Men’s hockey

MAINE vs. NEW HAMPSHIRE

Time, site: Friday, 8 p.m., Saturday, 7 p.m.; Whittemore Center, Durham, N.H.

Records: Maine 14-8-6 (9-3-4 Hockey East); UNH 17-6-3 (10-2-2 HE)

Series, last meeting: Maine leads 50-34-5, Maine 3-0 on 11/7/04

Key players: Maine – C Derek Damon (11 goals, 12 assists), C Jon Jankus (7 & 12), LW Josh Soares (7 & 10), RW Greg Moore (11 & 5), C Michel Leveille (7 & 5), D Troy Barnes (1 & 11), G Jimmy Howard (13-8-6, 1.99 goals-against average, .915 save percentage); New Hampshire – LW Sean Collins (12 & 23), C Preston Callander (16 & 18), RW Brett Hemingway (15 & 16), D Brian Yandle (8 & 18), LW Jacob Micflikier (11 & 14), G Kevin Regan (7-1, 2.65, .922), G Jeff Pietrasiak (10-5-3, 3.06, .896)

Outlook: UNH is the third-highest scoring team in the nation (4.08) thanks to the country’s best power play (25.5 percent) while Maine’s 2.00 goals-against average is tied for fourth best and the Bears have the seventh-best penalty-killing percentage (87.2 percent). UNH set a league record with four power play goals in the third period of Saturday’s 8-3 win over UMass Lowell and tied a league mark with 6 PPGs in the game. Maine cannot afford to take unnecessary penalties. UNH is 6-1-1 vs. Maine in their last eight meetings at the Whittemore Center. Maine will have to be physical, gap smartly and capitalize on its scoring chances. The Bears must also avoid turning the puck over in the neutral zone because UNH can quickly generate an odd-man rush and they have plenty of firepower including three of the nation’s top 20 point producers in linemates Collins, Callander, and Hemingway.