MAINE vs. DENVER

Time, site: Friday, 9:37 p.m.; Saturday, 9:07 p.m.; Magness Arena, Denver

Records: Maine 0-0, Denver 0-0

Series, last meeting: Maine leads 11-6; Maine 4-2 on 10/15/05

Key players (last year’s stats): Maine – LW Billy Ryan (13 goals, 20 assists), D Bret Tyler (6 & 20), C Keenan Hopson (7 & 15), C Wes Clark (8 & 5), D Travis Ramsey (0 & 8), G Ben Bishop (21-9-2, 2.14 GAA, .923 save pct.), G Dave Wilson (2-6, 3.12, .893); Denver – LW Brock Trotter (16 & 24), LW Rhett Rakhstani (10 & 26), C Tyler Ruegsegger (15 & 19), D Chris Butler (10 & 17), D Patrick Mullen (5 & 12), D Andy Thomas (2 & 5), G Peter Mannino (8-6-2, 2.29, .919)

Outlook: The Pioneers are young but talented. Three of their top four returning scorers (Trotter, Rakhstani, Ruegsegger) are sophomores. They have added some freshman forwards with great credentials like British Columbia Junior Hockey League snipers Tyler Bozak (45 & 83 in 58 games) and Kyle Ostrow (26 & 45 in 45 games). They will be quick and dangerous up front, so Maine’s forwards are going to have to do a thorough job backchecking in order to allow the defensemen to step up and limit the Denver forwards’ time and space. Butler is a potential All-American and will log a ton of minutes, so Maine will have to take the body on him. Denver’s blue-line depth is iffy. The Bears will also need to get traffic in front of Mannino.