Men’s Hockey
MAINE vs. COLGATE
Time, site: Friday, Saturday, 7 p.m., Alfond Arena, Orono
Records: Maine 4-11-4, Colgate 5-13-1
Series, last meeting: tied 5-5-2, Colgate 3-2 (OT) on 12/27/08
Key players: Maine — C Will Merchant (8 goals, 4 assists), D Dan Renouf (4 & 7), C Cam Brown (2 & 7), RW Steven Swavely (3 & 3), G Rob McGovern (0-8-2, 2.91 goals-against average, .908 save percentage), G Sean Romeo (0-0, 2.27, .933); G Matt Morris (4-3-2, 2.98, .916); Colgate — LW Tyson Spink (9 & 11), C Tylor Spink (3 & 12), LW Darcy Murphy (4 & 7), RW Mike Panowyk (3 & 8), C Mike Borkowski (8 & 2), D Brett Corkey (3 & 5), G Charlie Finn (5-13-1, 3.71, .884)
Game notes: This series pits the nation’s lowest-scoring team in Maine (1.84 goals per game) against a Colgate team that is 59th among 60 teams in goals allowed (3.95 per game). The Raiders do have a potent power play, operating at 22.1 percent efficiency, while the Black Bears have struggled on the penalty kill of late. UNH went 7-for-19 on the power play in its four games vs. Maine last month. The Raiders have a quality first line with the Spink twins and Panowyk. Tyson Spink had 111 career points and Tylor Spink has 96. Maine has to play much better team defense and get better goaltending than it did in an 0-3-1 showing vs. UNH. Maine may be without left wing and second leading scorer Blaine Byron (upper body injury). Merchant has three goals and an assist in his last four games. The Black Bears also need to get off to better starts after spotting UNH 2-0 leads in all four games.