Friday at Dartmouth: Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+) | Watch (STRETCH) | Listen | Game Notes

LOWELL, Mass.—The No. 14/15 UMass Lowell men's hockey team (9-6-1, 5-4-1 Hockey East) caps the first half of the season on the road against familiar non-conference opponent Dartmouth (1-8-1, 1-5-1 ECAC) Friday, Dec. 9. The 7 p.m. tilt will stream live on ESPN+.
 
SCOUTING THE RIVER HAWKS
With just one game since returning stateside, the River Hawks continue to rely on a heavily defensive style of play as they head into the holiday break. Drawing to a 1-1 stalemate on the road last weekend, UMass Lowell hopes for an offensive breakout this weekend against the Big Green. Senior Carl Berglund continues to lead the squad in points with 12 points off a team-best seven goals on top of five assists. Berglund's fellow co-captain Jon McDonald leads the crew in assists through the first 15 games with eight. McDonald also has one goal to his credit for nine points this year. A staple on defense, McDonald ranks second on the team in blocks with 23 and is a key member of the River Hawks' nationally ranked penalty kill unit. Another force on the blue line, Brehdan Engum leads the team in blocks with 28 this season. He also sits in a three-way tie for sixth in the conference and 29th in the country in the category. Between the pipes, Gustavs Davis Grigals is likely to earn the nod again after helping the River Hawks secure a tie against UMass as well as the extra point after back-to-back stops in the shootout. The graduate transfer currently ranks second in the nation with a .939 save percentage and third in the country with a 1.66 GAA. He also leads the conference in both categories.
 
SCOUTING THE BIG GREEN
Since facing off just two weeks ago, Dartmouth has extended its losing skid to six consecutive games. The Big Green dropped back-to-back contests against Colgate and Cornell since returning stateside. Freshman Luke Haymes sits atop the Big Green scoreboard in goals with six, although the 6-1 forward has not found twine since returning from Belfast. Last weekend, John Fusco scored the lone goal of the two-game stretch for Dartmouth to earn his first of the year. Defenseman Tanner Palocsik has dished out a team-best six assists on top of one goal to lead the team with seven points this season. Jack Cameron and Joey Musa lead the team on defense with 11 blocks each. Fusco sits just one block behind with 10 to rank third on the squad. Cooper Black continues to be Dartmouth's probable starter, appearing in all 10 games for the Big Green this year. Black owns a 2.71 GAA and a .909 save percentage.
 
SCORING AGAINST THE BIG GREEN
Twelve River Hawk skaters have registered points against Dartmouth during their careers. With just 10 of the currently rostered River Hawks having seen action in more than one game against the Big Green in their careers, nine of them have been able to pick up points. With three points apiece, Owen Cole and Zach Kaiser lead the team in scoring against the ECAC opponent. Kaiser's three points came off a pair of goals and one assist, while Cole's career points against Dartmouth have all come on helpers. Between the pipes, Gustavs Davis Grigals and Henry Welsch both saw action against Dartmouth for the first time overseas at the 2022 Friendship Four. Grigals ultimately earned the come-from-behind win over the Big Green, having to make just five saves in his 40 minutes.
 
DÉJÀ VU
It's been just two weeks since the River Hawks and the Big Green faced off. The two non-conference foes met on the ice at the 2022 Friendship Four in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in the consolation match on Saturday. Dartmouth took the 3-0 edge in the first period, but the River Hawks clawed back with three unanswered goals across the second and third to lock things up and force overtime. Just over a minute and a half into the bonus block, sophomore Stefan Owens lit the lamp with a snipe off the pass from Ben Meehan to seal the victory and earn him Man of the Match honors. Zach Kaiser, Nick Rhéaume and Carl Berglund all scored in the matchup, with Berglund's being the critical equalizer in the final two minutes of play. Rhéaume's second-period tally marked the first goal of his collegiate career.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Last weekend, the River Hawks paid a visit to Kennedy Cup opponent Massachusetts for the second time this season. After dropping to a 1-0 deficit in the first period, freshman Dillan Bentley notched his first collegiate goal and point off a power play goal in the second period to force the tie. After scoreless third and overtime periods, the game turned to a shootout to decide the extra conference point. Seniors Carl Berglund and Ryan Brushett put up two back-to-back successful shots to ultimately decide the shootout. Gustavs Davis Grigals stopped a season-high 36 shots in his 65 minutes, adding a pair of clutch stops to keep UMass scoreless in the shootout.
 
PK POWERHOUSES
UMass Lowell's penalty kill unit has been impenetrable as of late. The River Hawks currently rank second in the conference and fourth in the nation on the kill with just six goals allowed in 54 opponent power play opportunities for a .889 success rate.
 
STELLAR AT THE DOT
The River Hawks continue to stay hot at the faceoff dot this season. With 524 wins to 451 losses, UMass Lowell's .537 faceoff win percentage ranks ninth in the country and first in Hockey East. Senior Jake Stella leads the team in FO wins with 152, placing him sixth in the conference and 36th in the nation in the statistical category.
 
THE GOOSE IS LOOSE
Gustavs Davis Grigals has been a force between the pipes as of late. The graduate transfer earned the tie and subsequent shootout win to capture two points for the River Hawks in the conference standings against Kennedy Cup foe UMass. Leading the conference in both GAA and save percentage, Grigals owns the nation's second-best save percentage (.939) and third-best GAA (1.66).
 
A WIN THIS WEEKEND
A win against the Big Green this Friday would mark a season sweep against the non-conference foe after besting them 4-3 in an OT thriller at the 2022 Friendship Four just two weeks ago. The River Hawks would move to an all-time 8-3-0 mark against Dartmouth should they pick up the win. Head Coach Norm Bazin would also remain undefeated against Dartmouth with a flawless 4-0 mark with a victory this weekend. It would also keep the River Hawks undefeated against ECAC opponents for the second consecutive season.
 
UP NEXT
The River Hawks ring in the New Year with a two-game home series against Alaska Anchorage, Dec. 30-31. Puck drops for the pair of games are set for 6:05 p.m. and 4:05 p.m., respectively.
 

Related Videos

Now Playing:

• Play Video