They have met in a national championship game and an NCAA Tournament quarterfinal.
The University of Maine and Boston University have built a rivalry that will be renewed tonight and Saturday night at the University of Maine’s Alfond Arena.
In fact, Boston University was the Black Bears’ first opponent when they made the jump from ECAC Division II to Division I in 1979. Maine had spent two years in Division II.
BU triumphed at Walter Brown Arena 5-3 on Nov. 20, 1979.
This time around, coach Jack Parker’s Terriers enter the weekend as the nation’s top-ranked team while the Black Bears are trying to improve their chances of making the Hockey East Tournament after missing it a year ago.
BU is in second place in Hockey East, two points behind Northeastern. Maine is in seventh place, one point ahead of eighth-place UMass.
BU beat Northeastern in the Beanpot Tournament final 5-2 on Monday night thanks to three shorthanded goals.
BU All-American senior defenseman and co-captain Matt Gilroy said the Terriers aren’t going to take the Bears lightly, especially in Orono.
“Maine’s a dangerous team and playing up there is dangerous. Anything can happen,” said Gilroy who added that he is one of several Terriers who enjoy playing in Orono.
“I love it up there. The atmosphere is second to none. It’s one of the best places to play in college hockey,” said Gilroy. “Maine always has a quick team and their rink is smaller than ours. When we play Maine, it’s always a physical game. It should be a lot of fun.”
The Black Bears will have to find a way to shut down the explosive Terriers and one way is by having eight defensemen in the lineup including freshman Will O’Neill and junior Brett Carriere, who will center their third and fourth lines.
“BU’s fourth line would be the first line for a few teams in our league,” said Maine senior center Chris Hahn. “They’re loaded with NHL draft picks [13] so you can’t just focus on their top line. And they have great, mobile defensemen who get involved in the offense.”
“We’ve got eight [defensemen] in the lineup so we’re ready to defend like there’s no tomorrow,” said Carriere.
Despite the fact the teams are at different ends of the Hockey East standings, Carriere said the rivalry is still very much alive.
“When you play BU, you understand the history. The rivalry is still strong,” said Carriere.
“There will always be a great rivalry between the two teams,” said Maine coach Tim Whitehead.
Maine senior defenseman and co-captain Simon Danis-Pepin said it will be a “huge challenge” and the Bears can’t afford to get involved in a high-scoring affair.
Their most recent wins were 2-1 over UMass and 1-0 over New Hampshire.
Danis-Pepin said if they’re forced to score three or more goals to win, “we’re going to give up a lot more scoring chances.”
He said they are going to have to “move our feet quickly and not hesitate. We can’t be tentative.”
Danis-Pepin has been slowed by ankle and back injuries but said there is “no excuse” for his recent play and said he has to play better this weekend.
Maine will regain the services of freshman right wing and scoring leader Gustav Nyquist, who missed the Saturday night win over UNH with a neck injury suffered in Friday’s 4-1 loss to the Wildcats.
“I’m fine. I’m feeling good,” said Nyquist.
Whitehead said his young team can’t be intimidated.
“We respect them, that’s for sure. But we can’t be intimidated if we’re going to be successful,” said Whitehead.
Parker will enter the series with 803 victories which makes him the second winningest active coach in NCAA Division I behind BC’s Jerry York (816).
“That type of consistency is very impressive and this year’s team may be one of Jack’s best ever,” said Whitehead.
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