ALBANY, N.Y. – One of the reasons University of Maine senior right wing John Hopson transferred to Maine from the University of Alaska-Anchorage was to play with his younger brother, Keenan.

One of the other reasons has also come to fruition: An opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament.

Alaska-Anchorage hasn’t played in an NCAA Tournament since 1992 while Maine is making its eighth straight NCAA appearance.

“This is another dream come true,” said Hopson. “When you play at Maine, you take it for granted [NCAA Tournament] but not everybody else gets that chance. It has been quite an experience just getting here.”

Hopson, who plays on a line with his brother, went 16 games without a goal before scoring goals in back-to-back games against Merrimack on Feb. 24-25 . He has three goals in his last seven games.

“The Merrimack games gave me some confidence that I can put the puck in the net,” said Hopson, who has seven goals and 14 assists in 37 games.

Memorable month for Mullin

Maine senior defenseman Steve Mullin has had quite a month.

In addition to helping Maine earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament with his steady play, he proposed to longtime girlfriend Morgan Janusc, a defenseman on the Maine women’s team, on March 14.

“We were at the Texas Roadhouse [restaurant in Bangor],” grinned Mullin. “I hope I embarrassed her as much as possible.”

He said he caught her by surprise.

“Her head snapped back pretty quick,” said Mullin, who gave her an engagement ring.

He said they haven’t set a date but they hope to marry in the summer of 2007.

Janusc is attending the women’s team’s banquet and won’t be with her fianc?e in Albany.

“I won’t be able to hear her yell,” Mullin smiled. “She’s going to have to watch it on TV.”

Spartans’ Comley knows UMaine

If Michigan State and Maine advance to Sunday’s regional final, Michigan State coach Rick Comley will face a team with which he has had a long history.

Comley used to coach at Northern Michigan and the Wildcats and Black Bears met 13 times between 1980 and 2001 with Northern Michigan winning eight of them.

In 1980, Maine beat Northern Michigan 8-7 in one of the wildest games in the school’s history.

The game-winner was scored by Gary Conn off a pass from current Tampa Bay Lightning coach John Tortorella.

“I don’t remember that one but we’ve had some great games with Maine over the years,” said Comley. “I remember they beat us twice in two great games in 1990-91 (4-1, 4-2). We won the national championship that year. After that game, we were in MacDonald’s and Jean-Yves Roy came up to us and said who is this [Darryl] Plandowski we had.”

Comley is making his second trip to the NCAAs in three years at Michigan State after leading Northern Michigan to seven NCAA berths.

He feels 10 of the 16 teams in the tournament can win the NCAA title.

“I honestly believe that,” said Comley, who said the four teams in the East Regional could all win it. “This is a special field.”

HE teams support each other

Maine and the University of New Hampshire, Michigan State’s opponent Saturday at noon, are archrivals.

But, for the most part, the players on both teams will root for the other team in NCAA play.

“I always root for the other Hockey East teams,” said UNH defenseman Brian Yandle, who added he and his brother, Keith, are close friends of Maine sophomore left winger Billy Ryan.

He added that a lot of Hockey East players have friends on other teams in the league.

Maine junior right wing Keith Johnson said “there is a mutual respect between the teams” and he hopes UNH beats Michigan State.

Maine junior center-left wing Mike Hamilton said he will cheer for UNH Saturday.

“I know some of their guys from playing Junior hockey with them back in British Columbia,” said Hamilton.

UNH center Dan Winnik also said he will be in Maine’s corner today.

The players said there is league pride at stake and they want to see Hockey East teams get into the Frozen Four. Last year’s All-WCHA Frozen Four didn’t sit well with them.

“Our league can play with anybody,” said Johnson.

Maine defenseman Travis Wight said the intense rivalry with UNH has left him cheering against the Wildcats.

Bishop to be more conservative

Maine freshman goalie Ben Bishop has caused some seat-squirming at Alfond Arena from time to time with his daring sorties out of the net to play the puck.

He said he will be more conservative in Pepsi Arena today.

“The boards are bouncy here,” said Bishop. “And if the puck hits the pane between the glass, you have a 50-50 chance of the puck bouncing out in front of the net. So I’d better not go behind the net to play it. I would hate to give up a goal like that in a game like this.”