Latvian goalie Patriks Berzins, who was expected to play at the University of Maine this season until the NCAA ruled that he was ineligible, has regained all of his eligibility and will return to UMaine next fall.
He is currently playing for the Madison Capitols in the United States Junior Hockey League.
After the NCAA ruled that a number of Latvian players, including Berzins, were deemed to be professionals because of the league they played in, the University of Maine appealed the lifetime ban for Berzins. The NCAA granted him amateur status in August but still dolled out a 20-game suspension for Berzins’ time playing in a Latvian junior league.
Earlier this month, UMaine received a letter from the NCAA stating that Berzins won’t have to sit out any games and is eligible immediately.
The NCAA ruled, after further investigation, that the Latvian league Berzins played in wasn’t a professional league, said Samantha Hegmann-Wary, UMaine’s associate athletic director for compliance and senior woman administrator.
“I think the NCAA talked to a board member from the Latvian Hockey Federation,” said Hegmann-Wary, who pointed out that Berzins was one of several Latvian student-athletes to get their full eligibility restored by the NCAA.
But UMaine head coach Ben Barr had decided after the 20-game suspension was imposed in August that the team didn’t have time to try to get it lowered. Barr brought in Swedish goalie Albin Boija to join seniors Victor Ostman and Connor Androlewicz.
“We were very fortunate that Patriks still had another year of eligibility remaining in juniors,” Barr said.
If he didn’t, he might have had to return to Latvia.
With Ostman and Androlewicz leaving after this season, UMaine will have a goalie with a year under his belt in Boija and Berzins will join him. Barr will also be bringing in a third goalkeeper.
Berzins, who played for Latvia in the World Junior Championships, was 11-3-1 with a 2.66 goals-against average and a .890 save percentage for Tri-City in the USHL last season.
Berzins will be familiar with several of his UMaine teammates since he worked out with the team in July and August during its six-week optional workouts in Orono.