Maine–New Hampshire men's ice hockey rivalry

The Maine–New Hampshire men's ice hockey rivalry, sometimes referred to as the Border War,[1][2] is a men's ice hockey rivalry between the Maine Black Bears and New Hampshire Wildcats. The proximity of the two states, the success of the two programs, and their history in high-profile games have caused one of the most intense rivalries in American college hockey.[2] College Hockey News has ranked it as the seventh best Division I college hockey rivalry.[3]

Maine–New Hampshire men's ice hockey rivalry
Maine
New Hampshire
First meeting15 December 1979
Latest meeting11 December 2020
Maine 2, UNH 1 (SO)
Statistics
Meetings total130
All-time seriesMaine leads 70–55–12
Largest victory28 January 1987 Maine 10, UNH 1
Longest win streakMaine, 9 (4 February 1989 – 7 December 1991)
Current win streakNew Hampshire, 1
Locations of Maine and UNH

History

The two teams first played in 1979.[2] In the early 1990s, Maine dominated, winning 18 out of 19 games in one stretch.[4] The rivalry came to a head in 1999. UNH and Maine played a two-game series to finish the regular season at the Whittemore Center. UNH had to win the series to clinch the top seed in the Hockey East playoffs, and swept the two-game series. The two teams met again a month later in the 1999 national championship. Although Maine took an early lead in the game, UNH came from behind to force overtime. Maine then won in overtime.[5]

Though Maine leads the series, it has been relatively even since 1999. Three years after Maine's victory in the national title game UNH won its first Hockey East title with a victory over Maine.[5] Maine gained revenge for this loss several weeks later, however, by defeating UNH in the 2002 Frozen Four.[4] The series became very evenly matched for some time, before UNH became more dominant in the late 2000s and won 6 games in a row over two seasons.[4] In 2012 Maine and UNH played in a Winter Classic type game and Maine won 5–4 in overtime at Fenway Park, after giving up the first 2 goals. Maine's ice hockey program has been more successful overall than UNH, having won two national titles and five Hockey East titles while UNH has won two Hockey East titles and has not won a national championship.[2]

Traditions

One factor that contributes to the intensity of the rivalry is the similarity of the two states. Fans of each program often work together and frequent the same restaurants in places such as Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Kittery, Maine.[4] Though the two schools are 165 miles (266 km) apart, many Maine fans from southern Maine live closer to UNH's campus in Durham, New Hampshire than to the University of Maine's campus in Orono, Maine, ensuring a high turnout of Maine fans when UNH hosts Maine.[3][6] The two programs also recruit many of the same potential players from New England, though there are often very few New Hampshire natives on UNH's team and few Maine natives on Maine's team.[1][2]

In 1999 UNH began asking their fans to dress in white each time Maine traveled to the Whittemore Center in what they dubbed "White out the Whit" nights. The student tickets for these games sell out faster than any others.[2][3] Maine supporters often refer to UNH as the "University of No Hardware" due to their lack of championships.[2] During one series in Maine, Maine fans pelted visiting UNH fans with snowballs.[5] UNH fans often raise the issue of NCAA violations committed by Maine under Shawn Walsh.[4] They have also brought newspapers to the games to read while Maine's starting lineup is being introduced.[5] The two schools have announced plans to move two of their games each year to the last week of the regular season.[4]

In addition to ice hockey, UNH and Maine are considered rivals in basketball and football as well.[7][8]

Game results
Maine victoriesNew Hampshire victories
No.DateLocationWinnerScore
1 15 December 1979 Orono, ME Maine 5–3
2 16 February 1980 Durham, NH Maine 6–5
3 27 December 1980 Durham, NH New Hampshire 10–4
4 26 February 1981 Orono, ME Maine 5–2
5 2 December 1981 Orono, ME Maine 7–5
6 27 February 1982 Durham, NH New Hampshire 8–5
7 4 March 1982 Orono, ME New Hampshire 5–2
8 30 December 1982 Hanover, NH New Hampshire 8–5
9 18 January 1983 Durham, NH New Hampshire 4–3
10 31 December 1983 Hanover, NH New Hampshire 5–4
11 5 February 1984 Durham, NH New Hampshire 5–2
12 7 February 1984 Orono, ME Maine 3–0
13 16 October 1984 Durham, NH Maine 4–2
14 2 February 1985 Orono, ME New Hampshire 7–6
15 3 February 1985 Orono, ME New Hampshire 7–3
16 14 November 1986 Durham, NH Maine 6–5
17 15 November 1986 Durham, NH Maine 3–2
18 27 January 1987 Orono, ME Maine 8–2
19 28 January 1987 Orono, ME Maine 10–1
20 29 January 1988 Orono, ME Maine 5–2
21 31 January 1988 Orono, ME Maine 9–2
22 26 February 1988 Durham, ME Maine 6–2
23 1 November 1988 Orono, ME Maine 6–2
24 3 February 1989 Durham, NH New Hampshire 4–3
25 4 February 1989 Durham, NH Maine 6–4
26 9 February 1990 Orono, ME Maine 4–2
27 10 February 1990 Orono, ME Maine 8–3
28 16 February 1990 Durham, NH Maine 3–2
29 11 December 1990 Orono, ME Maine 4–0
30 18 January 1991 Durham, NH Maine 8–4
31 23 February 1991 Durham, NH Maine 4–2
32 6 December 1991 Orono, ME Maine 9–0
33 7 December 1991 Orono, ME Maine 6–2
34 22 February 1992 Durham, NH Tie4–4
35 14 March 1992 Boston, MA Maine 4–1
36 11 December 1992 Portland, ME Maine 4–3
37 29 January 1993 Durham, NH Maine 5–2
38 30 January 1993 Durham, NH Maine 8–3
39 6 March 1993 Orono, ME Maine 5–2
40 10 December 1993 Orono, ME New Hampshire 7–3
41 4 February 1994 Orono, ME Tie1–1
42 5 February 1994 Orono, ME New Hampshire 1–0
43 4 March 1994 Durham, NH New Hampshire 3–1
44 4 November 1994 Durham, NH Maine 4–3
45 5 November 1994 Durham, NH Maine 6–1
46 2 March 1995 Durham, NH New Hampshire 3–2
47 3 March 1995 Orono, ME Maine 5–3
48 3 November 1995 Orono, ME Tie4–4
49 4 November 1995 Orono, ME Tie3–3
50 24 November 1995 Durham, NH Maine 6–3
51 11 February 1996 Durham, NH Maine 6–5
52 7 March 1996 Orono, ME Maine 4–2
53 8 March 1996 Orono, ME Maine 8–4
54 15 November 1996 Durham, NH New Hampshire 6–3
55 16 November 1996 Durham, NH New Hampshire 6–5
56 30 November 1996 Orono, ME New Hampshire 7–2
57 18 February 1997 Orono, ME Maine 5–1
58 29 November 1997 Durham, NH New Hampshire 7–0
59 16 January 1998 Orono, ME New Hampshire 2–1
60 17 January 1998 Orono, ME New Hampshire 5–0
61 1 February 1998 Durham, NH Maine 3–1
62 13 March 1998 Durham, NH Maine 3–2
63 14 March 1998 Durham, NH Maine 5–3
64 27 November 1998 Lowell, MA Maine 4–3
65 7 February 1999 Orono, ME Maine 4–3
66 5 March 1999 Durham, NH New Hampshire 6–1
67 6 March 1999 Durham, NH New Hampshire 4–1
68 3 April 1999 Anaheim, CA Maine 3–2
69 7 January 2000 Orono, ME Maine 9–4
No.DateLocationWinnerScore
70 8 January 2000 Orono, ME New Hampshire 5–4
71 6 February 2000 Durham, NH New Hampshire 1–0
72 5 January 2001 Durham, NH Tie0–0
73 6 January 2001 Durham, NH New Hampshire 4–1
74 4 February 2001 Orono, ME Maine 3–2
75 1 December 2001 Durham, NH New Hampshire 4–1
76 1 February 2002 Orono, ME Maine 6–3
77 2 February 2002 Orono, ME Tie2–2
78 16 March 2002 Boston, MA New Hampshire 3–1
79 4 April 2002 St Paul, MN Maine 7–2
80 22 November 2002 Orono, ME Maine 2–1
81 1 February 2003 Durham, NH New Hampshire 4–2
82 2 February 2003 Durham, NH Maine 3–2
83 8 November 2003 Durham, NH New Hampshire 6–3
84 30 January 2004 Orono, ME Maine 5–4
85 31 January 2004 Orono, ME Maine 5–0
86 7 November 2004 Orono, ME Maine 3–0
87 4 February 2005 Durham, NH Maine 3–1
88 5 February 2005 Durham, NH New Hampshire 2–1
89 12 November 2005 Durham, NH New Hampshire 4–2
90 3 February 2006 Orono, ME Maine 4–1
91 4 February 2006 Orono, ME New Hampshire 7–4
92 12 November 2006 Orono, ME New Hampshire 8–2
93 2 February 2007 Manchester, NH Maine 4–2
94 3 February 2007 Durham, NH New Hampshire 2–1
95 16 December 2007 Durham, NH New Hampshire 2–0
96 8 February 2008 Orono, ME New Hampshire 3–2
97 9 February 2008 Orono, ME New Hampshire 4–1
98 4 January 2009 Orono, ME New Hampshire 5–4
99 6 February 2009 Durham, NH New Hampshire 4–1
100 7 February 2009 Durham, NH Maine 1–0
101 24 December 2009 Durham, NH New Hampshire 5–2
102 5 February 2010 Orono, ME Maine 3–2
103 6 February 2010 Orono, ME Maine 6–3
104 12 December 2010 Orono, ME New Hampshire 4–3
105 4 February 2011 Durham, NH New Hampshire 6–3
106 5 February 2011 Durham, NH New Hampshire 5–4
107 5 November 2011 Durham, NH New Hampshire 3–2
108 7 January 2012 Boston, MA Maine 5–4
109 3 March 2012 Orono, ME Maine 1–0
110 4 November 2012 Orono, ME New Hampshire 4–0
111 8 March 2013 Durham, NH Maine 4–3
112 9 March 2013 Durham, NH Tie4–4
113 24 January 2014 Durham, NH New Hampshire 3–2
114 25 January 2014 Orono, ME Maine 4–2
115 12 December 2014 Manchester, NH Maine 5–2
116 13 December 2014 Portland, ME New Hampshire 7–4
117 23 January 2015 Orono, ME Maine 6–4
118 24 January 2015 Durham, NH Maine 4–0
119 4 December 2015 Orono, ME Tie3–3
120 5 December 2015 Durham, NH New Hampshire 5–2
121 29 December 2015 Portland, ME New Hampshire 5–4
122 30 December 2015 Manchester, NH New Hampshire 7–0
123 2 December 2016 Durham, NH New Hampshire 5–1
124 3 December 2016 Orono, ME New Hampshire 4–3
125 30 December 2016 Durham, NH New Hampshire 6–4
126 19 January 2018 Orono, ME Tie2–2
127 20 January 2018 Orono, ME Tie3–3
128 14 February 2018 Durham, NH Maine 4–3
129 2 March 2018 Orono, ME† Maine 4–1
130 3 March 2018 Orono, ME† Maine 3–2
131 21 January 2019 Orono, ME Tie4–4
132 1 February 2019 Durham, NH New Hampshire 3–2OT
133 2 February 2019 Durham, NH Maine 5–3
134 15 November 2019 Orono, ME Maine 3–1
135 16 November 2019 Orono, ME Maine 2–1 OT
136 11 December 2020 Durham, NH Tie1–1
137 12 December 2020 Durham, NH New Hampshire 6–2
Series: Maine leads 70–55–12

† Hockey East Tournament

Results by Decade
1970s (Maine, 1–0–0)
1980s (Maine, 14–10–0)
1990s (Maine, 27–12–4)
2000s (New Hampshire, 18–13–2)
2010s (Maine, 15–14–5)
2020s (New Hampshire, 1–0–1)

See also

References
  1. D'Onofrio, Dave (2 February 2007). "UNH-Maine: always special". The Concord Monitor. Retrieved 21 February 2011.
  2. Reynolds, Lauren (24 July 2007). "Passionate fan bases fuel rivalry between perennial title contenders". ESPN.com. Retrieved 21 February 2011.
  3. Kensa, David (8 February 2006). "College Hockey's Top 10 Rivalries". College Hockey News. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  4. Zhe, Mike (3 February 2011). "UNH-Maine hockey rivalry stands test of time". Seacoast Online. Retrieved 21 February 2011.
  5. McCabe, Chantel (4 February 2011). "UNH vs. Maine: The history of a rivalry". The New Hampshire. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 21 February 2011.
  6. Lessels, Allen (6 February 2000). "It's a Rivalry That Only Gets Hotter". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 21 February 2011.
  7. "Basketball Set to Take on Rival Maine". UNHWildcats.com. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 21 February 2011.
  8. Warner, Peter (18 November 2006). "Bears look to play spoiler vs. rival Wildcats". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 21 February 2011.

http://bangordailynews.com/2012/01/07/sports/maine-unh-battle-at-frozen-fenway/

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