University of Maine sophomore goalie Ben Bishop said his strained right groin is improving but his availability for this weekend’s critical Hockey East series against Vermont is up in the air.

“I don’t have the sharp pain any more. It feels better every day. But it’s still sore,” said Bishop.

He said he will try to skate this morning for the first time since getting injured in Saturday’s 2-1 loss to New Hampshire.

He wants to play this weekend but said he won’t take any unnecessary risks.

“I don’t want to re-injure it and go down for the rest of the season,” said Bishop.

Bishop is tied for third in the country in wins (17-7-2), is seventh in minutes played (1540:58), 10th in goals-against average (2.14) and tied for 13th in save percentage (.922).

Back-up Dave Wilson, who relieved Bishop and stopped 21 of 23 shots while playing the final 35:12, said he will take a “positive” approach to this weekend’s series whether he starts or not.

“I hope Ben comes back but if he doesn’t, I’ll be ready,” said the 6-foot-1, 187-pound Wilson.

He has had a chance to break down his performance against UNH on videotape and has focused in on aspects of his game he needs to work on.

“I’ve been trying to get in some extra work and working on things I noticed in my game,” said Wilson.

Wilson was satisfied with the way he came out to cut down the angles and the way he controlled his rebounds.

“But I still need to work on controlling my rebounds and I noticed that on passes out from behind the net, I needed to get out a little bit faster. I’ve worked on my pushes,” said Wilson, referring to pushing off the post to cut down the angle.

Wilson had played just 58 minutes and 48 seconds prior to the UNH game and admitted it has been “tough” being a back-up.

“But I feel I’ve improved over the season and I’ve learned a lot from Ben,” said Wilson, a native of Caledon East, Ontario who was 21-15-5 with a 2.91 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage with the Brampton Capitals and Streetsville Derbys in the Ontario Provincial Hockey League a year ago.

He was chosen the top goaltender and most valuable player in the 2005-2006 Royal Bank Canadian Junior Hockey championships.

Maine assistant and goalie coach Grant Standbrook said Wilson has refined his game.

“When he came in, he was a reaction goalie who was way back in his net. Now he’s exploding out and playing his position much better,” said Standbrook. “He’s good with the puck. He’s more conservative than Ben when it comes to playing the puck. He’s very quick and he has a great glove. He used to depend on his quickness too much instead of his positioning and now he’s combining the two.”

Wilson had been a defenseman until age 12 when his house league team goalie got sick and he filled in. He’s been in goal ever since.

He has eight tattoos.

“It began with a Canadian hockey stick with a maple leaf [tattoo],” said the 21-year-old Wilson.