University of Maine senior Eduards Tralmaks and freshman Victor Ostman figured they would be climbing on a bus and heading for Durham for the first-round Hockey East playoff game against archrival New Hampshire.
All season, the Black Bears played exclusively on the road because of the state’s 50-person limit for indoor gatherings — the only team in New England to do so.
But on Sunday, UMaine announced that details had been worked out with state agencies that would permit it to host a hockey game.
That means eighth-seeded UMaine (3-10-2) will finally play at Alfond Arena in Orono on Wednesday against No. 10 UNH (5-13-3). Puck drop is set for 4:30 p.m.
“We were working out on Sunday when we heard the news,” Tralmaks said. “Everyone went nuts. We were so happy.
“It seems like all the news we got this year was negative. It was great news. We needed this. We can’t wait to play,” he said. “It’s an honor for me to play one last game at the Alfond Arena.”
The Hockey East playoffs are all single elimination instead of best-of-three series this year with the games to be played in the home rinks of the higher-seeded teams.
“It was definitely a surprise,” said Ostman who, like the other freshmen, will have the distinction of playing their first-ever game at Alfond Arena in the playoffs.
UMaine should benefit from playing on an ice sheet that is 15 feet narrower than Towse Rink in the Whittemore Center at UNH. And for the first time this season, UMaine head coach Red Gendron will get the last line change.
“We like to play more physical than they do,” said Tralmaks, noting that the smaller ice sheet is more suited for their aggressive, grinding style of play. “And having the last line change means we can finally match lines however we want.”
Even though they won’t have fans, Tralmaks said by playing at home for the first time, they will create their own energy.
Tralmaks returned to the lineup for the first time since Jan. 23 last Saturday and scored the game-tying goal in the third period of a 3-3 tie, and shootout victory over sixth-ranked Massachusetts. He had been sidelined due to a case of the coronavirus and the long list of tests he had to undergo in its aftermath.
Fellow right winger Jacob Schmidt-Svejstrup is expected to play in his first game since Jan. 23 on Wednesday. Tralmaks and Schmidt-Svejstrup were tied for the team scoring lead with Adam Dawe when they were sidelined.
“We’re going to have a full roster. This is the happiest I’ve been all year,” Tralmaks said.
Ostman said he and his fellow freshmen have addressed the issue of being too excited and having that negatively impact their performance.
“Not having any fans will help that,” Tralmaks said.
The Black Bears go into the game with an all-time Hockey East playoff record of 32-4 at Alfond Arena, including a 4-0 mark vs. UNH. They have only failed to advance on one occasion when they got swept by UMass in a best-of-three series in 2003.
UMaine had a shootout win and a 6-2 loss in December at UNH.
“But we’re a different team now,” Tralmaks said.
Ostman (3-5-1, 3.52 goals-against average, .909 save percentage), the reigning Hockey East Player of the Week, believes he has made steady progress over the course of the season.
“I’m feeling more comfortable now,” Ostman said.
Both players said the shootout win at UMass gave the team a huge lift.
UNH enters the game on a four-game winless streak (0-3-1) and has allowed 20 goals in that span, and 26 over its last five games.
They haven’t played since a 6-2 loss at Merrimack on Feb. 20.
UMaine is led in scoring by left wing Dawe (5 goals, 8 assists), Tralmaks (6 & 4), center Lynden Breen (2 & 8) and defenseman Jakub Sirota (1 & 9).
Mike Souza’s Wildcats are paced by center Jackson Pierson (8 & 15), LW Angus Crookshank (8 & 15), defenseman Kalle Eriksson (5 & 12), RW Patrick Grasso (7 & 8) and goalie Mike Robinson (4-11-3, 3.46, .877).