The University of Maine men’s ice hockey team took home another closely-contested victory on Nov. 22. They fought for a full sixty minutes to secure a 3-1 win against the University of New Hampshire at the Whittemore Center Arena in Durham.

With the win, Maine advanced to 8-2-2 overall, and 5-2-2 in Hockey East Association (HEA) play. The conference points from the victory propel the Black Bears into first place in the HEA, as they hold a narrow lead over the Providence College Friars.

Entering the weekend as the fifth ranked team in the country per USCHO, the Black Bears had a lot to prove against their bitter rival. Maine had not won at the Whittemore Center in their last seven appearances dating back to 2019. There’s been concern among college hockey fans that Maine’s success is localized to Alfond Arena, as they’re 6-0-1 in Orono and 2-2-1 away from their home barn. The Black Bears silenced the doubters on Friday, as they convincingly dispatched of their bitter rival in a hostile road environment. 

Maine would have to play from behind in this game, as the opening goal was scored by New Hampshire fourth-year forward Liam Devlin on the power play, as he sat on the back post in perfect position to bury the feed from second-year forward Ryan Conmy midway through the second period. 

That was all the offense New Hampshire would muster however, as second-year goaltender Albin Boija was perfect the rest of the way for Maine, making 24 saves in the win. 

Maine’s response came three minutes later when co-captain and graduate forward Lynden Breen tallied his second goal of the season on an absolute snipe to beat New Hampshire’s third-year netminder Jared Whale up top.

Breen would assist on Maine’s next goal just three minutes later, which was awarded to third-year forward Owen Fowler after an odd bounce off his shoulder resulted in another Maine score. This was Fowler’s fourth goal of the 2024-25 campaign. Breen and Fowler each came away with a goal and an assist on the night.

After a silent third period from each side, Maine sealed the deal with an empty net goal while they were also on the penalty kill, meaning they were down from six skaters to four. The Black Bears’ resilience and ability to survive a late-game challenge may have exorcized the demons of letting in last-minute goals, as they allowed Boston University to find an equalizer in the final minute earlier this season. 

Second-year defenseman Frank Djurasevic was credited with the deal-sealer as Maine put the finishing touches on a 3-1 Border Battle road win. 

The Black Bears will gear up for a weekend road set against the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Engineers in Troy, NY on Friday, Nov. 30 and Saturday, Dec. 1.

The University of Maine hockey team extended their undefeated start as they outscored the Merrimack College Warriors 11-0 on Nov. 1 and 2 to advance to 6-0-1 overall and 3-0-1 in Hockey East. 

Entering the doubleheader ranked sixth in the nation, expectations for the Black Bears were certainly sky-high, as the Merrimack Warriors limped into Alfond Arena scoring goals at a rate of just 1.4 per game. Maine did not disappoint, locking up game one by a score of 5-0, then topping that with a 6-0 victory as the fans shook Alfond Arena all weekend long. 

Forwards Josh Nadeau and Lynden Breen, each key to the team’s offensive output last year, scored their first goals of the season on Friday, while Harrison Scott put together three goals and four assists on the weekend. Thomas Freel and Charlie Russell each had five-point weekends to punctuate an immense offensive surge for the series. 

Brandon Holt, after being named Hockey East’s defender of the month for October contributed three assists, continuing his hot start. Goaltender Albin Boija stopped 30 Merrimack shots across both games, giving way to let first-year Patriks Berzins make his collegiate debut near the end of the second contest. 

Maine’s power play offense was breathtakingly efficient over the weekend, scoring five goals in nine opportunities with the man advantage. Freel continued to augment his numbers on special teams, as all six of his goals this season have come on the power play. 

After his dynamite weekend, Scott leads the Hockey East Association with 15 points, while Maine’s Russell and Holt occupy the third spot with 11 points. Fellow Black Bear Taylor Makar has ten. Freel is tied for the conference’s high mark in goals with six. 

Early in the season, Maine leads the conference with 11 points in four games, sitting atop fellow national contender Providence College with ten conference points. It’s worth noting however that Boston College and Boston University have played a combined single game in-conference, meaning the conference season is still getting underway. 

As a team, the Black Bears lead the Hockey East Association in goals per game, with a mark of 4.43. They have the lowest rate of goals against at 1.29. 

With this blistering start, it’s hard not to feel optimistic about Maine men’s hockey moving forward. The Black Bears will now gear up for a two game set in Chestnut Hill next weekend as they will face the second ranked Boston College Eagles on Nov. 8 and 10. 

The University of Maine football team faced the Villanova Wildcats, the fifth-best team in the Football Championship Series on Saturday Oct. 19, dismantling their fierce foe both offensively and defensively to secure a 35-7 win on homecoming weekend in Orono.

Maine scored all 35 of their points, including 21 points in the first quarter, before Villanova got on the board in garbage time. Black Bear quarterback Carter Peevy passed for 173 yards and three touchdowns, throwing 16 completions on 18 attempts. The graduate student also rushed for a net total of ten yards.

Wide receivers Montigo Moss and Joe Gillette each led the Maine receiving corps with a touchdown. Moss caught all five of his targets, including his touchdown grab in which he used his superior physicality to out-body and “moss” his defender, taking the ball directly out of his grasp in a manner reminiscent of his father, Randy Moss, during his NFL days. 

The ground attack was also fundamental for the Black Bears, as they racked up 155 rushing yards and a touchdown against the Coastal Athletic Association’s top defense in terms of points per game. Third-year running back Brian Santana-Fis and fifth-year running back Tavion Banks led the way, with Santana-Fis getting home for a score. 

Maine’s “Black Hole” defense was also a terror, racking up seven sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumble recoveries. Villanova entered the contest averaging over 200 rushing yards per game, the Black Bears limited them to just 35 net rushing yards. Maine won the turnover battle 4-1 and held Wildcats quarterback Connor Watkins to 14-31 on passing attempts. 

“The key emphasis was to stop the run and get after the quarterback all week,” said third-year defensive lineman Xavier Holmes, who himself contributed 1.5 sacks, five quarterback hits and a forced fumble. “Keep the quarterback in the pocket and everything else is gonna follow through.”

Other key contributors to the Black Hole’s big day included defensive backs Shakur Smalls and Devin Vaught, with one interception each. Smalls added two pass breakups to his stat sheet. Linemen John Costanza and Izaiah Henderson provided great interior defense, combining for a total of ten tackles and 2.5 sacks. 

Special teams provided importance to the outcome. After the Black Bears’ first touchdown drive, they forced and recovered a fumble on the subsequent kickoff to give themselves a short field and punch home a touchdown to make it 14-0. Near the end of the first quarter, a field goal block by Costanza allowed Vaught to secure the ball and flash 70 yards downfield for a touchdown to put Maine up 21-0. 

Maine’s three-phase thrashing of the country’s fifth-best FCS team certainly raises expectations for Head Coach Jordan Stevens’ squad. It’s safe to say that the 4-3 Black Bears must be feeling the renewed weight of expectations from Maine’s faithful fans. Stevens has now doubled his career win total in his third season at the helm of his alma mater. 

“We took care of the football better,” said Stevens when asked what takeaway from the victory would be most important going forward. “When we finish [ahead] in the turnover margin, you’re gonna win games. The ball is everything.”

Maine’s turnover margin has steadily improved throughout Stevens’ tenure.

“If we continue to play disciplined football and we continue to prepare the right way, we give ourselves a chance to compete in the fourth quarter,” said Stevens.

A chance is all the Black Bears can ask for, as they seem to be rolling more and more confidently as underdogs into tough challenges and tense situations. Maine will travel into Kingston on Saturday, Oct. 26 to take on the University of Rhode Island Rams in a CAA matchup as they look to improve to 3-2 in conference play.

The University of Maine men’s and women’s cross country teams took a trip to Colombia, Missouri on Sept. 26 to compete in the Gans Creek Invitational. The event featured 36 participating institutions in the men’s 8,000-meter race. Additionally, 38 schools competed in the women’s 6,000-meter event.

“The program is shaping up amazingly well. We’re starting to catch our rhythm,” Head Coach Adam Ward said. “We’re super excited about what’s to come for the future as we move into championship season for cross country.”

On the men’s side, the Black Bears placed 17th at the event, accumulating 510 points. Graduate student and Maine native Luke Marsanskis led the team with a strong performance, finishing in seventh place out of well over 300 competitors. Marsanskis completed the course with a time of 23:17.9, eclipsing his previous career best.

Second-year runner Charlie Collins followed for Maine with a 24:18.4 finish, for 64th overall. First-year runner Ned Farrington rounded out the top three for the Black Bears with a time of 24:34.4.

“We have great young, energetic talent, and great veterans who have exceptional experience at the championship level, and we are looking forward to blending those things together,” Ward said.

Meanwhile, the Maine women’s team placed 32nd with 903 points at the invitational. First-year runner Ryan O’Connor was the top finisher for the Black Bears, taking 148th out of 329 competitors with a time of 22:01.5. Fourth-year runner Marlee Yoder followed for Maine at 22:23.8. Graduate student and Bangor native Lydia Gilmore completed the top three with a time of 22:42.6.

Moving forward, Ward seeks to turn the cross country program into “a top 20 program nationally.” He added, “It’s gonna take time to get there, but we’ve had great success recently and we want to continue to build on that success.”

Ward also highlighted the academic success the teams have had, and the importance of emphasizing the term “student athlete.” 

“We have one young lady working at NASA, others doing engineering, nursing and teaching.” 

During Fall 2023, the men’s team earned a cumulative 3.55 GPA while the women’s team registered a 3.64 GPA, placing them both on the All-Academic team list.

The Black Bears have a short break before they head to New Hampshire for the season’s penultimate meet at Franklin Pierce University on Oct. 11.

The University of Maine men’s and women’s cross country teams competed in the Maine State Meet near the campus of Bates College on Sept. 21. The annual event is a large competition between all the varsity programs in Maine. 

The state meet includes the typical 6,000-meter race for female athletes and an 8,000-meter race for male athletes. The events were held at Roy’s Disc Golf in Gray, Maine.

Twelve institutions from across the state sent athletes to compete. Runners weren’t only competing for their individual accomplishments, as each team’s top seven runners were also awarded points inversely proportional to their position on the finishing grid. Fewer points is better when comparing team scores.

In the women’s 6,000-meter event, the Black Bears finished third in the team standings. They had an average race completion time of 24:52 and a team score of 99. Bates and Bowdoin colleges finished ahead of Maine with scores of 18 and 46 respectively.

Second-year runner and Maine native Addison Nelson led the pack for the Black Bears, finishing 13th overall with a time of 24:16. Fifth-year student Anna Folley followed, placing 16th overall at 24:23. First-year Searcy Mooney also made a strong showing, finishing 21st with a time of 24:53.

In the Men’s 8,000-meter event, Maine finished fifth in the team standings with a score of 149 and average finish time of 28:21. That being said, Maine only brought five runners to the meet when each team is supposed to score their top seven athletes.

First-year Carter Libby clocked the fastest time for Maine, scoring 15 points and finishing at 26:51. Following closely, was first-year Kyle McClellan, who secured the second spot for the Black Bears with a time of 27:47. Second-year Eli Palmer rounded out the top three for Maine, crossing the line at 27:58.

The Black Bears cross country teams will have a short turnaround, as they head to Columbia, Missouri this Saturday, Sept. 27 to compete in a meet hosted by the Southeastern Conference’s Missouri Tigers.

The University of Maine field hockey team is off to their best start since 2018. They have played to a 4-1 record, including a victory over Indiana University, a Big 10 school. Maine’s lone loss came against the country’s top-ranked field hockey program, the Northwestern University Wildcats.

Maine’s electric start could be attributed to many factors: improved speed and passing in free play, increased focus on the execution of penalty corners and a star international goalkeeper playing her first year of collegiate field hockey as a graduate student.

In the Black Bears’ last weekend set, they outscored their opponents 5-1, including two field goals generated during free play, as opposed to on penalty corner attempts. 

Head Coach Josette Babineau, in her 18th year with the program, spoke on Sept. 11 regarding the team’s increased efficiency during live competition.

“Last year we didn’t generate that much attack compared to how we’ve been in the past,” Babineau said. “We have to be able to score goals in more than one way, our forwards and midfielders getting on the scoreboard in free play and with our penalty corner.”

It is evident to fans that the offensive has taken a step forward. The team’s goal-per-game rate has increased from 1.8 in 2023 to 2.2 in the first five games this year. 

The Black Bears haven’t only been explosive in free play. Their penalty corner crew looked particularly precise in their execution to start the new campaign.

Third-year midfielder Olivia Geniti has been inserting the corners and lurking on the back post to clean up rebounds. With a goal and three assists so far, she certainly put her vision and accuracy on display in her new role.

Maine’s renewed offensive efficiency comes in spite of the program’s top two goal scorers from 2023 departing in the offseason.

Defensively, Maine found a gem in graduate student goalkeeper Rozárie Mrázová. Hailing from the Czech Republic, Mrázová was recognized as America East defensive player of the week for the first time, after allowing one goal and making nine saves in two games against Hofstra and Central Michigan last weekend.

Babineau commented on the goalkeeper’s early-season success. 

“Credit to [Mrázová], in preseason she had an injury, and she didn’t practice a lot. She didn’t have a lot of preparation going into that game [vs. #1 Northwestern]. She did handle that game really well, and I think that gave her some confidence. Every game she’s a little more confident, and she shows us what her ability is,” said Babineau.

Despite the season-opening loss to the country’s top team, it’s clear that Mrázová’s confidence has been mounting as she navigates a high-pressure role.

“Our goalies know that to be competitive in-conference, we have to have some of the best level of goalkeeping in [the America East] to be successful,” said Babineau.

Looking ahead, Maine is preparing to face a juggernaut on Friday, Sept. 13 at Boston College, before moving onto the more manageable opponent, Boston University.

The Black Bears already have a power conference victory under their belts with their defeat of Indiana. An undefeated weekend may provide Maine the push they need to get into the top 20.

“What happens with some of the ACC and Big 10 teams, it’s the speed, strength and depth that they have, maybe in comparison to us, so we need to be able to match that,” Coach Babineau said. “Against BC, [the mindset] is going to be to be organized defensively really early, and to know our matchups.”

Evidently, Coach Babineau will be instilling an aggressive, underdog mentality in her team as they look to prove that they belong in the top tier of D1 field hockey.

Watch the Black Bears on ACCNX on Sept. 13, as they battle the Boston College Eagles, who are ranked 13 nationally.

UMaine softball returned to the University of Maine Softball Complex on Saturday for their first home series of the season, starting off the action with a doubleheader vs the University at Albany. 

Fifth-year pitcher Caitlyn “Cat” Fallon drew the start for the Black Bears, while an equally experienced fourth-year pitcher Wendi Hammond stepped into the circle for the Great Danes.

Conditions were sunny and skies were clear throughout the day. However, the flags in center field were rippling strongly toward home plate, as a forceful inward-blowing wind significantly limited power hitting throughout the course of the afternoon.

The gusty conditions didn’t impact UAlbany’s offense too much, as they manufactured some small-ball offense in the first inning. Fallon allowed back-to-back singles and a walk to load the bases, and she worked out of the jam with the help of her defense. 

Maine started the bottom half of the frame with a single of their own, as first-year infielder Kyli Hernandez lined a ball into right field and advanced to second as it tipped off the outfielder’s outstretched arm. However, the inning came to a quick end as the next batter lined out sharply to the center fielder, who doubled off Hernandez with a heads-up throw to second. 

The Great Danes drew first blood in the top of the second, when catcher Maddi Petrella singled to right field with the bases loaded and two outs. The ball skittered under the glove of the right fielder, third-year Gabby Papushka, resulting in all three baserunners scoring. 

Maine responded in the bottom of the second, as Papushka doubled with one out, scoring on a fielder’s choice a couple of plays later. Two more runs were scored on an ensuing wild pitch, and an RBI single by first-year outfielder Kenedee Giddens.

The game remained tied at three into the bottom of the third when the Black Bears took their first lead of the game on a timely RBI single by Papushka. Maine was only able to strike once as they left the bases loaded to end the frame. 

Fallon left the game after the fourth inning, finishing with a stat line of 4.0 IP, six hits, three runs, (two earned) three walks, one strikeout and one hit batter. Fifth-year right-hander Isabelle True entered the game in relief, inheriting a 4-3 lead.

True retired the first batter of the fifth, then hit third year Jordan Nastos with a pitch. Nastos came all the way around to score courtesy of a fielder’s choice and two wild pitches. Despite the shaky start, True escaped the inning without any further damage. 

The score remained tied at four until UAlbany’s half of the seventh and final inning. The Great Danes cobbled together a two-run inning on a hit batter, a wild pitch, and two singles. 

Maine went 1-2-3 in the bottom half of the inning, surrendering the first game of the weekend series by a score of 6-4.

Hammond was dominant, earning the win for UAlbany, finishing a complete 7-inning outing allowing six hits, four runs, (only two earned runs) three walks and seven strikeouts. The Black Bears reached base only once after the third inning on a walk issued to fourth-year catcher Kennedy Priest.

True got stuck with the loss, finishing with a line of 3.0 IP, two hits, three runs, one strikeout, three wild pitches and two hit batters. 

The University of Maine women’s basketball team climbed back to the peak of the conference on Friday, defeating the defending champion Vermont Catamounts 64-48 to secure their tenth conference championship and first since 2019 at the Pit. 

It was a dominating performance for the home side, as they held the competitive edge in field goal percentage, rebounding, turnovers, and points off turnovers. 

Maine’s victory was a true team effort, with four players scoring double-figures. Six Black Bears recorded a steal in a stifling and aggressive defensive performance, holding the Catamounts to 38% from the floor and 1-9 from three.

The Black Bears secured their tenth conference title with the victory, a record amongst America East institutions. Their record in the title game is now 10-13. Their previous appearance in 2022 resulted in a home-court loss to University at Albany. 

Fifth-year guard Anne Simon was selected as the tournament’s most outstanding player, as she and third-year forward Adrianna Smith represented Maine on the “all tournament” team. Smith was honored last year as conference player of the year.

This season, coach Amy Vachon became the only head coach in the history of the America East to win five Coach of the Year accolades, as well as one of five coaches in history to win three America East women’s basketball titles.

The Black Bears have appeared in seven of the last eight conference championship games and, with Friday’s win, have secured their second March Madness spot in five years.

“It’s the people,” said Vachon, when asked about the sustained success of the program. “It’s the players you bring in who buy into your philosophy and your culture.”

Having lost in their last two title game appearances and facing tougher-than-expected challenges from teams like UMass Lowell and Binghamton University in the opening rounds of the playoffs, concerns that Maine would once again come up short on the highest stage did not hold the team back.

“Those first two wins, those were grit wins,” said Smith. “Tonight, this was who we are, this was how we can play. We stepped up and got it done.” 

The team erupted with momentum and energy, proving that the Black Bears were no fluke. Fourth-year guard Olivia Rockwood nailed a three-pointer on the game’s first possession, nearly blowing the roof off the Pit as the crowd went into a frenzy.

From that point onward, Maine never relinquished the lead. 

The Black Bears came prepared to face an opponent they swept during the regular season and executed their game plan to a T.

Maine outscored Vermont 16-2 off turnovers and held dangerous Catamount scorer, graduate student Emma Utterback, to six points, going 3-14 from the floor.

Simon and Smith led Maine with 15 and 16 points, respectively. Smith collected six offensive rebounds, extending Maine’s possession time. Rockwood pitched in ten points and six rebounds.

Second-year guard and Maine native Sarah Talon scored 12 points, and third-year guard Paula Gallego provided crucial bench minutes, scoring nine points and going 2-2 from beyond the arc.

The Black Bears excitedly await their opponent in the NCAA tournament. A March Madness selection show watch party will be hosted at the Pit on Sunday at 8 p.m.

The University of Maine men’s basketball team picked up their second consecutive win on Saturday afternoon in Orono, defeating the New Jersey Institute of Technology Highlanders with a score of 68-58. 

Third-year guard Quion Burns amassed a career-high 13 points in just 17 minutes coming off the bench in the victory. Fourth-year forward Peter Fillipovity tallied 21 points and seven rebounds. 

Heading into the game, Maine stood fifth in the conference standings, while NJIT was at the bottom of the table in ninth place. The attitude in the Maine locker room was that this was a must-win contest. In a pregame interview with ESPN+, UMaine assistant coach Pete Gash described the team as being in “desperation mode” as they jockeyed for position in the final stretch of the regular season. 

Despite the messaging from the coaching staff, the Black Bears once again started the game flat-footed, allowing the Highlanders to jump out to a 12-6 lead in the opening minutes. 

Before long, Maine settled in, as they went on a run to tie the game at 14. The scoring streak was capped off by an emphatic one-hand dunk by third-year AJ Lopez. 

The first half continued back-and-forth as the Highlanders took a 30-25 lead into the locker room for the halftime break. NJIT guard Tariq Francis picked apart the Maine defense at the end of the half. 

Francis, a freshman, has won seven America East Rookie of the Week awards this year. 

Down 41-35 with 14 minutes remaining, Maine went on an electric 17-1 scoring run to take a 52-42 lead. Burns put the team on his back during this run, scoring on four consecutive possessions, including an and-one and three-point basket. 

Having secured a ten-point lead, the Black Bears coasted the rest of the way to take home their fifth conference win. 

Maine advanced to 13-15 overall and 5-8 in-conference with the victory. Five of Maine’s conference losses have been within a margin of five points. 

A large part of Maine’s ability to come back and secure the victory was their second-half defense. In the first half, the Highlanders shot 52% from the floor. With their halftime adjustments, the Black Bears limited them to a 27% field goal percentage in the second quarter.

Maine managed to limit Francis’s second-half production as the phenomenal young guard finished with 16 points and seven rebounds. Francis shot 6-20 for the game, including 2-10 from beyond the arc. 

The Black Bears dominated the paint, outscoring NJIT 36-18 in that area. Maine also leaned on 21 points from the bench for a complete team win.

Once again, third-year guard Kellen Tynes was all over the floor, collecting seven points, three rebounds, eight assists and three steals. Tynes’ hustle and impact on the defensive end have been instrumental in the Black Bears’ success this season.

Maine looks ahead to a two-game road trip, starting on Thursday at Binghamton University, which defeated the Black Bears 51-50 at the Cross Insurance Center earlier in the season. 

On Saturday, the University of Maine women’s basketball team had little difficulty fending off their archrivals at the Pit in Orono, clinching a 67-48 victory over the University of New Hampshire.

Fifth-year guard Anne Simon carried the team with another back-breaking performance, providing 35 minutes of superstar-caliber basketball to help lift the Black Bears to victory. Third-year forward Adrianna Smith was a major contributor, as she pitched in ten points and fought for 17 rebounds, marking her 17th double-double of the season. The reigning conference player of the year now has over 600 career rebounds and stands at 992 career points. 

Second-year guard Sarah Talon had a career-defining night, scoring a new personal best of 15 points and making two blocks on the defensive end. Talon, a Windham, Maine native, has continued to thrive in her performances as coach Amy Vachon has increased her playing time.

With the victory, Maine advances to 9-1 in conference play, tying them with preseason favorites University at Albany at the top of the America East standings. 

This win marked Maine’s eighth consecutive victory over New Hampshire in women’s hoops. 

The contest’s outcome was never really in question, as Maine took the lead four minutes into the first quarter. The Black Bears could pull away, thanks to their quick stifling defense.

Maine forced four turnovers in the first quarter, leading to an eventual 11 UNH turnovers throughout the game. 

The defense clamped down in the second half, holding New Hampshire to a 23.3% field goal percentage in the last two quarters.

Maine’s physical presence in the paint prevented the Wildcats from capitalizing on second-chance scoring opportunities and transition chances. 

Impressive accuracy from the three-point range proved to be a pivotal factor in this game, as Maine made ten three-pointers for the second consecutive contest. 

The Black Bears sit atop the America East standings with an average of 7.6 successful three-pointers per game. However, they’re only hitting about a 29% conversion rate on their three-point shots. 

Women’s basketball will return to the court on Thursday, hosting the Bryant University Bulldogs, whom they previously defeated in their last encounter with a 70-58 outcome. 

From there, it’s a three-game road trip for the Black Bears, including a key matchup against the University of Vermont, before they return home to take on Binghamton University and UAlbany. 

The regular season finale against the Great Danes will be intense as these two teams duke it out for the regular season crown. Maine narrowly lost 54-47 earlier in the season against UAlbany.