Men’s Hockey
MAINE vs. OMAHA
Time, site: 6 p.m. Friday, Alfond Arena, Orono; noon Saturday, Cross Insurance Arena, Portland
Records: UMaine 9-8-3, Omaha 8-8-2
Series, last meeting: UMaine leads 3-1, UMaine 3-0 on 10/17/98
Key players: Maine — LW Mitch Fossier (4 goals, 18 assists), C Tim Doherty (7 & 11), RW Eduards Tralmaks (9 & 6), LW Jacob Schmidt-Svejstrup (9 & 2), D J.D. Greenway (1 & 5), D Jakub Sirota (0 & 5), G Jeremy Swayman (9-8-3, 2.29 goals-against average, .934 save percentage); Omaha — LW Kevin Conley (7 & 9), RW Taylor Ward (10 & 5), LW Tyler Weiss (3 & 11), C Teemu Pulkkinen (4 & 9), RW Zach Jordan (9 & 3), D Ryan Jones (2 & 5), G Isaiah Saville (6-5-2, 3.04, .889)
Game notes: The Mavericks were 9-24-3 last season and were picked seventh in the eight-team National Collegiate Hockey Conference in the preseason poll. UMaine head coach Red Gendron said Omaha is fast and highly skilled. Freshman center Joe Abate, who is on a line with leading scorers Conley and Ward, is tied for the national lead with four game-winning goals. The team has 10 players who have scored at least three goals and ranks ninth in the country with 3.56 goals per game. Omaha also has a good power play (21.5 percent). Goaltenders Saville, a Las Vegas Golden Knights fifth-round pick, and Austin Roden are freshmen. Swayman’s .934 save percentage is eight best in the nation. The Black Bears have to manage the puck well and not fuel Omaha’s transition game. They’re going to have to get the puck deep and sustain the forecheck. UMaine is coming off a 5-1 win over American International College in which it generated a season-high 49 shots on goal. Coach Mike Gabinet’s Mavs have scored 16 goals in their last three games.