ORONO, Maine — University of Maine hockey freshmen Liam Pecararo, Nolan Vesey and Mark Hamilton grew up in Massachusetts and attended games at Boston College and Boston University.
Pecararo admitted he “loved BU, because my cousin, Kenny Roche, played for them. But I started drifting away when I was a teenager.”
Roche, a left winger, played four years at BU, from 2003-07.
The trio will return to their native state this weekend when the Black Bears visit Boston University and Boston College on Friday and Saturday nights, respectively.
“It’s definitely going to be a cool experience,” left winger Vesey of North Reading, Massachusetts, said. “I’ll definitely have the chills when I step on the ice. There will be a lot of family members there. It should be fun.”
“I’ll be pretty fired up,” said Pecararo, who is from Canton and also anticipates having family members and friends in attendance.
It will be the first time Hamilton will play in Boston for several years.
The Winthrop, Massachusetts, native attended the Salisbury School in Connecticut before moving on to the Vernon Vipers in the British Columbia Junior Hockey League.
Hamilton said his grandmother will be among his long list of family members in attendance.
“It’ll be fun,” he said.
Pecararo and Vesey said they never played at BU’s Agganis Arena or BC’s Conte Forum, but Hamilton thought he played at one of the rinks when he was at the mites (ages 8-under) level.
“It was nerve-wracking,” he recalled.
Sophomore center Cam Brown from Natick, Massachusetts, said it will be an “awesome” experience for them.
“I couldn’t wait to get on the ice, last season,” he said. “You have so many family members and close friends from home at the games.”
Brown used to follow BU and BC, “but now I hate both of them,” he said.
The Massachusetts natives aren’t losing sight of the fact there are two important Hockey East games to be played.
“It’ll be nice going home, but we realize there are four points on the line and we really need those points,” Vesey said.
Teams get two points for a win and one for a tie.
Pecararo and Vesey are linemates. They have been the wingers on a line centered either by Steven Swavely or Stu Higgins.
Pecararo has a goal and two assists in nine games and Vesey has three assists in 11 games. They each had three shots on goal in last Friday’s 3-1 home loss to BU.
“Liam and I have good chemistry. Liam is pretty craft,” Vesey said. “We feed off each other. I should have had a couple of goals against BU.”
Hamilton has two assists in 11 games but has been solid defensively and a physical presence.
The three freshmen said there was a significant adjustment to Division I hockey but feel they have benefited from competitive practices and game experience.
“I think I had my best game last Friday, and I have to keep building off that,” Vesey said.
“Competing hard every day in practice has helped us get better,” Hamilton said.
Brown said they are making good progress.
“They have all stepped up big time,” he said. “They have been impact players, and only good things are going to come for them.”