The University of Maine’s 6-1-1 hockey team has been tested this season but not like they will be tested this weekend.

The Black Bears will invade Boston and a pair of raucous rinks that haven’t provided them with many wins of late.

Maine will visit Northeastern University’s Matthews Arena on Friday night where it is 0-3-2 in it last five meetings. None of the current Bears have ever tasted victory at Matthews and Maine has been outscored 14-8 in those five meetings.

The scene shifts to Boston University’s Walter Brown Arena on Saturday night. Maine is 2-4-2 in its last eight games there although the Bears did collect a win and a tie last year.

“This will be a good road test, especially early in the year,” said Maine senior defenseman Cliff Loya. “We’ll see what we’re made of. When we went to Alaska, we didn’t play well the first night against CC [3-0 loss to Colorado College]. Hopefully, we’ll be up to the task this weekend.”

Sophomore defenseman Troy Barnes said he was excited about the challenge.

“The seniors haven’t won at Northeastern and we want to win for those guys,” he said. “Those are two tough barns to play in. They will be real eye-openers. We’re going to have to get used to that atmosphere.”

Northeastern has averaged 3,398 per game and has a rowdy student section.

Boston University sells out regularly and Saturday’s game is already sold out. BU will commemorate the 2,000th game in the school’s hockey history and will honor the 1977-78 team that won the national championship 25 years ago.

Junior defenseman Francis Nault pointed out that the rinks and the styles of play they will encounter are quite different.

“Northeastern plays in a big rink and they’re tough to beat there. They play their systems really well. They keep us to the outside and we have to work hard to get inside and create Grade-A chances. We usually don’t get many Grade-A chances but that’s something we’re going to have to do,” said Nault, who added that the Huskies are more passive on the forecheck than BU and play a “real good trap.”

Boston University forechecks aggressively all the time, according to Nault.

“We’ve going to have to move the puck quickly against both teams so we don’t get in trouble,” he said.

Matthews Arena is five feet wider than the University of Maine’s’ Alfond Arena.

Walter Brown Arena has the same dimensions as Alfond: 200 feet by 85.

Maine coach Tim Whitehead said his Bears will have to be disciplined.

“We’ve got to stay out of the penalty box. That’ll be a challenge because we’ll be playing two hard-hitting teams,” said Whitehead. “We won’t finish the games without penalty minutes. But we can’t take undisciplined penalties. We can’t take stick penalties and roughing after the whistle penalties. Our discipline has been excellent the last two weekends but it will be challenged this weekend.

“We have to be physical and be prepared to take some hits. We’re going to have to compete very hard,” added Whitehead.