Aug. 9, 2011
Background: Bazin’s familiar with UMass Lowell – he played there from 1990-94, helping then-coach Bruce Crowder’s squad to 25 wins and an NCAA Tournament berth as a senior. After a short professional playing career, he returned to his alma mater in 1996 as an assistant coach under Tim Whitehead, then moved on to Colorado College in 2000, where he spent eight seasons as an aide to Scott Owens.
Bazin nabbed his first head coaching assignment at Hamilton College. In three seasons, he compiled a 38-31-7 record and in 2010-11 piloted the Continentals to their first New England Small College Athletic Conference regular-season championship.
State of the Program: The River Hawks bottomed out last season, winning just five games, the fewest in the school’s 27 Division I seasons and the second fewest in UML hockey history, which dates back to 1967-68. Even so, looking at the River Hawks’ results from last season, however—four ties, seven one-goal losses, and three two-goal losses in which opponents scored an empty-netter—they could’ve easily been a 10- or 12-win team with a few breaks.
Defense was the primary downfall; among the 58 Division I teams, the River Hawks ranked 54th in scoring defense (4.00) and 56th in penalty killing (76 percent). But Bazin has some pieces with which to start rebuilding. Twenty-four players return from last year’s team, and four of them (Matt Ferreira, Joe Pendenza, Dave Vallorani, and Riley Wetmore) scored 10 or more goals. He’s also selling the promise of a clean slate.
“It’s a very powerful thing,” Bazin said. “If a coach is willing to tell you he’ll give you a fresh start and another look, it gives you a new lease on life.”
Coaching Philosophy: Bazin admits expecting immediate results is unrealistic. But his ideas include making UMass Lowell a team that will excite its followers.
“Ideally, I’d like to be a tenacious, puck-possession team and a transition team. Players like to play that way, coaches like to coach it, and fans like to watch it,” Bazin said. “There’s going to be a learning curve. A lot of these players, I’ve never seen play in person … I’ve watched them on tape, but it’s not the same thing.”
In addition to the changes on the ice, Bazin plans to emphasize the school’s winning hockey tradition going back to its days as an NCAA Division II power three decades ago. One way he’ll do that is inviting former letter-winners in the area to get involved in with the program.
“Being an alum, it’s important for the kids to know the kind of success we’ve had in the past,” he said. “In order to believe in the future, you’ve got to understand the past.”
