Men’s hockey

MAINE vs. BOSTON UNIVERSITY

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

Records: Maine 6-0 (1-0 Hockey East), BU 2-0-1 (1-0 Hockey East)

Series, last meeting: Tied 38-38-7, Maine 4-2 on March 1

Key players: Maine – LW Todd Jackson (7 goals, 3 assists), RW Greg Moore (5 & 4), C Michel Leveille (0 & 8), RW Colin Shields (5 & 2), D Troy Barnes (1 & 6), D Prestin Ryan (1 & 5), G Frank Doyle (3-0, 1.33 goals-against average, .942 save percentage); Boston University – Frantisek Skladany (0 & 4), LW Ken Magowan (2 & 1), D Dan Spang (2 & 1), C Mark Mullen (1 & 0), D Bryan Miller (0 & 1), D Ryan Whitney (0 & 1), G Sean Fields (2-0-1, 2.67, .879)

Outlook: This is one of the best rivalries in college hockey. The teams are similar: fast and physical. Both teams are aggressive on the forecheck and can quickly transition to offense when they force a neutral zone turnover. Maine, the nation’s top-ranked team, beat Merrimack 6-2 on Thursday. BU, ranked 7th, hasn’t played since beating Providence 6-4 eight days ago. BU will be without defenseman Jekabs Redlihs (broken collarbone) while Maine will be missing LW Luciano Aquino (shoulder). Fields has a 2-4-2 career record against Maine with a 4.03 GAA and a .868 save percentage. But he is 2-1-1, 2.67, .905 against the Bears at Alfond Arena. Skladany has a team-leading nine points against Maine in 11 games. Moore and Leveille have registered at least a point in every game this season and Moore has a three-game goal-scoring streak. Goaltending and special teams usually decide Maine-BU games.