PORTLAND, Maine—A 29-save shutout from senior Owen Savory (Cambridge, Ontario) pushed the No. 15 UMass Lowell men's hockey team (8-2-2, 6-1-0 Hockey East) to a 2-0 victory over Maine (1-10-2, 1-7-1 HEA) Saturday night at Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, Maine.
 
With the win, Savory registered his third shutout of the season and ninth of his career. He also now owns the top save percentage (.954) and goals against average (1.10) in the conference. Nationally, Savory leads the country in save percentage and sits in second overall in GAA behind Quinnipiac's Yaniv Perets (1.06).
 
In the scoring column for the River Hawks, juniors Blake Wells (Blackie, Alberta) and Ryan Brushett (Montreal, Quebec) each logged a goal in the shutout. Wells' first period goal marked the first of the season for the forward, while Brushett's unassisted third period tally was his third since joining the River Hawks.

"Our team played a solid road game with contributions all the way down the lineup. The penalty kill was timely, and the whole team contributed to the shutout performance," remarked Head Coach Norm Bazin. "Savory also continues to prove he's one of the best goaltenders in the country."
 
Although the Black Bears held onto an early advantage in shots on goal, the River Hawks offense struck first in the post-Thanksgiving clash. A centering pass from graduate student Connor Sodergren (Tewksbury, Mass.) to Wells in the slot flew wide to senior Sam Knoblauch (Rochester, Mich.), who controlled the deflected shot behind the net. Knoblauch then sent the puck back to Wells, who stuffed the shot under the glove of Maine's Victor Ostman to earn the 1-0 lead.
 
A scoreless second frame marked a decidedly defensive period for the River Hawks, as their penalty kill unit went to work. With Maine looking for an equalizer, the host squad put four shots on goal during their pair of power plays to no avail as Savory and the UMass Lowell squad shut them out.
 
Over 42 minutes after Wells' first period tally, the River Hawks found their way back into the scoring column with a third period insurance goal from Brushett. Battling with Maine along the boards, the Canadian born winger secured the puck and fired a quick shot into the top right corner to send UMass Lowell back to the Mill City with the victory.
 
The River Hawks ready for their first Kennedy Cup showdown of the season next weekend, Dec. 3-4. UMass Lowell opens the two-game series at home on Friday at 7 p.m., before making the trek to Amherst on Saturday for a 7:30 p.m. puck drop.