So as promised earlier this week and in honor of UML/PC meeting in the HE semis for the first time ever, here is a synopsis of the origins of The Alliance at the first HE Championships held at the Providence Civic Center in 1985 where Terreri was "Extra-Terrerial" and PC won in 20T.
Lowell had upset UNH in quarterfinals to earn a spot vs. BC in the semi-finals. Lowell proceeds to get screwed by refs in BC game when they score what appears to be a goal to put Lowell up by 2 and seemingly on their way to HE championship game. However, refs call mystery penalty, goal taken away, BC ties Lowell, and then goes ahead to win 6-5. So naturally we're a little bit ticked sitting there (NOTE: this is also the origin of the Hockey East is Fixed cheer which we originated at that game). So with the final the next night being PC and BC, we decide we hate BC so much that we're going to have some fun during the championship game.
After losing to BU in consolation game the next night, we proceed to take our Lowell signs which we had hung for our game and flip them around to reveal new signs we had made earlier in the day, things like "Lowell Loves Friars" and "Beat BC" (I think we may have even had a giant Ken Hodge, Jr. report card since he was known for not getting the best grades at BC). Decked out in full Lowell garb, we proceed to march around the concourse with the signs chanting PC cheers and go right to the Providence student section and pretty much take it over. The PC fans particularly liked our "How's your grades Hodge, how's your grades...clap, clap" cheer.
So for the entire championship game, Lowell fans basically led the cheers for the entire Providence student section. In between periods, Providence fans are coming up to us, thanking us and so forth, noting that they didn't think anyone else hated BC as much as they did, etc. So we end up finding ourselves in the middle of this classic game that goes to 2OTs and when Providence wins, we're removing a section of glass and helping the Providence students through it and on to the ice. Had multiple offers inviting us all back to campus to celebrate but we were beat and just hit the road back to MA after the long night.
So that's the origins of "The Alliance" in a nutshell. If NESN ever shows this game again as they sometimes do, you can see a bunch of us in ULowell Chief garb in the midst of the Providence fans.
