BURLINGTON, Vt. – A late third period empty-netter by sophomore Matt Brown (Wood Ridge, N.J.) proved to be the difference, as the UMass Lowell hockey team (7-8-0) defeated Vermont (1-9-2), 3-2, to sweep the weekend series.
 
"It's extremely difficult to sweep a weekend, so there is a lot to be proud of," said Head Coach Norm Bazin. "I was most proud of the way the guys closed the game out in the third. I thought they got into a real good rhythm and did an incredible job in the last 15 minutes and I was proud of their effort."
 
For the second night in a row, the River Hawks limited the Catamounts' shot attempts, this time outshooting their hosts, 44-18. Junior Reid Stefanson (Winnipeg, Manitoba) and sophomore Jordan Schulting (Penticton, B.C.) each tallied two points to pace the team's offense. Stefanson registered one goal and one assist, while Schulting finished with a pair of assists in the contest. In addition to Brown and Stefanson, junior Chase Blackmun (Hudson, Wis.) added a point with a goal.
 
Junior Owen Savory (Cambridge, Ontario) picked up the win in net for the second consecutive night with 16 saves, while Vermont's Gabe Carriere recorded the loss with 26 stops.
 
Although the River Hawks took a 15-6 edge in shots in the first period, it was the Catamounts that got on the board first less than five minutes into play, as Andrew Lucas stickhandled past the defense and took the puck all the way through the slot by himself before slipping it past Savory.
 
The River Hawks earned three consecutive power plays in the second, capitalizing on the third to knot the game at 1-1. On that play, the squad ate up the clock, passing the puck around the offensive zone before Schulting received a short dish from Stefanson and sent it across to Blackmun at the point, who fired a wrister up under the crossbar for the equalizer.
 
The board would remain even until 3:07 in the third when sophomore Andre Lee (Karlstad, Sweden) carried the puck out through the circle and snapped it back towards the net for the deflection on target by Stefanson.
 
Brown would then add the empty-netter inside the final minute of the third period with the assist from senior Connor Sodergren (Tewksbury, Mass.). That insurance goal proved necessary to seal the win in regulation thanks to a score by Vermont's Tristan Mullin at 19:31 that cut the difference to just one at 3-2.
 
The River Hawks will now await their Hockey East opponent for next weekend.