A week later, that no longer looks like a problem for Cosgrove and the Black Bears.

After sophomore Chris Treister’s record-setting performance in Saturday’s 41-17 win over the University of Rhode Island, the quarterback spot seems to be in a solid position heading into this weekend’s showdown with archrival, the University of New Hampshire.

The Black Bears travel to Cowell Stadium for a noon battle with the No. 11 Wildcats on Saturday in a fight for the Brice-Cowell Musket and the Colonial Athletic Association North Division title. The Brice-Cowell Musket is given annually to the winner of the UMaine-UNH rivalry.

“They’re a well-coached Maine team, a very aggressive Maine team,” UNH coach Sean McDonnell said in Monday’s CAA weekly teleconference. “We’re playing for the North Championship. We’re playing for the Musket. It’s going to be a battle.”

UMaine (5-5, 4-3 CAA) currently sits one game back in the conference standings behind a UNH team that is coming off a heartbreaking 20-17 loss at the fourth-ranked College of William & Mary. UNH is 8-2 on the season and 5-2 in the conference.

Wildcats balanced

For six years, the Brice-Cowell Musket has been in the hands of UNH. On Saturday, the Black Bears would like to change that, but will have to deal with one of the top teams in not only the conference but the Football Championship Subdivision.

“Our respect for New Hampshire is as high as you could ask,” Cosgrove said. “This is a program that has handed it to us for a number of years.”

Offensively, UNH is usually known for their potent passing attack but has a much more balanced attack this season. They are ranked first in the conference in scoring offense with a little more than 33 points per game.

Junior quarterback R.J. Toman, the Preseason CAA Offensive Player of the Year, has struggled at times this season but still has 1,749 yards through the air and 12 touchdowns. He also has 10 interceptions.

The receiving corps, which lost its top two wide receivers from a season ago, is led by All-American tight end Scott Sicko (44 receptions, 589 yards, 7 touchdowns).

The running attack is a two-headed attack with Chad Kackert (124 carries, 624 yds., 8 TDs) and Sean Jellison (89 carries, 416 yds., 7 TDs).

Defensively, the Wildcats are solid as well, ranking fourth in scoring defense (19.1 points per game). They are led by two of the conference’s top tacklers in Devon Jackson (81) and Sean Ware (80). Terrence Klein (5 interceptions) and Dino Vasso (4) lead the secondary.

Kicker Tom Manning highlights the special teams unit connecting on 16-of-20 field goals this season.

Records set offensively

Treister made a memorable debut as the starting quarterback and gave UMaine fans a glimpse during the last home game that the quarterback position is filled with talent and depth.

The sophomore, who has seen little duty as a backup, passed for 465 yards on 39 for 45 passing to go with five touchdowns. He also added a touchdown on the ground and led the team in rushing on the afternoon.

“Chris was very good with his preparation, and I was amazed at just how accurate he was,” Cosgrove said. “I look at 39 for 45, and I’ve never seen it.”

Treister broke the completions mark at UMaine with 39 and broke the completion percentage mark (86.7 percent).

For his efforts, the Cape Elizabeth native and former Portland High star was awarded The Sports Network National Co-Offensive Player of the Week. He was also named the CAA Offensive Player of the Week.

His performance caught the eye of the league coaches, including the coach he will be facing this weekend.

“I was extremely impressed with Chris Treister,” McDonnell said. “He’s a kid that we recruited out of Portland. He was on target with all of his passes on Saturday.”

The recipients of Treister’s passes also had huge days. Senior wide receiver Landis Williams caught 17 passes for 220 yards and three touchdowns. He tied the single game receptions record for UMaine. He leads the CAA in receptions (65), receiving yards (742) and is tied for touchdowns (8).

Ty Jones added nine catches for 112 yards and a score. Mike Brusko had nine catches as well for 57 yards and a touchdown.

Maturing defense

While the offensive exploits of the Black Bears stole the show last weekend, the defense held a URI attack that scored 42 points on UNH to just 17 points and 187 total yards.

“A lot of the accolades will go to the offense for their performance … but I was just as pleased with our defensive effort,” Cosgrove said.

The defense has been a young unit all season, with only two starters having been in the starting lineup the whole season. With such a young team, the defense has endured its fair share of struggles.

One thing the Black Bears have thrived on is forcing turnovers though, tying UNH with the lead in interceptions (18) and sitting in second in turnovers (28) behind the Wildcats.

Sophomore linebacker Donte Dennis leads the defensive unit with 99 tackles and four interceptions. Senior defensive end Jordan Stevens has 10 sacks on the season and sophomore safety Jerron McMillian is tied for first in the conference in interceptions with five.

“We’re maturing, we’re growing, we’re getting better each week with our young players,” Cosgrove said, “and they have a 34-7 second half which is indicative of the growth I think we’re seeing here as a football team.”

This weekend, the Black Bears will host the Eagles for a pair at Alfond Arena and are looking to continue their recent success at home.

“We’ve re-established our home ice advantage,” UMaine coach Tim Whitehead said. “We’re fortunate to have [BC] twice at home this year, so hopefully we can take advantage of that.”

UMaine (4-6-0, 3-3-0 Hockey East) has won three straight home games, including two against top-10 teams. They managed a rare road win last Friday against Northeastern University but could not complete the weekend sweep, dropping Saturday’s game 5-2.

“Saturday night was a great reminder for our team that we’ve come a long way, but not as far as we need to,” Whitehead said. “It’s a good wake-up call for our team.”

After UMaine left wing Brian Flynn’s goal tied the game 7:38 into the third period, the Huskies responded less than a minute later and pulled away with a pair of power-play goals. It was the fourth time this season UMaine has allowed a goal within a minute of scoring.

“It’s always tough when a team scores right after you’ve scored, because it takes away that momentum you’ve just gained,” Whitehead said.

UMaine junior defenseman Mike Banwell cited poor discipline.

“We gave them all the opportunity to score, and they utilized it pretty well,” Banwell said.

The Black Bears’ penalty-killing unit was without senior forward David deKastrozza, who left the Nov. 8 game against BU in the second period after sustaining a concussion. DeKastrozza practiced with a non-contact jersey for the first time on Tuesday and is expected to be in the lineup this weekend.

“We definitely felt his absence this weekend,” Banwell said. “He’s very strong on faceoffs for us, which is obviously a big key to the game. Especially on penalty killing, if you can win a faceoff that can be the difference clearing a puck and not clearing a puck.”

UMaine gained some confidence after winning Friday’s Hockey East game on the road. Their previous win in a conference opponent’s arena was Feb. 7 at the University of New Hampshire, a game played in Manchester rather than the Olympic-sized rink in Durham.

“We’ve been feeling pretty comfortable in our own rink, and we’ve had success here, but we really needed to get some road wins,” Banwell said.

In the 6-2 win, the scoring was spread out among six different players. Whitehead reunited former New Hampshire Junior Monarchs linemates Matt Mangene, Kyle Beattie and Adam Shemansky for the first time since the season-opening series against Union College. The line produced eight points in the two games against Northeastern.

“We always support each other really well,” Beattie said. “We can read each other pretty good because of all the experience we’ve had together.”

Whitehead praised their chemistry and defensive responsibility.

“As a freshman line, we were concerned that there might be some issues defensively,” Whitehead said. “But they certainly put those concerns to rest with a real solid effort.”

Shemansky’s goal on Friday gave him the team lead with six — one more than sophomore right wing Gustav Nyquist. Nyquist is the team’s points leader with 13.

Boston College (4-3-1, 3-3-1 HE) had a disappointing season after starting last year as the nation’s No. 2 team. The Eagles went 18-14-5 and missed the NCAA Tournament. Top scorer Brock Bradford has graduated, along with forwards Benn Ferriero, Kyle Kucharski and Andrew Orpik. All contributed at least 17 points.

BC’s greatest attribute is their depth at both the forward and defense positions. Junior forward Brian Gibbons has taken over the team scoring lead with 10 and is trailed by seniors Ben Smith and Carl Sneep. Sneep is the top defenseman.

“We know they’ve got a lot of weapons,” Whitehead said. “They’re well coached, as always.”

Banwell anticipates a game plan similar to when the Black Bears hosted Boston University, another team of skilled forwards that can score in a hurry. The Eagles beat Vermont 7-1 last Friday and Northeastern 5-1 the previous weekend.

“They’re quick at moving the puck, so we’re just going to need to make sure we can contain them in our zone,” Banwell said.

Many thought BC goaltender John Muse was experiencing a sophomore slump when he did not meet expectations after leading the Eagles to the National Championship as a freshman. The team later realized Muse was in constant pain between the pipes and underwent offseason hip surgery. Muse has bounced back to post a 2.85 goals-against average in seven starts.

“He’s a great goaltender and it’s going to be tough to beat him,” Whitehead said.

The biggest statistical difference between the teams is UMaine allowing nearly a goal more per-game. Sophomore goalie Scott Darling has shown improvement, but a primary focus for the Black Bears is team defense.

“BC is a really skilled offensive team,” Beattie said. “We have to play real tight team defense to be successful against them.”

Friday and Saturday’s games are scheduled for 7 p.m.

All while standing just 5 feet 8 inches out of his skates.

University of Maine freshman left wing Adam Shemansky stands an inch shorter than St. Louis and cites the Tampa Bay assistant-captain as his biggest idol. Shemansky, who was one of four skaters to join the Black Bears from the Eastern Junior Hockey League’s New Hampshire Junior Monarchs this fall, leads the Black Bears in goals after 10 games and trails only sophomore right wing Gustav Nyquist for the team point’s lead.

“His success is not an accident,” UMaine coach Tim Whitehead said. “He’s trained for this, he’s prepared for it and we’ve given him an opportunity to play.”

To account for the size advantage in a game as physical as hockey, St. Louis prides himself on “Hockey sense” and decision-making. These are the attributes Shemansky strives to emulate most. Whitehead felt Shemansky would be well suited on the Black Bears’ power-play unit, and with his four goals on the man advantage, UMaine has the third-ranked power play in the Hockey East Conference.

“That’s where he really shines, because of his hockey sense and his skill, and his ability to make plays in traffic,” Whitehead said. “He has scored some great 5-on-5 goals, too.”

Whitehead anticipates as Shemansky improves his defensive play and breakout skating speed he may be used to kill penalties as well.

Shemansky has heard the doubters all of his life. He thinks even if his success continues at UMaine, there will be some that call it a fluke. For Shemansky, it is motivation to keep working. After all, UMaine fans remember a 5-foot-5-inch sparkplug named Cal Ingraham, whose 85-point season helped the Black Bears win their first National Championship in 1993.

“I really appreciate the coaching staff giving me a chance,” Shemansky said. “Hopefully I keep going with it and don’t give them any reason to stop playing me.”

Whitehead admitted that even after recruiting Shemansky he was surprised at how immediate the adjustment to the college level has been. When the Robbinsville, N.J., native arrived on campus, Whitehead quickly understood what was behind Shemansky’s reserved demeanor.

“He’s a guy that has overachieved all his life,” Whitehead said. “I’m confident he will continue to succeed here at Maine because we believe in him.”

Whitehead’s confidence was evident in the opening night lineup card that listed Shemansky’s name. Shemansky took advantage of the opportunity as he always has by scoring UMaine’s first goal of the season against Union College.

“I was pretty happy to be in the lineup opening night,” Shemansky said. “There was probably a few doubts about that at first. To get that goal was pretty huge for me.”

Two weeks later when the Black Bears traveled to the University of Massachusetts, Shemansky realized how fragile his career is. UMass defenseman Martin Nolet checked Shemansky headfirst into the boards, and Shemansky had to be removed from the ice on a stretcher.

“It was pretty startling when it happened,” Shemansky said.

It was another obstacle Shemansky knew he could overcome. The next night when UMaine traveled to the University of New Hampshire, he was back in the lineup.

“My main focus was to get back in the lineup, because I fought so hard to get into it in the first place,” Shemansky said.

Shemansky’s roommate, freshman goalie Shawn Sirman, started the game in net and wasn’t surprised to see Shemansky bounce back so quickly.

“It just shows how hard he works and how bad he wants to play the game,” Sirman said.

Shemansky’s first collegiate hockey recognition came on Nov. 2, after UMaine upset No. 10 Vermont with one of Shemansky’s two goals on the night being the game winner. Shemansky was named the Pro Ambitions Hockey East Co-Rookie of The Week.

Shemansky’s elusiveness makes him a constant scoring threat at the net-front. Most of his goals have come on re-directs or converting rebounded shots. Shemansky is surprised, though, at how frequently goals are coming as he sees himself more as a playmaker than a scorer.

“I’ll take anything I can get,” Shemansky said.

Last weekend at Northeastern University, Shemansky was reunited with former Junior Monarchs linemates Kyle Beattie and Matt Mangene, both freshmen. On the weekend, Shemansky scored his sixth goal, Beattie registered his first collegiate point with an assist,and Mangene had a three-assist game in UMaine’s 6-2 win. Shemansky feels the familiarity of the line enables the anticipation of each other’s location on the ice.

“It’s almost like we have a fourth guy out there, because we know exactly where each other is on the ice,” Shemansky said.

Beattie could see Shemansky’s immediate impact on the team coming. The trio, along with defenseman Mike Cornell, helped the Junior Monarchs win their third straight National Championship, with Shemansky being the National Tournament’s top scorer.

“He makes the people around him better, and he’s just a really skilled hockey player,” Beattie said. “He kind of just goes about his business and does what he needs to do to achieve success.”

The Black Bears feature a smaller, faster group of forwards than past teams that played more physically. Shemansky senses the game of hockey is evolving and is glad his abilities are valued.

“The game has changed,” Shemansky said. “It’s a lot more special teams and power play. We feel our team is well suited for the game right now.”

Like any Division I athlete, Shemansky has aspirations to compete at the next level, but he is being patient and confronting each obstacle that arises. Perhaps St. Louis and Ingraham-like numbers are too lofty to expect this soon, but Shemansky is not one to back down from a challenge.

Tuesday night, the UNC-Asheville Bulldogs traveled to Knoxville to take on the University of Tennessee Volunteers. With Tennessee being ranked No. 11 in the country, it seemed like a good chance the Vols would be improving their record to 2-0. As expected, that’s what happened.

But it would be remiss of me to not discuss the fashion in which Tennessee won the game. Plain and simple, they embarrassed the Bulldogs. The final score was 124-49. Did I mention that both of these teams are Division I programs? Or that this was the seventh match-up between the two since 1996? It’s not like this was the first time these two teams ever played. The average margin of victory for Tennessee in the previous six meetings was only 17 points.

The score at halftime of the game was 66-14. UNC-Asheville had just two field goals in the first half on 26 attempts. The first made field goal didn’t come until there was only 3:10 left on the first half clock. As a player or a coach sitting in that locker room at halftime, what do you do? Is there anything you can say at that point to make your team want to go back out on the court? If I were the athletic director at UNC-Asheville, I would have called the coach at halftime and told him his program was cut in fear they might go back out and get beaten by 100 points. Anyway, they could use the extra cash on something more important, like the womens’ water polo team.

After the game, coach Eddie Biedenbach had this to say: “I am embarrassed for UNC-Asheville, for Tennessee folks, because we wanted to come in here and make them learn, make them a better basketball team. All we did tonight was give them some exercise.”

Don’t give yourself so much credit, Eddie. I’d be willing to bet that Bruce Pearl (Tennessee’s head coach) broke more of a sweat than any of his players. They got more exercise laughing at your embarrassing excuse for a basketball team from the bench than they did by actually stepping on the court.

As an athlete, I can’t understand how anyone would let his team get beat like this. The level of talent on these two teams is not the same, however just a little bit of pride and effort from UNC-Asheville could have made all the difference. It makes me sick to see a bunch of Division I athletes who are on scholarship come out and not even compete. If it were up to me, the UNC-Asheville Bulldogs wouldn’t play another game this year.

After the Colts secured a gift win via a reprehensible call in the final two minutes against the New England Patriots, they are in the driver’s seat in the AFC. They are currently sitting at 9-0 and, looking at their remaining schedule, it is entirely possible this team could finish with 14 or more wins. Like New England, the Colts have relied heavily on the pass to set up the run this year, but the combination of Joseph Addai and rookie Donald Brown have been dynamic when called upon. It doesn’t hurt that Peyton Manning is having one of the most efficient passing years of his career (104.6 passer rating) and that the offensive line is giving him gratuitous amounts of time to find his targets (eight sacks allowed in nine games). If the defense continues to hold together without Bob Sanders, then they will be tough to bring down in the playoffs.

2. New England Patriots (AFC East Champ)

The Patriots are the beneficiaries of a surprisingly weak AFC East division this year. The Bills looked to have improved their offense with Marshawn Lynch returning from an injury and the offseason acquisition of Terrell Owens, while the Jets looked like a sleeper after they stormed out of the gates and held New England’s potent offense to just nine points in a loss. Both squads have fallen into mediocrity though along with the Miami Dolphins. New England, meanwhile, has been led by a rejuvenated Tom Brady who is on pace to record 34 touchdowns and almost 5000 yards. Add in a patchwork run game that has done just enough to keep opposing defenses honest and the offense has been spectacular. There are still a lot of questions about the defense, especially in the secondary, but they will play well enough to easily give the Patriots the division crown.

3. Cincinnati Bengals (AFC North Champ)

The Bengals have been disproving doubters and disparaging gamblers the whole season. With their second win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, it looks like they have finally earned some credibility. They are 7-2, Carson Palmer has been playing as well as he ever has, Cedric Benson has been a revelation at running back and a usually soft defense has been one of the NFL’s best this year. The Bengals’ only losses this season are courtesy of a miracle touchdown in the waning seconds by Brandon Stokley and the Denver Broncos and a boom or bust Houston Texans team that was firing on all cylinders. As long as Cedric Benson’s strained hip is not a lingering concern, then Cincinnati should be a team to be reckoned with in the playoffs.

4. San Diego Chargers (AFC West Champ)

The Chargers and the Broncos will both beat up on Kansas City and Oakland while they battle it out for the division title, but I see San Diego coming out on top. They have a slightly easier schedule going forward and their offense has a lot more stability, especially with LaDainian Tomlinson back. Phillip Rivers has found his definitive go-to-guy in six-foot-five wideout Vincent Jackson. Jackson, along with tight end Antonio Gates, gives them two dangerous red zone targets. After a tumultuous start to the season, San Diego has won four straight games, and they will ride that momentum to a division title.

5. Pittsburgh Steelers

It looked like Pittsburgh might be in a world of trouble after Willie Parker was ineffective out of the gates, but Rashard Mendenhall has more than stabilized their running back situation. Roethlisberger has been great this year, though he could use some more protection from an offensive line that has allowed 27 sacks. The imposing defense, meanwhile, has shown weakness against the league’s best quarterbacks, which is potentially problematic when Tom Brady and Peyton Manning join them in the playoffs. Their cupcake schedule the rest of the way essentially ensures them at least a wildcard spot in the competitive AFC North. They have three “gimme” games at home against Oakland and at Kansas City and Cleveland to go with two matchups against the division rival Baltimore Ravens. Assuming a split against the Ravens that would put the Steelers at 10 wins. That should be enough for a playoff spot.

6. Denver Broncos

The Broncos, led by ex-Patriots Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels, have been surprising people all year ever since they surprised Cincinnati with their week one miracle win. The excommunication of disgruntled quarterback Jay Cutler and the early season troubles of “prima donna” receiver Brandon Marshall left this team with a suspect offense. But Kyle Orton has filled in admirably for Cutler, Marshall has since gotten his head on straight and the defense has outperformed all expectations. There are signs, however, that the Broncos’ surprising season could be just an aberration. They have lost their last three games after starting out 6-0, and there defense has given up an average of 28.5 points in those losses compared to just 10.6 in their wins. Add to that uncertainty over the questionable status of Orton, after sustaining an ankle sprain in their previous game, for their matchup against the Chargers this week and they could really be in trouble. Nevertheless, I see them doing just enough to earn a playoff berth in the top-heavy AFC.

UMaine (4-6-0, 3-3-0 Hockey East) will return home to Alfond Arena next weekend to host Boston College for a Friday-Saturday pair. Northeastern (4-5-0, 2-4-0 HE) will have a home-and-home set against Providence College.

In Friday’s game, six different Black Bears recorded goals and freshman forward Matt Mangene contributed three assists. Northeastern was able to salvage two goals after UMaine had built a comfortable 5-0 cushion.

UMaine freshman wing Adam Shemansky provided the only first period scoring with his team-leading sixth goal of the season. Goals from sophomore forward Spencer Abbott and junior defenseman Mike Banwell sandwiched sophomore defenseman Will O’Neill’s game-winning power-play goal in the second.

UMaine sophomore forward Kyle Solomon scored his first collegiate goal between Justin Daniels’ even strength goal for Northeastern and Steve Silva’s on the power play. UMaine forward Robby Dee opened the third period scoring with a power play goal.

Mangene assisted on Shemansky’s, Dee’s and Solomon’s goals.

UMaine sophomore goalie Scott Darling made 21 saves to pick up his fourth win of the season. Northeastern’s Chris Rawlings stopped 20 before being replaced by Bryan Mountain for the last 9:22. Rawlings allowed all six goals.

UMaine continued to be successful on the power play, going 2-for-5. Northeastern capitalized on 1-of-6 opportunities with the man advantage.

Northeastern committed 38 minutes of penalties, while UMaine players combined for 27 minutes in the penalty box.

In Saturday’s game, UMaine sophomore left wing Brian Flynn’s power play goal tied the game 2-2 7:38 into the third period, but Northeastern exploded for three goals within five minutes. The Huskies went 3-for-8 on the power play while UMaine managed just one power-play goal in six chances.

Banwell gave UMaine a 1-0 lead 15:34 into the second period, but Northeastern’s Robbie Vrolyk responded two minutes later.

Northeastern’s David Strathman scored shorthanded 1:12 into the third frame, and Flynn equalized at 7:38.

Alex Tuckerman’s unassisted goal and Kyle Kraemer’s and Matt Lipinski’s, both on the power play, secured the Northeastern win.

Rawlings picked up the victory in net and improved to 4-5-0. He made 34 saves. Darling took the loss after a 30-save effort. It was Darling’s first Hockey East loss of the season and second overall.

Jennings had been the subject of much skepticism entering the NBA Draft after his decision to play professional basketball in Europe in lieu of attending college. His first seven games in the NBA have erased any and all doubts skeptics may have had.

With his 55-point outburst, Jennings is now scoring 25.4 points per game — 8th in the entire league — to go with 5.1 assists and 4.4 rebounds. More importantly, he has the Bucks off to a 5-2 start. Jennings is a pioneer in the NBA’s new-as-of 2006 draft process that mandates players be one year removed from high school before they are allowed to enter.

David Stern and the NBA’s public relations staff will tell you the rules were instituted to give players a shot at an education and to help them make sure they are ready to enter the league. In reality though, the rule is just a revenue-stimulating device for the NBA and college basketball. By forcing players to go to college they are putting talent back into college basketball—if only for a year at a time—and giving fans an opportunity to “get to know” the players before they enter the league.

I am not arguing those are malevolent goals, but they are self-serving, and luckily Brandon Jennings has discovered a loophole. Players with his level of talent know definitively that education is going to be incidental rather than instrumental to their careers. It should be their choice if they want to pursue an education just as it should be a genius mathematician’s choice if he wants to pursue athletics. By funneling players into college instead of letting them turn pro, the NBA is effectively putting them on probation from maximizing their earning potential.

What if these players injure themselves before they even get a chance to play in the league? What if the college system represses the player’s abilities? And what about disadvantaged inner-city kids who need that money to provide for their family? The NBA doesn’t have any answers to these questions, but Brandon Jennings does. The $1.65 million contract he signed to play professionally for Lottomatica Roma for the 2008-2009 season was a certificate that not only he was free from the NBA’s self-serving draft structure, but that all players are not slave to the NBA’s agenda.

Go for two and the win?

I recently went to the Eastern Maine Class C Football championship game to watch my alma mater, the John Bapst Crusaders, take on the Foxcroft Academy Ponies. The game featured two high-powered offenses but degenerated into a defensive battle played mostly between the 40-yard lines on a slick field.

In the game’s final minutes, John Bapst found themselves in need of a miracle after a failed fourth down conversion gave the Ponies the ball and a 7-point lead on their own 25-yard line. Three plays later, with the clock nearing the one minute, mark they got that miracle when a fumble by Foxcroft running back Ian Champeon was recovered by the Crusaders at the Ponies 15. John Bapst got into the end zone with 59 seconds remaining on the clock and a chance to tie or take the lead with a two-point conversion.

As I sat in the alumni club seating section (leaned against a fence in the rain) it seemed to me the only logical option John Bapst had was to go for two and the win. There is simply no way, I reasoned, that you can place the fate of a game of this magnitude in the hands (or foot) of a high school kicker. Especially not when you have Bill Wetherbee, not only the best running back in the conference but also the best player. Besides, he already rushed for 162 yards in the game.

So when the coaching staff bafflingly, blunderingly sent out the field goal unit, I began to think this decision would be a mistake at any level of football—collegiate, high school, pro or Pop Warner. And as I watched the extra point sail wide and the Foxcroft fans begin to celebrate, I resigned myself to think when you have a chance to go for the jugular, you should always take it.

Why give your opponent a chance to claw back into the game when you can end it in one decisive blow? And in the NFL, why let victory be decided by a coin toss when you have a chance to control your own destiny?

At least that way, no matter the outcome, a coach can look at his players after the game and say, “We gave it our best shot.” But all John Bapst coach can say to Wetherbee, a four-year starter and senior captain, and the rest of his team is, “Sorry I didn’t give you your shot.”

The Catamounts, who came into Maine 4-2 on the season and 1-2 in conference play, gave the Black Bears all they could handle. The Keene State Owls, who came in undefeated on the season, were hoping to ride their win streak but were no match for the Black Bears’ speed. The women were led in the pool by Alicia Hahn, who beat out 10 other swimmers to take the victory in the 200 backstroke event. The team also received a lift from Samantha Graham, who dominated the diving board, sweeping both events for the Black Bears. Graham won the one-meter event and took home the three-meter event.

Jamison Young, a senior on the relay team, credits the team’s success to hard work and dedication.

“We’ve been working really hard in the pool and it’s showing in our meets. We’ve had some amazing races and the team has come together as a whole to support each other, and with a meet this weekend and the three-day BU invitational in a week, we are looking to see even more time drops,” he said.

“We’ve had a great season so far, and one reason for that is our coach, Susan Lizzotte, has done a great job with training the team and motivating us. Also, our new assistant coach, Brad, is a great addition to UMaine swimming.”

The Black Bears, despite their early season losses are very optimistic about their upcoming swim meets. With depth on both the women’s and men’s side of the pool, senior Megan Mclean feels the hard work will pay off in the next few weeks.

“We are all training tough now during our mid season and our practices are challenging and are keeping everyone in shape. We work hard in the weight room to get more success in the pool,” McLean said. “As far as the upcoming season, I hope we continue to do well and swim each team with the same intensity as we have been.”

Next weekend, the teams will travel to Boston to take part in the three-day BU Invitational from Friday to Sunday.

Gerald McLemore and Terrance Mitchell combined for 47 points as the University of Maine men’s basketball team defeated Fordham University 76-73 in their season opener Friday night.

McLemore was named the America East Player of the Game for his efforts with a career-high 26 points and eight rebounds. He was 7-for-12 from three-point range. Mitchell scored 21 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out four assists.

After trailing at the half by six, the Black Bears came out in the second half and went on a 24-to-9 run before holding on for the victory over their Atlantic-10 Conference opponent.

Sean McNally contributed 12 points and seven rebounds, while Junior Bernal chipped in with 10 points and six boards.

Fordham was led by Jio Fontan, who had a team-high 25 points.

Baseball

University of Maine baseball coach Steve Trimper recently announced he has received National Letters of Intent from five high school seniors who are expected to make an immediate impact in the fall of 2010.

“We are very excited to have the five individuals join the Black Bears in the fall of 2010,” Trimper said in a press release. “Coach Cole and Coach Izaryk worked extremely hard this summer finding quality ball players to fit UMaine both athletically and in the classroom. As always, we recruit players that will fill holes created by graduation and the professional draft, and all five players will have an immediate impact on our program.”

The five players that have signed include Matt Verrier, Colin Gay, Mike Connolly, Shaun Coughlin and Troy Black.

The eligibility of all the student athletes is contingent upon admission to the university and compliance with all NCAA rules.

Club Football

The University of Maine club football team fell in the New England Football League 2 East Division Championship game Saturday night, dropping a 20-15 decision to the Woonsocket (R.I.) Wardogs. With the loss, the Black Bears’ season is over.

UMaine jumped to an early lead with a first quarter 24-yard field goal by Dustin Snow and a 23-yard touchdown reception by Mark Ensworth in the second to make it 9-0.

Woonsocket exploded for 20 unanswered points in the third quarter and UMaine couldn’t recover.

Eric Bezanson’s rushing touchdown from six yards out made the score 20-15, but the Black Bears were unable to recover an onside kick.

UMaine closes out the season with a 5-2 record, while Woonsocket improves to 3-3 and moves on to the NEFL2 Championship to take on the Connecticut Spartans next weekend.

Since taking over the position in 2006 after the departure of Patrick Nero, James has responsibly utilized athletic department funds and improved the university for athletes and spectators. In his tenure, the overall GPA of UMaine’s sports teams have risen above 3.0, and several athletes have been honored for achievement in the classroom by respective conferences. The athletes should be given all the credit for their grades, but the fact that James holds them accountable for academics as much as athletic performance is a valuable attribute in an AD.

James was forced by the university to reduce athletic department spending last April by $253,000 for the next fiscal year, and did so in part by suspending the women’s volleyball and men’s soccer programs. Sometimes an unpopular decision is needed to reach a positive result.

Poplaski called James “unprofessional” in the way the late-semester announcement was made, but a different method of delivery would not change the fact that the teams were suspended. The fault was in the timing. Despite the success of the volleyball program in its final season, it did not generate enough revenue to convince James that it was worth funding more than other women’s sports. The men’s soccer team went 5-41-3 from 2005-07 and called a five-win season in 2008 an improvement. Not enough to stick around as a division one program.

The men’s hockey program headlines UMaine’s 15 varsity teams. Two national championships and annual success elevated their status. Three sub-par seasons have passed, and Poplaski blames James for declining attendance figures. The hockey team has encountered unexpected obstacles with players leaving school early to turn pro, but has been able to knock off a pair of top-10 teams this season. It’s impossible to know what the team could have done if Ben Bishop, Andrew Sweetland or Teddy Purcell had stayed longer. James trusts coach Tim Whitehead, who the late Shawn Walsh picked as his successor, and though some impatient supporters of UMaine hockey disagree, he has no reason to dismiss him.

James oversaw the installment of FieldTurf football and baseball fields, a field hockey complex and the Mahaney Dome. The UMaine baseball team was able to play late March home games. Three video scoreboards were installed in Alfond Arena to improve the fan experience as part of UMaine’s television and radio broadcast agreement with Learfield Sports, which made Black Bear sports accessible to a wider audience. These additions would not be possible without generous donors that James must maintain a relationship with and ask for more from, even when times are tough.

James has brought revenue to the university through securing non-conference matchups against high-profile opponents. This year alone the football team traveled to Syracuse University, the men’s hockey team hosted Michigan State and the men’s basketball team will travel to Boston College and the University of Connecticut.

At every men’s home hockey game, James appears on ice with the game’s corporate sponsor to show appreciation for the donation. Advertising has gone as far as having faceoffs sponsored by U.S. Cellular. Coach Whitehead volunteers to co-host a weekly radio show from the Sea Dog Brewery, allowing fans to gain more familiarity with the men’s hockey team. According to a UMaine press release announcing James’ contract extension, student-athletes are volunteering in local schools. Yet Poplaski claims disconnect in the community.

Poplaski feels the women’s hockey and field hockey teams are not being promoted. The athletic director is not responsible for writing press releases about upcoming events or submitting stories about game results to the newspaper. If that was so, I’d have to change my career aspirations. Sports information directors notify media outlets of events and post releases on the school’s athletics Web site. Team schedules are easily accessed, and it is up to coaches to tell the SIDs when special events are happening. James cannot tell a newspaper which stories to publish about UMaine. That is the discretion of the newspaper’s editors.

James has done his part for UMaine by responsibly managing the athletic department budget and bringing in revenue, promoting and rewarding academic achievement, upgrading facilities and trusting coaches and athletes in their pursuit of athletic success. James did try for a job in Florida last year, but appears committed to UMaine now. He has weathered substantial obstacles, and UMaine is fortunate to have him for two more years.