UMaine capsules

Men’s hockey

MAINE vs. VERMONT

Time, site: Friday, Saturday, 7:30 p.m.; Gutterson Fieldhouse, Burlington, Vt.

Records: Maine 10-17-3 (6-14-3 Hockey East); UVM 12-11-7 (11-7-5)

Series, last meeting: Maine leads 12-9-2, 5-5 tie on 11/25/07

Key players: Maine – C Wes Clark (9 goals, 10 assists), D Bret Tyler (6 & 12), RW Rob Bellamy (4 & 12), LW Andrew Sweetland (8 & 7), LW Billy Ryan (4 & 8), D Travis Ramsey (3 & 7), G Ben Bishop (10-17-3, 2.63 GAA, .914 save pct.); Vermont – LW Viktor Stalberg (9 & 12), C Colin Vock (5 & 16), RW Dean Strong (6 & 15), LW Peter Lenes (8 & 10), D Slavomir Tomko (2 & 3), D Mark Lutz (0 & 5), G Joe Fallon (10-9-5, 2.61, .908)

Outlook: The Catamounts have won four in a row and six of their last seven. They have allowed two goals or fewer in their last six victories. This shapes up as a goaltending duel. Fallon has stopped 143 of 150 shots in his last six wins, while Bishop has rejected 128 of the last 137 shots he has faced over the last four games. Maine’s penalty-killing has been exceptional of late with a 93.9 percent success rate over the last 18 games. The Bears are 4-for-16 on the power play in their last four games. Maine will have to pay special attention to the line of Lenes-Vock-Strong, but the Catamounts have also received important production from their second and third lines. The Catamounts block a lot of shots, so Maine will have to release their shots quickly. Ryan is questionable with a stress fracture in his hip.

Baseball

MAINE vs. UNLV

Time, site: Friday, 9:30 p.m., Saturday, 5 p.m., Sunday, 4 p.m.; Wilson Stadium, Las Vegas

Records: Maine 4-0, UNLV 2-3

Series, last meeting: 1st meeting

Top hitters – Maine: 1B Curt Smith (.714, 4 HR, 9 RBIs, 2 SB), C Myckie Lugbauer (.571, 1 HR, 8 RBIs), LF Kevin McAvoy (.417, 5 RBIs), CF Billy Cather (.333, 2 RBIs), 2B Danny Menendez (.333, 2 RBIs, 2 SB); UNLV: 3B Steve Rinaudo (.636, 2 RBIs), CF J.J. Sferra (.409), 1B Xavier Scruggs (.409, 5 RBIs), RF Rance Roundy (.333, 6 RBIs)

Possible Pitching Matchups

Maine Black Bears UNLV Rebels

ERA W-L Ks ERA W-L Ks

LH Kevin Scanlan 0.00 0-0 0 RH Matt Hutchinson 6.00 0-1 4

RH Alejandro Balsinde 2.84 1-0 3 RH Corey Hales 1.42 0-0 7

RH Joe Miller 0.00 1-0 4 RH Steve Rinaudo 9.82 0-0 4

Outlook: The Bears look to extend their winning streak to five games, facing the Rebels of the Mountain West Conference. UMaine also hopes to keep its offensive momentum going after averaging 11.5 runs at Delaware State. Scanlan, the Boston Globe Player of the Year in 2007, makes his first start for the Bears. Freshman third baseman Kevin Mager also will see his first action. UNLV, which dropped two games to Washington State this week, was picked fifth in the MWC preseason poll. The Rebels, who return four positional starters, had three players drafted in ’07.