MAINE vs. NORTHEASTERN

Time, site: Friday, 7 p.m.; Saturday, 7:30 p.m.; Alfond Arena, Orono

Records: Maine 1-1 (0-0 in Hockey East); NU 3-0-1 (2-0 HE)

Series, last meeting: Maine leads 46-36-15, NU 7-3 on 1/4/08

Key players: Maine – LW Spencer Abbott (0 goals, 2 assists), RW Jeff Marshall (1 & 0), RW Gustav Nyquist (1 & 0), D Matt Duffy (0 & 1), Simon Danis-Pepin (0 points), G Dave Wilson (0-1, 3.05 GAA, .900 save pct.), G Scott Darling (1-0, 0.00, 1.000); Northeastern – LW Dennis McCauley (3 & 1), C Ryan Ginand (2 & 2), LW Tyler McNeely (2 & 2), LW Wade MacLeod (2 & 1), C Joe Vitale (2 & 1), D David Strathman (0 & 3), G Brad Thiessen (3-0-1, 1.71, .946)

Outlook: Vitale is one of the nation’s most underrated all-around forwards. NU has won two of the last three meetings at Alfond Arena. NU returns its top seven scorers, its entire defense corps and workhorse goalie Thiessen, who shares the career record in shutouts with seven. Thiessen is 2-4 with a 3.31 GAA and .890 save percentage against Maine. NU is ranked 11th and 14th in two national polls. Maine will have to match Northeastern’s intensity and the Bear forwards are going to have to be thorough positionally. The Huskies love to crash the net, so the Bears can’t afford to get caught puck-watching. The Bear power play (1-for-15) has to get untracked against a veteran group of NU penalty killers (92.9 percent). Nyquist’s nine shots top the Bears. NU has already scored three shorthanded goals.