Oct. 8, 2010
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The puck drops on the 2010-11 UMass Lowell hockey campaign where last season's dreams ended: in Orono, Maine. The River Hawks will seek redemption when they hit the Alfond Arena ice at 7 p.m. tonight for a showdown with the Black Bears.
UMass Lowell trails in the all-time series, 29-71-3, and in Orono, 16-33-1. The trend continued last season, as the River Hawks went 2-4-0 against Maine including a three-game Hockey East playoff loss to end the season.
Despite the grim statistical past, history is not completely against the River Hawks. The only other time the two programs have played in a season opener, UMass Lowell defeated Maine, 4-2, on Nov. 16, 1982. The victory came in the final season before the then named ULowell Chiefs made the jump to Division I.
In the exhibition opener, UMass Lowell posted a 3-0 shutout of St. Francis Xavier. Riley Wetmore (Swanton, Vt.), Michael Budd (Burlington, Ont.) and Derek Arnold (Foxboro, Mass.) each scored goals in the win.
The River Hawks were selected to finish eighth in Hockey East's preseason coaches poll released by the conference office at Media Day in the TD Garden. UMass Lowell received 33 overall points following a 19-16-4 season which ended in the opening round of the Hockey East playoffs.
The River Hawks were 12-11-4 in conference play last season, finishing tied for third in HE for the first time since 1995-96.
UMass Lowell returns 14 players from 2009-10. Among them are leading scorer Scott Campbell (Navan, Ont.) and 2009 All-American defenseman Maury Edwards (Rocky Rapids, Alta.).
This season's success rests largely on the shoulders of the 13 incoming freshmen who should see a great deal of ice time today. In addition to 11 incoming forwards and defensemen, two freshmen goaltenders, Marc Boulanger (Olds, Alta.) and Doug Carr (Hanover, Mass.), will be in the mix for time between the pipes.
Following tonight's game, the River Hawks travel to New York for a pair of road games with Niagara and RIT next weekend.
