Men’s ice hockey
MAINE vs. No. 3 QUINNIPIAC
Time, site: Friday, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday 7, Alfond Arena, Orono
Records: Maine 2-0, Quinnipiac 1-0-1
Series, last meeting: tied 3-3-1, 3-3 tie on 1/19/16
Key players: Maine — RW Mitch Fossier (4 goals, 0 assists), LW Nolan Vesey (0 & 4), C Chase Pearson (2 & 1), C Blaine Byron (1 & 1), LW Cam Brown (0 & 2), D Rob Michel (no points), G Rob McGovern (2-0, 1.50 goals-against average, .958 save percentage); Quinnipiac — C Tim Clifton (2 & 0), RW Landon Smith (1 & 1), LW Bo Pieper (1 & 1), RW K.J. Tiefenwerth (0 & 2), D Chase Priskie (0 & 1), D Connor Clifton (no points), G Chris Truehl (1-0-1, 1.92, .938)
Game notes: The Bobcats return 13 of the 19 skaters who played in the NCAA championship game loss to North Dakota in April. However, leading scorers Sam Anas (24 & 26), who was a first team All-American, and Travis St. Denis (22 & 27) have departed as has workhorse goalie Michael Garteig (32-4-7, 1.91, .924). Quinnipiac has made four straight NCAA tournament appearances and, since qualifying for the 2012-2013 tourney, Quinnipiac’s 109 wins are second most among all Division I programs. Air Force Academy transfer Chris Truehl has inherited the goaltending job and stopped 60 of 64 shots in last weekend’s 2-2 tie and 5-2 win over defending Hockey East tournament champ Northeastern. Special teams will loom large and the Bobcats have had the nation’s best power play (24.8 percent) and penalty-killing percentage (89.3) over the last five seasons. UMaine has to get its power play untracked after going 0-for-11 and surrendering two shorthanded goals in its two wins over RPI last weekend. UMaine did kill off 12 of 13 Engineer power plays. Quinnipiac’s Rand Pecknold was the Spencer Penrose National Coach of the Year in 2015-16.