MAINE men vs. UMASS

Time, site: Friday, Saturday; 7 p.m.; Mullins Center, Amherst, Mass.

Records: Maine 11-9-6 (6-6-4 Hockey East); UMass 7-18-3 (6-11-1 HE)

Series, last meeting: Maine leads 20-2-2; Maine 3-2 on Dec. 14

Key players: Maine – C Marty Kariya (6 goals, 11 assists), C Chris Heisten (4 & 13), LW Lucas Lawson (6 & 9), RW Niko Dimitrakos (7 & 6), D Peter Metcalf (4 & 6), D Francis Nault (2 & 8), G Matt Yeats (10-6-3, 2.36, .898); UMass – RW Tim Turner (14 & 8), RW Martin Miljko (11 & 9), C Jeff Turner (5 & 15), LW Jimmy Callahan (2 & 13), D Samuli Jalkanen (1 & 13), D Toni Soderholm (1 & 6), G Markus Helanen (6-12-1, 3.21, .888)

Outlook: This has all the makings of a low-scoring series as Maine has scored more than three goals only once over the last 13 games while UMass has done so only twice over the same span. UMass is 0-3-1 in its last four and 2-7-1 in its last 10. The teams are 1-1-1 in their last three meetings at the Mullins Center and have combined for 11 goals. Maine will have to adjust to the Olympic ice sheet (200-by-95). UMass has significantly improved its quickness, so Maine’s defensemen will have to play their angles properly to prevent break-ins. Maine will be without leading goal-scorer Matthias Trattnig (9 goals), who is playing in a pre-Olympic qualifying tournament for his native Austria. Converted defenseman Mike Schutte will take his place on a line with Kariya and Brendan Donovan. The Bears, 1-5-2 in Hockey East road games, will have to keep their eyes on the Turner brothers.

MAINE women vs. NIAGARA

Time, site: Friday, 7 p.m.; Saturday, 3 p.m., Alfond Arena, Orono

Records: Maine 10-11-1 (5-10-1 ECAC); Niagara 14-11-3 (6-9-3 ECAC)

Series, last meeting: Niagara leads 3-1; Niagara 6-1 on Nov. 7, 1999

Key players: Maine – RW Karen Droog (17 goals, 7 assists), D Kelly Nelson (5 & 16), C Andrea Keller (5 & 13), RW Jarin Sjogren (7 & 7), LW Cindy Biron (4 & 10), G Dawn Froats (8-3-1, 2.08 GAA, .911 save percentage), G Amanda Cronin (2-7, 3.06, .904); Niagara – F Brooke Bradburn (17 & 8), F Candice Ceelen (11 & 9), F Stephanie Romain (8 & 11), F Lindsay Vine (9 & 9), D Barbara Prall (1 & 11), D Linda Groff (4 & 6), G Tania Pinelli (12-9-3, 1.76, .921)

Outlook:The Bears need to take at least three out of four points to climb back into the playoff picture. Niagara owns the eighth and final playoff berth with 15 points. Maine and Cornell are tied for 10th with 11 and Princeton is ninth with 12. Maine is 0-2-1 in its last three while Niagara is 2-1-1 in its last four, including impressive wins over third-place St. Lawrence and fourth-place Northeastern. Maine has also beaten Northeastern. Niagara is only 2-6-2 on the road in ECAC play. Maine is 4-4-1 at home in league play. The Bears will again be without the school’s all-time leading scorer, Raffi Wolf, who is playing for her native Germany in a pre-Olympic tournament. The Bears must find a way to generate offense at the expense of the stingy Pinelli. Bradburn is dangerous. She has three power-play goals, three game-winners, and a shorthanded goal.