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Mar. 28—ALLENTOWN, Penn. — Kristi Hall sat in the lobby of her hotel, talking all things University of Maine hockey, when a stranger noticed her sweatshirt, with MAINE written across the front in bold, blue letters. He approached and raised his hand.
"Go, blue," he said, offering his hand for a fist bump, and just like that, Bob Radcliffe of Augusta and Kristi Hall of Bangor weren't strangers anymore.
The University of Maine was sent to Allentown for the NCAA men's hockey tournament, approximately 550 miles from Orono. Of course, a lot of Black Bears fans still made the trip.
Maine fans travel well. If that wasn't clear before last week's Hockey East semifinals and finals at Boston's TD Garden, it should be now. Even UConn coach Mike Cavanaugh noted that the Garden sounded like Alfond Arena, the Black Bears' home barn, after Maine beat his Huskies 5-2 in the Hockey East championship game.
Hall stayed at her sister's home in Augusta on Thursday night, then left at 3:30 a.m. Friday to get to Allentown. Her family moved from Maine to South Carolina when she was a child, but her father instilled a passion for the Black Bears that never extinguished. Her license plate reads HKY EAST. Her sister's plate reads BRKAWY. Her aunt and uncle drive with PUCK YA on the plates.
"I don't remember '93 or '99," Hall said, the two seasons the Black Bears won national titles, "but '02 and '04 (seasons Maine lost the national championship game) stand out distinctly in my mind."
There was never any question Hall would attend the NCAA regionals, no matter where the Black Bears played. She put in her request for time off exactly six months from the dates of the Hockey East semifinals, the earliest she was allowed to do so.
There was never any question Rudy and Kathy Shorette would attend the tournament, either. Like Hall, the couple from Bradley are Black Bears season ticket holders. They were freshman at UMaine in 1977, the year the hockey team began. The Shorettes even went to Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 2017, when Maine took part in the Friendship Four tournament. This year's team is special, Rudy said.
"They seem to be gelled as a team. I think they're playing for each other," he said. "I think they've really gripped the idea that they're playing for the state."
Fans praised the work of Ben Barr, who in his fourth season as head coach has transformed the Black Bears from a team that sat at or near the bottom of Hockey East to one of the top teams in the country. In Barr's first season, the Black Bears won seven games. They entered Friday's game against Penn State with 24 wins.
"I like what they've been able to do in such a short period of time. All of them have the same mindset. It's not about them. It's about the team," Hall said.
In 1993, Radcliffe went to Milwaukee for the national championship game. He went without a ticket, figuring he'd find one. He did.
"I was in the last (darn) row, but I was there," he said.
David and Teri Holt, the parents of Maine defenseman Brandon Holt, were outside the PPL Center on Friday afternoon, hours before the start of the game. They made the trip from Grand Forks, North Dakota, and couldn't be happier their son chose Maine.
"It's really kind of amazing, the atmosphere anywhere they play," David said. "There's always a ton of Black Bear fans."
Across town, shortly before 5 p.m., Maine fans arrived at Miller's Ale House for a pregame party thrown by the University of Maine Alumni Association. Tom Peaco, President and CEO of the Alumni Association, said Miller's was the only place to agree to host an event with 200 people in the middle of the dinner rush on a Friday night, complete with a pep band and a life-size bear.
Fans arrived at Miller's from across the country. Steve Harlow, UMaine Class of '75, flew up from his home in Palm Coast, Florida. Nick Boudreau of Bangor planned to visit his friend, Nevin Daviault, at West Virginia University this weekend, anyway. The pair decided to make the drive from Morgantown to Allentown with buddies Isaac Jones and Kaden Knorr, to show them what being a Black Bears hockey fan is all about.
A hockey player himself, Boudreau said Maine hockey has been a part of his entire life. He knew the last time the Black Bears won Hockey East prior to this season, he was 3 years old. He remembers the lean years since 2012, when the team went a dozen years without making the NCAA tournament. Of course, a trip to Allentown for Friday's game was worth it. Like breathing fresh air is worth it. It's fulfilling.
Of course, the fans come out. Anyone surprised doesn't know Maine, or certainly doesn't understand it.
"Maine hockey is just what we have, and everybody is passionate about it," Peaco said. "For alumni, the team is what sparks great memories of their time at the university."
On Friday, fans entered the PPL Center looking to create new memories.
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"Go, blue," he said, offering his hand for a fist bump, and just like that, Bob Radcliffe of Augusta and Kristi Hall of Bangor weren't strangers anymore.
The University of Maine was sent to Allentown for the NCAA men's hockey tournament, approximately 550 miles from Orono. Of course, a lot of Black Bears fans still made the trip.
Maine fans travel well. If that wasn't clear before last week's Hockey East semifinals and finals at Boston's TD Garden, it should be now. Even UConn coach Mike Cavanaugh noted that the Garden sounded like Alfond Arena, the Black Bears' home barn, after Maine beat his Huskies 5-2 in the Hockey East championship game.
Hall stayed at her sister's home in Augusta on Thursday night, then left at 3:30 a.m. Friday to get to Allentown. Her family moved from Maine to South Carolina when she was a child, but her father instilled a passion for the Black Bears that never extinguished. Her license plate reads HKY EAST. Her sister's plate reads BRKAWY. Her aunt and uncle drive with PUCK YA on the plates.
"I don't remember '93 or '99," Hall said, the two seasons the Black Bears won national titles, "but '02 and '04 (seasons Maine lost the national championship game) stand out distinctly in my mind."
There was never any question Hall would attend the NCAA regionals, no matter where the Black Bears played. She put in her request for time off exactly six months from the dates of the Hockey East semifinals, the earliest she was allowed to do so.
There was never any question Rudy and Kathy Shorette would attend the tournament, either. Like Hall, the couple from Bradley are Black Bears season ticket holders. They were freshman at UMaine in 1977, the year the hockey team began. The Shorettes even went to Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 2017, when Maine took part in the Friendship Four tournament. This year's team is special, Rudy said.
"They seem to be gelled as a team. I think they're playing for each other," he said. "I think they've really gripped the idea that they're playing for the state."
Fans praised the work of Ben Barr, who in his fourth season as head coach has transformed the Black Bears from a team that sat at or near the bottom of Hockey East to one of the top teams in the country. In Barr's first season, the Black Bears won seven games. They entered Friday's game against Penn State with 24 wins.
"I like what they've been able to do in such a short period of time. All of them have the same mindset. It's not about them. It's about the team," Hall said.
In 1993, Radcliffe went to Milwaukee for the national championship game. He went without a ticket, figuring he'd find one. He did.
"I was in the last (darn) row, but I was there," he said.
David and Teri Holt, the parents of Maine defenseman Brandon Holt, were outside the PPL Center on Friday afternoon, hours before the start of the game. They made the trip from Grand Forks, North Dakota, and couldn't be happier their son chose Maine.
"It's really kind of amazing, the atmosphere anywhere they play," David said. "There's always a ton of Black Bear fans."
Across town, shortly before 5 p.m., Maine fans arrived at Miller's Ale House for a pregame party thrown by the University of Maine Alumni Association. Tom Peaco, President and CEO of the Alumni Association, said Miller's was the only place to agree to host an event with 200 people in the middle of the dinner rush on a Friday night, complete with a pep band and a life-size bear.
Fans arrived at Miller's from across the country. Steve Harlow, UMaine Class of '75, flew up from his home in Palm Coast, Florida. Nick Boudreau of Bangor planned to visit his friend, Nevin Daviault, at West Virginia University this weekend, anyway. The pair decided to make the drive from Morgantown to Allentown with buddies Isaac Jones and Kaden Knorr, to show them what being a Black Bears hockey fan is all about.
A hockey player himself, Boudreau said Maine hockey has been a part of his entire life. He knew the last time the Black Bears won Hockey East prior to this season, he was 3 years old. He remembers the lean years since 2012, when the team went a dozen years without making the NCAA tournament. Of course, a trip to Allentown for Friday's game was worth it. Like breathing fresh air is worth it. It's fulfilling.
Of course, the fans come out. Anyone surprised doesn't know Maine, or certainly doesn't understand it.
"Maine hockey is just what we have, and everybody is passionate about it," Peaco said. "For alumni, the team is what sparks great memories of their time at the university."
On Friday, fans entered the PPL Center looking to create new memories.
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