Frozen Four's Finest

The 1989 Harvard Crimson didn’t take long to let the college hockey world know they would be a team to be reckoned with as they opened the season 15-0.

Coach Bill Cleary’s squad would keep the momentum going all year as the season culminated with a 31-3 record and a 4-3 overtime NCAA title game victory against Minnesota.

Harvard’s top offensive line of team captain Lane McDonald, Allen Bourbeau and C.J. Young was nicknamed the "Line of Fire" and they made up the best line in school history. MacDonald and Bourbeau were both members of the 1988 United States Olympic Team, while Young and fellow forwards Peter Ciavaglia and Ted Donato would play in the '92 Olympics.

Donato, the current head coach of the Crimson, was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

He was joined on the all-tournament team by goaltender Allain Roy, defenseman Kevin Sneddon (Vermont’s current head coach) and McDonald.

The 1993 Black Bears finished the season with a 42-1-2 record after coming from behind to beat Lake Superior State in the national championship game 5-4.

Offensively, Maine was led by freshman phenom Paul Kariya, who would win the Hobey Baker Award after scoring 100 points on 25 goals and 75 assists. 

Kariya was joined on that juggernaut by senior sensation Jim Montgomery, who finished his career with 301 points on 103 goals and 198 assists.

Defensively, Maine had a stellar goaltending duo of Garth Snow and Mike Dunham, both of whom had lengthy NHL careers.

The Black Bears, coached by Shawn Walsh, won the Hockey East regular-season and tournament crowns.

The only loss of the year came in overtime, 7-6 at the hands of Boston U., but Maine was 4-1 against the Terriers that year, including a 5-2 victory in the championship game of the Hockey East Tournament.