AMESBURY, Mass.—UMass Lowell men's hockey freshman
Matt Crasa (South Setauket, N.Y.) has been tabbed to the Hockey East Pro Ambitions All-Rookie Team, as announced Wednesday afternoon by the conference.
"Matt had a very strong season. His ability to find open space on the ice is uncanny and he continues to impress in his first season here. We relied on his key offensive contributions to get over the hump in several games," remarked Head Coach
Norm Bazin. "I think he can continue to be a threat as we approach the post season. Great initial campaign for Matt at Lowell."
Crasa has emerged as a standout in the River Hawks lineup with 32 appearances in his first season. With 18 points off 11 goals and seven assists, the freshman forward ranks sixth on the team in scoring and leads all River Hawk rookies. His 11 goals place him in second on the team and mark the first time a freshman has hit the double-digit threshold since 2019 when
Carl Berglund (Hammaro, Sweden) achieved the feat.
A clutch contributor, Crasa leads the conference in game-winning goals scored by a freshman and is tied for third amongst all Hockey East skaters in the situational category. He is also tied for fourth on the squad with three power play goals this year.
A two-time Hockey East weekly award winner, Crasa has picked up Player of the Week and Co-Rookie of the Week honors following multi-point performances against Arizona State and Vermont. Scoring six points in five games, Crasa's offensive efforts to cap off the first half of the season also earned him December Pro Ambition Rookie of the Month honors.
Crasa is joined on the All-Rookie team by goaltender Devon Levi (Northeastern), defensemen Ty Gallagher (Boston University), Scott Morrow (Massachusetts), Ryan Ufko (Massachusetts) and David Breazeale (Maine), and forwards Justin Hyrckowian (Northeastern) and Jack Hughes (Northeastern).
The No. 14 River Hawks ready for battle on Saturday night at the Tsongas Center, when they host a soon-to-be determined opponent in the quarterfinal round of the 2022 Hockey East Championship.
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Tickets for Saturday's Hockey East Quarterfinal matchup are now available. To purchase tickets, learn about group ticketing opportunities or unlock deep discounts with season tickets, visit www.GoRiverHawks.com/tickets or contact Tyler Kenney at Tyler_Kenney@uml.edu / (978) 934-5739.
