Three Things To Know About UNH-Maine Rivalry Ahead Of Showdown

No. 7 Maine and No. 19 New Hampshire will renew the Buffalo Wild Wings Border Battle in Durham, N.H., on Friday night.

The two Hockey East rivals have met 140 times, with Maine holding a 71-62-13 all-time series lead. The Black Bears hold the longest winning streak between the two schools, with nine wins from 1989 to 1991.

This season, the rivals met on Dec. 1 with Maine skating away with the 5-2 win at Alfond Sports Arena in Orono, Maine.

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Here are three things to know before the Wildcats-Black Bears showdown on Friday:

FIVE BLACK BEARS HAVE AT LEAST A POINT AGAINST THE WILDCATS
Senior forward Lynden Breen leads the way with four goals and three assists for seven points against UNH.

Ben Poisson has five points (one goal, four assists), followed by Donavan Villeneuve-Houle, who has two goals and two helpers for four points. Brothers Josh and Bradley Nadeau each have three points against the Wildcats.

HOME ICE HAS BEEN RECIPE FOR SUCCESS THIS SEASON
The Wildcats are 9-3-1 at the Whittemore Center this season, while the Black Bears are 7-5-0 on the road.

UNH is coming off back-to-back losses on the road to Boston College and Merrimack. The Wildcats are 8-2-0 following a loss this season.

Across the ice, Maine split a home series against Providence last weekend.

GOALTENDING COULD BE THE DIFFERENCE
Junior Wildcats netminder Jakob Hellsten is posting a .905 save percentage and a 2.17 goals-against-average with a 9-8-1 record with two shutouts on the season.

Victor Ostman is having a stellar season between the pipes for the Black Bears with a 13-4-1 record while posting a .933 save percentage and a 2.66 goals-against average.

Puck drop from the Whittemore Center on Friday night is slated for 7 p.m. ET, and you can catch all the action on NESN.