UMaine Men's Hockey Drops Regular-Season Finale

Despite loss, Black Bears secure No. 5 seed in Hockey East tournament

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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The University of Maine men's hockey team lost 5-3 to the University of Vermont in their regular-season finale on Saturday night. Despite the defeat, the Black Bears will be the No. 5 seed in the upcoming Hockey East tournament.

Why it matters

The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for Maine, but they were able to hold on to fifth place in the final league standings, avoiding the preliminary round and earning a quarterfinal matchup against Boston College next weekend.

The details

Vermont jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, but Maine twice cut the deficit to one goal in the second period. However, Vermont restored their two-goal lead in the third period, and although Maine pulled their goalie late and scored to make it 4-3, Vermont sealed the win with an empty-net goal in the final seconds.

  • The game was played on Saturday, March 7, 2026.

The players

Cedrick Guindon

A Vermont player who scored a power-play goal in the first period.

Colin Kessler

A Vermont player who scored a power-play goal and an empty-net goal in the game.

Josh Nadeau

A Maine player who scored a goal in the second period.

Miguel Marques

A Maine player who scored a goal in the second period.

Mathis Rousseau

The Maine goaltender who made 21 saves in the game.

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What’s next

The Black Bears will face Boston College in the Hockey East quarterfinals next weekend.

The takeaway

Despite the regular-season finale loss, Maine was able to secure the No. 5 seed in the Hockey East tournament, avoiding the preliminary round and setting up a quarterfinal matchup against a tough opponent in Boston College.