Men’s hockey

MAINE vs. UMASS LOWELL

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

Records: Maine 16-10-6 (11-5-4 Hockey East); UML 19-7-4 (10-7-3)

Series, last meeting: Maine leads 53-22-3, Maine 5-4 on 11/13/04

Key players: Maine – C Derek Damon (11 goals, 13 assists), LW Josh Soares (10 & 10), C Jon Jankus (7 & 13), RW Greg Moore (12 & 7), LW Brent Shepheard (9 & 7), D Steve Mullin (0 & 3), G Jimmy Howard (15-10-6, 2.00 goals-against average, .917 save percentage; UML – C Ben Walter (25 & 9), C Elias Godoy (10 & 24), LW Andrew Martin (11 & 20), RW Danny O’Brien (10 & 15), D Cleve Kinley (6 & 19), G John Yaros (3-0, 1.38, .953), G Peter Vetri (13-4-3, 2.30, .917)

Outlook: This could well be a Hockey East quarterfinal preview. Maine is unbeaten in its last nine games at Alfond Arena (6-0-3) and is 8-1-1 it its last 10 Alfond meetings with the River Hawks. UML is 4-1-2 in its last seven road games and 8-3-3 overall. The Bears have to neutralize the line of Martin-Walter-O’Brien. Walter is second in the country in goals and tied for third in power-play goals (12). The Bears must play a physical game without taking unnecessary penalties. The River Hawks have the nation’s third-best power play (24.1 percent) and they are up against Maine’s second-best penalty-killing units (87.9 percent).