They comprised two-thirds of the most prolific line in the highly regarded United States Hockey League last season for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.

Not surprisingly, the University of Maine’s Teddy Purcell and Northeastern University’s Chad Costello are Hockey East’s top-scoring freshmen.

They will get a chance to square off against each other Saturday night when the Black Bears invade Northeastern’s Matthews Arena.

Costello led the Junior A-level USHL in scoring last year with 32 goals and 45 assists in 59 games. He was the right wing on a line centered by Purcell, who was the league’s top assist man with 52 to go with 19 goals.

So far this season, Purcell has five goals and 11 assists in 13 games while Costello has six goals and seven assists in 14 games.

Both are playing right wing and the two buddies are looking forward to facing each other.

“We’ve got a friendly little rivalry going. He’s always giving me a hard time about my points,” grinned Purcell, who hails from St. John’s, Newfoundland. “It’s going to be fun.”

“This game was definitely marked on my calendar before the season started. It’s going to be weird seeing him in a different jersey. I just hope I don’t pass him the puck,” quipped Costello, a native of Johnston, Iowa.

They have stayed in touch and have a healthy respect for each other.

“He was easy to play with. He sees the ice well, and he’s got a good shot,” said Costello. “It was an honor to play on a line with him. It was a lot of fun.”

Purcell said, “I just got him the puck. It was a different kind of role for me. He was real good at getting open, and he had a nose for the net. Every shot he took from below the top of the circle went in. We complemented each other real well. He’s a real good player. He’s having a great year for himself.”

Costello said he checks the computer after every game to see how Purcell did.

“I hope he scores in every game he plays … except against Northeastern,” said Costello.

Northeastern coach Greg Cronin said Costello and Purcell are “different types of players” but noted there is one common denominator.

“They’re both on a line with a marquee player,” said Cronin, who has Costello on a line with fifth-year senior and San Jose Sharks first-round draft pick Mike Morris. Purcell has been on a line with Maine captain and second team All-American Michel Leveille all season long.

“I’ve got to thank last year’s coach [Mark Carlson] for putting me on a line with Teddy and coach Cronin for playing me with Morris this year,” said Costello, who added that the USHL is a “pretty good league” that prepared both of them well for college hockey.

Purcell will be looking to snap an eight-game goal-scoring drought and he’s hoping the goal he scored in an exhibition win over New Brunswick on Wednesday will jumpstart his goal scoring.

“This seems to happen to me every year,” said Purcell, who explained that he scores goals early in the season before evolving into more of a playmaker and setting up linemates such as Costello and Leveille.

“As long as I get [Leveille] the puck and I’m helping produce offense, I’m fine with that,” said Purcell, who has nine assists in his last eight games.