"The first shutout is always the hardest thing to get, but I have been feeling really good the last couple of matches," Meagher said.

Meagher has been aided by the return of junior captain Ryan Kelly, who injured his hand earlier in the season. Although Kelly has only slowly returned to early-season form, the defender's strong, gutsy play in the middle of the field has contributed greatly to the Crimson's recent success.

Kelly and the Crimson will not face a great test in Maine, who is having a season to forget. The Black Bears sit at the bottom of the America East Conference and have lost their last six games.

Maine is last in the America East in total goals, total points, shots on goal and corner kicks taken. In 15 games, the Black Bears' defense has given up 40 goals. Keeper Aaron Weymouth has been beaten 35 times this season and carries a 2.58 goals against average into today's contest.

In recent action, the Black Bears lost to New Hampshire on Saturday, 6-2. UNH forward Adam Purcell scored five goals against the porous Maine defense, setting a new America East record for single-game scoring on Maine's home field.

The majority of the Black Bears' eighteen goals have come from two players--Ricky Brown and Aaron Benjamin. Brown has seven goals and seven assists, and is the ninth leading scorer in the America East. Benjamin has scored eight goals and assisted on one other.

Both Harvard and Maine have played Northeastern and Boston University this season. The Crimson tied B.U. 1-1 early in the season, and beat Northeastern 3-2. The Black Bears fared worse, falling to B.U., 3-2, and losing to Northeastern, 5-2.

The Crimson will face the Black Bears today at 2:00 p.m. on Ohiri Field.