ORONO, Maine – The #20 University of Maine men's ice hockey team will open up Hockey East play this weekend with a two-game series against RV/#20 Merrimack at Lawler Rink.
 
Puck drop between the Black Bears and Warriors is set for 7 p.m. on both nights, with both conference tilts airing on ESPN+.

The games can also be listened to via 92.9 FM or online at GoBlackBears.com/MIHRadio.
 
GAMES 5 & 6 | #20/20 Maine at RV#20 Merrimack
Friday, Nov. 3 2023 | 7:00 P.M. | ESPN+
Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023 | 7:00 P.M. | ESPN+
Lawler Rink | North Andover, Mass.
 
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
• The University of Maine men's ice hockey team will open up Hockey East play with two games at Merrimack this weekend.
• The Black Bears are coming off of a weekend split at #5 Quinnipiac, earning a 2-1 overtime win on Friday before falling, 4-1, on Saturday.
•The Warriors enter the weekend at 3-2-0 overall and 1-0 in Hockey East after skating to a 4-1 win at Northeastern on Saturday.
• Friday night marks the Hockey East opener for the Black Bears.
 
A WIN ON FRIDAY WOULD...
• Bump the Black Bears to 4-1-0 on the season and 1-0-0 in Hockey East play.
• Move Maine to 77-25-11 all-time against Merrimack and 3-5-0 under head coach Ben Barr.
 
ABOUT MAINE
• The Black Bears traveled to face reigning national champion Quinnipiac this past weekend, earning a split in the non-conference series.
• Brandon Chabrier scored in overtime on Friday night to lift Maine to a 2-1 win, with Donavan Villeneuve-Houle assisting on the game-winner to go with this game-opening goal from the first period.
• The second game saw David Breazeale open the scoring before the Bobcats scored four unanswered, including a late empty-netter, for a 4-1 win.
•Victor Östman went 1-1-0 on the weekend, making 17 saves in Friday's win and 26 stops in Saturday's loss ... Östman sits at 3-1-0 on the season with a 1.98 goals against average and .899 save percentage.
• The Black Bears have six players with four points each and three players with two goals each ... 15 different skaters have registered at least one point for Maine while the team has 10 different goal scorers.
• Maine opened the year at 3-0-0 for the first time since the 2016-17 season.
 
ABOUT MERRIMACK
• The Warriors enter the weekend at 3-2-0 overall and 1-0-0 in Hockey East play after earning a 4-1 win at Northeastern on Saturday, Oct. 28.
• Merrimack has three players with a team-leading five points in Matt Copponi (2-3-5), Mark Hillier (1-4-5) and Mac Welsher (1-4-5) … Michael CItara has a team-best three goals.
• Zachary Borgiel and Hugo Ollas have split time between the pipes … Borgiel is 2-1-0 with a .99 goals against average and .961 save percentage … Ollas is 1-1-0 with a 2.51 goals against average and .904 save percentage.
• Head coach Scott Borek is in his sixth season at the helm of the Warriors … the Warriors were tabbed third in the Hockey East Preseason Coaches' Poll.
 
SERIES NOTES
• The Black Bears lead the all-time series with the Warriors at 76-25-11 ... Maine is 28-16-3 in road games against the Warriors.
• Last season, Merrimack earned two wins in November at Lawler Rink, 1-0 and 5-3, but Maine earned a 3-2 overtime win in February at Alfond Arena.
• Maine is 2-5-0 all-time against Merrimack under head coach Ben Barr ... Barr's first career win came against Merrimack in a 6-5 overtime tilt at Alfond Arena on Nov. 12, 2021 ... David Breazeale's scored the game-winning goal in the form of his first career goal.
• Lynden Breen is Maine's active leading scorer against Merrimack with eight points on five goals and three assists ... Ben Poisson has six points (1-5-6) while Breazeale has four (1-3-4).
 
UP NEXT
• Maine will return home to host #3 Boston College for two games next weekend on Nov. 10 and 11 at Alfond Arena.