The 1998-99 University of Maine men’s hockey team, which earned the school’s second national championship despite having limited scholarships due to sanctions imposed by the NCAA for a variety of violations, headlines the list of athletes who will be inducted into the UMaine Sports Hall of Fame on Friday beginning at 4:30 p.m. at Jeff’s Catering in Brewer.
The individuals who will be inducted are women’s soccer star Marie-Andree Canuel and men’s soccer standout Paul Kelly; men’s and women’s basketball standouts Kevin Reed and Sigi Koizar; baseball ace lefthander Larry Thomas; rare two-sport star (football and track) Arel Gordon and track and field great Allyson Howatt.
The hockey team capped a 31-6-4 campaign with a 3-2 overtime win over New Hampshire in the title game in Anaheim, Cal. when Marcus Gustafsson shoveled home his own rebound off a Cory Larose pass.
Bobby Stewart had scored the overtime game-winner in the 2-1 Frozen Four semifinal win over Boston College.
Goalie Alfie Michaud, the current UMaine assistant and goalie coach, was named the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
Forward Steve Kariya and defenseman David Cullen were named first team East All-Americans and All-Hockey East first teamers.
Kariya was also a Hobey Baker Award finalist.
The team’s nickname for itself was the ‘Land of Broken Toys’ referring to the fact many of the players weren’t wanted by other schools.
Canuel, who graduated in 2008, was a dynamic midfielder who earned America East first team honors three times and was the conference’s Rookie of the Year in 2004 and Midfielder of the Year in 2005. She was also an All-New England selection.
Kelly, who graduated in 1996, is the only player from the defunct men’s soccer program to be a three-time first team All-North Atlantic choice. A tenacious and highly-skilled defender, Kelly was a two-time regional All-American who went on to play four seasons in the United Soccer League.
Thomas, Class of ‘91, was an All-American as well as an All-North Atlantic Conference Pitcher of the Year in 1991 when he was 9-4 with a 2.54 earned-run average. His 108 strikeouts are second most in school history. He was drafted in the second round by the Chicago White Sox and appeared in 79 Major League games, posting a 2-3 record and 3.02 ERA.
Reed, Class of ‘07, is one of just two Black Bears who earned three America East all-conference awards. He was a three-time second team selection. He is third in school history in career steals (225), fifth in scoring (1,601) and eighth in rebounding (732).
Koizar, an Austrian who first made a name for herself in the state as a first team Bangor Daily News All-Maine Schoolgirl selection when she played at Stearns High School in Millinocket, was a three-time All-America East first teamer and two-time All-AE tourney selection. Career-wise, she ranks third at UMaine in games played (130), sixth in 3-pointers (184), eighth in assists (368), ninth in scoring (1,671 points) and 10th in steals (179).
Gordon, class of ‘06, was an AP All-American return specialist who set a school record with three punt return touchdowns in his career. His 729 kick return yards in 2004 set the school record. He had two kickoff returns for touchdowns that year. He was an all-conference first team return specialist, a second-team running back and third team wide receiver.
In track, he was an All-American sprinter in the 60-meter dash with a school record 6.71 seconds time, good for seventh at the NCAA championships in 2007. He also holds the school record in the 200 meters (21.19).
Howatt, class of 2010, had eight school records when she graduated. She was named the outstanding track performer at the 2008 America East championships when she won the 100 and 200-meter dashes and ran a leg for the triumphant 4X400 relay team.
