Penn State men’s hockey’s schedule is starting to become a bit clearer.

The Nittany Lions will host the University of Maine at Pegula Ice Arena on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day next season, according to Maine’s season schedule. The series will mark the first meeting between the two teams.

Despite their reputation as one of the more prominent programs in college hockey, the Black Bears are coming off an underwhelming 3-11-2 record last season. In the 2019-20 season, they finished fourth in the Hockey East Conference and posted an 18-11-5 record before forward Tim Doherty transferred from Maine to Penn State for his final collegiate season.

Penn State is in a similar position as Maine as it tries to bounce back from an up-and-down season. The Nittany Lions finished last season with a 10-12 record after finishing first in the Big Ten standings the prior season. The team’s lengthy 34-day COVID-19-induced pause certainly interrupted any momentum the Nittany Lions had heading into the Big Ten Tournament. Penn State advanced to the semifinal round before being eliminated by Wisconsin.

Besides the team’s upcoming Hall of Fame Game matchup against North Dakota in Nashville, Penn State has yet to announce its 2021-22 season schedule.