Union’s Wakita will donate long locks to worthy cause

Union coach Nate Leaman likes to have his players’ hair neatly cut. He isn’t crazy about facial hair, either.

“Yeah, I like the guys to be clean cut. I like them to be shaven because they are representing Union College,” Leaman said. “I believe that representing a great institution like Union College that you should be looking nice.”

However, junior defenseman Mike Wakita is violating that policy — with Leaman’s blessing.

Wakita is letting his hair grow out because he is participating in the Locks of Love program which, according to the organization’s Web site, provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis.

“With Mike, it’s an exception,” Leaman said. “He came and he saw me. What he’s doing and the reason he’s doing it for are very good reasons. Ultimately, it shows what a big heart Mike has.”

At first, Wakita was a little uncomfortable talking about it because he didn’t want to make a big deal about it. But after talking with his parents, Wakita opened up about his participation because it would help raise awareness of the program.

“I started growing my hair the summer before,” Wakita said. “It’s been going quite a while.”

He is participating in the program to honor the memory of Michelle Oomn, who died from complications of breast cancer two years ago. Wakita lived Michelle and her husband, Duane, when he played Junior “B” hockey for the Campbell River (British Columbia) Storm of the Vancouver Island Junior League.

“It does mean a lot to me,” Wakita said. “I moved away from home when I was 15. Duane and Michelle had taken me in. They had two younger kids. They looked after me like I was one of their own. She was a second mother to a 15-year-old kid who was trying to play some hockey somewhere.”

Wakita has to let the hair grow to a minimum 10 inches before he can have it cut. He is at 9 3⁄4 inches now.

“I have a little bit more to go,” Wakita said.

Wakita has kept his participation in the program quiet, even to the Oomn family. He saw Duane Oomn over the summer.

“He kind of razzed me about the hair,” Wakita said. “So when I go back with the hair completely shaved off, then I’ll let him know.”

More information on the Locks of Love program can be found at www.locksoflove.org.

RPI tourney 2009

The field is not quite set for the 2009 Rensselaer Holiday Tournament.

RPI coach Seth Appert said Lake Superior State is definitely coming.

“We’re excited about that,” Appert said. “It’s a program that’s won multiple national championships.”

Appert said he has been talking with Leaman about having Union coming to the tournament. The Dutchmen haven’t played in the tournament since 1999.

“We’re hoping Union might come,” Appert said. “That’s the talks Nate and I have been having. We’re not sure if it’s going to work out yet. It keeps them in the Capital District and at home over Thanksgiving, and it adds to the draw of the tournament by bringing over Union fans.”

The fourth team hasn’t been

finalized.

LOCAL UPDATE

Here’s a look at how college hockey players from the Capital Region did over the past week.

u New Hampshire freshman forward Mike Borisenok (Watervliet) scored his first collegiate goal in the Wildcats’ 4-3 victory over Providence last Saturday. His goal came at 12:44 of the first period and tied the score, 1-1.

u St. Lawrence junior forward Tara Akstull (Clifton Park) had a goal and an assist in the Saints’ 2-0 triumph over Quinnipiac last Saturday.

ECACH ALUM WOES

Monday was a bad day for several former ECAC Hockey players.

u Dartmouth graduate Lee Stempniak was traded by the St. Louis Blues to the Toronto Maple Leafs . Stempniak, who was in fourth season with the Blues, had three goals and 10 assists in 14 games this season. His best season came in 2006-07, when he had 27 goals and 25 assists in 82 games.

u St. Lawrence graduate and Los Angeles Kings right wing John Zeiler got a three-game suspension for a major boarding penalty against Colorado’s Adam Foote two days before.

u But the worst indignity was suffered by former Cornell defenseman Ryan O’Byrne, who plays for the Montreal Canadiens.

With a delayed penalty against the New York Islanders late in the third period, Canadiens goalie Carey Price went to the bench for an extra attacker. O’Byrne had the puck along the right-wing boards in his zone when he tried to pass the puck. But he put it into his own net, tying the score at 3-3.

O’Byrne didn’t play another shift. The Canadiens lost in a shootout, 4-3. As the Canadiens were heading to the locker room, the fans were derisively chanting O’Byrne’s name.