ORONO, Maine – The #12/14 University of Maine men's ice hockey team will return to Hockey East play this weekend with a two-game series at #18/17 Providence College on Friday and Saturday at Schneider Arena.

The Black Bears and Friars will face off at 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 9 and at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 10.  Both conference tilts will stream on ESPN+, with an international stream available via Hockey East/Stretch Internet.

Additionally, Friday night's game will air live on NESN.

The games can also be listened to via 92.9 FM, 100.5 FM or online at GoBlackBears.com/MIHRadio.

Game 22 | #12/14 Maine at #18/17 Providence College
Friday, Jan. 9, 2026 | 7:00 p.m.
Schneider Arena | Providence, R.I. | ESPN+ / NESN
 
Game 23 | #12/14 Maine at #18/17 Providence College
Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026 | 6:00 p.m.
Schneider Arena | Providence, R.I. | ESPN+

WHAT'S ON TAP
• The University of Maine men's ice hockey team will return to Hockey East play this weekend with a two-game series at Providence College.
• The Black Bears are coming off of a 1-0-1 weekend at #6 Denver ... Maine picked up a 5-2 win on Friday night and followed it up with a 3-3 tie (and shootout win) on Saturday night.
• Providence had a series split with Alaska Fairbanks at Schneider Arena this past weekend ... after a 5-2 win on Friday night, the Friars fell 5-1 on Saturday.
• The Black Bears enter the weekend at 12-7-2 overall and unbeaten in the last five games … Maine is 6-5-0 in conference games.
• The Friars stand at 9-7-2 overall with a record of 4-3-1 in Hockey East contests.
• Maine is currently on a six-game road trip, the longest for the Black Bears since an eight-game road stretch during the 2017-18 season (excluding the 2020-21 COVID season).

A WIN ON FRIDAY WOULD. . .
• Move the Black Bears to 13-7-2 on the year and 7-5-0 in Hockey East games.
• Bump the Black Bears to 6-3-2 against ranked opponents this season.
• Give Maine a 72-61-9 record in the all-time series with Providence.

SERIES HISTORY vs PROVIDENCE
• Maine has an overall record of 71-61-9 in the all-time series with Providence.
• 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.
• Nine current Black Bears have at least one career point against the Friars with Josh Nadeau (2-2-4) leading all skaters.
• 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's 80 goals scored mark the most for the Black Bears through the first 21 games of the season since scoring 85 goals in the first 21 games of the 2006-07 season.
• Brandon Holt is third in active career scoring by a Hockey East defender, totaling 65 points on 16 goals and 48 assists.
• This season, Justin Poirier became the first DI men's player since 2005-06 to score 17 goals in their first 19 career games.
• Maine's 302 blocked shots in 21 games are the most by the Black Bears in the first 21 games since blocking 316 shots in 2016-17.
• Since Maine was ranked in both national polls on Oct. 30, 2023, the Black Bears have been ranked in 63 consecutive polls for the longest stretch for the program since an 84-week stretch from Dec. 3, 2001 to Jan. 3, 2005.
• Maine has outshot the opponent in 76 of 96 contests dating back to the start of the 2023-24 season.
• With Josh Nadeau (10-6-16) and Justin Poirier (17-10-27), Maine is one of two schools in Hockey East to have two double-digit goal scorers.

UP NEXT
• The Black Bears will be off next weekend before returning to action with a two-game series at UMass Lowell on Friday, Jan. 23 and Saturday, Jan. 24.