MAINE vs. PROVIDENCE

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

Records: Maine 22-4-4 (12-3-3 Hockey East); PC 16-12-1 (9-9-1)

Series, last meeting: Maine leads 47-29-3; PC 4-2 on 1/3/03

Key players: Maine – C Marty Kariya (13 goals, 20 assists), D Francis Nault (9 & 23), LW Lucas Lawson (17 & 13), C Robert Liscak (11 & 18), D Cliff Loya (0 & 6), G Jimmy Howard (13-3, 1.93 goals-against average, .934 save percentage), G Frank Doyle (9-1-4, 2.31 GAA, .912); Providence – RW Jon DiSalvatore (13 & 26), C Peter Fregoe (17 & 19), LW Devin Rask (17 & 19), D Stephen Wood (8 & 14), LW Peter Zingoni (12 & 9), C Chris Chaput (2 & 14), G Nolan Schaefer (10-6, 2.89, .912)

Outlook: Maine is 23-0-1 in its last 24 Alfond Arena meetings with PC. The series will feature seven of the league’s top 14 overall scorers. Schaefer was the league’s player of the week (2-0, 74 saves on 77 shots). He is 4-0, 1.55, .956 in his last five games. DiSalvatore has 12 points in his last six games, Rask has 13 in his current nine-game points streak, and Wood has seven in his last three. For Maine, Lawson has six goals and nine points in his current seven-game skein, and Nault has nine points in a six-game streak. PC has won five of its last seven, including triumphs over BC and UNH. PC hurt Maine by converting turnovers into transition goals last month. The Bears will have to keep things simple and avoid turnovers. Ditto for the Friars. Maine will be without senior wingers Chris Heisten (concussion) and Gray Shaneberger (knee), but sophomore wing John Ronan will return. PC will be without injured defenseman Jeff Mason.