A national championship game is the culmination of a season that began the day after the previous season ended.

Only the winners can relax and enjoy themselves. They earned that right. Eventually, they will begin defense of their championship.

But they won’t just be Something University any more.

They will be defending national champion Something University.

And anybody who beats them will place a big, fat feather in their caps.

For some, it will make their seasons.

Coach George Gwozdecky and his University of Denver Pioneers have won the last two NCAA Division I men’s hockey championships.

But their first NCAA title since 1969 is the one that will be etched in infamy in the minds of the Alfond Arena faithful.

It was April 10, 2004. The site was the FleetCenter in Boston.

It was one of the unlikeliest NCAA finals in recent memory.

Denver had been picked to finish fifth in its conference (WCHA) and Maine was chosen fourth in Hockey East.

But both peaked at precisely the right time.

Maine had won 10 straight, including eight consecutive one-goal games.

It turned out to be a memorable game in the oddest of ways.

Both teams played air-tight, in-your-face defense with the grit and determination of a junkyard dog.

If it were a boxing match, it would have been like having two counter-punchers in the ring.

Fans were waiting for something to whip them into a frenzy.

But scoring chances were few and far between and the crowd eventually settled back quietly and observed.

The NCAA, hoping to avoid a repeat of that humdrum 2004 final, insisted at the outset of last season that the referees clamp down on any defensive tactics that limit scoring attempts (i.e. holding, interference).

An early goal by Maine’s Derek Damon would have ignited the Maine fans, but it was waved off because Mike Hamilton’s skate, which had no impact on the goal, was in the crease.

Right call, bad rule.

That rule was finally changed at the outset of this season so an inconsequential skate in the crease won’t nullify a goal.

Finally, the last 1:24 made the game memorable.

The Black Bears, trailing 1-0, had a two-man advantage which turned into a 6-on-3 when goalie Jimmy Howard was pulled in favor of an extra attacker.

The man who scored the game’s only goal, sophomore center Gabe Gauthier, had given Maine the two-man advantage with a delay of game penalty.

Maine stormed the net looking for the equalizer, but Denver goalie and tournament Most Valuable Player Adam Berkhoel was immense and his mates bravely blocked shots and got their sticks in shooting and passing lanes.

Maine’s Jon Jankus rattled a shot off the crossbar.

The teams will renew their rivalry at the Alfond Arena this weekend. Denver is ranked No. 2 in the country in the U.S. College Hockey Online/College Sports TV poll and Maine is 12th.

Each team has a handful of players who played in that title game, including Gauthier, Jankus, and Damon.

But there will be many new faces and there should be plenty of scoring chances.

Don’t expect any 1-0 games.

Larry Mahoney can be reached at 990-8231, 1-800-310-8600 or by email at lmahoney@bangordailynews.net.