ORONO – The University of Maine women’s hockey team, currently positioned atop the Hockey East standings, will play its first game in more than a month when it visits archrival New Hampshire tonight at 7 and Saturday at 2 p.m.

Maine coach Rick Filighera doesn’t feel the layoff will adversely impact his team.

“I really like the way the players came back,” said Filighera. “After the second or third day, everything was back to normal. We’ll be ready to go. We’ve had two weeks of practice.”

One of the pluses for the Bears entering the important series against the Wildcats is actually a minus.

UNH will be minus goalie Jen Huggon, who graduated after allowing one goal in four victories over the Black Bears last season.

“I’d like to see us score early and put pressure on them,” said Filighera. “It’s hard for us to play from behind.”

Maine has been held to two goals or less in 10 of its 17 games.

Filighera said they have devoted practice time to offensive net-front positioning and awareness.

He said rather than have his players maneuver to the middle of the slot where it is likely they will be covered by a Wildcat defenseman, he wants them to position themselves a little off center, where they won’t be as closely covered, supplying them with more time to get off a shot.

Filighera will also be looking for his team to continue its thorough play in the defensive zone. Maine has held opponents to two goals or less 13 times over the past 15 games.

“UNH is an excellent cycling team. Our coverage down low has to be impeccable,” said Filighera.

The Wildcats are also good in transition, so Maine must be careful not to turn the puck over in the neutral zone, explained Filighera.

UNH’s Whittemore Center has an Olympic-sized (200 feet by 100) ice sheet, so Filighera said his backcheckers must funnel back to the center of the ice and force UNH to shoot from the perimeter.

UNH, ranked ninth in one national poll and 10th in the other, is 8-7-3 overall and 3-0-1 in the conference. Maine is 7-7-3 and 4-1-1, respectively.

Left wing Stephanie Jones (8 goals, 7 assists), RW Carolyn Gordon (7 & 8), and defensemen Kristen Thomas (2 & 11) and Allison Edgar (4 & 7) have sparked the Wildcats.

Maine has been paced by LW Meagan Aarts (5 & 8), RW Karen Droog (5 & 7), RW Sonia Corriveau (8 & 1), and goalie Lara Smart (5-7-3 record, 2.35 goals-against average, and .923 save percentage).