NORTH BILLERICA, Mass. – Eric Marsh had a dilemma that left him in an irate mood.

The equipment manager for the University of Maine men’s hockey team was handed bags of soaked undergarments (athletic supporters, socks, shorts, T-shirts) just 21/2 hours before the Bears’ game against UMass Lowell at the Chelmsford Forum Saturday afternoon.

He explained that the undergarments were supposed to be washed and dried for UMaine by the equipment people from the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

That is a common courtesy extended by the home teams in Hockey East when there is a two-game series, Marsh explained.

The laundry was washed but not dried.

“It was a complete screwup,” said an angry Marsh. “I asked them why our stuff was wet. They told me Lowell’s stuff was wet, too.”

The River Hawks play at the Tsongas Arena, but it was being used for a skating competition so they returned to their old rink, formerly known as the Tully Forum.

So Marsh, his assistant Robbie Hayes, Maine fan Mike Williams, and three of Marsh’s friends from his native Malden, Mass., brothers Frank, David and Danny Scioli, went to work.

Aided by the unusually balmy 70-degree temperature and a healthy southerly breeze, they constructed five clotheslines to dry the clothes next to the arena. The clotheslines were tied to trees.

“We tied skate laces together. There was probably $20 worth of skate laces,” said Marsh. “People wonder why we bring so much stuff. This is why.”

The UMaine contingent also considered taking the wet items to a local self-service laundry. However, uncertainty about finding a suitable place with sufficient available dryers and the potential for being held up by traffic or other delays, led Marsh to choose the hanging method.

Marsh said he and his staff “went out of their way” to make things easier for the UMass Lowell equipment staff, recognizing that it wasn’t their home rink so things were going to be more challenging for them.

“We even changed our practice time so we could do our own laundry,” said Marsh.

Fortunately, the equipment did dry thanks to Marsh’s ingenuity and the warm breeze.

And the Bears beat the River Hawks 5-2 to complete a weekend sweep.