KENDALL HOCKEY CLASSIC
MAINE vs. ALASKA-ANCHORAGE, ALASKA-FAIRBANKS
Time, site: Sullivan Arena, Anchorage, Friday, midnight, vs. UAA; Saturday 8 p.m., vs. UAF
Records (last year’s): Maine 16-15-4, UAA 18-16-4, UAF 18-15-4
Series, last meeting: UAA leads 3-2-1, UAA 3-1 on Oct. 17, 2008; Maine leads UAF 7-2, Maine 2-0 on Oct. 18, 2008
Key players (last year’s stats): Maine — C Devin Shore (14 goals, 29 assists), D Ben Hutton (15 & 14), LW Connor Leen (6 & 17), C-W Steven Swavely (10 & 10), C Cam Brown (4 & 15), G Matt Morris (medical redshirt last year), G Sean Romeo (freshman); UAA — C Blake Tatchell (7 & 25), LW Scott Allen (17 & 14), RW Brett Cameron (10 & 13), D Austin Coldwell (6 & 13), D Derek Docken (1 & 2), RW Brad Duwe (7 & 1), G Michael Matyas (2-2-1, 3.29 goals-against average, .877 save percentage); UAF— C Tyler Morey (17 & 17), RW Marcus Basara (12 & 14), D Colton Parayko (7 & 19), RW Nolan Huysmans (8 & 15), LW Garrick Perry (12 & 10), D Trevor Campbell (4 & 11), G Sean Cahill (10-6-1, 2.40, .900)
Game notes: The Black Bears will have to adapt to the Olympic-sized ice sheet and the four-hour time difference. UAA and UAF each graduated their top two scorers. UAA’s Seawolves will have their top three returning scorers on the same line with the 6-foot-3 Allen and Cameron flanking the 5-10 Tatchell. Maine will have to find a way to contain that line along with offensive-minded defenseman Coldwell. Maine will need to pressure the Seawolves and Nanooks and do a better job managing the puck in the neutral zone than it did in the 8-3 exhibition win over New Brunswick. UAA, which beat Western Ontario 8-0 in an exhibition, was picked sixth in one WCHA preseason poll and seventh in another. The Nanooks were chosen fifth in both polls thanks to the return of preseason All-WCHA selections Morey and Parayko. Morey did not play in the 3-1 exhibition win over Western Ontario last weekend. UAF, which will play Wisconsin at 8 p.m. Friday, has three returning goalies who each played in at least 10 games a year ago.