ORONO, Maine – The #4 University of Maine men's hockey team will face #12 Penn State in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Allentown Regional on Friday, March 28 at the PPL Center.

The Black Bears earned the third overall seed in the national tournament while the Allentown-host Nittany Lions earned an at-large bid.
 
Puck drop between the Black Bears and Nittany Lions is set for 8:30 p.m., with the game airing live on ESPN 2, ESPN+ and TSN+. The Maine-Penn State 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.
 
The winner of the Maine-Penn State game will advance to face the winner of the other matchup in the regional, UConn-Quinnipiac, in the Allentown Regional final on Sunday, March 30

GAME 38 | #4 Maine vs #12/13 Penn State
Friday, March 28 | 8:30 P.M.
PPL Center | Allentown, Pa.
NCAA Tournament | First Round Regional
 
WHAT'S ON TAP
• The No. 3 overall seed University of Maine men's ice hockey team will face Penn State in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Allentown Regional on Friday night.
• This is the first-ever meeting between the Black Bears and the Nittany Lions.
• Maine is playing in the program's 20th NCAA Tournament while Penn State is skating in its fourth.
• Penn State, who is serving as the host institution for the Allentown Regional, earned an at-large bid for this season's tournament while Maine earned the Hockey East automatic bid with the program's sixth-ever conference tournament title.
 
A WIN ON FRIDAY WOULD. . .
• Move Maine to 25-7-6 on the year.
• Give Maine 25 wins in a season for the first time since 2005-06.
• Bump the Black Bears to 1-0-0 in the all-time series with Penn State.
• Move Maine to 31-21 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
• Give the Black Bears the first NCAA Tournament win for the program since March 24, 2007.
 
SERIES HISTORY vs PENN STATE
• This marks the first-ever meeting between Maine and Penn State ... the teams were scheduled to play a series during the 2021-22 season but the two-game set at Pegula Ice Arena was canceled due to COVID-19 protocols.
• The Black Bears are 37-46-4 all-time against current Big Ten schools, including a mark of 11-11 in the NCAA Tournament.
• The last time the University of Maine and Penn State met in any sport was in baseball in February 2022.
 
ABOUT PENN STATE
• Penn State enters Friday night at 20-13-4 overall … the team went 18-12-4 in the regular season, including a 9-11-4 record in Big Ten play.
• The Nittany Lions are 7-2-1 in the last 10 games …they took a two-game Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal series at then #11 Michigan with 6-5 and 5-2 wins before falling to #10 Ohio State in the semifinal round, 4-3.
• Aiden Fink, a top-10 Hobey Baker Award finalist, is third in the nation with 52 points from 23 goals and 29 assists … he has eight power-play goals, four game-winning goals and two short-handed goals while recording 132 shots on goal.
• Charlie Cerrato (15-22-37) is second on the team with points while five other skaters have eclipsed the 25-point mark.
• Arsenii Sergeev has played the majority of minutes between the pipes, going 17-8-4 with a .915 save percentage, 2.66 goals against average and four shutouts.
• Penn State's penalty kill ranks 36th in the country (78.8) while the power play is 17th overall (23.5).
 
MAINE IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
• Maine is playing in its 20th NCAA Tournament ... the program has appeared in 11 Frozen Fours ... the Black Bears have won two national titles, doing it in 1993 and 1999.
• The Black Bears are 30-21 all-time in the tournament, including a mark of 14-8 in the regional round.
• Maine has not won an NCAA Tournament game since March 24, 2007 when it topped UMass, 3-1, in the regional final to advance to the Frozen Four ... the Black Bears are 0-3 since then.
• Maine appeared in its first national title game in 1993, topping Lake Superior State, 5-4, for the program's first title ... the Black Bears are 2-3 in the championship game.
• Maine is the only team in the 2025 NCAA Tournament whose losses on the season all came at the hands of another NCAA Tournament team.
 
THAT SWEET SIXTH CROWN
• Maine won the program's sixth Hockey East Tournament title with a 5-2 win over UConn on March 21 at TD Garden.
• It was Maine's first crown since 2004 and the first Hockey East tournament title for a non-Massachusetts squad since that 2004 team.
• Albin Boija was named the tournament MVP and was joined on the All-Tournament team by Luke Antonacci, David Breazeale, Owen Fowler and Harrison Scott.
• Maine earned a double overtime 4-3 win over Northeastern in the Thursday night semifinal.
• The Black Bears advanced to the semifinal round in back-to-back seasons (this year and last year) for the first time since 2004-05 and 2005-06 ... the Black Bears took down UMass Lowell in the March 15 quarterfinal round at home, 7-1.
• Maine's six titles are third most all-time behind BC (12) and BU (10).

UP NEXT
• With a win, Maine would advance to the Allentown Regional final on Sunday, March 30 against the winner of the UConn-Quinnipiac first round matchup.