PORTLAND — The Portland Pirates are leaving Friday for a four-game road swing through the Atlantic Division (five, if you count the Dec. 4 tilt against Providence in Lewiston), and for the first time in nearly two months, they won’t be leaderless.
Team captain Brad Larsen is scheduled to rejoin the Buccos, after being shelved since Oct. 9 with both a broken foot and a concussion.
Larsen, a rugged left wing with nearly 300 NHL games to his credit, suffered both injuries in the home opener against Providence.
The foot was shattered by a slap shot from P-Bruin defenseman Andy Wozniewski, which he dove to block.
He continued to play through that pain, but was kayoed later in the game by a two-hander to the face by Drew Fata, who received a four-game suspension for the act.
Having already lost last season because of injuries, Larsen has not enjoyed the enforced sit down one bit.
“It’s been frustration and disappointment,” Larsen said. “I felt like I was just starting to get back in the groove and get in some games. But injuries are part of this game. I’ve been through this a few times. I just want to get back out there, and hopefully help the team.”
Larsen said that there’s a fine line between patiently getting healthy and sucking it up and playing.
“The bone’s healed really well,” he said. “It’s a little sensitive right now. I’m just going to have to grin and bear it, and fight through this. Hopefully it gets better every day.”
Pirates release Benson
Larsen’s return has made muscleman Hans Benson expendable, so Benson has been released from his PTO. He has already returned to the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones, where he will share the city with his cousin, Bengals’ running back Cedric Benson.
A native of that hockey hotbed, Menlo Park, Calif., Benson injected a huge dose of enthusiasm into the Pirates dressing room during his short stay in his stall.
Fond of reciting inspirational sayings, Benson summed up his M.O. with a quote from golf legend Gary Player.
“The harder I work, the luckier I get.”
Lucky or not, Benson brought the goods to the rink without fail.
UMaine’s Stech relishes experience against USA hockey
Amy Stech, captain of the UMaine women’s team, was still buzzing, Tuesday, two days after competing with a Women’s Hockey East all-star team against the U.S. National squad.
The Nationals made a stop at UNH on Sunday on their pre-Olympic tour.
“I have never felt like that before,” said Stech, following the Black Bears’ 2-1 shootout loss to Boston Univeristy, which was played in Lewiston. “It was such an honor just to represent Maine. I was taken aback when coach (Dan Lichterman) told me I was selected. It was kind of a reality check.”
Stech and her fellow HEAers held their own against the Nats, who are a strong favorite to medal in Vancouver, falling by a respectable 4-0 count (although they were outshot, 43-7.).
Jocelyne Lamoureux, sister of Pirates netminder J.P., netted two goals in that contest, which was played before a crowd approaching 2,000.
“At first, we didn’t know who they were cheering for,” said Stech, a senior, who initially came to the Black Bears as a humble walk on. “I felt like we should have been the bad guys. We’re supposed to lose those games. Luckily, Team USA did all right. It was absolutely amazing. I will never forget it.”
Hockey abound this week
Devoted puckheads won’t lack for opportunity to satisfy their hockey cravings once the Turkey Day tables have been cleared.
Among them is the four-team Earl Goodwin Tournament that will be Saturday (11 a.m.to 11:20 p.m.) at the Biddeford Ice Arena.
The round robin tourney includes varsity squads from Thornton Academy, Biddeford, Kennebunk and York, and is named in honor of the recently retired BIA rink manager.
Also on Saturday, the UMaine men will make their lone Portland appearance of the season, when they’ll host St. Lawrence at the Civic Center. Tickets remain available at the box office.
On Sunday, Bowdoin College will host the Bowdoin/Colby Faceoff triple-header at its still gleaming new Watson Arena.
Salve Regina will meet Colby at noon, followed by the Williams/Bowdoin womens clash at 3 p.m. The day will be capped by the appeareance of the U.S. U-18 mens team against Bowdoin at 6:30 p.m.
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