Home ice is main goal

Alfond Arena has always been a formidable place to play for foes of the University of Maine. During the squad's run to the NCAA title game in 2004, the Black Bears lost only once on home ice.

This season, they are 10-5-1 at Alfond. Maine has two games remaining in the regular season, tonight and tomorrow at UMass-Amherst, with the teams tied for fourth in Hockey East.

"This year has been a little different," said Black Bears captain Michel Leveille. "We had a great start, but the season was really [a series] of ups and downs. The past years we did have some downs, but never as big as we did this year. We weren't as successful at home as we have been in the past.

"We definitely need a sweep to gain home ice and look better for the playoffs. We have our own destiny in our hands. It's a matter of who is going to show up and play this weekend. This time of year you want to be more on an up than a down because playoffs [are coming]. The mental aspect is important going into the playoffs. That's why we want to finish strong."

Leveille heads into the weekend tied for the team lead in points with fellow senior Josh Soares and freshman Teddy Purcell, all of whom have 37. Leveille is second in goals with 16 (to Soares's 18) and second in assists with 21 (to Purcell's 22) . Leveille said Purcell has added a dangerous element to the lineup.

"He's a terrific player," said Leveille. "Coming in as a freshman and doing as well as he did, he's got great speed, great hands, and sees the ice really well. He had a chance to get some good ice time right off the bat and play with some more experienced guys and it was definitely an advantage for him."

Although Leveille's life started out difficult, he said it has been a great ride. When he was growing up in Levis, Quebec, his mother, Denise, was his rock because his father, Yves, died when Michel was 3.

"I definitely would say my mom was my biggest role model," said Leveille. "She took me and my sister under her wing. We didn't really miss the male aspect, the father aspect, in my childhood because there always were a bunch of people from my family and they were always coming to the home. My mom really played both roles. And through hockey, too, you always get the coaching staff and that aspect got fulfilled through hockey."

Although Leveille's first language is French, he learned some English while playing in Nanaimo, British Columbia, before college, but it wasn't enough to boost his test scores, so he had to redshirt his freshman year.

"It was definitely tough mentally not to play a sport you've played your entire life," he said, "but I had more time so I just put a lot more time into school than I would've if I'd played hockey."

Tim Whitehead said Leveille has been a joy to coach and he has overcome every obstacle put in his way.

"He's just been a great leader for us," said Whitehead. "He's an honor student every semester but one, and that semester he had a 2.98. He came into Maine and his first language is French, obviously, and he had never taken a class in English. I think that is just a remarkable accomplishment.

"He's a wonderful guy. He's very loyal to his mom. He has fought through a lot of things. He continues to amaze me. Every month he rises up in some way or another, either as a leader or a player or as a person. I've just been very impressed with him throughout his career at Maine. We're very proud of Michel."

University of Connecticut senior forward Matt Scherer helped his team secure the No. 3 seed for the upcoming Atlantic Hockey Association tournament with a 4-point effort last weekend. The Huskies beat Holy Cross twice, ensuring they will host their first tournament game since joining the league prior to the 2003-04 season. Scherer had 3 points in Saturday's 5-2 win, including his 21st goal, giving him 103 career points. He became the 26th player in UConn history to reach 100. Meanwhile, Holy Cross forward James Sixsmith had two goals and an assist in the two games. Sixsmith, a senior, reached 30 assists, tying Belmont native Pat Rissmiller (now playing for the San Jose Sharks) for the school's Division 1 season record. Sixsmith also has a team-high 17 goals . . . BC sophomore forward Nathan Gerbe was named the Hockey East Player of the Month for February, during which he had four goals and seven assists. The women's recipient was Providence senior defenseman Kristin Gigliotti . . . Former Augsburg College coach Ed Saugestad has been named the recipient of this year's Hobey Baker Legends of Hockey Award. From 1958-96, Saugestad, the second-winningest coach in Division 3, compiled a record of 503-354-21. His teams captured three NAIA national titles. He will be honored May 3 at a banquet in St. Paul. The winner of the Hobey Baker Award, given to the top player in college hockey, will be announced April 6 during the Frozen Four in St. Louis.

Nancy Marrapese-Burrell can be reached at Marrapese@globe.com.