College hockey

NCAA EAST REGIONAL QUARTERFINAL

No. 5 MAINE vs. No. 1 BOSTON COLLEGE

Time, site: Saturday, 8:30 p.m.; Worcester Centrum, Worcester, Mass.

Records: Maine 20-11-7, Boston College

Series, last meeting: BC leads 38-28-3; BC 7-2 on Jan. 27

Key players: Maine – C Marty Kariya (12 goals, 21 assists), C Chris Heisten (5 & 19), LW Michael Schutte (13 & 10), LW Niko Dimitrakos (11 & 12), D Peter Metcalf (5 & 9), D A.J. Begg (2 & 5), G Matt Yeats (17-8-4 record, 2.35 GAA, .897); BC – RW Brian Gionta (33 & 20), C Krys Kolanos (24 & 23), RW Chuck Kobasew (23 & 21), C Ben Eaves (11 & 26), D J.D. Forrest (6 & 16), D Bobby Allen (5 & 15), G Scott Clemmensen (27-7-2, 2.17, .910)

Outlook: On paper, this is a mismatch: a tired Maine team following Friday night’s overtime win over Minnesota against a rested BC team that swept the Bears during the regular season, outscoring them 18-5 in their three games. The Eagles have all kinds of incentive after Maine ousted them from the Frozen Four semifinals 2-1 in overtime two years ago en route to the national title and then nipped them 2-1 in the Hockey East championship game last season. But all the pressure will be on BC. It is expected to win. However, Maine is the league’s best NCAA Tournament team (20-12) and Bear coach Shawn Walsh and his staff will have some tricks up their sleeves. They may even resort to a neutral zone trap just to confuse the Eagles. And the longer the game stays close, the more confidence Maine will gain and the more the pressure will mount on the Eagles, who are looking to win their first NCAA title since 1949. BC is tied with St. Cloud State (Minn.) as the highest-scoring team in the nation (4.13 goals per game), including Gionta’s impressive five-goal first period in BC’s 7-2 win on Jan. 27. Yeats will have to be at the very top of his game or this could be over early. Maine must also stay out of the box because they use their best players on the penalty kill and it would wear them out. Plus, BC’s power play is dangerous. Maine won the league’s sportsmanship award for fewest penalty minutes per game (13.24). BC’s defensemen are offensive-minded, so the Bears might be able to generate odd-man rushes by chipping the puck out of the defensive zone. Maine will try to slow the tempo and the Bears must have short line shifts.