Maine vs. New Hampshire
Governor’s Cup Semifinal
Time, site: Friday, 7 p.m.; Alfond Arena, Orono
Records: Maine, 7-3-2; New Hampshire 4-4-2
Series: Maine leads 30-19-3
Key players: Maine – RW Shawn Wansborough (7 & 6), C Tim Lovell (7 & 5), D Jeff Tory (0 & 11), C Brad Purdie (3 & 7), D Brett Clark (1 & 8), C Dan Shermerhorn (3 & 6); UNH – C Mark Mowers (8 & 8), RW Eric Nickulas (7 & 5), RW Eric Boguniecki (4 & 5), LW Tom Nolan (5 & 3), D Todd Hall (0 & 4), G Trent Cavicchi (4-4-2, 4.11, .869)
Outlook: The teams tied 4-4 and 3-3 on Nov. 3-4 in Orono with each winning a shootout. Boguniecki and Maine LW Reg Cardinal missed the series but both are back in the lineup. The talented Mowers had two goals and two assists in the series. Expect him to get close attention from the Bears. All-American candidate Hall missed a recent three-game losing streak due to the death of his younger sister in a car accident. He returned to the lineup on Tuesday and had an assist in UNH’s 3-2 overtime win over Harvard that snapped the losing streak. Nolan had his second OT game-winner of the season. Maine has allowed only six goals in its last four games, five of those coming to Boston University.
Vermont vs. Lowell
Governor’s Cup Semifinal
Time, site: Friday, 4 p.m., Alfond Arena, Orono
Records: Vermont, 6-1-1; UMass-Lowell 6-1-2
Series: UMass-Lowell leads 4-2
Key players: Vermont – C Eric Perrin (6 goals, 13 assists), RW Martin St. Louis (2 & 14), LW J.C. Ruid (8 & 7), LW Eric Lavoie (2 & 6), D Steve McKell (1 & 1), G Tim Thomas (6-1-1, 2.85 goals-against average, .912 save percentage); UMass-Lowell – LW Neil Donovan (9 & 4), RW Brendan Concannon (4 & 8), C Jeff Daw (2 & 9), D Ed Campbell (2 & 7), RW Jon Mahoney (3 & 4), G Martin Fillion (6-0-1, 3.07, .882)
Outlook: Both teams are on a roll. Vermont is 5-0-1 in its last six games while the River Hawks are 5-1. The top three scorers for each team are linemates. St. Louis had 71 points and Perrin had 67 in 35 games a year ago, second and fourth best in the nation. Perrin has scored a goal in six of Vermont’s last seven games. Fillion is the Hockey East Player of the Week after stopping 71 of 77 shots in a win over Merrimack and two over Northeastern. Both teams are undefeated on the road as Vermont is 4-0 and UMass-Lowell is 3-0-2. UMass-Lowell is much more familiar with Alfond Arena, having played in Orono twice last season. A UVM team has played at Alfond Arena since Maine Coach Jack Semler and UVM’s Jim Cross coached their last games in 1984.
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