ORONO, Maine – The #5 University of Maine men's ice hockey team will host rival New Hampshire this weekend for the Buffalo Wild Wings Border at Alfond Arena.
 
Puck drop between the Black Bears and the Wildcats is set for 7 p.m. on both Friday, Feb. 14 and Saturday, Feb. 15. Saturday's tilt will air live on NESN, with both games also streaming on ESPN+ and 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.

On Saturday, Maine Athletics will be hosting a Pregame Fan Festival from 4-7 p.m. outside of Alfond Arena.
 
Game 28 | #5 Maine vs RV New Hampshire
Friday, Feb. 14, 2025 | 7:00 p.m.
Alfond Arena | Orono, Maine | ESPN+

Game 29 | #5 Maine vs RV New Hampshire
Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025 | 7:00 p.m.
Alfond Arena | Orono, Maine | NESN/ESPN+
 
WHAT'S ON TAP
• The #5 University of Maine men's ice hockey team will host rival New Hampshire in the Buffalo Wild Wings Border Battle on Friday and Saturday at Alfond Arena.
• Maine went 1-0-1 at #7 Providence College last weekend, battling to a 3-3 tie and winning the shootout before earning a 1-0 overtime win the next night ... Taylor Makar scored three of Maine's four goals on the weekend.
• New Hampshire played twice at home, dropping a 4-2 game to Boston College and a 5-4 game to Merrimack.
 
A WIN ON FRIDAY WOULD. . .
• Move Maine to 19-5-4 on the year and 11-3-4 in Hockey East contests.
• Bump the Black Bears to 74-64-13 in the all-time series with the Wildcats.
 
SERIES HISTORY vs NEW HAMPSHIRE
• Maine holds an overall record of 73-64-13 in the all-time series with UNH after earning a 3-1 road win earlier this year ... the Black Bears went 2-2-0 overall against the Wildcats last season.
• Ten current Black Bears have at least one point against UNH ... Lynden Breen (5-4-9) is Maine's active scoring leaders against UNH ... Owen Fowler (3-1-4) and Nolan Renwick (1-3-4) have four points each while Josh Nadeau has three goals.
• The Wildcats and Black Bears first played on Dec. 15, 1979 at Alfond Arena, with John Tortorella scoring the game-winning goal in Maine's 5-3 victory.
• Maine has had two different nine-game winning streaks in the heated series.
• Current Maine assistant coach Alfie Michaud had seven career wins against UNH, including the April 3, 1999 National Championship, 3-2, overtime win at Arrowhead Pond.
• UNH Director of Hockey Operations Jim Tortorella was a goaltender for Maine from 1977-81.
 
ABOUT NEW HAMPSHIRE
• The Wildcats enter the weekend at 11-12-3 overall and 3-11-2 in Hockey East play.
• Ryan Conmy leads New Hampshire in scoring with 15 points from 13 goals and 12 assists … Robert Cronin (11-10-21), Liam Devlin (7-14-21) and Cy LeClerc (7-13-20) give the Wildcats four 20-point getters.
• Jared Whale has started all 26 games between the pipes, going 11-12-3 with a 2.66 goals against average, .890 save percentage and two shutouts.
• New Hampshire is converting on 21.7 percent of power plays while killing off 85.4 percent of penalties.
 
IT'S WORTH NOTING
• Maine is currently allowing just 1.7 goals against per game, tied for the best mark through the first 27 games of the season in program history ... it also currently ties for third overall in the country.
• Thirty-eight percent of Maine's goals have come in the first two minutes or last two minutes of a period.
• Albin Boija is just the third Hockey East goaltender since the start of the 2005-06 season to post a goals against average below 1.65 in their first 26 games played in a season ... his 1.61 GAA is second in the country.
• Maine is tied third in the nation in goals allowed per game (1.7) and 12th in goals scored per game (3.2).
• In his first 27 games as a Black Bear, Taylor Makar has already recorded career-highs in points (23), goals (13), assists (10), game-winning goals (5), short-handed goals (2) and shots on goal (74).
• Maine is first in the country in shots allowed per game, giving up just 23.3 per outing.
• Maine is tied 11th nationally in face-off winning percentage (53.5) ... Harrison Scott's 57.1 winning percentage is sixth in the country among players with at least 295 wins.
• Earlier this year, Scott became the first Black Bear since the start of the 2005-06 season to score 30 goals in his first 60 games at Maine.
 
UP NEXT
• The Black Bears will travel to UConn for a single game on Friday, Feb. 21 at the Toscano Ice Forum.