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Men's soccer and women's volleyball are eliminated as the college deals with a budget shortfall next year.

By JENN MENENDEZ, Staff Writer April 16, 2009

Just minutes after wrapping up a spring practice, soccer player Sam Alpert heard the sobering news from his coach at the University of Maine.

The program, Coach Pat Laughlin told them, is being cut to address a massive budget shortfall at the school.

"The initial reaction was just shock that it happened. No one really saw it coming," said Alpert, a freshman fullback from Falmouth. "We had finished practice and everyone was done stretching. Our coach was pulled out and came back and informed us."

Citing unprecedented budget challenges, UMaine announced Wednesday that it will cut the men's soccer and women's volleyball programs to make up an $871,000 budget shortfall within the athletic department for the next fiscal year.

That figure is part of budget reductions imposed to help deal with a university-wide shortfall of $8.8 million, along with other losses suffered in the struggling economy: a shrinking endowment, reduced donations, and a decline in ticket and merchandise sales.

Maine Athletic Director Blake James said he agonized over a solution for more than a month.

"It's a very difficult decision to make," James said. "It affects the livelihood of the coaches, and the dreams of the student-athletes who will no longer be a part of our program. We evaluated all of the ramifications and it was something we had to do in order to meet our budgetary expectations."

Men's soccer has an annual operating budget of $144,000, and volleyball costs $230,000 annually -- figures that include coaches' salaries and travel, but not scholarships.

Soccer had 26 players and 7 scholarships, and volleyball had 15 players and 12 scholarships.

James said the cuts will result in a first-year savings of $600,000, and annual savings of more than $900,000.

In 2002, UMaine considered cutting men's soccer -- along with the men's and women's swimming teams -- after a recommendation that year by an athletic budget advisory committee. All programs were spared.

The soccer team went 5-10-2 last season, and the volleyball team had a 14-13 record.

James said neither team's performance was a factor in the decision.

"We looked at the department overall and the programs we were sponsoring," he said. "Unfortunately, those were the two that were selected."

Nine soccer recruits committed to Maine two weeks ago by signing letters of intent. One of them was standout Scarborough High goalie Adam Blanchard.

Dave Halligan, whose son Pat played his final year of college eligibility for the Black Bears in 2007, said the news troubled him. Halligan is the head coach at Falmouth High.

"What do you tell a young player in Maine now? 'Hey, go somewhere else. We can't afford you?' " said Halligan. "There's probably more soccer players in Maine than any other sport. That's our flagship university, the only Division I school in the state."

Philip Reed, a former standout midfielder from Gorham, would have played his senior season for UMaine next fall. He was one of five in-state players on the roster.

His stepfather, David Babino, said Reed was devastated by the news when reached in Rome, where he is studying abroad this spring.

"He was pretty pumped for the season," Babino said. "It was kind of a shock. Nobody saw it coming. His actual words were: 'I spent three years working my tail off to get to my senior year to help this program grow, and they took it from my hands without any warning.'

"That was his big issue, and my big issue. Poor kid."

There were no players from Maine on the volleyball roster or among the 2009 recruiting class.

UMaine is the second America East Conference school to announce program cuts this year. The University of Vermont said earlier this year that it will drop its baseball and softball teams after the current season to make up a $1.1 million shortfall.

"It's unfortunate, but it's become a reality...