Tuesday night’s Maine Nordiques and Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks game that was supposed to be played at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee has been postponed.

Phone calls to Maine Nordiques owner Darryl Antonacci went unanswered Monday night and Tuesday morning. Head coach Nolan Howe had no comment on the situation.

Danbury communications director Casey Bryant said the game was mutually decided to be postponed.

“Because of certain conditions related to COVID-19, it was mutually agreed to postpone and reschedule the game,” Bryant said in an email statement to the Sun Journal. “Our make-up date is TBD. We will not be commenting further at this time.”

It will be the third straight game the Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks have postponed after last weekend’s homes games in Danbury, Connecticut with the Maryland Black Bears weren’t played. A statement last Friday posted on the Jr. Hat Tricks Twitter page said it was also a mutual agreement between Danbury and Maryland out of abundance of caution.

Maine Governor Janet Mills on Sunday put the state of Connecticut on the list of states where travelers need to quarantine for 14 days or show proof of a negative test when arriving in Maine.

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The Maine Nordiques are scheduled to face the Black Bears on Friday and Saturday night at the Colisee, with both games slated for 7 p.m. starts.

JACK GILLIGAN COMMITS TO BOWDOIN

The Twin City Thunder have their first player on this year’s roster make a college choice as defenseman Jack Gilligan has committed to Bowdoin College.

He felt like Bowdoin offered the best of both worlds and with today’s world he wasn’t going to wait on another offer.

“There’s no downside to Bowdoin, it was a no-brainer,” Gilligan said. “I am college-aged and with coronavirus, there’s nothing certain.”

He also liked Bowdoin’s location in Brunswick as it’s close enough that his family can watch him play, and he also enjoys living in Maine.

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The 18-year-old from Salem, Massachusetts has three assists in six games this season for the Thunder. He signed a tender in the offseason with the Thunder, as he spent the previous four years at St. John Prep in Massachusetts.

Gilligan said Bowdoin was looking for a strong, physical defenseman, a game Gilligan likes to play.

Thunder coach Dan Hodge said he likes Gilligan’s work ethic.

“He’s a good player, he’s a quality player,” Hodge said. “He has worked hard in the classroom and on the ice. He has done a good job.”

He becomes the third Thunder player to commit to the Polar Bears in the past two seasons, as Gonazlo Hagerman and goalie Alexander Kozac committed to Bowdoin for the 2020-21 season.

THUNDER BRING IN A DIVISION I COMMIT

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There were plenty of new faces in the lineup for the Twin City Thunder on Tuesday against the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs. The notable addition is 2019 NCDC Futures Draft pick Owen Paskowski, who’s committed to Colorado College of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference for the 2022-23 season.

The 16-year-old Plymouth, Massachusetts native played at Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, Massachusetts last season, where he two goals and eight assists in 28 games. With the prep school season in doubt, Hodge, who has known the family for a while, wanted to bring Paskowski in.

“From what we know, his (prep school) season isn’t going to happen,” Hodge said. “He hasn’t played in a couple of weeks and he came in yesterday and we are happy to have him.”

Hodge has also brought in a couple of other players with Tier II experience, in forwards Talon Sigurdson and Yancy Whitaker. Sigurdson played one game with the Aberdeen Wings of the North American Hockey League last season after playing with Northstar Christian Academy 18U team, with whom he had 31 goals and 26 assists in 52 games. He had signed a tender with the Amarillo Bulls of the NAHL for this season.

Whitaker comes from the Central Canadian Hockey League, where had nine goals and 13 assists with the Kanata Lancers and Kemptville 73’s last season.

“We had a couple guys come in to see what they can do,” Hodge said after Tuesday’s game. “We have to set our lineup pretty quick and go with it, run with our horses. Again, we want to see what some guys can do. We saw some good stuff and saw some stuff that needs to be better.”


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