Friday, February 12th at Boston University (12pm)
(Nickerson Field; Boston, Mass.)
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SCOUTING THE RIVER HAWKS: UMass Lowell went 1-13 overall (0-6 AE) in their first Division I season in school history in 2015 and look to take the next step in year two under the direction of second-year Head Coach Ed Stephenson. The team will open their 16th season of play on Friday at Boston University. The River Hawks return their top 12 scorers from a year ago, including sophomore attackman Jon Phillips (Delta, B.C.) who lead the team in scoring with 28 points (14g,14a) in 14 contests and sophomore attackman Sean Tyrrell (Calgary, Alta.), who recorded 23 points (9g,23a). UMass Lowell returns 97% of the teams' offense from last year with 20 returning players and 19 newcomers to the River Hawks' roster. Although UMass Lowell was picked seventh in the America East preseason poll, the future is bright and Coach Stephenson is excited about the potential of this team.

"One the exciting things about starting a new program is you see so much progress from year to year, moreso than an established team," said Stephenson. "You see so much improvement and that's the case this year, a lot more depth with a little bit better competition in practices. All that stuff is a natural progression, from your first year to second year."

"We obviously want to be workmanlike and that comes in time. We are a little grittier than we were last year," says Stephenson. "Competition helps that a lot, but I think the biggest thing is the recognition of your teammates on the field and having the confidence that your teammates will be where they need to be, when they need to be there. We are trying to develop that confidence and it really requires preparation on each individuals part to be prepared and knowledgeable, being able to react quickly and that's really what we are trying to build. Being able to react to circumstances on the field together as one unit and trust that you know where guys will be."

"We are very excited, we put in a lot of hard work this offseason," said Will Puduski. "These next few weeks coming leading up to the season, we have a totally different culture, just hard work and toughness and we are really excited to put it into the game perspective and give it a go."

"Things have been great. It has been an incredible growth between year one and year two, sort of seeing how different it has been, and how much harder we have been working this year," stated Martin Winter. "It is a much more focused vibe, and I think we are ready for a great season."

SCOUTING THE TERRIERS: Boston University opened the season with a 9-5 win against Providence at Nickerson Field on Saturday. Sophomore Jack Wilson and freshman James Burr each recorded two goals and an assist, while junior Sam Talkow was dominant on faceoffs, winning 16 of 18 to help BU post a wire-to-wire victory vs. the Friars. The Terriers owned a 6-8 record last year, which included a 3-5 record in Patriot League play. The team returns 36 players from 2015 and adds 15 new faces into the mix for the upcoming season. Junior midfielder Cal Dearth led the team in scoring with 42 points (19g,23a) last year in 14 games.

KEYS TO THE RIVER HAWKS' SEASON:
1. Develop Championship Culture
2. Focus on the Process
3. Play hard, play smart, and have fun

PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Martin Winter, who has strong leadership qualities, notched eight points (6g,2a) in 13 games last season
Will Puduski played in eight games last year and notched one assist in his freshman season, is a vocal leader on the team with a great motor.
Sean Tyrrell, ranked second on the team in scoring with 28 points last year, he has a great understanding of the game and also has some great intangibles as one of the core leaders on the team.

GOALS FOR THE SEASON:
1. Maximize potential of the entire team
2. Reach one goal and establish the next. Concentrate on the process, improve each week to have a productive year.

OH CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN: The team will be captained by Grant Lardieri (Ada, Mich.), Will Puduski (Westford, Mass.), Sean Tyrrell (Calgary, Alta.) and Martin Winter (Lake Oswego, Ore.).

"I think our captains have embodied everything we want to do. I think they are always prepared, I think the give their best, they have set a great example on and off the field," said Stephenson. "Each and every one of them achieved the highest academic awards that we have, two of which were perfect 4.0's. Both on and off the field, these are guys we can count on, these are guys that are prepared and we are fortunate it goes well beyond the 'C' on the chest. We have so many guys that have really responded and been committed to our goals and objectives."

"Our work ethic and overall team energy, we come out here everyday and give it all we got whether it is in the weight room or on the field, so it should be fun to see how it pans out throughout the season," said Puduski.

"We are extremely competitive with each other right now and I think that is something that keeps it fun and keeps everybody focused," said Winter. "At the same time, that is the way to bring everybody to the next level, to compete for every single rep, every single drill and have something on the line every time."