NCAA Tournament first round

MAINE vs. HARVARD

Time, site: Friday, 5 p.m.; Pepsi Arena, Albany, N.Y.

Records: Maine 30-7-3, Harvard 18-14-3

Series: 4-4; Maine 4-2 on 12/15/02

Key players: Maine – RW Colin Shields (17 goals, 25 assists), C Michel Leveille (5 & 33), LW Todd Jackson (20 & 12), C Derek Damon (13 & 17), LW Greg Moore (14 & 8), D Prestin Ryan (3 & 17), G Jimmy Howard (12-3-3, 1.05 goals-against average, .958 save percentage); Harvard – C Tom Cavanagh (16 & 20), RW Tim Pettit (10 & 23), LW Tyler Kolarik (12 & 18), C Brendan Bernakevitch (10 & 19), D Noah Welch (6 & 13), D Kenny Smith (4 & 7), G Dov Grumet-Morris (16-13-3, 2.27, .916)

Outlook: This should be a low-scoring defensive struggle between two teams sporting seven-game winning streaks. Harvard is 9-1-1 in its last 11 while Maine is 13-1-2 in its last 16. Harvard has surrendered 10 goals in its streak while Maine has given up seven. Both teams play similar styles: they will forecheck aggressively if the opportunity presents itself but, if not, they will deploy the neutral zone trap and clog up the middle of the ice. Harvard has a distinct advantage on the special teams of late: Harvard’s power play has operated at 23 percent during its seven-game streak and the penalty-killing unit is 33-for-36 (91.7 percent). Maine has just one power play goal in its last four games (1-for-18) but it has two shorthanded goals. Harvard has 13 players who were in uniform for the 4-3 overtime loss to Maine in the NCAA Regionals in Worcester two years ago while the Bears have five remaining. Shields, with three goals, is the only Bear who had more than two points in the four Hockey East Tournament games but Maine received at least a goal or an assist from 14 players. It could come down to the team best able to get to the front of the net and create screens and garbage goals.