Here is the preview story that appeared in The New Hampshire, UNH's
student newspaper.
 
1.) No. 3 UNH, No. 2 Maine ready to rumble (U. New Hampshire)
By Christina Bousquet
The New Hampshire (U. New Hampshire)
02/05/1999
 
DURHAM, N.H. -- While the No. 3 University of New Hampshire men's
hockey team may only have one game on its weekend slate, this weekend
will
be far short of a rest. The Wildcats do not take to the ice until Sunday
night but will face their greatest rival in one of their most crucial
league games of the season as they travel to Alfond Arena in Orono to
tackle No. 2 Maine.
 
The game represents not just a renewal of a long-standing, heated
rivalry,
but also a match-up between the top two teams in the league. The
Wildcats
now sit three points ahead of Maine in Hockey East, but a Black Bear
win on
Friday at Northeastern coupled with a win against UNH on Sunday would
put
them one point ahead of the Wildcats; a tie on Sunday would leave UNH
with
a one-point lead.
 
"This is what you want as an athlete, to play in this type of game,"
said
UNH head coach Richard Umile. "[Alfond Arena] is where you want to play.
It's very confined; [the fans] are right on top of you. There's a lot of
hype surrounding this game ... It's an opportunity to stay on top of the
league and put a little distance between us. And it's pride, playing
Maine."
 
Sunday's match-up also pairs two teams that are nearly mirror images in
terms of numbers and line-ups. Maine took the better of the last meeting
between the two, a 4-3 win on Nov. 27 during the Governor's Cup tourney
at
Lowell.
 
"We're two different teams from that game. The two teams match well from
the net out," Umile said. "Both are strong in goal, both are strong
defensively and both have good, balanced offenses. We have Jason Krog;
they
have Steve Kariya. All the numbers are pretty equal. On paper, it looks
to
be a great game."
 
Both have potent offenses, with UNH holding the edge in goals per game,
4.21-4.11, and total goals, 109-107.
 
Both also have large arsenals of offensive weapons; the Wildcats boast
12
players in double digits for points, while Maine has nine.
 
Both boast Hobey Baker candidates. UNH senior co-captain Jason Krog
leads
the nation in scoring with 52 points and two points-per-game. Maine
senior
Steve Kariya is tied for second in the nation in scoring with 46 points.
 
But perhaps most importantly, both teams lead the league in defense and
goaltending. The two rank one-two in team defense in Hockey East, with
Maine allowing just 2.10 goals per game and UNH just 2.17. The two rank
one-two on the penalty kill, with UNH recording over 91 percent
efficiency
and Maine nearly 90 percent.
 
The two teams also claim the top three goalies in the league, with UNH
sophomore Ty Conklin at No. 1, Maine's Alfie Michaud at No. 2 and UNH
senior Sean Matile at No. 3. Umile said that he will not choose a
starting
goaltender until after practice Friday; Michaud, the No. 8 netminder in
the
nation, will make the start for the Black Bears.
 
While Michaud presents a challenge to the Wildcat attack, Umile said his
team is undaunted.
 
"He's (Michaud) up there," Umile said. "But every goalie in the league
is
good. We're used to strong goaltending."
 
The Wildcats have proven over the last few games that they have a
variety
of offensive threats, with defenseman Jayme Filipowicz, who garnered
Hockey
East Player of the Week honors for his two game-winners this past
weekend,
sophomore Johnny Rogers, sophomore Corey-Joe Ficek and freshmen Ryan
Cordeiro and David Busch all making key contributions to complement the
Wildcats' powerful starting line of Krog, junior Mike Souza and freshman
Darren Haydar.
 
Ficek, who bruised his back during Friday's game at Northeastern,
remains
questionable for Sunday's game. Ficek skated lightly yesterday, and
Umile
said he is hopeful that Ficek will be able to play.
 
With the two teams so evenly matched, Umile said that the center zone
and
the teams' transition performances will be crucial.
 
"Transition hockey will be really important," he said. "The puck turns
over
so quickly. The team that doesn't turn the puck over ... the team that's
smart [will be successful]. There will be a lot of little battles."
 
Game time for the match-up is set for 7 p.m. The contest will also air
live
on Fox Sports New England.