Maine hockey and Penn State will battle in the Allentown Regional semifinals, the last game of the 2025 NCAA Hockey Tournament’s first round.
These teams had different journeys to reach this point, with Maine receiving an automatic bid by winning the Hockey East conference and Penn State getting into the tournament with an at-large bid after what many believe comes from a strong second half of the season.
Penn State also has two top NHL prospect forwards who have spearheaded the team’s success: Nashville Predators’ Aiden Fink, who has 52 points coming into this matchup, good for third in the country, and San Jose Sharks’ Reese Laubach, who has scored 15 goals this season.
Maine has a top NHL prospect, Colorado Avalanche, Taylor Makar, who is tied for the most goals scored on the team, and Harrison Scott. The Black Bears have also been the most clutch team in the NCAA, with six game-winning goals this season,
Whoever wins this game advances to the Allentown Regional Finals for a contest with UConn or Quinnipiac.
Penn State vs. Maine hockey will be live on ESPN2 at 8:30 p.m. ET on Friday, March 28.
Here’s the NCAA Hockey Tournament regional schedule.
Thursday, March 27
Friday, March 28
Saturday, March 29
Sunday, March 30
Thursday, April 10
Saturday, April 12
St. Louis will host the 2025 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four at Enterprise Center, the home of the NHL’s St. Louis Blues.
FloHockey is the streaming home to some of the best hockey leagues in North America, including the AHL, ECHL and more. Check out the broadcast schedule to watch more hockey.
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While influenza remains the top concern for Maine public health experts, other viruses are also currently circulating, including norovirus and COVID-19.
“Influenza is clearly the main event,” said Dr. Cheryl Liechty, a MaineHealth infectious disease specialist. “The curve in terms of the rise of influenza cases was really steep.”
Maine reported 1,343 flu cases for the week ending Jan. 3, an uptick from the 1,283 cases recorded the previous week, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Hospitalizations increased to 147 from 108 during the same time periods.
“I hope the peak is now,” Liechty said, “but I’m not really sure.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Friday that all of New England, except for Vermont, is currently experiencing “very high” levels of influenza. Vermont is in the “moderate” category.
“What we are seeing, overwhelmingly, is the flu,” said Andrew Donovan, associate vice president of infection prevention for Northern Light Health. “We are seeing both respiratory and gastrointestinal viruses in our patients.”
Norovirus also appears to be circulating, although due to its short duration and because it’s less severe than the flu, public health data on the illness — which causes gastrointestinal symptoms that typically resolve within a few days — is not as robust.
“Norovirus is the gastrointestinal scourge of New England winters and cruise ships,” Liechty said.
According to surveillance data at wastewater treatment plants in Portland, Bangor and Lewiston, norovirus levels detected in those communities are currently “high.” The treatment plants participate in WastewaterSCAN, which reports virus levels in wastewater through a program run by Stanford University and Emory University.
Dr. Genevieve Whiting, a Westbrook pediatrician and secretary of the Maine chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said viruses are prevalent right now, especially the flu and norovirus.
“For my patients right now, it’s a rare encounter that I hear everyone in a family has been healthy,” Whiting said. “I’ve had families come in and say their entire family has had norovirus. Several of my patients have had ER visits for suspected norovirus, where they needed IV fluids because they were dehydrated.”
Both Liechty and Whiting said they are seeing less respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, likely because there has been good uptake of the new RSV vaccine, which is recommended for older people and those who are pregnant. The vaccine was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2023.
“The RSV vaccine has been a real success, as RSV was a leading cause of hospitalizations for babies,” Whiting said.
Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases increased to 610 in the final week of 2025, compared to 279 the previous week. Influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations are available at primary care, pharmacies and clinics across the state.
“If you haven’t gotten your flu shot yet,” Liechty said, “you should beat a hasty path to get your shot.”
Defensemen Max Wanner was re-assigned to the Maine Mariners from the Providence Bruins on Thursday. Defenseman Michael Underwood was also re-assigned to Maine.
Wanner, 22, was acquired by the Boston Bruins when they traded Trent Federic to Edmonton last March. He played in 15 games for the AHL Providence Bruins at the end of last season, and seven this season.
Underwood returns for his second stint with the Mariners. He appeared in 67 games with Maine last season.
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