1900s – Harvard and Yale Dominate the East Coast
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Harvard and Yale began their storied on-ice rivalry on February 26, 1900, when they met for the first time at the St. Nicholas Rink in New York City. Yale was victorious 5-4. In December 1904, Harvard added two hockey rinks within the newly created Harvard Stadium. The hockey team previously played on several other outdoor fields on campus but this move allowed fans to view the games from the bleachers of their football stadium. Throughout the decade, Yale played its home games in outdoor rinks, such as Lake Whitney.
There are differing records from the early 1900s on the East Coast regarding which men’s team was crowned champion of the Intercollegiate Hockey Association of America. However, one thing was certain: Yale and Harvard both dominated the competition during the first decade of this league. Yale won a string of championships at the turn of the century while Harvard won four straight beginning in 1903. In total during the decade, Harvard won five titles with Yale winning four. The only other team crowned champion was Princeton in 1907 when they captured their first championship.