The Story of Bananas

I am off today on a road trip to Providence, Rhode Island.

First live Black Bear hockey game of the season. 

Maine versus the Friars of Providence College.

It is VERY exciting.

Start of a new season of games to go to and a new venue for us. We haven't taken the trip all the way down to Providence before.

GO BLUE!
(They need it, so far this year they haven't been doing all that great!)

Here's a fun little snippet story about our mascot Bananas and why we are the Black Bears.

I copied it from this web site

http://www.goblackbears.com/information/mascot/index

Bananas, The Black Bear

The black bear has been the mascot of the University of Maine since 1914.

Jeff, a black bear cub who was found on the slopes of Mt. Katahdin in that year, was loaned to the university by Old Town police chief O.B. Fernandez, who hoped that the beast might bring good luck to the ailing football team.

Jeff made his debut at a rally in preparation for the Colby game, and as he entered the auditorium, the surprised crowd applauded enthusiastically. Thinking it the only proper thing to do, Jeff gratefully stood on his head; the crowd went "bananas!"

Maine went on to whip Colby 31-6, and Maine has been going "bananas" for Black Bears ever since. Former track and cross country captain Lloyd E. Houghton '12 presented the university with its own black bear cub the following year, and, remembering Jeff's enthusiastic welcome, suggested the cub be named Bananas.

At least 15 different black bears carried on the name "Bananas" until the practice of having live mascots was banned after the death of "Cindy Bananas" in 1966.

In 1969, the Alpha Phi Omega fraternity began providing a "human Bananas" as a service to the university, and they continue to do so today. Bananas was recently given a "new look" and was unveiled just before kickoff to a raucous crowd of Maine fans at Alfond Stadium prior to the first home football game of the 2004 season.

Bananas entertains at University of Maine athletic contests and other University special events, and also takes part in a variety of community activities and events. Additional support has been provided by the Graduate M Club and the Maine General Alumni Association.

http://www.goblackbears.com/sports/m-hockey/2010-11/releases/20101117pv8g0m

I hope we have a victory to celebrate on our 2 1/2 hour trip home tonight.

GO BLUE!

Epitaph

So this hockey season has been  exciting, fun, wonderful, adventurous, wild, enjoyable, magnificent, excellent, fantastic, and lots of other positive adjectives. What a trip! We saw 8 Maine games, a few UNH games, a wild game in 50 degree January weather at Fenway Park in Boston, both a Hockey East semi-final and final and a NCAA game. I went to 2 alumni sponsored pre-game parties and traveled to some arenas I had never been to before. I spent some fun time with my sister-in-law and her husband. I went to the Cumberland County Civic Center in Maine to see a game. I tried lots of new restaurants and new beers.  I had a blast! It is VERY SAD to see the season come to an end, and VERY DISAPPOINTING to see Maine lose last night- especially when in the first half of the game they played SO EXCELLENT! I hate to say it but the second half of the game Minnesota-Duluth just outplayed them. I was so hoping to go back to Worcester tonight to see them play BC, but in the NCAA 16 teams go in and 12 teams leave after this first weekend of playoffs. Now the only team left  from Hockey East is BC. I wish we were playing them tonight, but that is not meant to be.

SIGH!

It is just time to move onto the next things in  life and wait for fall (but let's nut rush it) for next years season to start and all the new adventures that we'll have when next Maine hockey season  begins.

GO MAINE!!!!!!

Game Day

The big hockey game is tonight!!!

Go black bears in your first NCAA appearance since 2007.

Here's 4 almost obsessed fans who will be driving to Worcester, MA to see the game.

It's the University of Maine vs. Minnesota Duluth.

Go blue!!!

WAHOO!!!!!!!!!!

I bet you can't guess the game results...Maine won 5-4 in Overtime.

Here's a very happy fan!

What a great night last night was. First of all the Frozen Fenway was 2 hockey east college games- first UMASSachuusetts (Amherst) vs University of Vermont and then University of New Hampshire vs  the University of Maine. They sold a total of a little more than 38,000 tickets for this series (as they flashed on the screen), and I think most of the people were Maine, UNH people although there were a lot for the other game. Our tickets were good for both games-we saw the end of the first game and of course, stayed for ours. It was awesome seeing people walk around in all their school gear. Of course UNH and Maine is a rivalry game so it is HUGE- and Maine lost the last 2 times they met UNH so we needed this win. All the cheering and booing of the crowds during this game was great. I have hardly any voice left.  I can you that when your team loses to UNH it is only a hockey game but when you beat UNH at Frozen Fenway in overtime it's fantastic! Especially when you ride home with the 2 UNH fans (Katie and Brian).

Plus- it never got below 50 degrees last-in Boston in January!!!!!! I didn't put my coat on until the end of the sceond period.

end of the second period score

the fans

flag over the famous green monster wall at Fenway during the game opening

the ice, not the greatest view we've ever had at a hockey game- but the big tv was fantastic.

So after the game all the Maine people were high-fiving and cheering.. the game started late so it didn't end until going on 11 and on our 2 hour drive home we stopped at Sonic on route 1 for a snack and the lot was full of Maine and UNH cars and people were still yelling go Maine and waving...

I am still floating on good vibes if you can't tell.

And next Saturday we go see Maine play Merrimac College at Merrimac- that will be a tough game since Merrimac is doing so well but hopefully Maine will still be on a strong playing roll.

Thanks for visiting!