A Rivalry Forged in Ice
What began as a modest schedule of games in the late 1970s quickly evolved into one of college hockey’s most storied confrontations. The University of Maine earned Division I status in 1979 and, within a few seasons, had risen to the top of the NCAA ranks, setting the stage for a rivalry that would capture the imagination of fans across the United States.
Maine’s early dominance was stark: between the early 1990s the Black Bears won 18 of 19 meetings against New Hampshire and captured their first national championship in 1993. The momentum carried into the late 1990s, culminating in a dramatic 1999 NCAA title game played in Anaheim, where the Black Bears secured victory in overtime, etching the rivalry into hockey lore.
The intensity of the competition was underscored by a violent incident in 1997, when Ben Guité of Maine hammered Mark Mowers of New Hampshire into the glass, a moment that still reverberates in campus lore. Unique traditions have also emerged, such as fans tossing a fish onto the ice the instant the Wildcats score their first goal, and Maine supporters queuing for hours in subzero temperatures to obtain tickets for marquee matchups.
Even as the years have passed, the rivalry shows no signs of fading. Alumni like Greg Ambrose, Tom Nolan, Ty Conklin, Niko Dimitrakos, Dan Kerluke, Jason Vitorino, Darren Haydar, Mike Souza, Cory Larose, Marcus Gustafsson, and Bryan Flynn have all contributed to the narrative, whether through on‑ice heroics or the passionate fan culture that surrounds each game. The Black Bears’ collection of hardware stands in stark contrast to New Hampshire’s “University of No Hardware” moniker, yet both programs share a mutual respect that fuels the next generation of players and supporters.