UMaine Capsules

Men’s basketball

MAINE vs. NORTHEASTERN

Time, site: 7 p.m. Friday, Cabot Gym, Boston

Records: Maine 17-8 (10-6 America East), Northeastern 7-18 (6-10)

Series, last meeting: Northeastern leads 55-42, Maine won 74-68 on Jan. 2

Key players: Maine – 6-10 F Julian Dunkley (15.8 ppg, 6.6 rpg), 6-6 F Carvell Ammons (15.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg), 6-2 G Huggy Dye (13.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg), 6-3 G Errick Greene (10.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg), 6-2 G Derrick Jackson 6.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg); Northeastern – 6-4 G Ricky Cranford (15.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg), 6-2 G Marcus Blossom (15.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg), 6-6 F Tyrone Hammick (11.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg), 6-5 F Jean Francois (8.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg), 5-11 G Jean Bean (7.7 ppg, 1.9 rpg)

Outlook: The Bears defeated Northeastern in Orono, but the Huskies had only half of its potent backcourt scoring tandem: Cranford didn’t play. Northeastern is an unorthodox team to play against in that it doesn’t attack in typical halfcourt offensive sets much of the time. Often things evolve into Cranford and Blossom beating their opponents off the dribble, and they’re very good at that. Northeastern likes to run, and the Bears are usually willing to oblige foes who want to go that route. The league buzz on Northeastern: The Huskies are the most successful when Cranford and Blossom score a similar amount of points, whether that’s 10 or 30 apiece. When one is hot and the other isn’t, the other often seems to try to keep up … and the team doesn’t fare nearly as well.

Men’s hockey

MAINE vs. MERRIMACK

Time, site: Friday, Saturday; 7 p.m.; Volpe Complex

Records: Maine 14-10-6 overall (9-7-4 Hockey East); Merrimack 13-17-3 (6-13-2 HE)

Series, last meeting: Maine leads 35-7-2; Maine 6-2 on Nov. 10

Key players: Maine – C Marty Kariya (8 goals, 13 assists), C-RW Chris Heisten (4 & 14), RW Matthias Trattnig (9 & 7), LW Dan Kerluke (9 & 7), D Francis Nault (2 & 11), D Doug Janik (2 & 10), G Matt Yeats (13-7-3, 2.29, .898) ; Merrimack – RW Anthony Aquino (16 & 24), LW Nick Parillo (14 & 13), C Marco Rosa (6 & 18), C John Pyliotis (5 & 14), D Stephen Moon (5 & 14), D Tony Johnson (2 & 6), G Joe Exter (10-10-1, 2.95, .910)

Outlook: The explosive line of Parillo-Rosa-Aquino is one of the best in the conference and the Bears will have to pay special attention to them and not give them any room in which to generate speed. Aquino and Parillo share the team lead in power play goals with five and Aquino has five game-winners. Merrimack is 1-5-1 in its last seven but two of those losses were by a goal and another was by two goals. Merrimack is 10-6-1 at home including wins over Boston College, Boston University and UMass-Lowell and a tie with New Hampshire. Maine is 5-6-3 on the road. Both teams have really struggled on the power play of late. Maine has only five power-play goals in its last 51 opportunities and Merrimack had been 0-for-25 with the man advantage before scoring against Northeastern in a 4-2 triumph last Friday. Exter made 43 saves in that game to earn Hockey East Rookie of the Week honors. The Warriors have defensemen who are 6-foot-2, 6-5 and 6-6 so Maine will have to find a way to get to the net.