as a hard-nosed forward who likes to lay down big hits along the boards and fight for the puck in the corners. The biggest thing he’d like to work on this season is his confidence while handling the puck.

#25, Robby Dee, Forward

A 6-1, 185 lb, product of Plymouth, Minnesota, Dee spent his last two seasons with the Omaha Lancers. He played in 65 games in his two seasons with the team, but both seasons were cut short by a shoulder injury. Dee had surgery in the offseason but seems to be back in top shape for his first games in a Black Bear uniform. Before his time with the Lancers, he played for the Breck School and was named All-State, All-Conference and All-Metro and was a finalist for Mr. Hockey in Minnesota. He also helped his team to the state championship title in his junior year.

Dee has proven that he can score goals with his speed and stick skills and should see a lot of playing time as a first-year.

#29, Tanner House, Forward

The 6-1, 200 lb. first-year out of Cochrane, Alberta, has been on skates since the age of five. His last team was the Penticton Vees of the British Columbia Junior Hockey League. As team captain, he posted 14 goals and 55 assists for 69 points in 58 games played, earning him the “Vee of Vees Award” and the Academic Award. He’d later serve as captain of the Interior Conference All-Star Team.

House is a big center with a head for the game and can use his size to protect the puck. He said he would like to work on his goal scoring ability and quickness on the ice this season. Coach Whitehead has said he’ll get that chance this year as he should earn ice time early on.

17 Kevin Swallow, Forward

A 6-0, 189 lb. junior transfer this season from Dartmouth College. He’ll be redshirting this season but will have two years of eligibility afterward. Before he played for Dartmouth, he spent two years with the Chicago Steel of the USHL. He’s seen some international experience with the US National Under 17 Team, which won a gold medal in the Four Nations Cup in 2002-2003.