Men’s Hockey
MAINE vs. PROVIDENCE
Time, site: Friday, 2 p.m., SSE Arena, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Records: UMaine (4-6, 3-3 Hockey East), Providence 7-4-1 (4-3-1)
Series, last meeting: UMaine leads 67-45-7, Providence 5-3 on 2/4/17
Key players: Maine — RW Eduards Tralmaks (5 goals, 3 assists), C Chase Pearson (0 & 8), LW Mitch Fossier (4 & 3), D Rob Michel (2 & 5), D Brady Keeper (3 & 2), C Tim Doherty (2 & 3), G Jeremy Swayman (3-2, 2.71 goals-against average, .919 save percentage); Providence — LW Erik Foley (6 & 6), RW Josh Wilkins (5 & 6), D Jacob Bryson (1 & 8), D Ben Mirageas (4 & 4), C Brian Pinho (3 & 5), G Hayden Hawkey (7-4, 2.71, .907)
Game notes: UMaine hasn’t beaten Providence since Oct. 29, 2011. The Friars have a 14-game unbeaten streak (13-0-1) against the Black Bears. The Friars are coming off a 2-1 win and a 6-6 tie with Merrimack while the Black Bears are looking to rebound from a 7-0 loss to Boston University in Portland last Saturday night. UMaine had won its previous two games. The Black Bears and Friars are the most penalized teams in college hockey as the Bears average 17.5 penalty minutes per game and PC is at 17.0. UMaine is also 56th among 60 teams in scoring defense (3.60 goals per game allowed). The Black Bears will need to get better defensively and stay out of the penalty box as PC has the nation’s 17th best power play (22.6 percent). This is considered a league game.
Women’s Basketball
MAINE vs. MIAMI
Time, site: Friday, 4 p.m., Watsco Center, Coral Gables, Florida
Records: UMaine 3-1, Miami 3-1
Series, last meeting: 2-2, Miami 76-51 on 12/20/16
Key players: Maine — 6-1 F Blanca Millan (19.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, per game), 5-10 G Tanesha Sutton (10.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 3 assists), 5-6 G Dor Saar (7.3 ppg, 3.3 apg), 5-8 G Parise Rossignol (5.5 ppg), 6-1 F Fanny Wadling (3.3 ppg, 5 rpg), 5-11 F Maeve Carroll (6 ppg, 5.7 rpg), 5-8 G Julie Brosseau (5.5 ppg); Miami — 5-4 G Mykea Gray (17.8 ppg, 3 apg), 6-2 F Erykah Davenport (10.8 ppg, 10.5 rpg), 5-9 G Endia Banks (7.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 4 apg), 6-1 F Sarah Mortensen (5 ppg), 5-9 G/F Shaneese Bailey (6.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg), 6-6 C Serena-Lynn Geldof (5.3 ppg)
Game notes: Freshman Gray is a former Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year who was rated the No. 60 recruit and No. 16 point guard in the nation’s incoming freshman class by ProspectsNation.com. The Hurricanes return just two starters, seniors Davenport and Harris, off last year’s 24-9 team that reached the second round of the NCAA tournament. The Hurricanes have forced 25 turnovers per game so the Black Bears are going to have to do a good job protecting the ball. UMaine has turned the ball over only 11 times per game which ranks 10th nationally and the best in America East. UMaine is also 14th in the country and tops in the league in scoring defense, surrendering only 50.3 ppg.