For sophomore Mark Anthoine playing college hockey for the University of Maine is a very big deal.

“It’s a huge deal to me, just because I put a lot of work and time into this,” he said. “It’s huge to me because I have so many family and friends around the area, so every time I play I feel like I’m representing them and my team”.

Anthoine is a native of the Lewiston/Auburn area and one of only a few players on the Black Bears roster from the state of Maine.

In his first season with the Black Bears, Anthoine started in 33 games, which was the most out of any freshmen in the 2010 – ‘11 season and was the only Maine born player that played in a game. He scored only four points total in his freshmen campaign, but also only spent 21 minutes in the penalty box for the entire season making him a very reliable player for Maine coach Tim Whitehead to put out there.

At the end of the season, Anthoine’s hard work was noticed by many as he was named Maine Scholar Athlete’s “Raising Star”.

Before Anthoine could make the journey up to Orono from Lewiston, he had to do a bit of traveling before his number was called.

For his high school years, he played for the Portland Junior Pirates until the end of his junior year.

Anthoine was fully prepared to spend his senior year with the Pirates as their captain, but the USHL came knocking as he was drafted into the USHL, a USA Hockey Tier I league, by the Chicago Steel in 2007.

“I decided that I should go try this out and see how it is,” said Anthoine. “I tried out and they offered me a spot and I stayed there”.

Mark spent three seasons with the Steel and head coach Steve Poapst, who was a former member of the Pirates.

“It’s kind of funny that I had to move out west to get better to be able to come back and play at Maine,” Anthoine said gratefully.

His time out west was well spent; he gradually improved his game each season with the Steel.

In his first year, Anthoine tallied 25 points with 12 goals and 13 assists, the next season he added 28 more points to his USHL career.

Anthoine’s last season in the league was spent as the captain of the Chicago Steel where he put 21 goals in the back of the net and helped with 18 more giving him a career high 39 points on the season.

As the USHL season came closer to its close, the Steel dealt the Maine player to the Sioux Falls Stampede for a final playoff push.

“In my last year at the USHL I was traded at the playoff deadline to Sioux Falls and I finished up there and it was really fun.”

In his final 21 games in the USHL, he scored six goals and earned 13 assists with the Stampede.

After his junior hockey and USHL career Anthoine knew he only wanted to play for one team.

“I really liked Hockey East and I just knew if there was anywhere I wanted to go it would have to be Maine, I didn’t really favor any other school.”

Prior to the 2010 season Mark signed with the Black Bears and ever since he’s been carrying the state of Maine on his shoulders and thinking of every Mainer every time he slips that University of Maine jersey on and skates out on to the ice.