University of New England football coach Mike Lichten paces the sideline during a pre-varsity game at Curry College last fall. SUBMITTED PHOTO/University of New England
UNE played a pre-varsity schedule last year but the Nor’easters are making the jump to the Division III varsity level this fall — and the next step in the process will be the 16 spring practices held over the next few weeks.
Head coach Mike Lichten knows how important the offseason program is for all college football programs.
“The nature of our sport the kids come in and they’re thrown right into the fire in terms of our season, so the winter and the spring is really the time when they develop,” said Lichten.
The Nor’easters’ roster features a ton of underclassmen, which makes the winter and spring workouts even more significant for Lichten’s squad.
“With such a large group of young players it’s been critical … their ability to hold themselves accountable in the weight room and push themselves,” Lichten said. “A lot of them have worked really, really hard and we’re anxious to see where they’re at this spring. With a young group this is a critical time where you’re going to make or break your 2018 season.”
One thing that has helped the Nor’easters this offseason is the new weight room at Harold Alfond Forum and Lichten believes UNE has the infrastructure to help build a strong program.
“The facilities at our players’ fingertips are special,” said Lichten. “There are still some new things to (come), like they’ll be going into the locker room for the first time on Sunday. That’s a big moment for them, and there will also be a lot of construction here in May and June with the development of our playing fields for all sports.”
UNE will start construction of the new football field on the site of the current Big Blue Turf once the spring athletics season ends, according to a release on the school’s website.
“We have to wait until lacrosse and softball have kind of wound down to break ground but then it will happen pretty quickly,” said Lichten.
Lichten and his assistant coaches have spent the offseason traveling around the country recruiting potential Nor’easters, but they have also focused on keeping local talent home.
“We’ve worked hard to kind of extend our reach, but at the same time we’ve put a premium on focusing nearby. We’ve talked to a lot of really talented players in New England, and had a lot of them visit and some of them are coming,” said Lichten. “But we’ve also had some success (across the country) — Texas, California, the West Coast and even some of the middle of the country. We expect to be on a national stage, not just athletically, but our entire university and we’re going to recruit as such.”
Most high school athletes visit colleges during the winter months, but despite the typical Maine weather hitting Biddeford, Lichten believes prospects can still see how UNE’s campus is special.
“Some of the places we’re bringing kids in from (Maine) is drastically different. When we hold visits it happens to be the dead of winter, but this place it doesn’t matter what the weather’s like outside, this place is tremendous year round,” said Lichten. “We’ve had lots of flights. We’ve kept Portland Jetport pretty busy and even Boston. We’ve had a lot of guys come from a lot of distance, and like I said guys from right down the road have also come and we’ll continue to find the players that best fit our program, no matter where they are.”
The Nor’easters, who went 2-6 in pre-varsity play last fall, will hit the road for their first ever Division III game as they will visit the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut.
“I grew up going to Army-Navy games with my father and that’s really important to me. When I found out our first game was against Coast Guard down at there place to open up football at (UNE), you know that was predetermined before I arrived, but that’s an exciting thing,” Lichten said. “They’re program is very historic. They have great players. They have a great coaching staff. It’s going to be a special way to start football here.”
Lichten has spent a couple years going to high school football games in Maine and he believes the fans are going to jump at the chance to support their local college program.
“We’ve been going to high school games now for two years and it’s impressive to see how involved people are and how invested people are — not just parents of players, but school administrators and members of the communities, and we’re excited to hopefully put on a show for them,” said Lichten. “We know football’s important here and we’re looking to kind of be the flagship program in the college world for the people of southern Maine, eastern New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts. We’re looking to give them something to be excited about on Saturday afternoons.”
The Nor’easters will be looking to find success in their first Division III campaign, but Lichten believes that will come if his squad focuses on doing things the right way and working hard.
“Our expectations are to focus on our process and to embrace our day-to-day and long-term process and the results will take care of themselves if you do that,” said Lichten. “It’s the age-old adage — do your job and do your job well on a day-to-day basis and good things will happen for us.”
NOTE: The UNE football program will open the 2018 season on Thursday, Aug. 30 at Coast Guard. The Nor’easters’ first home game will be Saturday, Sept. 8 against Husson.
— Sports Editor Pat McDonald can be reached at pmcdonald@journaltribune.com or at 282-1535 ext. 322. Follow the Journal Tribune Sports Department on Twitter @JournalTsports.
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