It was, without a doubt, THE question mark entering the current season.

How would the University of Maine’s Black Bear hockey team survive without an experienced goalie since Scott King and Matt DelGuidice departed.

The onus was placed on redshirt junior (sophomore eligibility-wise) Garth Snow and freshman Mike Dunham.

Snow had 241 minutes of playing time two years ago, when both King and DelGuidice were injured. He was 2-2 with a 3.49 goals-against average and an .857 save percentage. Dunham was the first American goalie selected in the NHL draft last June. The Endwell, N.Y. native was chosen in the third round by New Jersey.

Forty games later, Snow and Dunham have 30 wins between them, and the Bears have the top seed in the east and a first-round bye for the NCAA Hockey Tournament.

Snow, a Wrentham, Mass. native, has a 17-4 record, a 2.97 goals-against average and an .878 save percentage. Dunham has a 13-4-2 mark, a 3.06 GAA and an .885 save percentage in 20 games. Dunham missed seven games while playing for the United States Junior National team in the World Junior Championships in Saskatchewan.

“I knew there were a lot of questions about the goaltending situation at Maine,” said Dunham. “But the players and the coaches really helped us out. They gave us confidence.”

“We both knew what we could do,” said Snow. “We were confident. It was just a matter of going out and doing it. I think the public, the media and maybe some of our teammates had some doubts. We had to prove ourselves.”

“We both knew we could play at this level,” agreed Dunham.

Maine Coach Shawn Walsh said both goalies have “exceeded expectations, especially Garth.”

“I thought Mike would be a legitimate Division I goalie but, based on last year, I was just hoping Garth would be able to back Mike up,” said Walsh. “Garth kept getting better in practice, and then he proved he could handle pressure in the Great Lakes Tournament. He showed everybody what he could do.”

Snow made 24 saves in a 6-3 win over Michigan State and stopped 28 shots in a 3-1 loss to Michigan. The last goal was an empty-netter.

“Coming into the season, I thought Maine’s goaltending might be suspect. But those guys have played great for them,” said Boston College Hobey Baker Award finalist Dave Emma.

The goalies credit their mates for a lot of their success.

“They stress defense here so we don’t have to face a lot of tough shots,” said Dunham.

“You’re only as good as your defense,” said Snow. “It’s a lot easier when you have to face only one shot at a time.”