Oct. 21, 2011
As Norm Bazin, who took over the reins as coach of the UMass Lowell men’s hockey team, prepared for the 2011-12 season he said there was one more thing he wanted - more time.
“We certainly would like a few more weeks of preparation, but everybody has the same time,’’ he said, a little more than two weeks before making his debut with the River Hawks. “We realize everyone would like a few more weeks at this point.’’
Turns out Bazin need not have worried. The River Hawks proved plenty ready as they swept the two-game opening weekend at Minnesota State, 4-2 and 4-1. This from a team that scored four or more goals only seven times last season.
On Tuesday, the team went to overtime before losing to UConn, 3-2, in Nashua, N.H.
Now Bazin and his team are in an extended break before a home-and-home series with Boston College Oct. 28-29.
“Our expectations are simple. We plan to improve from last year’s performance [5-25-4],’’ said Bazin. “In order to do that, we want to start playing a very tenacious, hard-checking style.’’
Bazin played at UMass Lowell (1990-94) and then was an assistant for the River Hawks (1996-2000) and Colorado College (2000-08) before serving as head coach at Hamilton College for the last three seasons. Bazin said it was a natural progression for him to return to Lowell.
“For me, it was an easy decision,’’ he said. “I have tremendous pride in our program. It’s a place I want to make a difference and leave a legacy and so it was an exciting position for me to pursue and I’m glad I’ve got this opportunity.’’
Bazin said he reached out to alumni during the summer, wanting them to be a part of it.
“This summer was a big, big fund-raising campaign to add to the Tsongas Arena,’’ he said. “I can tell you, it’s been a tremendous success. The alumni group has supported this thing as much as they’ve supported anything.’’
Although it takes time for a new bench boss to put his mark on a team, Bazin said there is much about which to be optimistic.
“I’m excited about our leadership,’’ he said. “I feel that there are a few young men that we’re going to build off of for the coming years, but we’re more concerned with what we can do this year. I think it’s going to take some time to play a different style and institute our philosophy [a puck-possession style]. However, it’s not the players I inherited. It’s our team and that is what we’re going with.
“It’s going to be a work in progress. How fast that’s going to happen will be determined by how well they buy in and if you have the right pieces in place.’’
