LEWISTON – City officials will make tickets to Saturday’s Class A State Hockey Championship available at noon Friday at the Colisee.

The Maine Principal’s Association had required that tickets for the St. Dominic’s Regional High School and Edward Little High School playoff go on sale just before game time Saturday, city officials said.

Advance sales for championship games had caused problems in the past, said City Administrator Jim Bennett.

“The tickets sold out early, and then you had people driving down to go the game and they couldn’t get any tickets,” Bennett said. “So they decided to change things this year.”

Both teams in the championship this year are local, however.

“We pointed out that since both teams are from here, there shouldn’t be many people driving down. It shouldn’t be much of an issue,” Bennett said.

Tickets for an earlier game at the Colisee in Lewiston won’t be on sale until game time, said Larry Labrie, assistant executive director for the principal’s association. Orono High School faces Fryeburg Academy for the Class B State Hockey Championship beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday. Spectators will have to buy their tickets just before the game starts, he said.

The city was scheduled to receive tickets to both games Thursday afternoon, Bennett said. The Class A tickets are set to go on sale Friday morning at the two high schools and at noon at the Colisee ticket office. They will also be on sale Saturday at the Colisee beginning at 9 a.m. and until the game starts at 6 p.m.

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