The University of Maine men’s hockey team was the shortest and one of the lightest among the 63 Division 1 schools in the country this past season, averaging 5-foot-11, 182.8 pounds per player.
That won’t be the case next season.
Sam Alfano, a 6-foot-4-inch, 205-pound left winger, is transferring to UMaine from Arizona State, where he was the team’s fifth-leading scorer this past season.
He is the fourth forward who is at least 6-foot-2 the Black Bears have added through the transfer portal, joining 6-foot-3 Tanner Klimke from Robert Morris in Pennsylvania and Judah Makway from the University of Alaska-Anchorage, and 6-foot-2 Lee Parks from UMass Lowell.
Alfano had 18 points on seven goals and 11 assists in 35 games for the Sun Devils, who went 14-21-1 overall and 7-16-1 in National Collegiate Hockey Conference play. ASU finished last in the league and was the only one of the nine teams that failed to qualify for the conference tournament.
He was the leading point-getter among freshmen on the team and finished strong with three of his goals and four of his assists coming over his last 10 contests. He had two power play goals and 79 shots on goal.
His 34 blocked shots were seventh on the team but second among forwards.
The Cayuga, Ontario, had a team-high 33 penalty minutes, but two of his seven penalties were 10-minute misconducts.
The 22-year-old Alfano spent the 2024-25 season with the Erie Otters in the Ontario Hockey League, one of Canada’s three Major Junior Leagues, and he tallied 41 goals and 43 assists in 68 games. He then added six goals and nine assists in nine playoff contests.
In 258 career OHL games with Peterborough and Erie, he posted 99 goals and 103 assists. He had 12 goals and 13 assists in 19 playoff games.
Alfano said he was very grateful to Arizona State for giving him an opportunity to play Division I hockey, and his decision to leave was a “hockey decision.”
“This is going to be a great step forward for my hockey career. Being able to develop in as many ways as possible is really exciting,” said Alfano, who added he is looking forward to playing for head coach Ben Barr and assistants Alfie Michaud, Rick Bennett and John O’Connor.
He said his strong finish resulted from adapting to playing against “bigger, stronger, faster guys” than he played against in junior hockey.
“Once I got used to the pace and got confidence in myself and what I was able to do at this level, the production just kind of came,” said Alfano.
Alfano knows UMaine is looking to add size up front and said the work ethic instilled in him by his parents, Steve and Maureen, has been vital in his development.
“I take a lot of pride in my work ethic and I know, with my size, when I work harder than everyone else on the ice, good things will come my way,” said Alfano.
“You’ve got to earn your bounces which is what I believe in,” he added.
He is also looking forward to playing in the electric, game-night atmosphere at Alfond Arena.
“It is second to none for a college hockey atmosphere. It’s unbelievable. Guys have told me that whatever you’re expecting, it’s going to be even better. Louder,” Alfano said. “I love how passionate the town is about hockey. I just can’t wait to get down there.”
The Black Bears, with 13 newcomers this past season, had a disappointing 18-14-3 campaign, 12-11-1 in Hockey East, and got dispatched by Boston College 5-0 in the league quarterfinals.
They had won the Hockey East tournament in the 2024-25 season for the first time since 2004 and earned an NCAA Tournament berth for the second straight year.
