Mrs. Jan Maillet of Bangor said she and her husband, Jim, have friends at opposite ends of the state who will be applauding Tuesday’s news that the University of Maine’s Alfond Arena will be expanding by 2,500 seats for hockey beginning with the 1991-92 season.

Waterville philanthropist Harold Alfond presented university officials with a check for $2 million that will be used to expand the arena. The seating capacity will be increased to 6,000 for hockey and 6,500 for basketball.

The University of Maine’s men’s and women’s basketball programs will move out of the Bangor Auditorium and into the Alfond Arena for the ’91-92 season.

“We have friends in Cape Elizabeth and Presque Isle who always ask us about seats and are willing to drive that far just for the chance to watch the team play,” said Mrs. Maillet, who is a season ticket holder. “It’s going to be wonderful.”

There are approximately 600 names on the waiting list for season tickets to Maine hockey games.

“This is very exciting. It’s going to make a lot of people happy because they are going to get seats at last,” said Mrs. Louise Bain of Orono, another season ticket holder. “We have neighbors who moved here from Minnesota last summer and I know they very much wanted to get seats.”

Mrs. Bain attended the press conference in the Dexter Lounge at the Alfond Arena at which the expansion was announced and she thanked Alfond for “his generosity” after the conference.

“This means so much to the people in the area and in the state of Maine,” added Mrs. Bain.

Orono’s John McDonough, who is also a season ticket holder, said, “This is going to help the program tremendously.”

“I also like the fact they’re getting basketball back on campus,” said McDonough. “It wasn’t a good move going to Bangor. You couldn’t get the students there. I’m sure they’ll get the students back.”

Men’s basketball coach Rudy Keeling and women’s coach Trish Roberts are looking forward to playing their home games on campus.

“One thing that has made hockey special is the student support,” said Roberts. “We had a lot of student support until we moved to the Bangor Auditorium. I think we’ll get that student support back when we play on campus.”

“We will get more kids to the games and I don’t care what anybody says, it’s the kids who create the atmosphere,” said Keeling. “Look at Duke and Notre Dame. Their basketball facilities are on campus and their kids make the atmosphere. That’s what we want to happen here. It will give us more of home court advantage.”

“It’s a very positive thing,” added Keeling. “Hockey will love it and, in the long run, it will be just as significant to our program as it is to theirs.”

Keeling sees it as being a “great recruiting tool.”

“When we bring a recruit in, we show him our campus, which is as nice as anybody’s,” said Keeling. “When we show him the (expanded) Alfond, it will rival anything in the Northeast. Right now, the BC facility (Conte Forum) is the nicest we’re going to play in (in the Northeast) and this will be comparable.”

Keeling and Roberts won’t be able to practice a great deal at the Alfond, spending most of their practice time at the Memorial Gym. But they don’t mind.

“If we get a day or two of practice a week in there, that will be fine,” said Roberts.