The University of Maine on Wednesday announced it is significantly changing its pricing structure for both single-game and season membership ticket prices for men’s hockey games at Alfond Arena. The changes which will take effect beginning next season.

Across the board, single-game ticket prices have been slashed between 30-33 percent for seats on game days. While there will no longer be $50 seats – the most expensive single-game ticket price for any sport in the state of Maine, college or professional – the most noteworthy change comes to Maine’s least-expensive seats, down from $24 per ticket to $16.

This season, average attendance for UMaine hockey plunged to its lowest level since prior to the program’s first national championship in 1993. An average of just 3,793 fans attended games this season at Alfond.

In a recent story looking back at the 20th anniversary of UMaine’s last national hockey championship, hockey fans in the area cited ticket prices as one of the reasons interest in the team had declined.

Prices for season tickets have been reduced by an average of $75 per seat and prices now range from $215-$600 per seat. The university has set a goal of selling 1,500 season tickets for the 2019-20 season.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

VIRGINIA: Forward Mamadi Diakite says he is forgoing his final season of eligibility to make himself available for the NBA draft.

Diakite made the announcement Wednesday and is the fourth member of the national champions to make the move, joining De’Andre Hunter, Ty Jerome and Kyle Guy.

BASEBALL

SOUTHERN MAINE 7, ENDICOTT 1: Jack Sylvia’s RBI single broke a 1-1 tie and started a three-run fourth inning as the Huskies (21-5) handled the Seagulls (18-11)  in Gorham.

Jason Komulainen’s RBI triple scored Sylvia and Andrew Olszak added a run-scoring single to push USM’s lead to 4-1.

Olszak went 3 for 4 and added an RBI single in the eighth to make it 8-1. Tanner Laberge allowed one run on four hits and four walks while striking out three to get the win.

COLBY 9, MAINE-FARMINGTON 1: Chris Romano tripled home Tyler Mulberry during a three-run seventh as the Mules (7-12) rolled past the Beavers (9-14) at Coombs Field in Waterville.

Dylan Nastri, Will Phillips and Tommy McGee each had two hits and an RBI for the Mules, and Brooks Parker allowed one run in five hits on three hits while striking out six to get the win.

SOFTBALL

UNE SWEEPS GORDON: Sydnee Bessler hurled a one-hitter in the opener and tossed an eight-out save in the second game to lead the University of New England (20-11, 9-3) past the Fighting Scots (15-17, 4-10), 6-0 and 3-0, in Commonwealth Coast Conference play in Wenham, Massachusetts.

The Nor’easters put away the first game with a three-run fifth capped by Zea Marcis’ two-run single. Meg Harvey drove in the first run of the second game, plating Avery Alberghini in the fourth inning on a fielder’s choice that was mishandled. UNE added two more in the sixth.

BATES SWEEPS SOUTHERN MAINE: Kirsten Pelletier pitched a three-hitter with 14 strikeouts to lead Bates (10-15) to a 3-0 victory over the Huskies (14-15) in the first game of a doubleheader in Gorham.

Erin Murphy lined a three-run double as the Bobcats scored four times in the third inning en route to a 6-3 win in the second game.

THOMAS SWEEPS COLBY: Sydney LeBourveau broke a 2-2 tie with a two-run single in the top of the seventh as the Terriers (14-8) beat the Mules (4-20) 5-2 in the opening game of a doubleheader in Waterville.

Colby took a 2-0 lead in the first on RBI singles from Hailey Rohall and Emily Dougherty, but Thomas rallied to tie it in the fifth inning when Lauren Guppy scored on a sacrifice fly from LeBourveau.

LeBourveau and Bailey Dunphy each had three hits and two RBI to lead Thomas to an 8-5 win in the second game.

Paige Hartnett went 3 for 3 with a two-run home run in the sixth for Colby.

MEN’S LACROSSE

SOUTHERN MAINE 15, SALEM ST. 7: Tristan Dundas scored six goals, and the Huskies (5-6, 2-3 LEC) opened the third quarter on a 4-0 run to take a 10-5 lead in a win over the Vikings (3-9, 1-5) in Gorham.

Griffin Hanson finished with nine saves for the Huskies.

UNIV. OF NEW ENGLAND 16, GORDON 15: Mitch Mullin had five goals and Garett Bozek four as the University of New England (7-8, 2-4 CCC) beat the Fighting Scots (3-10, 0-7) in Wenham, Massachusetts.

Gordon scored three times within a 3:56 span to pull within 16-15 with 46 seconds to play. Gordon won the faceoff following its final goal, but UNE keeper Sam MacKenzie stopped Austin Early’s shot with eight seconds remaining.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE

BOWDOIN 18, ENDICOTT 7: Eliza Denious scored seven goals and Katie Miller had six as the Polar Bears (8-5) took a 12-3 lead en route to a win over the Seagulls (10-5) at Ryan Field in Brunswick.

Denious scored three straight goals in a 4:50 span in the second half to give Bowdoin a 17-6 lead with 10:55 left. Fiona Bundy and Elizabeth Growney each added two goals, and Aailyah Biondo finished with eight saves.

PLYMOUTH STATE 10, SOUTHERN MAINE 7: Kimberly Zuccaro broke a 6-6 tie with 9:16 remaining to start a 4-0 run as the Panthers (6-5, 4-0 LEC) beat the Huskies (6-5, 3-1) at Kennedy Field in New Hampton, New Hampshire.

Southern Maine trailed 6-4 early in the second half, but Aliza Jordan scored on a free position shot and Lindsey Keenan tied it on an unassisted goal with 14:36 left. Jordan and Alison Irish each scored twice for the Huskies, and Hala Van Nostrand had 13 saves.