Three-time defending Class B North hockey champion Old Town-Orono will have a new home rink this season.
The Black Bears will be practicing and playing their home games at Sawyer Arena in Bangor because Alfond Arena at the University of Maine is unavailable. The facility is only being used by the university hockey teams during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Old Town-Orono joins Sawyer Arena regulars Bangor High and John Bapst High of Bangor.
The other two Bangor-area teams, Brewer and Hampden Academy, practice and play their home games at the Penobscot Ice Arena in Brewer.
Old Town-Orono, which for several years has practiced early in the morning, will now do sessions at night.
Coach Chris Thurlow said they will miss the comforts of Alfond Arena but don’t mind playing at Sawyer Arena.
“I like that rink. It’s a little chillier than Alfond but the ice is fast and our team has speed,” Thurlow said.
“It doesn’t matter to the kids where they play. They just want to play.”
Old Town-Orono senior center and captain Tanner Evans said team members are looking forward to playing at Sawyer Arena.
“I’ve always liked playing at Sawyer Arena. I like the ice. It’s hard and fast. And we have speed. It will be fun,” Evans said.
Old Town-Orono players have experience playing in Bangor, both at the high school level and in youth leagues.
Thurlow said with the locker room restrictions, early morning practices at Alfond Arena would have been problematic. The players wouldn’t have had enough time to go home and shower and get to class on time.
“I like to get home after school, do my homework and go to bed,” said Evans, who prefers the morning practices.
Winter sports teams were allowed to begin small-group conditioning and skill sessions on Monday, but Old Town High School pushed back its winter sports teams to a Dec. 21 start. Orono has done the same for hockey.
Full-team practices have been moved back to Jan. 4, 2021, by the Maine Principals’ Association, but games can be held beginning Jan. 11.
Old Town-Orono went 15-6-1 last season and beat Presque Isle 6-2 in the Class B North final before losing to Greely of Cumberland Center 5-1 in the state championship game.
It was the third straight year Old Town-Orono and Greely met in the B final. The Rangers won the last two meetings.