SACO – Once a Mainer, always a Mainer.

It’s a long way from Manitoba to Maine, and even longer still to Germany, yet all three of these locations are home for Alfie Michaud.

Never mind that Michaud fired a 7-over-par 78 in his first-ever round at the Maine Amateur on Monday, consider the fact that a few short months ago, he was on a sheet of ice, wearing pounds of equipment taking 90-mile-per-hour slapshots to the helmet.

“It’s a lot warmer here,” Michaud said. “It was brutal out there.”

Michaud, who went 28-6-3 and won a national hockey championship as the starting goalie for the University of Maine in 1999, had a good relationship with the Alfond family in his time with the Black Bears.

Harold Alfond’s grandson, John, is the principal owner of the Belgrade Lakes Golf complex, which was Harold’s brainchild, and Michaud met his wife at that course.

“I married a Maine girl and I make my living here, now,” Michaud said. “She was at the course eight hours a day, so I was there.”

Since then, he’s worked between hockey seasons to perfect his golf game. Two years ago, he gave qualifying for the Maine Amateur a shot. He missed the cut, and then missed qualifying altogether last year.

On the hockey front, Michaud has seen action in two NHL games – both in 1999-2000 – but has mostly spent his time in the North American minor leagues. Two years ago, he started playing for a team out of Bremerhaven, Germany.

“It’s a lot better than bouncing around in the minors over here, all those bus trips and everything,” Michaud said. “It’s easier on the body.”

His wife and two daughters – the youngest of which was just born in June – travel with him. He has a trip planned to Canada, in fact, at the end of this week.

“If I make the cut, I’ll be leaving (Saco) after (Thursday), picking up the wife and kids and driving to Montreal to fly back to Manitoba,” Michaud said.

As to which sport he’s found harder to play?

“This is much harder,” Michaud said. “I suppose, I’ve been playing hockey all my life, so it’s more of a natural reaction. I mean, get your chest square to the puck and stop it. It’s not rocket science. Here, you have a lot more time to think, and that’s the tough part.”