In 1977, UMaine’s Harold Alfond Sports Arena was completed. Billionaire philanthropist Alfond dedicated it himself with a ceremonial puck drop, and the rink quickly became a rowdy venue, inhospitable to visiting teams. But 25 years ago this month, in the middle of the 1992–93 season, the previously undefeated Black Bears — led by Paul Kariya, a future NHL star and Hall of Famer, and Jim Montgomery, the school’s all-time leading scorer — suffered a rare home-ice loss against archrival Boston University. The next night, they avenged the setback with a 6–1 thumping of BU, and they wouldn’t lose again, home or away, the rest of the season, going on to win the program’s first national title. “They’ll go down as one of the greatest teams in college hockey history,” Lake Superior State head coach Jeff Jackson said, after losing the NCAA finals to the Black Bears. One of the best teams, with one of the best home sheets of ice to play on.
Courtesy of University of Maine Archives/ Fogler Library