Mar. 29—ALLENTOWN, Penn. — Even at the lowest moment, and one of the final moments, of his college hockey career, Nolan Renwick was able to crack a joke.
The University of Maine's senior center was on the podium, taking questions from the media following the Black Bears' 5-1 loss to Penn State in the first round of the NCAA tournament at the PPL Center. He was asked, how would you like to be remembered at Maine?
"Well, I want to be remembered like Paul Kariya, but that's not going to happen," Renwick deadpanned. But he continued.
"Honestly, I don't expect I'm ever going to be in the record books, but I took pride in being able to put on a Black Bear name. That's what matters to me," he said. "To know I played a part in putting this program on the right path. You talk about leaving a jersey in a better place. To watch them... on the ice, competing their butt off, that would be the most rewarding thing for me."
Renwick was still wearing his jersey, shoulder pads underneath, when he answered the questions. At that moment, taking them off was too final.
It is final, though. Losing in the NCAA Tournament is as abrupt as it comes. With Friday night's loss, Maine's season ended at 24-8-6, and you can say Phase One of coach Ben Barr's rebuilding process is complete.
When Barr arrived in Orono in 2021, taking over for the late Red Gendron, the Black Bears hadn't been to the NCAA Tournament since 2012. His first team won seven games. In his third season, Barr checked off that tournament box. Maine reached the tournament a year ago with an at-large bid, falling to Cornell 3-1 in the first round in Springfield, Mass.
A center from Milestone, Saskatchewan, Renwick came off the Canadian prairie as a member of Barr's first recruiting class. He knows he'll go down in Maine hockey lore as one of the builders, one of the guys whom Barr tapped to bring the program back to national relevance. With his home white sweater still on, damp with game sweat for the final time, Renwick knew he and his teammates had accomplished something, even if it didn't feel like it after a tough loss.
"I'm extremely proud of us and what the group, especially the guys who have been here for four years. Breener's (captain Lynden Breen) been here for five years," Renwick said. "Coach Barr is obviously a huge part of that. It's something that I'll be proud of the rest of my life. Obviously, we really wanted to win another championship... Down to my heart, I'll always be a Black Bear. I'll bleed blue for the rest of my life. I'll cheer for the team for the rest of my life. To know I was a part of kind of righting the ship and putting the program on the right path, it means a lot. I hope I had an impact on the Maine Black Bears and generations of Black Bears to come."
Renwick will go down in the record books, whether he realizes it now or not. His final goal — the 24th of his career, to match his jersey number — gave Maine a 4-3 double overtime win over Northeastern in the Hockey East semifinals. It sent the Black Bears to the championship game the following night, where they shook off whatever fatigue comes with playing 4 1/2 periods of hockey to beat UConn 5-2 and claim their first Hockey East title in 21 years. His goal will replay in Maine highlight videos forever.
Barr knows after reaching the NCAA tournament two straight years, but going out in one game, that it's a step to the ultimate goal. To get there, he needs to attract more players like Renwick to Orono. Guys who will play with grit and skill, and give full effort each time they hit the ice. Renwick is one of those players who created the template and set the bar. The next batch of Black Bears need to follow ...
