ORONO, Maine — They are best friends.
They have been roommates for all four years and have played on the same line for all but a handful of games.
And University of Maine center and captain Cam Brown and left wing and assistant captain Blaine Byron will be playing their final games for the men’s hockey team against Northeastern University on Friday and Saturday nights.
They will be honored along with fellow seniors Eric Schurhamer and Matt Morris on Saturday night.
They became just the 55th and 56th players in the program’s 40-year history to eclipse the 100-point mark for their careers.
Brown has 102 points on 23 goals and 79 assists in 142 games while Byron had 101 on 44 goals and 57 assists in 141 games.
“It’s pretty cool to share together,” said Brown. “It’s humbling. We’ve played together for four years here, there have only been two or three games when we weren’t on the same line. We’re best friends on and off the ice.”
“We’ve done everything together on and off the ice and to both be able to (reach 100 points) is pretty special,” said Byron.
“They have both been terrific players here,” said UMaine head coach Red Gendron. “Getting 100 points is a significant milestone. They didn’t have as productive years as they would have liked last year as was the case with all of our forwards but they came back that much better as seniors this year.”
“It’s awesome. It’s a great milestone for them to reach,” said defenseman and assistant captain Schurhamer. “They’re both very deserving. They’re great players.”
They are both having their best seasons for the Black Bears.
Brown will enter the weekend with 35 points on four goals and 31 assists. His previous single-season high was 28 points his sophomore year, the same year he had his previous high in assists with 21. He had 20 points last season. His 31 assists are third-best in the country and his 1.03 assists per game is second best. His previous single-season high in assists was 21 two years ago.
Byron has 34 points on 16 goals and 18 assists. His points, goals and assists are all career-highs.
The fact they have reached the 100-point plateau is even more impressive when you consider the fact they have been on just one winning team at UMaine, their freshman season (16-15-4). UMaine has gone 48-79-7 in their four years.
“We wish we could have brought our fans and the people of Maine more wins,” said Brown. “But we don’t regret our time here. We’re very happy with the experiences we’ve had, all the people we’ve met and all the good times on the ice as well.
“We’ve been spoiled by the Alfond Arena crowds and the atmosphere,” added Brown.
“It has been a great four years. I wish more wins would have come but we still have some time left and, hopefully, we can make a little push down the stretch,” said Byron.
Schurhamer (122 games, 10 goals, 32 assists) and goalie Morris (58 games,16-35-6, 3.35 goals-against average, .899 save percentage, two shutouts) also had memorable experiences at UMaine.
“It has been a pleasure,” said Morris, who has spent five years at UMaine because he had to sit out one year after having offseason surgery. “It has been, by far, the best five years of my life. I’ve made lifelong friendships and have enjoyed every second of it. Hopefully, we can make a run in the playoffs.”
His highlights include his first start at Alfond Arena and being chosen to the all-tourney team at the Florida College Classic his freshman year.
“Everyone says the time flies by and it really does. The time passes you by a lot quicker than you think,” said Schurhamer. “It has been the top four years of my life.”
Schurhamer said he will always cherish the friendships he made and his time at Alfond Arena, saying “there is nowhere else like it. Nowhere else has the Alfond crowd. It’s something special for every player.”
He also said the two Frozen Fenway wins were memorable.