MINNEAPOLIS – If anyone was excited last Sunday when the NCAA Ice Hockey Tournament Selection show announced that Maine would be taking on the University of Minnesota at the Gophers’ Mariucci Arena in the West Regional, you would think it would be Jeff and Kathy Lundin of nearby Apple Valley, Minn.

The Lundins are the parents of University of Maine sophomore defenseman Mike Lundin and freshman goalie Matt Lundin.

But Jeff and Kathy admitted that they didn’t want Maine to play in Minneapolis, and Jeff Lundin said they actually made arrangements to go to Grand Rapids, Mich., for the Midwest Regional.

“The fans here are like the sixth man. They help the Gophers so much,” said Jeff Lundin.

“There will be more pressure here, but once the team made arrangements, it was exciting,” said Kathy Lundin.

However, Jeff Lundin said if the Bears had to play the Gophers, he’s glad it’s in the first round and not the second round.

“The Gophers always do better in the second[-round] game. This is our best chance,” said Jeff Lundin, who used to attend Gopher games on a regular basis until Mike decided to attend Maine.

Still, the Lundins watch a lot of the Gopher games on television.

“Maine has to prevent the Minnesota forwards from coming into the offensive zone and setting up,” said Jeff Lundin. “Once they set up, they know exactly where everybody is going to be.”

There will be 20 Lundin friends and family members at Saturday’s game, and their older daughter, Melissa, a Minnesota graduate and school teacher, has organized a get-together for Maine fans before the game at Sally’s Restaurant and Bar.

Bears unfazed by pressure

Pressure? No problem.

The University of Maine Black Bears are thrilled to have another opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament. They don’t expect to be bothered by any additional pressure that might accompany today’s game against Minnesota.

“You go most of the season teetering on the brink of elimination from this tournament and when you finally get here, the anticipation – it’s killing me, anyway,” said junior defenseman Steve Mullin.

Sure, the Bears have trouble scoring goals, but they’re accustomed to playing low-scoring, defense-dominated games.

“It’s not something that we’re not used to by now. You go all season, it’s the style of game we play,” Mullin said.

While the prospect of taking on the Golden Gophers in front of 10,000 partisan fans in their home “barn” seems daunting, UMaine hopes to draw on that energy and excitement.

“You want to play in front of a friendly crowd, but the second-best thing is playing in front of 10,000 people who all want to see you lose and fail, so I think it pumps us up,” Mullin said.

Even so, there are likely to be a few goose bumps for UMaine sophomore defenseman Mike Lundin, a native of Apple Valley, Minn.

“I kind of always dreamed of playing here growing up,” Lundin said. “Coming back it will be a little different, but it’s still exciting.”

Minnesota, one of the great hotbeds of hockey in the United States, is considered among the top venues in the college ranks.

“They have good fans, they’re gonna be wild, but at the same time it’s a great atmosphere, it’s part of college hockey, and it’s amazing playing in front of that many fans,” Lundin said.

“We’ve been real focused coming down the stretch here. We had a real good week of practice and we’re all pretty fired up for this next game,” he added.