Well said as usual Dan.... Those were the days.

  I was a freshman at Orono High in 77 and our junior town team was one
of the first to skate onto the ice when the Alfond was finished.  I wore
#9 because of Gary Conn.
I also, was one of the founding members of the "stand in line" club
waiting at 530 pm to get general admission seats right behind the net
for just about every game that first year.   My parents only had two
season tickets, so I didn't get to use those very often, and they still
have the same seats today.
 My favorite rival game back then was Salem St, although they beat us in
the playoffs the second or third year.  I haven't forgotten those days,
and the players who went through the growing pains of a new program.
Just because they never won very often doesn't mean they weren't Maine
hockey players
  It was even hard to jeer Bill Demianiuk's son who played for BC this
year.  (Now that makes me feel old)