Men’s Hockey

MAINE vs. MERRIMACK

Time, site: Sunday, 2 p.m.; Alfond Arena, Orono

Records (entering Friday games): Maine 21-3-4 overall (11-2-3 Hockey East); Merrimack 10-11-5 (5-8-3 HE)

Series, last meeting: Maine leads 39-8-4; Maine 2-1 on 1/18/03

Key players: Maine – C Marty Kariya (13 goals, 29 assists), D Francis Nault (9 & 19), LW Lucas Lawson (15 & 12), C Robert Liscak (11 & 16), D Cliff Loya (0 & 6), G Jim Howard (13-2, 1.72 goals-against average. .942 save percentage), G Frank Doyle (8-1-4, 2.33, .914); Merrimack – LW Brent Gough (8 & 11), RW Matt Johnson (8 & 10), C Marco Rosa (7 & 11), D Bryan Schmidt (8 & 8), LW Tim Reidy (6 & 8), D Nick Cammarata (1 & 1), G Joe Exter (9-10-5, 2.99, .915)

Outlook: Maine is 12-1-3 against the Warriors in their last 16 meetings. Merrimack is playing its third game in six days. The Warriors hosted Northeastern Friday. The Bears won’t take Merrimack lightly because the Warriors could have won both games last month. Maine pulled out a 5-5 tie and a 2-1 triumph. The line of Gough-Rosa-Johnson is a good one. Schmidt is one of the best freshman defensemen in the country and is an offensive threat. The Bears will try to create a fast tempo and play the body as much as possible. They will also need to create traffic in front of the athletic and talented Exter. Maine’s power play entered the weekend in a 3-for-29 slump. Merrimack had two power-play goals in the 5-5 tie.

Women’s Basketball

MAINE vs. ALBANY

Time, site: Saturday, 5 p.m.; Albany, N.Y.

Records: Maine 15-4 (8-0 America East); Albany 8-11 (2-6)

Series, last meeting: Maine leads 2-0; Maine 59-53 on 2/14/02

Key players: Maine – 6-1 F Heather Ernest (19.9 ppg, 10.5 rpg, .549 FG pct., .824 FT pct.), 5-9 G Melissa Heon (11.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.2 apg, 2.1 spg), 6-1 G/F Julie Veilleux (8.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg), 6-3 F Abby Schrader (7.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg), 5-7 G Missy Traversi (7.0 ppg, 2.4 apg, .363 3-pt. pct.), 5-7 G Kim Corbitt (5.2 ppg, 4.1 apg, 1.6 spg); Albany – 5-8 G Jess McGinlay (15.9 ppg, 1.9 apg, .892 FT pct., .412 3-pt. pct.), 6-4 C Danielle Hutcheson (13.9 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 1.4 bpg), 5-4 G Kathryn Hemlock (10.5 ppg, 4.1 apg), 5-9 G Sarah Sweetland (9.1 ppg), 6-1 F Maree Jones (5.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg)

Outlook: The Bears, seeking their 12th straight victory, must retain their mental focus and intensity. UMaine has outscored league opponents by an average of 18 points and outrebounded them by 9.7 per game. The Great Danes have lost two in a row, blowing a 14-point halftime lead in Thursday’s loss to Boston U. The Bears hope to create turnovers and transition chances against Albany, which had 29 TOs against BU. UMaine should boast a frontcourt advantage with Ernest and Schrader, but Hutcheson has been tough in the post. The Bears must get back quickly on defense and not allow Albany’s capable 3-point shooters to heat up. UMaine should be able to wear down Albany in the late going.

Men’s Basketball

MAINE vs. ALBANY

Time, site: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.; Albany, N.Y.

Records: Maine 10-12 (5-5 America East), Albany 5-15 (1-8)

Series, last meeting: Maine leads 3-0; Maine 90-71 on 1/4/03

Key players: Maine – 6-1 G Kevin Reed (13.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg), 6-4 F Rickey White (13.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg), 7-0 C Justin Rowe (10.8 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 4.7 bpg), 6-7 F Clayton Brown (10.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg), 6-2 G Eric Dobson (9.7 ppg, 4.7 apg, 3.8 rpg), 6-2 G Ludmil Hadjisotirov (8.8 ppg), 6-2 G Derrick Jackson (5.6 ppg, 2.6 apg); Albany – 6-1 G Jamar Wilson (17.6 ppg, 3.3 apg, 3.3 rpg), 6-1 G Antione Johnson (14.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg), 6-6 F Levi Levine (13.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg), 6-5 G-F Rhasheed Peterson (11.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg), 5-5 G Earv Opong (5.8 ppg, 4.0 apg)

Outlook: Maine has rebounded well from a three-game losing streak and is now looking to win its third in a row. Maine’s six-man guard rotation has become very effective in recent games. At the same time, Maine’s assists per game have gone up and turnovers have gone down. The Bears have a distinct size/height advantage over the Great Danes and should be able to feast inside with their Rowe-White-Brown combo. Maine is averaging almost 10 more rebounds per game (38.1 to 28.6). The Danes are averaging 65.9 points per game while yielding 76.2. Maine is scoring 74.5 ppg while giving up 71.1. Maine is tied for sixth in America East while Albany is mired in eighth.

Women’s Hockey

MAINE vs. QUINNIPIAC

Time, site: Saturday, 4 p.m.; Alfond Arena, Orono

Records: Maine 7-11-4, Quinnipiac 5-19

Series, last meeting: Maine leads 4-1; Quinnipiac 2-0 on 11/16/02

Key players: Maine – RW Meagan Aarts (8 goals, 12 assists), RW Karen Droog (10 & 4), C Jarin Sjogren (6 & 4), C Nicole Munro (4 & 4), LW Raffi Wolf (1 & 6), D Naomi Smethurst (2 & 6), G Dawn Froats (5-2-1, 1.86 goals against average, .913 save percentage); Quinnipiac – LW Gillian Gallagher (8 & 8), C Caitlin Peters (4 & 9), D Candace Boyles (6 & 5), C Debbie Beaudoin (4 & 5), RW Serena Hillman (4 & 4), G Mel Courtemanche (2-16, 4.21, .881), G Catherine Lapare (3-3, 2.10, .912)

Outlook: The Bobcats caught a break when Friday night’s game at New Hampshire was postponed due to snow. It would have been difficult to chase the nationally ranked Wildcats around the Olympic-size Whittemore Center ice sheet and play Maine 18 hours later. The teams split 2-0 games earlier this season. Courtemanche (33 saves) and Froats (26) posted the shutouts. Maine has lost four of its last five, scoring only nine goals in those five games. Quinnipiac has lost 12 of its last 14 games. This is the Bears’ final nonleague game before they finish up with seven Hockey East games. Maine can’t afford to look past Quinnipiac to Tuesday night’s game against New Hampshire. Quinnipiac beat Sacred Heart 8-0 in its last game eight days ago.