The University of Maine men’s ice hockey team under new head coach Ben Barr announced the upcoming 2021-22 schedule on Monday afternoon.
The Black Bears kick things off by hosting the University of Prince Edward Island in an exhibition contest on October 3. The regular season starts the weekend after on 10/8 and 10/9 on the road at Nebraska Omaha. The regular season home opener at the Alfond takes place on 10/22 and 10/23 against Sacred Heart. A trip the following weekend to Northeastern for a two game series opens up Hockey East play, with the first home conference series coming on 11/5 and 11/6 against UConn. Also on the home docket for league contests are Merrimack, Vermont, Boston College, UNH, and Boston University. Maine plays UMass-Lowell for a single game in Portland at Cross Insurance Arena on November 27. The Bears will also have non-conference games in Orono with Union College and Alaska-Fairbanks. A road non-league series at Penn State is also on the schedule.
Maine is coming off a very disappointing 2020-21 shortened season due to COVID-19, finishing 3-11-2 and 3-10-2 in Hockey East and losing 7-2 in a home opening round league playoff game to UNH. Barr in his first season helped lead UMass to their first national title this past spring as an assistant coach. The Hockey East playoffs are slated to start with opening round games on March 9. Here is at look at the entire schedule:
Sat Oct 3 vs Univ Prince Edward Island (exhibition)
Fri-Sat Oct 8-9 at Nebraska-Omaha
Fri-Sat Oct 22-23 vs Sacred Heart
Fri-Sat Oct 29-30 at Northeastern*
Fri-Sat Nov 5-6 vs UConn*
Fri-Sat Nov 12-13 vs Merrimack*
Fri-Sat Nov 19-20 at Boston College*
Sat Nov 27 vs UMass-Lowell* (Portland)
Fri-Sat Dec 3-4 vs Vermont *
Fri-Sat Dec 10-11 vs Union
Fri-Sat Dec 31-Jan 1 at Penn State
Fri-Sat Jan 7-8 vs Alaska-Fairbanks
Fri-Sat Jan 14-15 at UMass-Lowell*
Fri Jan 28 at Boston College*
Fri Feb 4 at Boston University*
Sat Feb 5 at Merrimack*
Fri-Sat Feb 11-12 at UMass*
Fri-Sat Feb 18-19 vs UNH*
Fri-Sat Feb 25-26 at Providence*
Fri-Sat March 4-5 vs Boston University*
*- denotes Hockey East games
March 9- Hockey East Opening Round
March 12- HE Quarterfinals
March 18- HE Semifinals (TD Garden)
March 19- HE Championship (TD Garden)
