ORONO, Maine – The #17 University of Maine men's ice hockey team will return home this weekend to host #9 Providence College for a single game on Saturday night at Alfond Arena.
 
Puck drop between the Black Bears and Friars is set for 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31.  The Hockey East tilt will stream on ESPN+ and an international stream available via Hockey East/Stretch Internet. The game can also be listened to via 92.9 FM or online at GoBlackBears.com/MIHRadio.

Maine Athletics will be hosting a free Pregame Fan Festival from 4-6:30 p.m. in the plaza outside of Alfond Arena.
 
Game 26 | #17 Maine vs #9 Providence
Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026 | 7 PM | ESPN+
Alfond Arena | Orono, Maine
 
WHAT'S ON TAP
• The University of Maine men's ice hockey team will finally return to Alfond Arena this weekend when it hosts Providence for a single game on Saturday.
• The Black Bears are coming off of a two-win weekend at UMass Lowell ... after a 2-0 win on Friday, Maine picked up a 6-5 overtime win on Saturday.
• The Friars just swept a home-and-home series with Boston University, earning a 4-3 win at home and a 4-0 win at Agganis Arena ... Providence is riding a six-game winning streak, with all six wins coming over ranked teams.
• Maine is 14-9-2 overall on the year with an 8-7-0 record in Hockey East games while Providence is 15-7-2 overall and 10-3-1 in conference play.
 
A WIN ON SATURDAY WOULD. . .
• Move the Black Bears to 15-9-2 overall on the year and 9-7-0 in Hockey East games.
• Bump Maine to an overall record of 72-63-9 against Providence, including a mark of 45-20-4 at Alfond Arena.
• Give Maine four consecutive 15-win seasons for the first time since 2003-04 to 2006-07.
 
SERIES HISTORY vs PROVIDENCE
• Maine has an overall record of 71-63-9 in the all-time series with Providence.
• The Black Bears and Friars just met on Jan. 9 and 10 at Schneider Arena, with Providence sweeping the two-game set by 6-1 and 3-0 scores.
• Maine went 1-0-1 against the Friars last season, earning a 3-3 tie and a 1-0 win at Schneider Arena in February.
• Ten current Black Bears have at least one career point against the Friars with Josh Nadeau (2-3-5) leading all skaters ... Brandon Holt (1-3-4) is second.
• The squads first met on Jan. 5, 1980, with Providence topping Maine, 4-3, at Alfond Arena.
• The Black Bears had a 13-game unbeaten streak in the series (12-0-1) that ran from Feb. 9, 1991 to Feb. 3, 1995.
• Maine head coach Ben Barr spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Providence College with Nate Leaman (as well as three seasons together at Union) ... Leaman spent the 1998-99 season at Maine as a volunteer assistant coach for Shawn Walsh.
 
IT'S WORTH NOTING
• Maine is first in Hockey East and tied for eighth in the country in goals scored per game (3.56).
• Frank Djurasevic is 13th in the country and second in Hockey East with a career-high 48 blocked shots.
• Brandon Holt is third in active career scoring by a Hockey East defender, totaling 66 points on 17 goals and 48 assists.
• Justin Poirier is tied for third among all rookies and 20th overall in the country with 28 points … his 17 goals are tied for sixth-most among all players and first among first-year players.
• Maine is currently tied eighth in the country and second in Hockey East with 351 blocked shots.
• Since Maine was ranked in both national polls on Oct. 30, 2023, the Black Bears have been ranked in 65 consecutive polls for the longest stretch for the program since an 84-week stretch from Dec. 3, 2001 to Jan. 3, 2005.
• Since the start of the 2023-24 season, Maine has outshot the opponent in 78 of 99 contests.
 
UP NEXT
• The Black Bears will travel to Boston University next weekend for a single game against the Terriers on Friday, Feb. 6.