College hockey
Hockey East first-round series
MAINE vs. No. 17 VERMONT
Time, site: Friday, Saturday and Sunday (if necessary), 7:05 p.m., Gutterson Fieldhouse, Burlington, Vt.
Records: 10th seed Maine 13-20-3 (8-12-2 Hockey East), 7th seed Vermont 18-12-4 (10-9-3 HE)
Series, last meeting: Vermont leads 23-21-4, UVM 4-1 on Nov. 29, 2014
Key players: Maine — C Devin Shore (13 goals, 21 assists), C Cam Brown (7 & 19), RW-C Steven Swavely (8 & 17), RW Blaine Byron (12 & 12), LW Nolan Vesey (10 & 11), D Ben Hutton (8 & 11), G Matt Morris (7-8-2, 2.98 goals-against average, .905 save percentage); Vermont— D Mike Paliotta (9 & 22), RW Mario Puskarich (11 & 13), RW Brady Shaw (14 & 9), C Colin Markison (8 & 15), D Alex Privitera (6 & 14), C Jake Fallon (5 & 14), G Mike Santaguida (7-7-2, 1.84, .930)
Game notes: The Catamounts could be without 2013-14 Hockey East Rookie of the Year Puskarich, who suffered a lower body injury in Friday night’s 4-1 loss to UMass Lowell. He has a team-leading six career goals vs. Maine including four in UVM’s four wins over Maine this season. Santaguida is sixth in the nation in GAA and 10th in save percentage. Paliotta is third in points among the nation’s defensemen. Maine may be without reliable defenseman Eric Schurhamer (knee injury). If Schurhamer can’t play, Billy Norman will replace him and Norman has two of his three career goals vs. Vermont. Fallon has 2 & 8 to lead UVM in points vs. Maine. Paliotta has 2 & 6, Puskarich has 6 & 2 and Markison has 2 & 5. Swavely is Maine’s point leader vs. Vermont with 4 & 3. Shore and Hutton have just five points apiece vs. UVM and have to be more impactful this weekend if Maine is going to pull off the upset. UVM had one power play goal in all four victories over Maine this season (4-for-17). Maine went 2-for-18 on the power play.