The University of Maine men’s cross country squad will try to defend its conference championship Saturday when the Black Bears compete in the America East championship at Vestal, N.Y.

The squad, coming off a strong seventh-place performance in the Oct. 8 New England Championship, may have enough talent and depth to annex a second straight league title.

The men’s 8,000-meter race begins at noon.

“I think we have a real good shot at defending this year,” said coach Mark Lech. “It’s ours to win or lose, if we execute and the guys run the way they’ve been running and should run.”

Junior Kirby Davis of Falmouth and classmate Donald Drake of Portland have been the Bears’ catalysts this season. Davis, who was 12th at the New Englands, and Drake (23rd) led UMaine in last year’s America East meet, finishing eighth and ninth, respectively.

Other top performers for the Bears this fall include seniors Joshua Trevino and Paul Rupprecht, along with sophomore David Woods of York, junior Jon McGonagle of Portland and freshman David Englehutt.

“They have improved, performance-wise, over last year,” Lech said. “Now all that’s left to be done is to race at that level.”

The UMaine men, who have placed in the top five each of the last five years, are expected to be challenged by New Hampshire, which is led by Rodolfo Crispin and Ben Jenkins, and Boston University.

In the women’s meet, a 5,000-meter affair that kicks off at 11 a.m., UMaine encounters a strong field paced by defending champion Boston University.

The Terriers won the New Englands handily behind the 7-8-9 finish of Christine Laasko, Abbey Sadowski and Marisa Ryan. Tori Botticelli, last year’s individual winner, also returns for Boston University.

BU has won 13 of the previous 16 women’s crowns.

“They’re far beyond anybody else in America East,” Lech said. “Everybody else should be running for second [place].”

The Bears’ catalysts are junior Hana Pelletier of Belgrade and Brewer senior Heather Jovanelli, who finished 26th and 28th, respectively, at the New Englands.

“I think they should both be in the top 10,” Lech said.

Sophomore Lauren LaRoche of Auburn and junior Teig Choroszy of Saco have been competing for the No. 3 spot for UMaine, while junior Shelby Howe of Columbia, , soph Erin Lawler of Waterville and senior Kristen Vidlak are other key contributors for the Bears.

“[The women] have the talent level but they’re not that confident in themselves,” Lech said. “Their performances can fluctuate quite a bit.”