Putting the shortened 2020-21 season behind them, the River Hawks quickly forced themselves into the national polls after amassing an 11-3-3 record and remaining undefeated at the Tsongas through the first half. Battling through a challenging midseason schedule, UMass Lowell fought its way back to TD Garden for the 2022 Hockey East Tournament after closing out the year with a 7-2 trouncing of Merrimack in the HEA opening round.

Bazin and the River Hawks view every year as a clean slate, but the expectation to succeed remains the same as the program embarks on its 56th season.

Despite losing veteran players to graduation and professional contracts, the River Hawks retained nearly its entire defensive core with the return of Jon McDonald, Brehdan Engum, Isac Jonsson, Marek Korencik and Ben Meehan. Up front, UMass Lowell will look to the likes of Matt Crasa and Carl Berglund to ignite the offense once again after posting impressive numbers last year. 

Bazin bolstered the team’s presence on the ice with a group of 12 newcomers that contribute strength and power to the long-established UMass Lowell identity. The team expects immediate contributions from graduate transfers Filip Fornaa Svensson, Gustavs Davis Grigals and Jake Stella, as they bring years of NCAA experience with them from Alaska Fairbanks and AIC.

“We're still getting to know them as people, so it's tough for me to say what we can expect from them in the early goings,” remarked Bazin. “As the year progresses though, guys like [Stella, Fornåå Svensson, Grigals], we're expecting big things out of them. They've been in college. They've had some experience, so we're really going to lean on [them] to help us.”

The team balanced out an upperclassmen-heavy lineup with the addition of nine true freshmen to Bazin’s recruiting class that bring height, power and speed to an already stacked River Hawk roster.

“As far as the younger guys go, the true freshmen, we're going to give them some time to get used to the college game, so we can really figure out what they can provide for our team and what kind of minutes they can absorb early on," said Bazin.

Just before puck drop on the 2022-23 season, the team announced its leadership core comprised of captains Jon McDonald and Carl Berglund, as well as alternates Blake Wells and Zach Kaiser.

Facing 34 regular season games, the team starts off the season with non-conference opponents St. Lawrence and Miami (OH) at home, before hitting the road for a two-game series with Michigan State. The team hopes to use the first few weeks to home in on their summer training and gain traction before opening conference action on Saturday, Oct. 22, on the road at Northeastern.

Though Bazin and the River Hawks plan on taking the schedule opponent-by-opponent, week-by-week, the goal for the year remains the same: win the Hockey East Tournament and make their way back to the NCAA stage.