ORONO. Maine -- The #12/11 University of Maine men's hockey team will embark on its 48th season of varsity play on Saturday, Oct. 5 when it hosts American International College to drop the puck on the 2024-25 season.

Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. at Alfond Arena. The contest will stream live on ESPN+ and the game can be listened to via 92.9 FM or online at GoBlackBears.com/MIHRadio.

Limited tickets are still available and can be purchased at GoBlackBears.com/MIHTickets, by phone at 207-581-BEAR, or in-person at the Maine Athletics ticket office. 

GAME 1 | AIC at #12/11 Maine
Saturday, Oct. 5, 2023 | 7:00 P.M. 
Alfond Arena | Orono, Maine | ESPN+

WHAT'S ON TAP
• The University of Maine men's hockey team will embark on its 48th season of varsity play with the 2024-25 season on Saturday night when it hosts American International College at Alfond Arena.
• These two programs have met seven times, all at Alfond Arena, and most recently in 2022.
• Head coach Ben Barr enters his fourth season behind the bench of the Black Bears.
• Maine is coming off of a 23-12-2 season in 2023-24 that saw a return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012.
• AIC went 20-16-4 in 2023-24, advancing to the Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) Championship game but falling to RIT, 5-2

A WIN ON SATURDAY WOULD . . .
• Bump the Black Bears to 3-1-0 in season-openers under head coach Ben Barr.
• Move Maine to 8-0-0 all-time against AIC.
• Bump Maine to 30-15-3 all-time in the home opener.

SERIES HISTORY vs AIC
• Maine and AIC have met seven previous times, with Maine holding a record of 7-0-0.
• The first-ever meeting came back in 1979 with Maine picking up a 4-1 win at home.
• These two teams last met on Nov. 26, 2022 at Alfond Arena, with Maine earning a 5-1 win ... Lynden Breen scored twice while current Black Bears Nolan Renwick and Luke Antonacci also found the back of the net ... David Breazeale, Grayson Arnott and Brandon Chabrier added assists.

ABOUT AIC
• The Yellowjackets went 20-16-4 in 2023-24, advancing to the Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) Championship game where they fell to RIT, 5-2 … AIC has reached the AHA title game in four of the past five conference tournaments.
• AIC has reached the 20-win mark four times over the last five full seasons
• The Yellowjackets were picked to finish fourth in the AHA Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• Eric Lang enters his ninth season at the helm of the Yellowjackets.

WHAT'S BACK FOR THE BLACK BEARS
• The Black Bears return 17 point-getters from last season's team, including three of the top five and seven of the top 10.
• Overall, Maine returns 63 percent of goals, 68 percent of assists and 66 percent of the points from a season ago.
• Maine welcomes back double-digit goal scorers Josh Nadeau (19) and Harrison Scott (15) along with four players who had at least 15 assists in Nadeau (27), Breen (30), Brandon Chabrier (16) and Thomas Freel (16).
• In between the pipes, Albin Boija is back after starting 43 percent of last year's games.

UP NEXT
• The Black Bears will host Army in an exhibition game on Saturday, Oct. 12.