Men’s Hockey
MAINE vs. No. 5 UMASS LOWELL
Time, site: Friday, 7 p.m., Alfond Arena, Orono; Sunday, 3 p.m., Tsongas Arena, Lowell, Massachusetts.
Records: UMaine 3-5-2 (0-2 Hockey East); UML 6-2-2 (2-0)
Series, last meeting: UMaine leads 75-38-4, UML 6-0 on 11/15/15
Key players: Maine — LW Mitch Fossier (6 goals, 3 assists), C-RW Blaine Byron (3 & 5), LW Nolan Vesey (3 & 4), C Chase Pearson (4 & 1), C Cam Brown (0 & 4), D Eric Schurhamer (1 & 4), G Rob McGovern (3-3-2, 2.63 goals-against average, .925 save percentage); UML — LW C.J. Smith (7 & 7), C Joe Gambardella (6 & 8), RW John Edwardh (4 & 6), D Dylan Zink (2 & 7), D Mattia Goransson (3 & 5), LW Jake Kamrass (5 & 2), G Tyler Wall (6-1-1, 1.81, .932)
Game notes: UMaine will look to snap its seven-game winless streak (0-5-2) against the River Hawks, who have won three in a row. It is UMaine’s fourth stretch of at least five games without a win since the start of the 2015-2016 season. UMaine has scored only 13 goals during the seven-game skid. The River Hawks are 4-0-1 in the last five games against UMaine and four have been decided by two goals or less. UML’s three leading scorers, Smith, Gambardella and Edwardh, have been linemates for the last eight games and the Black Bears must be aware of them at all times. Smith and Gambardella were the leading point-getters for last year’s NCAA tournament quarterfinalists. The River Hawks have the nation’s sixth-best power-play percentage (28.3 percent), so the Black Bears can’t afford to take penalties. Freshman goalie Wall is a sixth-round draft pick of the New York Rangers. Byron has a four-game points streak (1 & 4).
Women’s Basketball
Tip-Off Tournament
MAINE vs. PURDUE
Time, site: Friday, 5 p.m., Cross Insurance Center, Bangor
Records (2015-2016): Maine 26-9, Purdue 20-12
Series, last meeting: Purdue leads 1-0, Purdue 56-33 on 12/21/15
Key players (2015-2016 stats): Maine — 5-8 G Sigi Koizar (17.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists per game, 85 3-pointers, 43.4 3-pt. FG pct.), 5-10 G Tanesha Sutton (1.1 ppg, 1.0 rpg 2014-2015), 6-2 F Laia Sole (1st season), 6-0 G Naira Caceres (1st season), 6-1 Fr. F Fanny Wadling (1st season), 5-8 Fr. G Julie Brosseau (1st season); Purdue — 5-9 G Ashley Morrissette (13 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.8 apg), 6-2 F Bridget Perry (10.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg), 5-10 G Andreona Keys (8.4 ppg, 5.1 apg, 2.6 apg), 6-2 F Dominique McBryde (7.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 37 blocks), 6-5 C Bree Horrocks (4.4 ppg, 2.9 rpg), 6-6 C Nora Kiesler (2.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 31 blocks)
Game notes: The Boilermakers return five players who averaged at least 15.1 minutes per game last season. Purdue reached the NCAA tournament but lost 61-45 to Oklahoma. It did graduate second-team All-Big Ten guard April Wilson (1,200 points, 515 assists). Purdue held UMaine to a season-low 33 points last season and limited the Black Bears to 31.3 percent shooting. Perry had 10 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals. Koizar is the only UMaine player who saw significant minutes last season. Sutton will make her debut after transferring from Duquesne and sitting out a year as per NCAA rules. No. 10 Mississippi State, 28-8 a year ago and an NCAA tournament team, and Villanova (20-12, WNIT), play at 7. UMaine plays at Saturday at 7 p.m. against MSU or Villanova.
Men’s Basketball
MAINE at VIRGINIA TECH
Time, site: Friday, 9 p.m., Cassell Coliseum, Blacksburg, Virginia
Records (2015-2016): UMaine 8-22 (4-12 America East), Virginia Tech 20-15 (10-8 Atlantic Coast Conference)
Series: First meeting
Key players (2015-2016 statistics): UMaine — 5-11 G Aaron Calixte (10.8 ppg, 2.2 apg, 2.1 rpg), 6-7 F Ilija Stojiljkovic (3.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg), 6-5 G-F Garet Beal (5.4 ppg, 1.7 rpg), 6-8 C Vincent Eze (redshirt freshman), 6-2 G Wes Myers (transfer from Niagara); Virginia Tech — 6-7 F Zach LeDay (15.5 ppg, 7.9 rpg), 6-1 G Seth Allen (14.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.5 apg), 6-5 G Justin Bibbs (11.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg), 6-6 G-F Chris Clarke (8.4 ppg, 6.0 rpg)
Game notes: While UMaine lost six of its top eight scorers to graduation or transfer, Virginia Tech returns eight of its top nine scorers from a team that reached the second round of the NIT. The Hokies were picked 10th in the ACC preseason poll but with the strength of the conference is considered an NCAA tournament contender. Allen, a fifth-year senior, is one of 20 players named to the watch list for the 2017 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award. He ranked second on the team in scoring and assists and first in steals and free-throw percentage last winter. This marks the first of five straight road games to open the season for UMaine. The Black Bears visit Longwood in Farmville, Virginia, at 2 p.m. Sunday. UMaine’s first home game is set for Saturday, Nov. 26, against UMaine-Presque Isle.