Jan. 27, 2012

Box Score

Sophomore Josh Holmstrom (Colorado Springs, Colo.) scored twice, including the game-winner, as the 11th-ranked UMass Lowell River Hawks skated past in-state rival Massachusetts on Friday night in the Mullins Center.

The victory improved UMass Lowell's record to 15-7-0 overall and 10-6-0 in Hockey East action. The River Hawks are now 5-2-0 in their first games following a loss. Massachusetts dropped to 9-9-5 on the year and 5-7-4 in conference play.

The Minutemen grabbed the game's first goal, scoring just 3:16 into action. Working on a power play in the River Hawk zone, Steven Guzzo (Oakville, Ont.) won the battle for a loose puck on the far side and passed to Michael Pereira (West Haven, Conn.). Pereira connected with Branden Gracel (Calgary, Alta.) at the near circle as he closed in on the net and Gracel beat Doug Carr (Hanover, Mass.) for his fifth goal of the season.

Holmstrom erased that lead in the closing moments on the first period. Rookie Scott Wilson (Oakville, Ont.) collected the puck behind the net and found Derek Arnold (Foxboro, Mass.) in the corner. The second-year forward curled around and flicked a shot at the net for a screening Holmstrom to redirect past Steve Mastalerz (No. Andover, Mass.).

UMass Lowell's goaltender Carr stood tall in the second period, making a momentous save early in the action. On a River Hawk turnover in their own zone, Carr stymied T.J. Syner (Springfield, Mass.) with the toe of his skate to keep the score locked at 1-1.

The offense responded at the other end of the ice as sophomore Joseph Pendenza (Wilmington, Mass.) slotted a breakaway goal at 7:37 into the second period. Freshman Terrence Wallin (Yardley, Pa.) hit Pendenza with the breakout pass and the speedster raced into the Massachusetts' zone alone, beating Mastalerz with a low backhanded shot.

The River Hawks hung another tally on the scoreboard with 1:39 left in the second period. David Vallorani (Hamilton, Ont.) chased down the puck into the corner and hit Riley Wetmore (Swanton, Vt.) with a one-timer in the slot. Mastalerz made the stop, but Holmstrom potted the rebound for his second score of the night to put UMass Lowell on top 3-1.

Massachusetts cut the lead in half with a power play goal early in the third period. Syner connected with Conor Allen (Chicago, Ill.) for his seventh goal of the season, slashing the River Hawk lead to 3-2.

UMass Lowell put one more in the net before the final buzzer as Vallorani scored off of assists from Wetmore and Wallin with only 26 seconds remaining in the game.

For the night, Carr finished with 34 saves to improve to 14-4-0 on the season. Carr has now allowed just two goals in 120 minutes of action against the Minutemen this season. Massachusetts' Mastalerz stopped 30-of-33 shots while dropping to 3-2-0 on the campaign.

The two teams will wrap up the season series tomorrow night in the Tsongas Center at 7 p.m. UMass Lowell has already won the first two meetings.