Let me see, Nonni...your central point in this thread seems to be that Maine's "home" games should be played at Alfond on every occasion possible because: 1. game atmosphere is the most intense at Alfond, thereby imparting extra advantage toward our players and winning results on the ice for each game 2. travel to other venues is a significant burden on the total UMaine athletic budget and should be avoided 3. fewer paying fans attend the games held away from the Alfond Arena Therefore, I ask again...why is it that Maine now plays in a holiday tournament in FLORIDA each year ? Maine for many years hosted a Dexter holiday tournament at the Alfond Arena, Orono, Maine 04469...why did it stop ? nonni daly wrote (clipped): >Travel costs alone are an incredible part of the budget, since -- to quote Jack Cosgrove -- "Orono isn't a place you go THROUGH, it's a place you go TO!" It's also a place you go FROM and at the competitive levels at which Maine now competes, it is very costly to cover all this travel. > >is Maine supposed to take teams away from that all important cash cow to >play in a totally different venue where no such support is forthcoming, >sometimes even simply in the form of ticket sales?