College Hockey Tournament Begins Tonight

No. 1-ranked Maine plays sixth-ranked Michigan State in the first round of the third Great Western Freeze-Out Collegiate Hockey Tournament tonight at 8 in the Forum.

In the other first-round game, Waterloo, the No. 3-ranked team in Canada, plays No. 8 Calgary at 5 p.m. The winners meet Friday at 8 p.m.; the consolation game will be at5 p.m.

Two-time defending champion Michigan State (7-2-4) features defenseman Michael Stewart, a 1990 first-round draft pick of the New York Rangers. Maine (11-1) has won eight consecutive games behind goaltender Garth Snow.

Calgary (13-7-2) is led by the Triple K line: Sean Krakiwsky, Tracey Katelnikoff and Matt Kabayama. Krakiwsky is a former Los Angeles King draft pick who played one season with the team’s former minor league affiliate in New Haven, Conn.

Waterloo (10-2) has won five consecutive games.