Four University of Maine athletic programs have had to postpone or cancel weekend contests because of COVID-19 cases within their teams.
The women’s basketball team, which played Thursday and trounced New Hampshire, 77-51, had its Sunday game at Binghamton postponed.
America East has stated it will make every effort to reschedule any games postponed because of COVID issues, according to Tyson McHatten, UMaine’s senior associate director of athletics/external operations.
COVID-19 cases within the indoor track, swimming and diving, and women’s hockey teams have also led to schedule changes.
The men’s and women’s indoor track teams canceled plans to compete at the Sorlein Memorial Invitational at the University of Rhode Island on Saturday.
The men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams were supposed to compete at Bowdoin on Saturday. That meet will be rescheduled if possible.
Women’s hockey was scheduled to play a two-game series at Boston University on Friday and Saturday. Hockey East, along with Maine and BU, will attempt to reschedule those games.
Prior to this week, the UMaine athletic schedules had seen few disruptions this winter. The men’s hockey team had a Dec. 31-Jan. 1 series at Penn State canceled because of its own COVID issues. Women’s basketball had a Dec. 22 nonconference game at Northeastern canceled, and men’s basketball has had two conference games postponed – a home game against Hartford on Jan. 6 and a game this Wednesday at New Hampshire. The UNH game has been moved to Jan. 26, but no makeup date has been determined for the Hartford game.
McHatten said all winter athletes, coaches and assistant coaches were tested for COVID-19 when they returned to campus after the holiday break, and all teams are being tested prior to a game. Additional tests are administered when someone is exhibiting COVID symptoms.
Two UMaine teams are in action this weekend.
The men’s hockey team (3-12-4, 1-8-2 in Hockey East) is at No. 12 UMass Lowell (11-3-3, 8-2-1) on Friday and Saturday. Men’s basketball (3-10, 0-2 in America East) hosts Binghamton (5-7, 2-1) in an America East game Sunday at Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.
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