Can the University of Maine’s hockey team overcome its sluggish start and earn a third consecutive NCAA Tournament berth?

How about a third straight appearance in the Frozen Four?

It is difficult to get an accurate read on this team due to the first-half injuries.

There were always at least eight sophomores or freshmen forwards on the ice for the Black Bears and that certainly played a role in their scoring difficulties (2.94 goals per game).

In this day and age, everybody plays good team defense. And everybody’s goaltending is, at the very least, respectable.

But the Bears, who are 7-6-4 overall and 4-3-2 in Hockey East, have been shooting into a lot of chest logos which has been a factor in opposing goalies’ .914 save percentage.

Maine must to a better job generating second and third shots. They have averaged just 1.82 even-strength goals a game. They need to become grittier in front of opposing nets. They should also consider shooting low and firing at the goalie’s pads because that virtually always results in a rebound and the puck could also find the five-hole or catch a corner of the net.

Goalies rarely surrender goals when the puck hits them in the chest.

The defensemen have done a decent job getting the puck to the front of the net but they need to improve in that area and need to release their shots a tad quicker.

Regaining the services of junior blue-liner Peter Metcalf, who has missed the last eight games with a knee injury, should give the Bears a significant boost. He had been playing extremely well and, despite missing nearly half the team’s games, his 36 shots on goal is just five behind Doug Janik, who leads the defense corps with 41. Michael Schutte has 37.

Janik and Schutte have played in all 17 games to date.

Metcalf was one of the quarterbacks on the power play.

Elusive 5-foot-5 whirling dervish Donny Richardson, who transferred from Vermont, should help jumpstart the offense.

He is quick, deceptively strong on his skates and can both score and make plays in traffic. He will also draw penalties.

Richardson will create problems for opposing defensemen and it will be up to his linemates to get him the puck or get themselves into position to take feeds from Richardson.

Brendan Donovan’s return from an eight-game absence caused by a lacerated kidney will be another plus.

Even though he is only a freshman, he is one of the team’s most physical forwards. And he chipped in with six points in nine games.

Maine will need productive second halves from left winger Tommy Reimann and center Robert Liscak, who have just three even-strength goals between them.

The Bears have only one forward with more than three even-strength goals, red-hot senior right wing Matthias Trattnig, who has five. He has a career-high four-game goal-scoring streak and has been punishing opponents.

Look for Marty Kariya to become a prolific point-producer in the second half.

He appears ready to erupt after a strong finish to the first half in which he strung together a four-game point-scoring streak (2 goals, 5 assists).

Senior LW Dan Kerluke hasn’t had the production he had hoped for with only three goals but he has played extremely well in other areas including becoming more a physical player than ever before. He has also done a nice job killing penalties.

Junior right wing Niko Dimitrakos has one of the best sets of hands in college hockey but he will continue to be inconsistent and a defensive liability unless he improves his work ethic. He has shown flashes of brilliance and he could be a dominant player but, in addition to improving his work rate, he needs to read situations better. A move to center could help him become more consistent.

Sophomore center Lucas Lawson has improved dramatically but has slumped of late. He should be a factor in the second half.

Freshman speedster Todd Jackson has been a nice surprise and should be more of an offensive threat in the second half.

Chris Heisten had a good first half after a slow start and will help the Bears when he returns from his knee injury in January.

Kevin Clauson has been a valuable utility man, playing both forward and defense effectively.

The defense corps has played better than expected. A.J. Begg has been rock-steady; Janik has anchored the corps with outstanding play at both ends of the ice and Schutte and Eric Turgeon have made significant strides. Freshman Francis Nault has been a real find as he has emerged as a clever offensive-minded blue-liner who has really helped Maine’s power play.

Metcalf will give them a lift and Cliff Loya has played better of late.

The goaltending has been good.

Mike Morrison did an impressive job filling in for struggling Matt Yeats early but Yeats seems back on top of his game and expect Maine coach Shawn Walsh to stick with Yeats in the second half.

Yeats backstopped the team to the Frozen Four a year ago and, when he is on top of his game, he’s one of the best in the country. He has given up just 10 goals in his last six starts.

Maine has allowed an average of just 2.29 goals per game.

The entire team deserves credit for the defensive performance. The penalty killing has been exceptional as they have allowed more than one power play goal in a game only once this season. The power play has been surprisingly good with goals in 12 of the 17 games.

Walsh’s remarkable resilience and positive attitude in the wake of his kidney cancer should continue to be an inspiration to his team.

Expect Maine to better its offensive production but still find itself involved in a host of one-goal games because of the parity in the league. Maine is 1-3 in one-goal games and must improve in that area.

Their fate will hinge on their ability to survive a brutal January schedule comprised of six games against New Hampshire, Boston University and Boston College and their ability to finish strong which has been a trend at Maine.

The Bears could be dangerous in the NCAA Tournament if they qualify.

But that is a big if. Maine will need to win at least 20 games to stand a good chance of earning an NCAA tourney berth if they don’t win the Hockey East Tournament.

They can beat anyone on their schedule but, in the first half, it was proven that anybody on their schedule could beat them.

The maturation of the young players will help make them a better second-half team.