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However, college hockey would soon learn that the Black Bears had an exceptionally gifted freshman class on their hands in 1992. After losing three of the team's top four scorers, including Hobey Baker Award winner Scott Pellerin, and many other impact players following the season, expectations for the team dropped entering '92–'93. Unfortunately, those hopes were dashed when they suffered a surprise first-round loss to Michigan State. Maine was a heavy favorite to win its first national championship during the '91–'92 season. Due to the success and popularity of the program, Alfond Arena expanded its capacity from 3,800 to more than 5,000 in 1992. Walsh's Black Bears skated past Boston College in a 5–4 win for their first of 5 HEA Championships. The team also made its first NCAA tournament appearance that season, coincidentally losing in the first round to Michigan State.Īfter finishing as the conference runner up in '87 and '88, Maine brought home its first significant championship in the 1988–89 season.
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At 24–16–2, he posted his first winning season as a head coach. In 1986 Walsh and the program saw the first of many significant accomplishments. However, Walsh was attracting top recruits, and convincing the school, the state, and its fans that UMaine had the potential to become a college hockey powerhouse. He inherited a struggling team, so win/loss improvement was not immediate Maine posted a 23–57–2 record over Walsh's first two years with the program. Walsh served as assistant coach for Ron Mason at his alma mater and Michigan State where he and Mason turned the Spartans' program from being sub-.500 performers to national contenders in only half a decade. With Maine set to join the newly formed Hockey East Association, Maine hired Shawn Walsh, a 29-year-old assistant at Michigan State University and ex-3rd string goalie at Bowling Green State University. The ECAC was recognized as Division-II hockey until 1979 at which point the conference, and thus Maine, became Division-I – the level of competition they have competed in ever since.įollowing the 1983–84 season, head coach Jack Semler submitted his resignation. The Black Bears competed in The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) during their first 7 years of existence, all of which were under Semler. Maine enjoyed modest success under Semler boasting winning records in 3 of their first 4 regular seasons. Upon foundation in 1977, the program was coached by Jack Semler ( University of Vermont '68). This program did not stick, and it would be over 5 decades before organized hockey would become a staple at the state's flagship university. Maine played two seasons of recognized college hockey in 19 totaling 17 games, and primarily playing other Maine colleges such as Bowdoin, Colby and Bates. This was not, however, the first attempt at birthing a permanent hockey program in Orono. Creation of this program occurred simultaneously with the construction of the Harold Alfond Sports Arena (See Alfond Arena), the facility that is still used for home games today. The University of Maine, then known as the University of Maine at Orono, officially developed an NCAA sanctioned men's ice hockey program in 1977. See also: Maine Black Bears women's ice hockey Birth of Maine ice hockey (1977–84) 4.2 Hockey East Tournament Championships.1.1 Birth of Maine ice hockey (1977–84).The Black Bears have appeared in 11 Frozen Fours, have a 28–18 record in NCAA Tournament games, and have won two national championships-in 19. They play at the Harold Alfond Sports Arena commonly known as Alfond Arena in Orono, Maine.
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The Black Bears are a member of Hockey East. The Maine Black Bears men's ice hockey is a (NCAA) Division I college ice hockey program that represents the University of Maine. ( June 2021) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) Please remove or replace such wording and instead of making proclamations about a subject's importance, use facts and attribution to demonstrate that importance. This article contains wording that promotes the subject in a subjective manner without imparting real information.