College Hockey
Ice Breaker Tournament
MAINE vs. MICHIGAN STATE, No. 4 NORTH DAKOTA
Time, site: Friday night vs. MSU; Saturday night vs. North Dakota, 8 p.m., Cross Insurance Arena, Portland
Records (last year): Maine 14-22-3, MSU 17-16-2, North Dakota 29-10-3
Series, last meeting: MSU leads 11-5-2, MSU 3-2 on Oct. 15, 2010; UND leads 11-8-1, Maine 4-2 on Oct. 23, 2010
Key players (last season’s stats): Maine — C Steven Swavely (8 goals, 20 assists), C Cam Brown (7 & 21), RW Blaine Byron (12 & 15), LW Nolan Vesey (10 & 13), D Dan Renouf (3 & 9), G Sean Romeo (7-13-1, 3.04 goals-against average, .902 save percentage), G Matt Morris (7-9-2, 2.99, .905); MSU — LW Mackenzie MacEachern (11 & 15), C Michael Ferrantino (12 & 11), RW Joe Cox (5 & 15), LW Ryan Keller (11 & 8), D Travis Walsh (2 & 12), C Matt DeBlouw (8 & 5), G Jake Hildebrand (17-16-2, 2.18, .930); UND — LW Drake Caggiula (18 & 18), C Nick Schmaltz (4 & 24), C Luke Johnson (11 & 13), D Paul LaDue (5 & 17), RW Tucker Poolman (8 & 10), D Troy Stecher (3 & 10), G Cam Johnson (0-0, 5.54, .765 in 43:19)
Game notes: Michigan State and North Dakota were both picked to finish third in their respective conferences (Big Ten, National Collegiate Hockey Conference). Michigan State returns four of its top five scorers and first team All-American goalie Hildebrand, who posted six shutouts a year ago. The Spartans won 10 of their last 15 games. North Dakota has four of its top seven point-getters back off last year’s NCAA semifinalist team. Brad Berry replaced Dave Hakstol as the head coach after Hakstol left to become the head coach of the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers. North Dakota has 12 NHL draft choices including freshman first-rounder Brock Boeser, a right wing. UND will be inexperienced while backing up Zane McIntyre. McIntyre passed up his senior year to sign with the Boston Bruins. Michigan State senior defenseman and alternate captain Travis Walsh is the son of the late former Maine coach Shawn Walsh.