When I was first visiting and applying to colleges two years ago, I didn’t really have many ideas of what I was looking for in an institution of higher learning. In fact, I didn’t really have any. While some people look for great academics, a high job-placement rate or a beautiful campus, all I really cared about was sports.

I really, desperately wanted to go to a Division-I school. I wanted to root for teams that had at least a mild shot at having some successful seasons during my stay. Preferably, those successful seasons would come in one of the larger, more important, nationally televised sports, such as football, basketball or hockey.

For most people, this dream of watching Division-I sports would probably lead people to their respective state universities. I grew up in Maine and didn’t really want to attend the University of Maine for two reasons: everyone I know from high school goes there and it’s in the middle of the woods. There is literally nothing but trees from Orono north to Canada.

This led me to look out of state. I really wanted to attend school in the Boston area, and because no school in their right minds on the Cambridge side of the Charles River would accept me, I looked at schools in Boston proper. Then I found Boston University, where my love of sports could easily be fulfilled simply through the hockey program. Plus, I got everything else people look for in a school. Except for “beautiful campus.” (Admit it, the Law Building is in a one-horse race for the ugliest building in Beantown.)

But now, my two worlds are about to collide.

This weekend, the Maine Black Bears will journey down to Boston for their first game of the season against the BU men’s hockey team. I personally cannot wait. And not just because I’m from Maine. This is the type of game I came to BU for. There are a host of reasons this game should be a highlight of this season.

First off, this is the Terriers first game against a really strong, in-conference opponent this season. So far, the only strong teams BU has played all season came at the Ice Breaker Tournament in St. Louis, when the Terriers beat University of Wisconsin and University of Notre Dame to win the tournament title. Although home games against Hockey East opponents have been tight so far this year, with BU narrowly escaping with wins against Providence College and University of Massachusetts-Lowell as well as a tie against University of Massachusetts-Amherst, those have been against teams expected to finish in the bottom of the conference standings.

Maine, however, is a different case. They are third in the conference standings, compared to BU at the top spot, and No. 7 in the USCHO.com poll, the same ranking system that has BU third in the nation. They have players regularly receiving weekly accolades from Hockey East and top hockey publications. This is a team that will probably make the national tournament.

BU will probably make it to the national tournament as well. At 6-0-1, they are off to one of their best starts since 1977-78. Although they have had close victories against teams not in contention for any titles, they still haven’t lost. That is an achievement.

Maine has always been a decent team. I remember growing up and watching them go on multiple runs to the NCAA tournament and even the Frozen Four. At Maine, hockey is definitively the best thing going. Although Maine does field a football team that has had moderate success in recent years and a basketball that has had success, hockey is king on the campus. In state with no major professional sports teams, successful collegiate teams are a source of state pride.

One more reason to look forward to the Maine game? The history between these two teams. In the early 1990s, Maine and BU traded Hockey East titles a few times. This was broken up in 1994, when Maine forfeited games and had to declare a few players ineligible for recruiting violations. BU coach Jack Parker, referencing the violations at the time said, “Maine has put a black mark on the league, a very, very black mark.” While Maine may not be the Terrier’s biggest rival, there certainly is no love lost between the teams.

Whichever side walks away with a win Saturday night, we as hockey fans will be treated to an excellent game. Both teams are at the best they have been in recent years and have trophies in their sights. They have a history, and devoted fan bases. This game will prove to be a highlight of the season.