ORONO, Maine – The #8 University of Maine men's hockey team kicks off a six-game non-conference stretch with a trip to Union on Wednesday night.
 
Puck drop between the Black Bears and Garnet Chargers is set for 7 p.m. at Messa Rink. The game will stream live on ESPN+ and TSN+, with an international stream available via ECAC Hockey's StretchInternet portal. The game can also be listened to via 92.9 FM in eastern Maine, 100.5 FM in southern Maine or online at GoBlackBears.com/MIHRadio.
 
GAME 13 | #8 Maine at Union
Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023 | 7:00 P.M. 
Messa Rink | Schenectady, N.Y.
 
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
• The University of Maine and Union will meet for a single game on Wednesday night at Messa Rink.
• The Black Bears played two home games this past weekend, earning a 5-2 win over #15/14 New Hampshire and a 7-3 win over UConn.
• The Garnet Chargers split their weekend at Messa Rink, topping Princeton, 7-2, before falling to #5/4 Quinnipiac, 5-0.
• These two teams last played during the 2021-22 season, playing a pair of games in Orono ... after tying 1-1 on Dec. 10, Maine went on to earn a 4-3 win on Dec. 11.
 
A WIN ON WEDNESDAY WOULD...
• Bump the Black Bears to 9-3-1 overall on the season and 4-1 in non-conference games.
• Move Maine to 9-5-2 in the all-time series with Union.
 
A LOOK AT MAINE
• Maine played two games last weekend, earning a 5-2 win over #15/14 New Hampshire and a 7-3 win over UConn.
• Josh Nadeau and Bradly Nadeau combined for 13 points on the weekend, with Bradly recording seven points from three goals and four assists and Josh racking up three goals and three assists for six points en route to Hockey East Co-Player of the Week honors.
• Hockey East Defender of the Week Brandon Chabrier had a five-point weekend, including a four-point outing on Sunday ... it was the first four-point game by a Maine defender since 2005.
• In all, Maine had 11 different point getters across the two games, including five players with at least three points each.
• Albin Boija got his first career start against UNH, making 18 saves for the win ... after a 38-save win on Sunday, Victor Östman now sits at 7-3-1 with a 2.56 goals against average and .898 save percentage.
• Through 12 games, Maine's record of 8-3-1 marks the first time the program hit eight wins in the first 12 games since also going 8-3-1 in 2006-7.

A LOOK AT UNION
• Union enters Wednesday night at 7-6 overall.
• The Garnet Chargers played two home games this past weekend, earning a 7-0 win over Princeton before falling to #5/4 Quinnipiac, 5-0.
• John Prokop leads Union with 17 points on three goals and 14 assists ... he has won two straight ECAC Hockey Defender of the Week honors and has six multi-point games on the season.
• Union has four players with at least five goals each, including Chaz Smedsrud with a team0high six.
• Goaltender Kyle Chauvette is 7-5-0 with a .900 save percentage, 3.11 goals against average and two shutouts.
• The Garnet Chargers are converting on 22.2 percent of power players while boasting the nations' third-best penalty kill (92.9).
 
SERIES HISTORY vs UNION
• Maine holds an all-time record of 8-5-2 in the series with Union.
• These two teams last met during the 2021-22 season, playing a two-game set in Orono ... the squads battled to a 1-1 tie in the first game before the Black Bears earned a 4-3 win in the second.
• Five current Black Bears have at least one career point against the Garnet Chargers ... Nolan Renwick leads all active skaters with three points on one goal and two assists, all coming in that 4-3 win on Dec. 11, 2021 ... Lynden Breen (0-2-2), Ben Poisson (1-0-0), Donavan Villeneuve-Houle (0-1-1) and David Breazeale (0-1-1) all registered points in that series.
 
RE-UNION
• Maine head coach Ben Barr spent three seasons (2008-11) as an assistant coach at Union and played a key role in developing the program into a national champion.
• In the 2010-11 season, Union captured its first-ever ECAC Regular Season Championship and earned the program's first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament.
• Barr, then head coach Nate Leaman and the rest of the staff were named the 2011 Spencer Penrose NCAA Staff of the Year.
 
-UMaine-