On the goalie situation

ORONO – Go with the returning sophomore, take a flyer on the freshman or give a senior another chance?

That's the choice Maine coach Tim Whitehead faces going into Friday's game against Vermont.

Maine
goalies Scott Darling and Shawn Sirman have split the last 120 minutes
in goal for the Black Bears with less-than-stellar outcomes. Dave
Wilson, a senior, didn't travel with the team last weekend and hasn't
played since the season-opening series at Union. Wilson is currently
the Black Bears' No. 3 goalie.

"I believe it will solidify itself," Whitehead said of the goaltending
situation, which remained in limbo as of the start of today's practice.
"I'm confident in all three guys, but you need one to rise above the
others. Sometimes that takes time."

Whitehead
points to another important factor in the goalie situation - the team
defense in front of the goalie. Maine gave up 10 goals on 55 shots last
weekend in losses at Massachusetts and New Hampshire, including several
Grade-A chances.

(Sirman, a freshman, explained that a Grade-A
chance, in hockey lingo, is any kind of prime scoring opportunity,
which can come off an odd-man rush, a second shot on goal or a
breakaway.)

"We need to do a better job of protecting them,"
Whitehead said. "The team's key focus from a coaching standpoint is
working with our team to protect them and give the goalies a better
chance to succeed."

Nobody is willing to point the finger at the goalies.

"You
can blame the goalies all you want," sophomore forward Spencer Abbott
said. "But it comes down to team defense. We have to stop those second
shots."

***

The Black Bears aren't immune, as several
players have come down with either a cold or the flu. Forward David
deKastrozza missed last Friday's game with the flu, and defenseman Nick
Pryor isn't expected to play Friday after coming down with the flu.
Forward Kyle Solomon is also recovering from the flu. Also, Mark Nemec
is still out with a broken thumb.