While Indiana may have played an important role in the original Civil War, there wasn't much in the way of actual combat seen here in our state.  But a new power has risen recently, and hockey fans are in store for a real North v. South conflict.

The Hoosiers have long held top billing in these parts when it comes to basketball.  Yet despite 11 league titles and four appearances in the ACHA National Championship game in nearly five decades, IU Hockey still struggles to gain notoriety and respect.

But just a couple hundred miles up I-69, the freshly-minted Trine Thunder have taken the hockey world by storm.  With a shiny, new arena and an energized fan base, the Thunder have climbed the ranks of the ACHA Division 2 just three short months into their inaugural season.

A Tale of Two Cities (and Schools)

Seeing as though there's no hockey history between the two (yet), we'll start with a little comparison between the two towns.  Both are fantastic places, but for entirely different reasons.  Bloomington is a quintessential college town, with a sprawling campus, big-time sports, and the requisite college bars.

Indiana's fourth-largest city (outside of the Indianapolis metro area), Bloomington is a bustling burg of over 80,000 residents spread out across 23 square miles.  The state's flagship university adds another 46,000 students to the mix, and boasts an endowment of nearly $2 billion.  Touting nationally recognized programs such as the Kelley School of Business and the Jacobs School of Music,  Indiana University is a natural draw for anyone desiring a top quality education in a traditional collegiate setting.

Angola, in contrast, is a quiet hamlet inconspicuously tucked away in the northeast corner of the state.  At only 6.5 square miles, it is nearly a fourth the size of Bloomington.  Fortunately, there are roughly just 8,600 residents here and Trine University's main campus only adds about 2,000 students to the mix, so it feels like there's plenty of room to breathe.

Formerly known as Tri-State College and rebranded in 2008, Trine University takes great pride in its rural campus and close-knit feel.  With a 14:1 student to  faculty ratio, education at Trine is done at a very personal level.  Widely respected for its engineering program, Trine University is often noted amongst the best small schools in the Midwest.

Hockey History

There isn't much to write about the Thunder's hockey history, as it only stretches back to April of 2016.  Since announcing the formation of the program, most of the time has been spent building the roster and the arena.  Recruiting was so successful that the athletic department added both an ACHA Division 2 and Division 3 club to the originally planned NCAA Division III men's and women's programs.  The new Thunder Ice Arena not only houses the four teams but also hosts a new youth hockey program ran in partnership with the local YMCA.

Still, the Thunder has seen more than its share of success in the early going.  While the NCAA men are still in search of their first win, the women's team experienced the sweet taste of victory in just their second game.  The ACHA D3 team blasted Western Michigan 22-2 in its home (and season) opener, and just this week managed to crack the Top 15 in the North Division.  Rising above them all, the ACHA D2 team has yet to lose a game, running its record to 14-0-2 (through 11/11) and perched near the top of the regional and national rankings.

Dan Mayes - Head Coach of the ACHA D2 club - credits much of his team's early success to conditioning.  "Probably the biggest surprise of the season has been our fitness level.  The kids really put in the work over the summer and showed up in great shape, which allowed us to focus on hockey that much sooner."  Mayes also sees a tremendous amount of depth wihtin the organization.  He claims that "there are a lot of guys on the D3 team that would be a good fit on our team."  Conversely, he knows he has more than a few on his roster that could compete for spots on the NCAA team as well.

On the recruiting trail for over a year with NCAA Head Coach Alex Todd, what impressed Mayes most about hockey in Indiana was the people he came across.  "We really appreciated the honest assessments we received from a lot of the coaches out there.  The more trustworthy connections you can make, the better it is for everbody invovled."

The Hoosiers, on the other hand, have a long - if not storied - hockey history.  Since the early 1970's, Indiana Hockey has claimed titles in the Big Ten, Midwest Collegiate, and Great Midwest Hockey leagues.  They made appearances in the ACHA National Championship game on four separate occassions, finishing as runner-ups in 1995, 1998, 2000, and 2008.

Yet the current state of the Hoosiers is a far cry from those heady days.  At the start of the season, team speed and experienced goaltending were pointed to as strengths, and the expectation was that this squad would improve upon last season's 7-20 record and possibly get the program back into the playoff conversation.

After kicking off the current campaign with a win over Louisville, the Hoosiers hit a skid that has seen them lose 12 of their last 13 games.  Noted transfer Armand Uomoleale has been inactive since scoring six points in the first two games.  The team has given up 76 goals thus far and has an average goal differential of -2.57.   Their recent struggles even prompted the executive board to fire Head Coach Clint Hagmaier and begin the search for a replacement in mid-season.  

The Battle for State Supremacy

This two-part series - unofficially and rather uncreatively dubbed the I-69 Cup - would be far more interesting if both teams were doing well, but there's still enough intrigue to make people sit up and take notice.

Great Midwest Conference foes... Small school v. Big Ten... David v. Goliath...

Keep in mind that these two teams are both fishing from many of the same ponds when it comes to attracting players.  Gaining an advantage on the ice can also provide an edge in recruiting - and it's a topic most certain to come up when both coaches find themselves sharing the sofa in some kid's living room.

The Thunder haven't just gotten off to a good start -- they've been downright dominant.  Outscoring the opposition 141-26, Trine currently has three goaltenders all with GAA's under two and a dozen players scoring at over a point per game pace.  Contributions have been coming from up and down the roster.  Ten different skaters have been credited with game winners to this point.  Ironically, top scorer Brandon Bornkamp isn't among them.  The 5'9" freshman foward leads the club in both points and assists, and is tied for second in goals.  Best of all, he's homegrown - hailing from just down the road in Fort Wayne.

Don't think for a minute though that Mayes is going to let success go to their heads.  "There's always something you can improve on," he stated matter-of-factly.  "Hockey is a very humbling sport.  If you aren't making sure your head's on straight, it'll trip you up real quick."  Getting the work done in practice is the key, claims Mayes.

Despite the recent upheaval, Indiana will always have a leg up on the competition when pitching to a prospective student-athlete.  Sure, you can get a quality education at Trine and there's a fair number of folks who prefer the small school setting.  But there's simply no way they can match the options and opportunities available at IU.

When it comes to hockey, though, the Hoosiers will likely find themselves playing second fiddle.  The Thunder can offer the opportunity to move up to the NCAA, even if it's only Division III.  They also have a crown jewel in the Thunder Ice Arena.  Somewhat small-ish in size, but a beautifully built barn to be sure.  Frank Southern Ice Arena has seen its fair share of history, but it is showing its age more and more these days and is definitely not a plus in the eyes of a prospect.

On top of all that, the Hoosiers are in utter disarray.  The players may publicly preach the party line of unity and playing for each other, but the uncertainty surrounding the coaching situation has to weigh heavy on everyone's minds.

Indiana has played one of the toughest schedules in Division 2 to this point, and the path ahead is fraught with even greater dangers.  In addition to the Trine series, there are several tough league contests left to play, along with the outdoor games at Rosemont in January.  There's a lot of season left to play, and the Hoosiers have enough talent on the roster to compete.  But unless they can figure a few things out quickly, those words are of little consolation.

What To Expect

Across the four-game set, you can bet the Thunder will seize control at some point and put up the kind of numbers you have come to depend on.  But don't think for a moment that it'll be a cake walk.  "We have a lot of respect for those guys," stated Mayes.  "These are two good programs, and the games should make for some good hockey.  It's going to be a lot of fun."

Indeed, the Hoosiers are a highly skilled bunch, and they've shown brief flashes of that deadly speed they hoped would make more of an difference this season.  If they find a way to put together a complete game, pity the team occupying the opposing bench.  Anticipate them showing up Friday night with a bit of a chip on their shoulder as well.  Adversity sometimes has a way of bringing out a team's best... or beast.

If you haven't seen a game at Thunder Ice Arena, you owe it to yourself to check it out.  Not only are the Thunder fun to watch, the arena has great sightlines and crew at the Thunderdome** (my unofficial nickname) does an outstanding job creating an enjoyable fan experience.

The bigger prize though, is the attention this rivalry could bring to the game here in the state.  "We hope to get younger players to start taking notice," Mayes proclaimed.  Getting the best homegrown players to stick around and increase interest from some quality out-of-staters will go a long way to boosting both programs. 

Trine may be off to an incredible start, but this young program will have to recruit well to sustain it over the long haul.  And Indiana makes no pretenses about wanting to move up the ranks (how 'bout one of those "feasibility studies" the NHL keeps braggin' on?).  It'll take much more than just winning a few games to get there, though.

Regardless of which team ends up ahead on the scoreboard, the real winner is us...  and it's gonna be a heckuva good time! 

Author's note:   Executives from Indiana University's ACHA D2 Hockey Team were unable to be reached for comment in time for this story.  We will provide further information on the recent coaching change when it becomes available.