Chuck Murray
WIS & Effingwoods Hockey Almanac
Re: UNH vs Maine , 12/4 & 12/5 - "The Wheels On The House Go 'Round And 'Round...."
Re: UNH vs Maine , 12/4 & 12/5 - "The Wheels On The House Go 'Round And 'Round...."
For a good chunk of the previous two decades, the HE "Big Four" was usually BU, BC, UMaine and UNH.
So far this decade, the HE "Big Four" has begun to morph into BU, BC, UMass-Lowell and Providence.
As much as we UNH'ers p!$$ & moan about our program's deterioration ... UMaine's deterioration has been even more precipitous - from the NCAA apex to lower depths of HE (sooner), to which UNH hasn't quite fallen (yet).
It's times like these when having a couple of NCAA trophies (one without an *asterisk even
) in Alfond's trophy case can at least allow fans to recall happier days when things were (much) different.
I'm not sure Hockey East has ever enjoyed such a high profile, non-Boston rivalry since the heady days of the UMaine-UNH rivalry, which has gradually lost its prestige over the last decade or so. There has always been BU-BC, and of course the Beanpot is a HE-heavy event that draws lots of attention every February, serving as a good warm-up for the HE Tourney. And if there was ever an event that rivaled a BC-BU Beanpot Final in terms of venue excitement, it was bringing in top notch UMaine and UNH teams to do battle with one/two of the Boston schools in the HE Semis/Finals. With all due respect to the Lowells and Providences of the world ... they haven't traveled in the same numbers to Boston as the UNH and UMaine contingents. And IMHO the league has lost a little of its regional profile as a result.
Re: UNH vs Maine , 12/4 & 12/5 - "The Wheels On The House Go 'Round And 'Round...."
For a good chunk of the previous two decades, the HE "Big Four" was usually BU, BC, UMaine and UNH.
So far this decade, the HE "Big Four" has begun to morph into BU, BC, UMass-Lowell and Providence.
As much as we UNH'ers p!$$ & moan about our program's deterioration ... UMaine's deterioration has been even more precipitous - from the NCAA apex to lower depths of HE (sooner), to which UNH hasn't quite fallen (yet).
It's times like these when having a couple of NCAA trophies (one without an *asterisk even
) in Alfond's trophy case can at least allow fans to recall happier days when things were (much) different.I'm not sure Hockey East has ever enjoyed such a high profile, non-Boston rivalry since the heady days of the UMaine-UNH rivalry, which has gradually lost its prestige over the last decade or so. There has always been BU-BC, and of course the Beanpot is a HE-heavy event that draws lots of attention every February, serving as a good warm-up for the HE Tourney. And if there was ever an event that rivaled a BC-BU Beanpot Final in terms of venue excitement, it was bringing in top notch UMaine and UNH teams to do battle with one/two of the Boston schools in the HE Semis/Finals. With all due respect to the Lowells and Providences of the world ... they haven't traveled in the same numbers to Boston as the UNH and UMaine contingents. And IMHO the league has lost a little of its regional profile as a result.
