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Best Rivalry in College Hockey???

Re: Best Rivalry in College Hockey???

MinnesotaNorthStar said:
Three words. Water Bottle Game. :D

The way I look at it is UND/UMN/UW. It's a 3 way rivalry and everyone hates each other (with few exceptions), and all three are usually in national title talks year in and year out, which definitely adds to the intensity.
Don't forget all the NCAA wins.:D

You have no idea...:p

The best part about college sports is the rivalries. Not one of them, all of them.
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Don't listen to Vidkun Quisling. He's full of it.

Growing up in a mostly/pretty much non-sports family, I knew even then to hate WI and IA. Then I found college hockey, and UND definitely overtook the #1 rivalry. * them and their flat land, and their hostile/abusive logo, and their wannabe flyboys, and their floods, and everything about that dam state. * them all to hell. And I hope that they take WI with them.
 
Re: Best Rivalry in College Hockey???

MinnesotaNorthStar said:
The way I look at it is UND/UMN/UW. It's a 3 way rivalry and everyone hates each other (with few exceptions), and all three are usually in national title talks year in and year out, which definitely adds to the intensity.
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Yeah, I went back and looked at the entire history of the WCHA and the three-way rivalry's golden years very well could have been circa 1978/79 to 1994/95. A long stretch, I know, but Minnesota finished in the top three of the league 16 years straight, wisconsin 15 of 17 (11 straight), and UND 8 of 17 years. The three teams combined to win 7 NCAA titles in that stretch and FIVE in a row. Man, to be a fan of one of those teams during those years...
 
Re: Best Rivalry in College Hockey???

dxmnkd316 said:
Yeah, I went back and looked at the entire history of the WCHA and the three-way rivalry's golden years very well could have been circa 1978/79 to 1994/95. A long stretch, I know, but Minnesota finished in the top three of the league 16 years straight, wisconsin 15 of 17 (11 straight), and UND 8 of 17 years. The three teams combined to win 7 NCAA titles in that stretch and FIVE in a row. Man, to be a fan of one of those teams during those years...
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It was an awesome time, and as has been stated by others there is no way in my mind to separate out whether I hate Minnesota or North Dakota more.

That being said, I have also attended one BC-BU game and a couple of SLU-Clarkson games and would say that to my liking the latter seemed to be the most intense rivalry. In Boston or Madison, you could still find people who were not completely invested in the game, this could not be said about my visits to Canton.
 
Re: Best Rivalry in College Hockey???

Badger Abroad said:
It was an awesome time, and as has been stated by others there is no way in my mind to separate out whether I hate Minnesota or North Dakota more.

That being said, I have also attended one BC-BU game and a couple of SLU-Clarkson games and would say that to my liking the latter seemed to be the most intense rivalry. In Boston or Madison, you could still find people who were not completely invested in the game, this could not be said about my visits to Canton.
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think about where youre comparing - a metropolitan area of millions and two towns of 10-15k each. BU's student population is larger than Canton and Potsdam combined. If that's the only argument, it's an unfair comparison.
 
Re: Best Rivalry in College Hockey???

The best rivalry in college hockey is actually a three way ( kind of kinky) UND ,Minnesota and Wisconsin. Minnesota beat UND in a championship 1979 Wisc has Beaten Minnesota 1981 And Und has beaten Wisconsin 1982. All 3 programs have had success and all three programs have a strong dislike for the other. So take any two of the 3 teams and you have a big series Just an opinion
 
When I was real young and started going to Gophers games (first game at age 5), I always had the impression the Gophers were the center of the universe, as were the Stars, Vikings and Twins. I think a lot of younger kids were like that. It's why at one point I thought every QB had to wear 10 (Tarkenton) and every running back had to wear 44 (Foreman), etc., etc.

I think for that same reason whenever I would hear that UW or UND had won a national title (in the past or present) I'd question how on God's green earth such a thing could happen. North Dakota? Wisconsin? If I were to use such terms at the age of 6 I would have asked, "double you tee eff?".

At some point I realized that most QBs actually don't wear 10 and most RBs don't wear 44, but I still questioned why the hell any sane player of talent would attend godforsaken North Dakota or Wisconsin.
 
Re: Best Rivalry in College Hockey???

Slap Shot said:
When I was real young and started going to Gophers games (first game at age 5), I always had the impression the Gophers were the center of the universe, as were the Stars, Vikings and Twins. I think a lot of younger kids were like that. It's why at one point I thought every QB had to wear 10 (Tarkenton) and every running back had to wear 44 (Foreman), etc., etc.

I think for that same reason whenever I would hear that UW or UND had won a national title (in the past or present) I'd question how on God's green earth such a thing could happen. North Dakota? Wisconsin? If I were to use such terms at the age of 6 I would have asked, "double you tee eff?".

At some point I realized that most QBs actually don't wear 10 and most RBs don't wear 44, but I still questioned why the hell any sane player of talent would attend godforsaken North Dakota or Wisconsin.
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Gawd I think we are twin brothers from different mothers :D
 
Re: Best Rivalry in College Hockey???

Denver vs. Colorado College. Period. Because these are two relatively small schools where the only sport of national prominence (and the only D-1 at either for much of their history) is hockey. Hockey on these 2 small campuses drives every element of school spirit. The games in the 2 old venues, the DU "Barn" and the Broadmoor, were epic battles in little bandboxes. In the newer big venues for each, still great intensity (hate) but the bandbox atmosphere has been a little lost. Perverse cheers. Chickens thrown on the ice. Signs not fit for TV smuggled into the buildings and shown at the most magic moments. Alumni that live for these games every year because nothing else comes close. Cased closed.

Other "On the Radar" Contenders:

NMU vs. MTU. Same rationale as above, except less on a national contenders' level these days.

Michigan-Michigan State. Loses something because MSU isn't UM's top rival in all sports, not the same hate level. (MSU is probably only # 3 as a UM football rival...and no one cares much about UM-OSU hockey, as a sidebar.)

Minny-Wisconsin. Heated, hated rivalry in all sports, making it for me the # 1 "big school" hockey rivalry. Again, better historically in the 2 old buildings. Home games at Dane County were something special that can't be replicated in a bigger venue in spite of the great party atmosphere at any home Badger game.

Minny-UND. Because as many have posted, hockey's status as the only game in town at Grand Forks brings an extra level of hate and intensity to a backyard rivalry. (But loses on the "it's only big in one of many sports" argument.) Minny as a pivot in a bizarro hockey 3 way, as noted elsewhere.

BC-BU. Good down-the-road rivalry, but nationally overplayed by ESPN as if the Beanpot were the only college hockey tourney of worth. Seeing Norton on TV is ample for me to turn the channel. There is a whole lot of life east of the Hudson that ESPN and its zealot announcers/viewers continue to miss. This one also loses a bit because each school also considers others in the backyard to be the Big Rival, and conversely--NU, Harvey in particular. I won't turn in to a game involving any two in this mix unless it's in the national tournament. But I will travel to Houghton or Marquette to see their rivalry game, even if the two teams are dogs. That would make a rivalry, I submit.
 
Re: Best Rivalry in College Hockey???

The complete lack of recognition for Clarkson-SLU leads me to believe that some of you aren't the college hockey mavens you think they are. Especially when I see ironic statements like this:

MichPieGuy said:
Denver vs. Colorado College. Period. Because these are two relatively small schools where the only sport of national prominence (and the only D-1 at either for much of their history) is hockey. Hockey on these 2 small campuses drives every element of school spirit. The games in the 2 old venues, the DU "Barn" and the Broadmoor, were epic battles in little bandboxes. In the newer big venues for each, still great intensity (hate) but the bandbox atmosphere has been a little lost. Perverse cheers. Chickens thrown on the ice. Signs not fit for TV smuggled into the buildings and shown at the most magic moments. Alumni that live for these games every year because nothing else comes close. Cased closed.
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Hey, geniuses. They play D-I hockey up thar in teh North Country.
 
Re: Best Rivalry in College Hockey???

MichPieGuy said:
Denver vs. Colorado College. Period.

BC-BU. Good down-the-road rivalry, but nationally overplayed by ESPN as if the Beanpot were the only college hockey tourney of worth. Seeing Norton on TV is ample for me to turn the channel. There is a whole lot of life east of the Hudson that ESPN and its zealot announcers/viewers continue to miss. This one also loses a bit because each school also considers others in the backyard to be the Big Rival, and conversely--NU, Harvey in particular. I won't turn in to a game involving any two in this mix unless it's in the national tournament. But I will travel to Houghton or Marquette to see their rivalry game, even if the two teams are dogs. That would make a rivalry, I submit.
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Beanpot Envy and it is only November!?! :confused: :cool:

Clearly you know very little of the BU-BC rivalry.

You would be hard pressed to find one BC or BU fan that calls NU "the Big Rival."
 
Re: Best Rivalry in College Hockey???

dxmnkd316 said:
Yeah, I went back and looked at the entire history of the WCHA and the three-way rivalry's golden years very well could have been circa 1978/79 to 1994/95. A long stretch, I know, but Minnesota finished in the top three of the league 16 years straight, wisconsin 15 of 17 (11 straight), and UND 8 of 17 years. The three teams combined to win 7 NCAA titles in that stretch and FIVE in a row. Man, to be a fan of one of those teams during those years...
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Speaking as a UW fan during those years, in the early 80s both the gophers and the Sioux were heated rivals, with maybe an edge given to the Sioux (as someone mentioned, the Water Bottle Game is emblematic of the rivalry back then). While the gopher rivalry has remained strong, I think the rivalry with the Sioux has lost it's edge a bit. I'll actually root for the Sioux in a playoff game against a team from another league, something that would never happen with the gophers (If I need a pick-me-up, popping the MN/Holy Cross game in the DVD player will do the trick). It's too bad the rivalry with the Sioux has cooled a bit. I blame the unbalanced scheduling we're stuck with now in the WCHA.
 
Re: Best Rivalry in College Hockey???

RedFreak said:
Speaking as a UW fan during those years, in the early 80s both the gophers and the Sioux were heated rivals, with maybe an edge given to the Sioux (as someone mentioned, the Water Bottle Game is emblematic of the rivalry back then). While the gopher rivalry has remained strong, I think the rivalry with the Sioux has lost it's edge a bit. I'll actually root for the Sioux in a playoff game against a team from another league, something that would never happen with the gophers (If I need a pick-me-up, popping the MN/Holy Cross game in the DVD player will do the trick). It's too bad the rivalry with the Sioux has cooled a bit. I blame the unbalanced scheduling we're stuck with now in the WCHA.
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And with 12 teams the un-balance is only going to get worse.
 
Re: Best Rivalry in College Hockey???

slurpees said:
think about where youre comparing - a metropolitan area of millions and two towns of 10-15k each. BU's student population is larger than Canton and Potsdam combined. If that's the only argument, it's an unfair comparison.
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While unfair I believe this logic is still quite relevant. The schools and locals are so invested in the games. Also, I don't believe the number of titles to be all that important in rivalries...again, the gold standard in my opinion is the Army/Navy football game. Unless you've been to one, you can't comprehend what they put into it...
 
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