Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

[gscott13]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

first win at "home" didn't come easy...

3-1 with 40 seconds left....

check that, back to 2-1 penalty called on maine somehow negated the empty netter


and ouellette with a big glove save at the buzzer to preserve the 2-1 win

 

[maineiac37]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

Any win is nice..... Good job boys

 

[Rob]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

How often do they play games in Portland?

 

[Runsub5]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

How often do they play games in Portland?

Maine plays in Portland once each year. Announced attendance 4652. Nice win for the Black Bears. Lomberg is starting to score, three goals in three games.

 

[Priceless]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

How often do they play games in Portland?

Annually.

It really should have been 3-1. Devin Shore was hauled down on a partial break with an empty net and play continued. Mercyhurst never touched the puck. It gets fed out front to Rutt and the referee blew his whistle and Rutt put the puck in the empty net. Then he claims he blew the whistle to call the penalty on Rutt for shooting after the whistle. Error. Error. Does not compute. You can't blow the whistle and then claim you blew the whistle because the player shot after the whistle.

I met up with student broadcasters Bryan Roche and Whit Kinne after the game. We all agreed that the team did the little things right but, aside from Joey's absolute ripper of a goal, the team lacked finishing skill. Even Diamond is not immune, as he had several golden opportunities to put the puck in the net (Josh Seguin of CHN thought he should have had a hatty) but he couldn't finish. This is not the same team I saw in Providence or against St. Lawrence. The effort has jumped several notches and the mistakes, while still there, have been cut down. I didn't see the first too many men on the ice call, but the second was Rutt coming on for Hutton and the puck rolling along the boards towards the blue line and Hutton went to keep it in the zone...he was making a hockey play but he's got to surrender the zone and get off the ice in that situation. Nick Pryor moved to forward and played on the third line tonight; Norman stayed at D.

Steve Abbott was at the game again tonight, chatting people up between periods and sporting a PermaSmile even when Maine fell behind. I never realized how much people loved Bill Green until he appeared on the Jumbotron and got a huge ovation. My brother-in-law and I appeared briefly, but as the camera zoomed in on my nephew he decided he wanted nothing to do with it and disappeared. I think he enjoyed his first Maine hockey game. Attendance wasn't as bad as I feared. The center sections were mostly full but the ends and most sections behind the nets were a vast wasteland. I asked about tickets around the arena, but the 3 I got in Row 8 of Section D were the closest to the ice (except section AA) and the rest were row 20 or higher.

The players enjoyed the support though

The southern Maine support was unreal tonight, great crowd and a gutty W - Jake Rutt

Great crowd in Portland tonight!! #bestfans - Devin Shore

So happy we were able to get the W in front of many family, friends, and fans #MaineHockey #bestsupport - Mark Anthoine

 

[Rob]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

Maine plays in Portland once each year. Announced attendance 4652. Nice win for the Black Bears. Lomberg is starting to score, three goals in three games.

Good crowd too. I'm guessing there are a lot of alumni in Portland.

 

[Gusforhobey]

I'm feeling a clippers win streak. That would put us as national champs.

 

[BearNecessity]

Annually.

It really should have been 3-1. Devin Shore was hauled down on a partial break with an empty net and play continued. Mercyhurst never touched the puck. It gets fed out front to Rutt and the referee blew his whistle and Rutt put the puck in the empty net. Then he claims he blew the whistle to call the penalty on Rutt for shooting after the whistle. Error. Error. Does not compute. You can't blow the whistle and then claim you blew the whistle because the player shot after the whistle.

I met up with student broadcasters Bryan Roche and Whit Kinne after the game. We all agreed that the team did the little things right but, aside from Joey's absolute ripper of a goal, the team lacked finishing skill. Even Diamond is not immune, as he had several golden opportunities to put the puck in the net (Josh Seguin of CHN thought he should have had a hatty) but he couldn't finish. This is not the same team I saw in Providence or against St. Lawrence. The effort has jumped several notches and the mistakes, while still there, have been cut down. I didn't see the first too many men on the ice call, but the second was Rutt coming on for Hutton and the puck rolling along the boards towards the blue line and Hutton went to keep it in the zone...he was making a hockey play but he's got to surrender the zone and get off the ice in that situation. Nick Pryor moved to forward and played on the third line tonight; Norman stayed at D.

Steve Abbott was at the game again tonight, chatting people up between periods and sporting a PermaSmile even when Maine fell behind. I never realized how much people loved Bill Green until he appeared on the Jumbotron and got a huge ovation. My brother-in-law and I appeared briefly, but as the camera zoomed in on my nephew he decided he wanted nothing to do with it and disappeared. I think he enjoyed his first Maine hockey game. Attendance wasn't as bad as I feared. The center sections were mostly full but the ends and most sections behind the nets were a vast wasteland. I asked about tickets around the arena, but the 3 I got in Row 8 of Section D were the closest to the ice (except section AA) and the rest were row 20 or higher.

The players enjoyed the support though

Mike Cornell actually scored on the empty net. The played was whistled for a retaliation penalty by Rutt when Maine had the delay call for the trip on Shore....Rutt has to learn to pick his spots

 

[fiqure8]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

That is correct. I forgot you could get beer at CCCC at the last UMaine game and drink it in the lobby area. I didn't bother that's why I probably didn't remember. Like Priceless mentioned, don't get tix's thru Ticketripoff...I mean master. You'll be able to walk up to the box office and get a ticket. There will be plenty of good seats open even if you get one in the nose bleeds. Just wait until about half way thru the 1st and move. I've done that plenty of times for past UMaine games here and esp. at Pirates games. I wonder if Timmay is doing his usual pre-game meet n greet in the lounge area. I'm guessing not!

I had a LARGE labatt blue watching the game in the stands................How civilized,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[all bear]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

I'm feeling a clippers win streak. That would put us as national champs.

I'd be happy with not being the last place team in Hockey East. A good start, but tonight will tell us if the team has anything for character. I dont know him but perhaps Abbott should be more worried about the status of this program than yukking it up with his buddies, huh.

 

[Priceless]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

Mike Cornell actually scored on the empty net. The played was whistled for a retaliation penalty by Rutt when Maine had the delay call for the trip on Shore....Rutt has to learn to pick his spots

Ah, that makes more sense. Rutt played a great game overall, but makes terrible mistakes at very bad times.

 

[Ma#1ne Hky]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

i'd be happy with not being the last place team in hockey east. A good start, but tonight will tell us if the team has anything for character. I dont know him but perhaps abbott should be more worried about the status of this program than yukking it up with his buddies, huh.

"hobby" a.d.

 

[Ma#1ne Hky]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

Maine plays in Portland once each year. Announced attendance 4652. Nice win for the Black Bears. Lomberg is starting to score, three goals in three games.

Attendence @ 4652 is good for a last place team,but for Maine Hockey and "in the day"...(not no more)...playing in Portland it should be 6000 or more(imo). I still think a 2 game series each year @ Portland should be the norm,play Friday Night/Saturday Meet & Skate with the Bears/Sunday Afternoon game(2pm)....teams that could be interested:Quinnipiac/Dartmouth/RPI/Harvard/Penn State...just a thought,play two different teams to add some interest.

 

[ck1969]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

Good crowd too. I'm guessing there are a lot of alumni in Portland.

Well we had to leave Orono at some point.

 

[ck1969]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

Attendence @ 4652 is good for a last place team,but for Maine Hockey and "in the day"...(not no more)...playing in Portland it should be 6000 or more(imo). I still think a 2 game series each year @ Portland should be the norm,play Friday Night/Saturday Meet & Skate with the Bears/Sunday Afternoon game(2pm)....teams that could be interested:Quinnipiac/Dartmouth/RPI/Harvard/Penn State...just a thought,play two different teams to add some interest.

Agreed. 8-10 yrs ago you couldn't get a ticket day of. Now as an alumni and speaking with fellow alumni, it grows tired watching them play vastly inferior opponents (not this year of course) and seeing 10-1 games, exhibition games etc. No excitement. I'd rather take an hour drive and see them play UML, Mack, UHN, then a 5 minute drive and see what they've been doing the past several years. Just my opinion. The Portland area has a ton of alumni and the U is really missing the boat on many fronts by not trying to generate some excitement and support for the athletics down here. You wouldn't even need to have back to back hockey. You could have the Hockey team play Fri night and the BB team play Sat afternoon. AND MARKET IT!!!! Create some friggin excitement. It's pathetic when you don't hear a peep about the game on ANY tv, radio or newspaper until after the game's been played.

 

[Priceless]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

Agreed. 8-10 yrs ago you couldn't get a ticket day of. Now as an alumni and speaking with fellow alumni, it grows tired watching them play vastly inferior opponents (not this year of course) and seeing 10-1 games, exhibition games etc. No excitement. I'd rather take an hour drive and see them play UML, Mack, UHN, then a 5 minute drive and see what they've been doing the past several years. Just my opinion. The Portland area has a ton of alumni and the U is really missing the boat on many fronts by not trying to generate some excitement and support for the athletics down here. You wouldn't even need to have back to back hockey. You could have the Hockey team play Fri night and the BB team play Sat afternoon. AND MARKET IT!!!! Create some friggin excitement. It's pathetic when you don't hear a peep about the game on ANY tv, radio or newspaper until after the game's been played.

They really have no idea how to tap into the alumni base in southern Maine. There was an alumni trip for football to Boston College and there was discussion about doing another one but that never happened. There was talk about doing an alumni trip for hockey...that never happened. As I said, they never even sent out an email about this game but they sent one out early in the week about the UMBC hoops game today at Alfond. No email about tonight's game, either. If it wasn't so pathetically sad it would be amusing.

ETA: It turns out today's hoops game is televised! The athletic staff managed to keep that secret pretty well. Are they working for Maine athletics, or interning for the CIA?
ETA2: No, it isn't. The listed game is UMBC@Maine but it's actually VATech@Maryland. And good thing too! It's such a close game...

 

[all bear]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

Well, its the result of the product. Maine Hockey used to be the buzz of the state. Coffee room chatter in the morning, etc. But no more. No one talks about Maine Hockey at all anymore because nobody cares. When the teams have become so lackluster over the years the interest is simply lost, so how and why can the local media try to drum up support for a lame duck product? Its time for a new face, a new buzz brought on by a new coach, simple as that.

 

[Priceless]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

Well, its the result of the product. Maine Hockey used to be the buzz of the state. Coffee room chatter in the morning, etc. But no more. No one talks about Maine Hockey at all anymore because nobody cares. When the teams have become so lackluster over the years the interest is simply lost, so how and why can the local media try to drum up support for a lame duck product? Its time for a new face, a new buzz brought on by a new coach, simple as that.

It really isn't. The men's basketball has always been horrible, but still marketed. The women's hoops team was marketed like hell before and during the Cindy Blodgett-Joanne Palumbo years. Football rarely played in Portland, but it was still marketed. All four coaches did regular interviews with the Portland Press Herald and the three major news stations in Portland did weekly features on the team. You don't have that anymore because sports departments and sports pages have been trimmed back, the emphasis is on high school sports and no one at UMaine seems to know how to break through. Who do you blame for the fact that no one sent out an email before the game reminding people that there was a hockey game in Portland? The coaching staff? IMO the person we're missing is Matt Bourque. He was brilliant at getting exposure and generating interest in athletic teams in Orono. Laura Reed is good at her job but she is being asked to wear too many hats. Unfortunately it seems unlikely Maine is going to spend the money to hire a full-time SID like Matt.

 

[rufus]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

TIMMAY's on a roll. Contract extension now!!!!!

 

[walrus]

Re: Maine 2012 - Take 2. If This Ain't the Bottom...

TIMMAY's on a roll. Contract extension now!!!!!

Still hasn't won a home game, extension after tonights game if he wins