It is one of the premier rivalries in the state: Bangor High vs. Brewer High.
But now instead of being adversaries in boys hockey, they are teammates.
The Penobscot River rivals have merged into one team due to low numbers, and the players and coaches of the new Twin City Titans said things have been going well.
“It’s definitely better than I thought it would be,” said sophomore right wing Mason Sherry from Brewer. “I thought because of the rivalry, there would be some arguing but there hasn’t been any arguing at all.”
“Everyone has been getting along great,” added Sherry with junior defenseman Cameron Violette from Brewer in agreement.
“It’s been great, honestly,” said Bangor senior center Chase Caron. “The chemistry in the locker room has been great. The practices have been fun and we’ve already had some team dinners.”
Caron admitted that the news that they were going to merge with Brewer surprised him.
“It came from out of the blue,” Caron said. “There were some talks about us merging with John Bapst. But both schools were looking for something and it came together. The coaches, athletic directors and principals worked together and it turned out very well.
Junior right wing Alex Johnson from Brewer said he was skeptical at first.
“I wanted us to have our own team. But now that it has happened, I like it a lot,” Johnson said.
“There haven’t been any issues,” said Bangor senior goalie Cody McCue. “It has gone a lot better than I thought.”
There are also players from Skowhegan and one from Narraguagus High School in Harrington.
Caron said one thing that has helped the transition has been the fact that many of the players have known each other for years beginning in their youth hockey days, and they have been teammates on travel squads.
“That has made the process much easier. I played in the Brewer youth hockey program for five years before going to Bangor High,” Caron said. “Playing together at a young age has made this very easy.”
He also pointed out that in some of their scrimmage games against other teams, they have had some good comeback wins and that has helped them bond.
“We’re moving along well as a team,” Caron said.
Johnson said he already knew some of the Bangor players and it has been “fun playing on the same team with them.”
The players are optimistic about the season.
“I think we’re going to be good,” Johnson said.
“I’m really excited about the season,” said Sherry. “The coaching staff is the best I’ve ever had.”
Brewer coach Denis Collins and Bangor coach Quinn Paradis are the co-head coaches.
“So far, it has been better than we expected,” said Collins, who was a former head coach at Bangor where Paradis was his assistant and who succeeded him. “Everything is flowing together. The kids are getting along, which is a big thing.”
Collins said that the coaching staff combines to bring “a mountain of experience” and that the players are ready to listen.
“They’re accepting us as coaches, which is a great thing. So far we’re looking good,” Collins added. “It should be an interesting year, because I think we’ve seen such a drastic improvement in just the two weeks we’ve been here.”
Both Collins and Paradis have positive things to say about the move from two teams into one.
“So yeah, it was a good idea, and maybe we can be the powerhouse that we need up north.” Collins said.
Paradis said his longtime friendship with Collins has helped make the transition easier.
“It’s been fun,” said Paradis. “It’s a different experiment, but so far it’s been a good time.”
Collins and Paradis share the belief that cooperative teams are saving high school hockey due to the low numbers of players available.
“Everybody gets along,” Paradis added about the area’s newest co-op team. “Hockey is a community sport, and it’s definitely strong in the greater Bangor-Brewer area.”
The Titans, who will play home games both at Bangor’s Sawyer Arena and Brewer’s Penobscot Ice Arena, open their season on Wednesday, Dec. 10 against Scarborough at Sawyer Arena beginning at 6:20 p.m. The Titans have a preseason scrimmage against Messalonskee at 6:10 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3 at the Penobscot Ice Arena.
The annual Fill the Alfond game between Bangor and Brewer at UMaine’s Alfond Arena will now involve the Titans against Hampden Academy/Nokomis of Newport/Ellsworth/Mount Desert Island on Saturday, Jan, 17 at 7:15 p.m.
With the merger going smoothly so far, Paradis said the biggest difference has been the shift in uniform colors. In place of Bangor’s cardinal red and Brewer’s orange and black, the Titans have adopted a University of Maine color palette of navy blue and white.
“That was one thing that we talked about when we started this, is everything neutral. We’re one new team, one new group,” Paradis said. “It’s been fun so far, it’s been a great two weeks, and we’re getting better every day.”
And the players seem to be in full agreement.
“Great uniforms, great gear, great coaching staff,” Caron said. “I think it’s going to be a fun season.”
