NEW HAMPSHIRE vs. MAINE

Time, site: Tuesday, 7 p.m., Alfond Arena, Orono

Records: Maine 8-11-4 (1-5-2 Hockey East); UNH 21-5-2 (10-1 HE)

Series, last meeting: UNH leads 8-1; UNH 1-0 on Nov. 3, 2002

Key players: Maine – RW Meagan Aarts (10 & 12), RW Karen Droog (11 & 6), C Jarin Sjogren (6 & 5), C Nicole Munro (5 & 5), D Naomi Smethurst (2 & 6), LW Raffi Wolf (1 & 7), G Lara Smart (2-9-3, 2.45 goals-against average, .917); UNH – RW Chandy Kalp (11 & 18), RW Carolyn Gordon (15 & 10), LW Stephanie Jones (12 & 11), C Randi MacMaster (8 & 14), D Allison Edgar (7 & 15), D Kristen Thomas (3 & 19), G Jen Huggon (21-5-2, 1.56, .930)

Outlook: UNH is ranked fifth in the country. The Bears are coming off their best offensive showing of the season in a 9-1 win over Quinnipiac. But Huggon has 11 shutouts including a 15-save 1-0 whitewashing of the Bears in their last meeting. Huggon was the Hockey East Player and Goaltender of the Month for January. Maine is in last place in Hockey East but is just one point out of the fourth and final playoff spot and has played two fewer games than UConn and Boston College, currently tied for fourth. Maine will have to keep things simple and not turn the puck over against the explosive Wildcats. The Bears will also have to be relentless on the backcheck because Edgar and Thomas like to jump into the offense and are dangerous. They will also have to keep an eye on the line of Jones-MacMaster-Gordon. Maine will have to match UNH’s intensity and work ethic.