Men’s Hockey

MAINE vs. NEW HAMPSHIRE

Time, site: Friday, Saturday; 7 p.m.; Whittemore Center, Durham, N.H.

Records: Maine 9-6-4 overall (4-3-2 Hockey East); UNH 13-4-3 (4-2-2)

Series, last meeting: Maine leads 42-29-3; UNH 1-0 on Feb. 6

Key players: Maine – C Marty Kariya (6 goals, 9 assists), LW-RW Matthias Trattnig (8 & 5), C-RW Niko Dimitrakos (5 & 5), C Lucas Lawson (5 & 5), D Peter Metcalf (3 & 5), D Doug Janik (1 & 6), G Matt Yeats (8-4-1, 2.22 goals-against average, .904 save percentage); New Hampshire – RW Darren Haydar (12 & 15), C Lanny Gare (10 & 12), D Garrett Stafford (3 & 16), RW Colin Hemingway (6 & 10), LW Matt Swain (7 & 8), RW David Busch (6 & 9), G Ty Conklin (9-4-3, 2.26, .908)

Outlook: New Hampshire is 8-1-2 in its last 11 games while Maine is enjoying its first three-game winning streak. UNH has won the last three meetings at the Whittemore Center by an aggregate score of 11-2. UNH won 1-0 a year ago. UNH and Maine have held their opponents to two goals or less eight times over their the last 11 games. Haydar is the second-leading scorer for all games in Hockey East and has been the league’s Player of the Week three times. The goaltending duel should be a beauty as Yeats and Conklin are two of the best around. UNH is 7-1-1 at home. Maine will have to play a thorough, tight-checking road game and try to minimize the effect of the crowd. The Olympic-size ice sheet is an advantage for UNH but Maine did play well in its 1-0 setback a year ago. The Bears must keep things simple and not turn the puck over in dangerous areas like the high slot or the neutral zone.