The Battle of New Brunswick resumes on Friday as the Moncton Wildcats and Saint John Sea Dogs face off for a pivotal Game 4 matchup in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League finals.

Moncton jumped out to a two-game lead with convincing wins to start the series, but Saint John roared back in Game 3 on Wednesday with a solid victory at home at Harbour Station.

Another Wildcats win would give Moncton a commanding lead in the best-of-seven series, while Saint John could tie the hard-fought series.

The Moncton and Saint John pairing in the league finals marks the first time two New Brunswick teams have squared off for the QMJHL's President's Cup.

Pete Ferguson, owner of Pete's Pub, a popular Saint John establishment, said the competition between the two cities is deeply entrenched.

"It's a nice friendly rivalry," Ferguson said.

"It's a competition between S.J. and Moncton, I mean 90 miles [about 145 km] up the road — you can't beat it for a rivalry," he said.

The series is not only stoking a heated rivalry between the province's two largest cities, but also between two of its biggest employers.

The Irvings own the Wildcats, while the McCains have ownership of the Sea Dogs.

Ferguson said the corporate connections between the two teams is "all New Brunswick also."

Loyalties divided

Saint John centre Michael Kirkpatrick swarms the Moncton Wildcats goal in Game 3 of the QMJHL finals on Wednesday. The Saint John Sea Dogs visit Moncton for Game 4 on Friday night. (CBC)Although the battle lines are clearly drawn between the two hockey-crazed cities, there is one New Brunswick community where that line is blurred.

Main Street in Sussex is pretty much halfway between the two rival cities, causing many in the town to scratch their heads over who they should support in the QMJHL finals.

The torturous decision is evident among many students and teachers at Sussex Regional High School.

Noah Cormier and Ryan Chown are friends, but when it comes to the Wildcats-Sea Dogs series, they don't see eye to eye.

Cormier said the series has divided the school.

"I just generally started out watching the Wildcats, so that's just been my team."

Chown's hockey loyalties, meanwhile, are not guided by his friendship with Cormier.

"I think pretty much a lot of people are going for Moncton and Saint John. But the Sea Dogs, hopefully, will win," he said.

Just as students are divided in what team to cheer for in the hockey series, it seems the teaching staff at Sussex High School is just as split

"Well I have roots in Saint John, I have roots in the Quispamsis area, you got to support the local team," said Ryan Price.

"Some of the Wildcats fans are just misguided — they understand true hockey and they don't realize they should be cheering for the Sea Dogs."

Allegiance changes

In the case of another Sussex High School teacher, the team to root for is not always clear.

Marci Gillies admits her hockey allegiances changed when she moved from the Saint John-suburb of Rothesay to Petitcodiac, the village about 40 kilometres west of Moncton.

"Back in the day before the Sea Dogs, I used to follow the other AHL team that was there," Gillies said referring to the Saint John Flames that left the city in 2005.

"Now that I moved to Petitcodiac and teaching in Sussex, I guess my heart now is more towards with Moncton than with Saint John."

The puck drops between the two teams at 7:35 p.m. local time on Friday in Moncton.

The series winner will travel to the Memorial Cup tournament to play the winners of the Ontario Hockey League and the Western Hockey League in Brandon, Man. That tournament begins on May 14.