Rachel Bergeson received news that inspired a fist pump and facepalm simultaneously.

The Concordia (Moorhead) College athletic director learned on March 2 that her school earned the opportunity to host the first and second rounds of the NCAA Division III women’s basketball tournament this weekend. This is the college’s first time hosting a tournament game in three decades.

Wonderful accomplishment.

Terrible timing.

“I had to hire some extra help,” Bergeson said, “so I can play mom.”

She is a Hockey Mom and owns an “I love Potatoes” hat to prove it.

Bergeson is a proud member of the Moorhead Mafia that made the 3½-hour trek to downtown St. Paul to support the Spuds in the state boys hockey tournament.

Moorhead has a population of 45,000. When it’s tournament time, the last person to leave the city knows to turn the lights off to save energy.

“This is kind of like a family reunion of our town,” said Josh Arnold, father of two Spuds players and longtime youth coach.

That reunion turned into a spontaneous house party at the Drury Plaza Hotel a year ago that became a viral advertisement for the hockey tournament.

The Spuds celebrated their first state championship after finishing runner-up eight times since 1992 by bringing the trophy to the hotel, which has served as Moorhead’s “home base” for decades.

Words don’t do the scene justice. Videos show fans stuffed inside the lobby and others cheering from balconies overlooking the atrium all the way to the roof. Pity the poor soul who just happened to be staying there for a work conference.

Imagine shaking a bottle of pop and then unscrewing the lid. Except instead of liquid, it was emotion spewing out.

“It was an experience that I could have never even dreamt about,” said Bergeson, whose son Tyden is senior captain this season. “I don’t think I’ll ever be at a party as big as that one.”

I returned to the scene Thursday before the Class 2A quarterfinals to hang with Spuds supporters because they seem like a hoot. A hotel employee estimated that at least two-thirds of the 210 rooms are occupied by Moorhead folks.

Game time versus Lakeville South was 6 p.m. Pregame in the Drury lobby began at, well, let’s call it brunch.

“It’s Thursday at noon and here we are,” said former player Rory Kortan, a 1995 graduate. “It’s contagious.”

Contagious in the sense that everyone here has a connection. They are either parents, or alums, or relatives, or former players, or peewee coaches, or neighbors of a guy who played for the Spuds back in the ‘80s.

“It’s like a spring break vacation,” Arnold said. “They come here instead of going down south.”

Ryan Kortan, Rory’s brother, is a regular. His oldest son Joe made it to state twice. Daughter Olivia, now a member of the Gophers, played at state three times. Youngest child Drew is a sophomore defenseman for the Spuds this season.

Hockey lineage is typical in Moorhead. It is a city where everybody knows everybody largely because youth sports create bonds.

“Everyone wants to be a part of something,” Ryan Kortan said. “Moorhead has four sheets of ice that are less than a mile apart. You can get anywhere in Moorhead in 12 minutes no matter where you live.”

The hotel lobby in St. Paul serves as the hub for catching up with friends over a few beers. Kids make posters and put temporary tattoos on their cheeks in a conference room designated for Moorhead. The team stays at a different hotel to maintain focus.

Arnold, the popular youth coach, has two sons on the team: George, a senior center, and Will, a sophomore goalie.

This is the first season in which two of his three sons played on the same team.

With three boys traveling, Arnold said, he and his wife used to be outnumbered, but “instead of saying goodbye to your wife on Thursday and hi on Sunday night, now we’re actually together all weekend.”

Those who take part in Moorhead’s get-together at the state tournament move in concert. Same hotel, same pregame bar stops.

Final stop before puck drop is Patrick McGovern’s Pub. Suds with Spuds was inviting, but alas, I was on the clock.

The massive crowd moved down the street to Grand Casino Arena where the celebration continued. The Spuds defeated Lakeville South 4-1 to advance to the semifinals. They face Edina on Friday night.

“Last year was so special, it’s like, how do you beat that?” Arnold said.

If the Spuds win two more games, the Moorhead Mafia will get to re-enact the night of their lives.