MAINE vs. NIAGARA

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

Records: Maine 1-3, Niagara 2-3-1

Series, last meeting: Maine leads 2-0, Maine 6-2 on 10/16/04

Key players: Maine – LW Spencer Abbott (1 goal, 2 assists), D Josh Van Dyk (0 & 2), RW Gustav Nyquist (1 & 0), D Matt Duffy (0 & 1), D Simon Danis-Pepin (0 & 1), G Scott Darling (1-1, 1.01 GAA, .946 save pct.), G Dave Wilson (0-2, 4.03, .857); Niagara – C Chris Moran (4 & 1), C Brian Dowd (2 & 3), RW Sam Goodwin (1 & 3), D Ryan Annesley (1 & 2), LW Vince Rocco (1 & 2), D Tyler Gotto (0 & 3), G Juliano Pagliero (2-3-1, 2.74, .918)

Outlook: The Purple Eagles are coming off a 22-11-4 campaign and have a solid nucleus back. They lost to Michigan 4-2 (with an empty-net goal) and blanked Merrimack 1-0 last weekend. Goodwin was College Hockey America’s Rookie of the Week with a goal and two assists. Pagliero is a quality netminder who made 67 saves on 70 shots last weekend. He had a 2.33 GAA and .927 save percentage a year ago with a 17-7-4 record. Maine’s struggling power play (7.7 percent) will be going up against Niagara’s sub-par penalty-killing (72.7 percent). The Bears have scored only four goals in four games and two have come on the power play. Maine is just 4-7-1 in its last 12 home games dating back to last season.