... now that Saturday's slate of high school basketball and hockey games are called off because of a snowstorm (yet another snowstorm) that's predicted to hit Maine.

If you're in the Portland area, Southern Maine Community College in South Portland is hosting the United States Collegiate Athletic Conference's Division II tournament.

If you happen to be in Aroostook County, mush mush. The Can-Am Crown International Sled Dog Races begin at 8 a.m. Saturday on Main Street in Fort Kent.

If not, enjoy the weekend and brace for plenty of hockey and basketball on Monday. It's going to be a busy one.

It turns out Scarborough hockey coach Jay Mazur had a good excuse to back out of the Maine Mariners/Boston Bruins alumni game Wednesday night at the Cumberland County Civic Center. Mazur, a former Portland Pirate, and his team had a postseason date in Gorham.

The Red Storm got a raincheck - make that a "snow" check - as its playoff game against Bonny Eagle was postponed from Tuesday to Wednesday, conflicting with the charity contest.

"I so badly wanted to play in that," Mazur said after Scarborough's 8-1 win in the Western Class A playoffs.

Mazur had a substitute - brother-in-law Wes McCauley, an NHL referee who lives in South Portland.

"He's wearing my sweater with my name on it, so he better have done me proud," Mazur said, laughing.

Francis Khamis, a 2004 Portland High graduate and a Maine Sunday Telegram All-State boys soccer selection, recently gave a commitment to play soccer at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. However, a recent story in the Las Vegas Sun explains that Khamis is debating whether to continue his education or turn to professional soccer.

In America, field of dreams

***

Becky O'Brien finished sixth at Saturday's AT&T USA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Boston with a throw of 56 feet, 11 inches. According to Dyestat.com, a Web site that tracks the nation's top high school track and field performances, O'Brien's finish is the top interscholastic mark in the girls shot put.

Karen Shump of Penncrest High School in Media, Pa., held the previous mark of 50-7.5.

Messalonskee's Jesse Labreck is tied with Kelly McNamee of Ferris High School in Spokane, Wash., for the nation's best mark in the girls high jump (5-8.75)

The Maine Class A Coaches Association released this season's final Class A ice hockey top-ten poll:

1. Biddeford
2. Kennebunk
3. Falmouth
4. Lewiston
5. Brewer
6. St. Dominic
7. Waterville
8. Portland
9. Thornton Academy
10. Brunswick

Others receiving votes: Bangor, Lawrence, Bonny Eagle

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Matt Stairs is in Florida for spring training but told the National Post of Canada that he might make a return trip to Maine if the John Bapst hockey team reaches the Class B state championship game. Stairs lives in Bangor in the offseason and is an assistant hockey coach at John Bapst.

The state championships are scheduled for March 8 at the Colisee in Lewiston – the same day the Blue Jays have an exhibition game against the Detroit Tigers.

The Maine Principals Association released the final Heal points and the playoff brackets for high school hockey.

The top seeds for the tournament, which starts Friday with preliminary games, are:

Western A: Biddeford (20-0)
Eastern A: Lewiston (16-3-1)
Western B: York (15-4-1)
Eastern B: Winslow (14-5-1)

The Maine Class A Coaches Association has named eight semifinalists for the Travis Roy Award, given annually to the top senior in Class A high school hockey.

Topher Pochebit, Cheverus
Nick Reny, Biddeford
Tony Dube, Biddeford
John Massey, Waterville
Jon Roy, Lewiston
Jordan Bourgoin, Lewiston
Derek Kump, Falmouth
Matt DelGiudice, Messalonskee

The finalists for the award will be announced March 10 and the Travis Roy Award winner will be announced at the Class A Hockey banquet at 1 p.m. March 16 the Ramada Inn in Lewiston.

Falmouth's Ethan Shaw ran 5,600 meters Monday at the Class B boys indoor track and field championships - the senior won the 1,600 and finished second in the 3,200 and the 800 to accrue 26 points and help the Yachtsmen win their third consecutive state championship.

For a basis of comparison, a cross-country race is 3.1 miles or 5,000 meters.

The widespread power outages that hit Maine earlier this week? A pair of area hockey teams were affected by it, as well.

The Greely hockey team will face Yarmouth at 3:30 p.m. today in a Western Class B game at the Travis Roy Arena in Yarmouth. The game was rescheduled from Thursday after power outages hit Yarmouth.

***

George Mendros, a track coach at Thornton Academy, gave a little more perspective on Becky O'Brien's state-best mark of 50 feet, 6 inches in the girls shot put.

"When Jane Woodhead (of Lewiston) was around in the 1980s, I thought the marks would last forever," Mendros said. "They lasted 20 years. The next best underclassmen is at 36 feet. For someone to improve three feet in a year is impressive."

Woodhead set the state indoor girls shot put record of 44-6 in 1986, before O'Brien set a new mark of 44-11.5 last year.

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Just a couple numbers to chew on going into the weekend:

8 - number of high school basketball games at the Portland Expo in the next 36 hours. The Expo hosts the quarterfinals and semifinals of the Western Class A and B boys and girls basketball tournaments.

15 - penalties called in the Biddeford hockey team's 5-1 win Wednesday against Thornton Academy.

The Brunswick hockey team handed Lewiston its third loss of the season, a 1-0 overtime decision Monday night at the Colisee. The Dragons won despite being outshot 27-13 by the Blue Devils, the top team in Eastern Class A.

***

This week's Maine Class A Coaches Poll:

1. Biddeford (unanimous)
2. Kennebunk
3. Falmouth
4. St. Dominic
5. Lewiston
6. Brewer
7. Waterville
8. Thornton Academy
9. Portland
10. (tie) - Brunswick, Lawrence
Others receiving votes: Bangor, Bonny Eagle, Gray-New Gloucester/Poland

The high school basketball playoffs begin Tuesday with the boys and girls preliminary games.

For the first time in school history, the Cheverus girls basketball team qualified for the Western A playoffs as the 11th seed and face No. 6 Marshwood at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Of note – Cheverus became a co-educational school in 2000.

The Maine Class A Coaches Association released this week's Class A ice hockey top-ten poll:

1. Biddeford
2. Kennebunk
3. Lewiston
4. Falmouth
5. Brewer
6. Thornton Academy
7. Waterville
8. St. Dominic
9. Portland
10. Brunswick

Others receiving votes: Bangor, Bonny Eagle, GNG-Poland, Scarborough, Lawrence

Today not only is the first day of the National Letter of Intent spring signing period, but it's also Feb. 6, officially recognized as National Girls and Women in Sports Day.

Recognition of National Girls and Women in Sports Day began in 1987, honors female athletic achievement and recognizes the participation of girls and women in athletics. The inaugural celebration was founded by the Women's Sports Foundation in honor of U.S. Olympic volleyball player Flo Hyman, who died of Marfan syndrome the previous year.

Some food for thought. According to the Women's Sports Foundation, girls who participate in sports:

- learn how to take risks and be aggressive

- have greater confidence in their physical and social selves than those who do not participate

- develop leadership skills

- and learn the importance of setting goals and thinking strategically.

Biddeford goalie Cody Petit got the start Monday in a 5-1 win over Kennebunk for the Fix Cup championship, giving Tigers starter Tony Dube a breather.

"Tony is a great goaltender," said Petit, who finished with 22 saves in the exhibition game. "It's nice to get the start every once in a while but I couldn't have done it without the team tonight because they worked hard."

The line on Petit this season: In five regular-season games he has given up 11 goals, with a 2.20 goals-against average and .897 saves percentage.

"Cody plays very, very well when we need him," Biddeford Coach Jamie Gagnon said. "He's had some great breakout games this year, throughout the year, and to get performances from Cody, it's phenomenal."

***

Roger Reed, the longtime Bangor High boys basketball coach, earned his 500th win Saturday when the Rams defeated Skowhegan 63-39.

Reed has coached for 35 years, including 23 at Bangor. The Rams are the defending Class A champion and are 16-0 entering Tuesday's game at Mt. Blue in Farmington.

***

The Mountain Valley Conference may have a new top dog in girls basketball, as Mountain Valley of Rumford improved to 14-2 with a 52-28 win Saturday against Dirigo, a perennial Class C power.

The Kennebunk hockey team faces Biddeford for the second Fix Cup championship Monday at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

Falmouth faces Portland at 6 p.m. in the tournament consolation game, followed by the championship game between the Rams and the Tigers, traditional rivals.

In last week's semifinals, Kennebunk defeated Falmouth 4-3 and Biddeford defeated Portland 5-2.