University of Maine at Orono Hockey

It’s that time of year, folks. My UMO hockey season tickets have arrived and the start of the college hockey season is this week. Sweet! The UMO Black Bears start their season this weekend on the road in New York against Union College, with a game on Friday and Saturday night. The first home game is next weekend when the Univ of Michigan will be in town for contests on Friday and Saturday night.

I have been back in Maine now for two years, and both years the hockey team has stunk. This year, Maine will be a much improved team, and that’s not just the optimist in me talking. With last year’s nasty 13-22-4 behind them, this year’s team will have stronger scoring lines and what will hopefully be an improved defense. Goalies Dave Wilson (Senior) and Scott Darling (Sophomore) are back and it will be interesting to see what Coach Whitehead decides regarding who will be the main, starting goalie.

So, Let’s Go Black Bears! I’ll be cheering you on from my seat right behind the visiting team bench, second row, seat 1. And yes, that’s me yelling “SHOOT THE PUCK!!!” when you spend 5 minutes playing pass in the offensive zone.

Frat Packs

It's opening season across college campuses all over the country. Even up here in Orono, Maine, as at other universities, the incoming class of freshmen at UMO (University of Maine at Orono) are greeted with opportunities to join a frat or a sorority.

Hanging around campus are spray-painted white sheets with an invitation to the incoming freshmen class, to ‘rush’ that particular chapter.

I was never in a frat, but I suppose it’s like Animal House, (one of the funniest movies EVER) where you get paddled, drink beer, and create mischief all over the campus. Oh, and sex.

"I'm still hammered!"

Even the on-campus chapel/church, the Newman Center, is getting in on the whole pledge-thing for those students who buy into the whole religion thing.

"It's like sex...but without the orgasm!"

How great is that one?? That is classic!

And speaking of classics, if I’m gonna rush anywhere, it’ll be here.

While Taking a Walk, an Ultimate Tourney Broke Out

Yesterday, Sunday, was a cold one here in Eastern Maine. Sidewalks covered in ice made for dangerous walking conditions, so I opted instead to head over to the University of Maine at Orono's (UMO) fieldhouse to get my 2 mile walk in for the day.

It was around 8:30am when I started the calorie-burning walk around the fieldhouse when I noticed a few people tossing a Frisbee around at the other end. "Cool," I'm thinking, "Frisbee people. I'm Frisbee people too!" I stop and talk to them and find out they drove down from Nova Scotia to take part in an ultimate tournament going on Sunday. I was pretty happy to hear that, and after getting my two miles walked, I headed home to shower and grab a coffee, and right back to the fieldhouse to watch some of the tourney.

See, in March, this is what it looks like outside. That's the football field at UMO yesterday, the same day as this ultimate tournament. Yeah, a bit icy. Some snow. Not great conditions to play ultimate.

So they play inside. And the fieldhouse is enormous, so it's easy to play in there.

The lighting was a kind of low, so the pics are a bit dark, but you get the idea. Best I could figure is that there were 5 teams in the tourney. UMO's Frozen Fury, their ultimate team, hosted the event I'm guessing. I saw a team from Colby, and at least one team from the Canada, the aforementioned Nova Scotians.

I stayed for a couple of hours, but not long enough to know who ended up winning. Congrats to all the teams that traveled to and played in this event. And to the black-haired girl on Colby's team ...#10 I think (maybe #14)...you're cute!

When I lived in Philadelphia, I was a disc golfer, as you all know. Occassionally I attened one of the tournaments (aka 'parties') held by the Philadelhpia Area Disc Alliance (PADA) ultimate teams, and boy I gotta tell you, while I enjoyed the tourney at UMO yesterday, it's hard to beat one of the PADA tournament and subsequent parties.

It's nice to see UMO supporting, to some degree anyway (fieldhouse usage), disc sports. Maybe there's hope that someday they'll add disc golf.

Guess I've got some doors to go knocking on, eh?

Maine Hockey

Yay! Guess what arrived yesterday? Any guesses? C'mon, take at least one... Okay, what arrived yesterday, you wonder?

My University of Maine (at Orono, from now on referred to as UMO) Black Bears 2007-2008 hockey tickets!



I'm so totally psyched! In this part of the world, UMO hockey is IT. It's A-Number-One. There is a huge waiting list of people hoping to get season tickets. So, how did I get mine so quickly after just getting back to Orono? Well, my parents have never stopped renewing their 3 season tickets. They first got season tickets when the hockey arena was built (Alfond Arena) back in 1979 or 1980. At first we had 4 tickets so Mom, Dad, my sister and I could all go. It was awesome. When I graduated in '83, they dropped the number of tickets they purchased to 3, and they've continued to renew them every year. They don't really attend the games anymore, but they have no problem finding people to take the tickets. See, the University takes over control of any tickets that are cancelled by a season ticket holder. Or, if a season ticket holder kicks the bucket, the tickets go back to the University. They do not allow tickets to be passed on to someone else by the ticket holder, which totally sucks. But, since the team has, over the years, become so hugely successful the University wants to make sure it's big donors have access to tickets and to hell with the community that's supported the team from the beginning. But, regardless, until the time comes that the University has the right to take over control of my Mom and Dad's tickets, I'll be buying at least one set of them. Maybe next year I'll be ready to pay them for all 3 tickets. We'll see.....


Hockey is, by far, the sport I enjoy the most. Chalk it up to growing up in Maine, or having a Mom who's Canadian. Whatever. I love hockey. And the University of Maine's hockey team is one of the top college hockey teams in the nation. I used to attend the Black Bear hockey games with my family wayyyyyy back when I was in high school, but haven't seen a live one since 1983 or so. The few times I was able to watch them while I lived in Philadelphia was if they made it to the Frozen Four Championship because that's the only time of year that ESPN/ESPN2 carries college hockey.

But this year will be different. This year I'll be at every home game. And the first one is this Saturday night, October 6.

So if you're trying to reach me that night and I don't answer my phone or I don't come to the door, you know where I'll be. And I guess that'll be the perfect time to rob my house.

But don't you think you'll be finding my remaining tickets for the season...I'll be carrying all of them with me.