ORONO, Maine – The #5/6 University of Maine men's ice hockey team will host #17 University of Connecticut on Friday, Jan. 17 and Saturday, Jan. 18 at Alfond Arena.
 
Puck drop on Friday is set for 7 p.m. on both nights. The conference contests will stream on ESPN+, with an international stream available via Hockey East/Stretch Internet. The games can also be listened to via 92.9 FM or online at GoBlackBears.com/MIHRadio.
 
Game 22 | #5/6 Maine vs #17 UConn
Friday, Jan. 17, 2025 | 7:00 p.m.
Alfond Arena | Orono, Maine | ESPN+
 
Game 23 | #5/6 Maine vs #17 UConn
Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025 | 7:00 p.m.
Alfond Arena | Orono, Maine | ESPN+
 
WHAT'S ON TAP
• The #5/6 University of Maine men's ice hockey team and #17 UConn will meet for two Hockey East contests at Alfond Arena this weekend,
• The Black Bears are coming off of a top-10 road sweep at #8 UMass Lowell, 3-1 and 2-1, while the Huskies swept a home-and-home with then-# 17 New Hampshire, 4-1 and 3-2.
• Maine won the 2023-24 regular season series, two games to one, picking up a win at home and splitting a two-game set in Hartford.
• This is the first-ever meeting in the series with both teams ranked.
 
A WIN ON FRIDAY WOULD. . .
• Move Maine to 16-4-2 on the year and 8-2-2 in Hockey East contests.
• Bump the Black Bears to 9-13-4 in the all-time series with the Huskies, including a mark of 6-6-2 in home games.
• Give Maine its seventh ranked win of the season and fourth straight.
 
SERIES HISTORY vs UCONN
• Maine holds an all-time record of 8-13-4 in the series with UConn.
• These two teams met three times last year, with the Black Bears winning the Hockey East series at 2-1-0.
• The first-ever meeting in the series came on Dec. 9, 1977 – a 10-2 UMaine victory ... the teams then didn't meet again
• Twelve current Black Bears have at least one point against the Huskies ... Brandon Chabrier (1-6-7) leads all active players with seven points while Josh Nadeau (1-4-5) has five and Brandon Holt (3-1-4) has four.
 
ABOUT UCONN
• The Huskies enter the weekend at 11-8-1 overall and 6-6-1 in Hockey East play after sweeping a home-and-home series with #17 New Hampshire this past weekend.
• Joey Muldowney (8-10-18) and Hudson Schandor (6-12-18) lead the Huskies in points while Ryan Tattle (9-6-15) and Jake Richard (6-9-15) have 15 points each.
• Three different goaltenders have started games for UConn with Tyler Muszelik seeing the majority of minutes going 6-4-1 with a .904 save percentage and 2.46 goals against average.
• The Huskies have won three straight games and are 4-1-0 in the last five.
 
IT'S WORTH NOTING
• Maine's current 1.7 goals against per game average is tied for the best mark through the first 21 games of the season in program history.
• Thirty-four percent of Maine's goals have come in the first two minutes or last two minutes of a period.
• Albin Boijas;s 1.55 goals against average is the fourth-best mark by a Hockey East goaltender through the first 20 games played since the start of the 2005-06 season.
• Harrison Scott is one of just six Hockey East players in the last 10 seasons to score 30 goals in their first 58 games in the league.
• Maine, Michigan State and Denver are the only teams to rank in the top five nationally in goals scored per game ... Maine is second in goals allowed per game (1.7) and tied fourth in goals scored per game (3.5).
• With Thomas Freel (8) and Scott (6), Maine is one of just three teams in the country to have multiple players with at least five power-play goals each.
• Maine is 13th nationally in face-off winning percentage (53.1) ... Scott's 56.5 winning percentage is sixth in the country among players with at least 225 wins.
• The Black Bears have not been out-shot by the opponent in 24 straight contests dating back to last season and in 50 of 58 contests dating back to the start of the 2023-24 season.
• Maine is second in the country in shots allowed per game, giving up just 22.6 per outing.
• Albin Boija is second nationally in goals against average (1.55) and leads Hockey East in save percentage (.931), goals against average and wins.