ORONO, Maine — The University of Maine men’s ice hockey games previously scheduled for this weekend at UMass Lowell will not be played. A positive case of COVID-19 was identified in someone in the program through antigen testing.
Student-athletes are in quarantine as a result and team activities have been paused.
UMaine has corrected a press release sent out earlier Thursday that said staff was also quarantining. They are not. Contact tracing deemed that the coaching and direct support staff of the University of Maine Men's hockey team were not considered close contacts requiring mandatory quarantine.
The determination that the coaching staff and direct support staff were not close contacts requiring quarantine was reached on Wednesday, Dec. 16.
UMaine and UMass Lowell are scheduled to meet again on Jan. 1 and Jan. 2. The Black Bears last played in a weekend series against the New Hampshire Wildcats on Dec. 11 and Dec. 12 in Durham, NH.
The women’s ice hockey team will proceed with its plans to play Providence on Friday, Dec. 18 and Saturday, Dec. 19.
UMaine athletics is working with the university’s Emergency Operations Center on contact tracing and additional testing, and to support student-athletes and staff. It is standing practice across the University of Maine System to limit university activities and contacts to the greatest extent possible in keeping with Maine CDC guidance when a positive case of COVID-19 is identified in order to isolate infection and protect student, employee, and public health.
“Every step we have taken to prepare for our winter sports season has prioritized the safety of our student-athletes, coaches and athletic staff and our Maine communities,” UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy said. “The testing and contact tracing strategies in support of our Division I athletics program are working and the university is already taking steps to limit the spread of infection.”
“We are very proud of our men’s Black Bear hockey team and will be providing all of our impacted players and staff with support during their quarantine period,” she added.