News File Photo Alpena High School forward Dave Beatty (16) raises his stick after scoring what turned out to be the game-winning goal in a district playoff game against Marquette in this 1981 News file photo.

ALPENA — When Andy Marceau looks back on his Alpena High School hockey career, three games still give him goosebumps, but also stir feelings of disappointment and heartbreak.

Three playoff losses. All against Marquette.

“We knew the names, we knew the players, it was a good rivalry,” Marceau said. “We always knew they were going to have good teams.”

Reactions like Marceau’s aren’t uncommon for players who played for either side. For more than a decade, the path for a team from the north to reach the state championship went through either Alpena or Marquette.

Between 1981 and 2000, the two teams played one another in the playoffs 16 times.

News File Photo Alpena’s Rob DeWyre (left) watches as his shot goes into the net as Wes Gentry skates through the crease during a regional game against Marquette in Sault Ste. Marie in this 1987 News file photo.

In that span, seven games were decided by a goal and four went into overtime.

Of the seven times Alpena has made a run to the Final Four, six of those have included a playoff win over Marquette.

It’s a rivalry that’s been defined by big goals, close, gritty, physical games, character-building wins, and heartbreaking losses.

The two teams are set to renew their rivalry tonight in a Division 2 regional final at Northern Lights Arena. Game time is 6 p.m and the winner advances to the quarterfinals on Saturday in Gaylord.

It’s been years since the rivalry’s heyday, but those involved still remember the annual back-and-forth postseason battles.

“You had to be ready to play,” Former Alpena coach Chris Limback said. “Your team had to be fully ready to compete for the entire game. When you were fortunate to beat them, you knew that was a quality win.”

HIGHEST HIGHS AND LOWEST LOWS

For years, the Wildcats and the Redmen played each other several times a year during the regular season as members of the Great Northern Hockey Conference, which also included Sault Ste. Marie, Traverse City and Escanaba.

But the playoffs were when the games mattered most.

Dave Beatty experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in the rivalry’s early days.

As a sophomore in 1981, Beatty scored midway through the third period of a district final, helping the Wildcats rally from a 5-3 deficit to beat Marquette 6-5.

At the time, it may have been the biggest goal in program history as Alpena, in its eighth year as a program, went on to win the Class A state championship.

“They were one of the best teams in the state. We went up there thinking we weren’t going to do very well,” Beatty said. “When you get two even-keeled teams, it comes down to the third line. (Alpena coach) Tony (Byers) kept rolling the third line, which I was on at the time.”

Two years later, Beatty was part of an Alpena squad that suffered one of the program’s toughest losses.

Matched up against Marquette in the regional final, Alpena held a three-goal lead with less than five minutes to play. The Redmen played the role of spoiler that night and rallied, ultimately beating Alpena 6-5 in two overtimes.

“I think we were up by two goals in the third period,” Beatty said. “You play these teams enough, you get to know players. We were up by two goals. Once they scored their next goal to make it a one-goal game, (a Marquette player) skated by me and said ‘That’s one, the next one’s coming quick’ and it did.”

Alpena went 7-9 against Marquette in that 16-year playoff stretch and with so much at stake each time, it made the victories that much sweeter.

∫ In 1987, Matt Baker scored just a few minutes into overtime, capping an incredible 5-4 victory in a regional final — a game in which Alpena never held the lead until Baker’s goal. It put Alpena one step closer to a state championship, which the Wildcats eventually won that season.

∫ In 1993, Chad McConnell and Jason Kierst had two goals each as Alpena roared past Marquette 7-1 in a regional semifinal win at Mich-e-ke-wis Park.

∫ In 2000 — the most recent playoff matchup between the two teams– Alpena won the first-ever quarterfinal matchup between the two teams, winning 3-1 on the way to a state runner-up appearance.

But it also made the losses sting that much harder.

Marceau played for Alpena from 1989-1992 and played Marquette three times in the playoffs. The Redmen won 8-4 in 1990, edged Alpena 2-1 in 1991, and skated past the Wildcats in overtime 6-5 in 1992, Marceau’s senior season.

“My junior season, we had the best shot,” Marceau said. “We had the top goalie in Mike Brown, we had the top defenseman, we had scoring, we had it all. It was a hell of a game and the chances were there.”

A BATTLE OF THE BEST

Realignments eventually moved the two teams into different conferences and different divisions, but a peek at this year’s playoff regions revealed early on the possibility of another Alpena-Marquette playoff game.

Now that it’s here, Ben Henry is ready for it as he seeks to guide Alpena to a third straight regional championship.

The second-year Alpena coach has guided the Wildcats (23-3) to one of their best seasons ever and is ready for another exciting game in front of what’s sure to be a packed Northern Lights Arena.

“It’s going to be a hard-hitting, fast game; it’s going to be a battle of the best in my opinion,” Henry said. “I think we match up well with them. From Day 1, this was our goal to play Marquette. The kids are pumped up, I’m pumped up.”

The Redmen (18-6-2) rolled to an easy 11-0 regional semifinal win over Manistee last week, but Marquette knows exactly what it’s up against tonight.

Alpena pulled away from Traverse City Central down the stretch last weekend to win 5-0 and it’s veteran roster has bulldozed its way past opponent after opponent.

“We’ve been in a couple showcases (together) — Trenton and Traverse City,” Marquette coach Doug Garrow said. “I know they’re real talented on the front end, good forwards, good goaltending, good defensemen.”

Hundreds of excited, cheering Alpena fans will do their best to throw Marquette off its game, but the Redmen are battle-tested this season having played just seven games at home.

After graduating a big senior class, Garrow wasn’t sure what to expect from his team this season, but Marquette has steadily picked up momentum during the year and held its own with some of the best teams in the state.

Jake Garrow was Marquette’s leading scorer with just 17 goals among 39 points in the regular season, but the Redmen have a deep roster and had eight players with at least 10 points.

In net, sophomore Cole Kelly has seen the lion’s share of the work, posting a 1.55 goals-against average and .926 save percentage in 15 games.

“I’ve been pleasantly surprised as the season went along,” Garrow said. “We play hard. We’re not a high-scoring team, but we defend well and we’re a strong team.”

Time will tell which team emerges victorious tonight, but it may come down to an unsung hero making the right play at the right time; as has been characteristic of the rivalry over the years.

Beatty pointed to last Saturday’s game — where Alpena got four third-period goals, including a hat trick from senior Cam Young and two assists from freshman Gavin Winterstein — as the type of play Alpena needs tonight to win.

“At this time of year for hockey, it boils down to the power player, the short line,” Beatty said. “The star players and top lines will match each other. The way (coach Henry) has these kids organized, I’m blown away by the job he’s doing.”