Eastern Maine Sports Blog

The Black Bears haven’t been hibernating this summer.  Instead, there have been officer changes, new appointments, and special awards galore.  First, Kelsey Wilson, women’s soccer midfielder, has been named captain of the 2010 team.  She was a starter for all of the Bears’ games last seasons, scoring three goals and four assists.  Off the field, Wilson made the America East Honor Roll for the past three years.  The new season starts on the 18^th with an exhibition match against Burlington.

Meanwhile, assistant swim coach Brad Smith is staying right where he is after serving as interim assistant coach under Susan Lizotte last season.  The Bears’ swim team broke several records at the America East Championships last season—here’s hoping Smith can keep up his past success.  Smith himself was a star swimmer at Vermont up through 2007.  Since then he’s also worked at the YMCA, U. Vermont, and the Burlington Country Club. Read the rest of this entry »

The competition was fierce at Hadlock Field Sunday, July 11, especially for the Portland Sea Dogs’ Casey Kelly, playing his second game at the field.  The main concern was New Britain’s Kyle Gibson, who is currently the top pitching prospect for the major-league Twins.  Even though Gibson had only allowed four runs in his last 3 games against the Sea Dogs, Portland was able to make 7 hits over Gibson this time around.  Both Anthony Rizzo and Ray Chang brought in home runs.

The Sea Dog’s last game in the series against the Rock Cats took place July 12 at noon at Hadlock Field.  Two days later, three team members headed to the 2010 Eastern League All-Star Game at Metro Bank park in Harrisburg, PA.  The three players are infielders Ray Chang and Nate Spears and pitcher Stephen Fife.  These teams are made up by fan voting and media personnel, club personnel, and Eastern League administrators. Read the rest of this entry »

If you want to get off the sidelines and enjoy some of Maine’s beautiful scenery at the same time, there’s no better pastime than golf.  Each putt is a journey through a landscape full of tradition and natural beauty.  Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a local looking to see what you’ve missed, these are the spots to check out when playing the gentleman’s sport in the Pine Tree State.

• The Falmouth Country Club – Falmouth Course is a 72-par course spread out over 6,879 yards.  The course opened in 1986, and is located on Maine’s coast.  The terrain varies from rocky mountains to flowing grass fields, and there’s also a 40,000 square foot bent grass driving range to test your skills on.  Notable amateur tournaments have been held on the course, including the New England Amateur, the Maine Amateur, and the Tri-State Amateur. Read the rest of this entry »

Last season, University of Maine running back Jared Turcotte was forced to stay on the sidelines thanks to a couple of abdominal surgeries, recovery for which took longer than anyone could expect.  Before that, though, Turcotte was the one to watch as he led the team to the NCAA playoffs in 2008.  It was the first time the team reached the playoffs in six seasons.  This next season could be even better, though, thanks to two reasons: first, Turcotte is returning to football, and second, he’s getting married—and he’s going to be a father.

Turcotte and fiancé Allysha Jones were married Saturday, July 17, and their daughter is expected September 19.  Turcotte hopes that’ll be a big day for two reasons—it could be the day after Maine beats Syracuse at the Carrier Dome. Read the rest of this entry »

On July 16, fishing fanatics from all over gathered for the Saltwater Kayak Fishing Tournament in West Bath, Maine.  The three-day event is now in its fifth year, and was hosted by Seaspray Kayaking, with sponsorship by a number of other fishing retailers and organizations, including Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Ocean Kayak, and Wilderness Systems.

It may be a tournament, but don’t let the honest spirit of competition scare you away.  All were welcome, especially when the festivities started off with Free Kayak Fishing Friday.  Fans got a chance to try out equipment offered by the tournament’s sponsors, including new kayaks.  Representatives were on hand to demonstrate the goods. Read the rest of this entry »