4/5/2023 10:53:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Success is the norm for the UMass Lowell men’s hockey team, and the 2022-23 campaign was no exception. A gritty season earned the River Hawks an 18-15-3 (11-10-3 HEA) mark as they returned to the Hockey East Semifinals for the third-consecutive year, proving once again that the Men of Lowell have the will and the way of rising to the occasion.
The River Hawks racked up accomplishments during the 2022-23 season, including a spot in the national rankings for 21 consecutive weeks. The team also stood amongst the nation’s best in several statistical categories, including scoring defense (2.28 GAA – 8th NCAA, 1st HEA), faceoff percentage (.533 – 6th NCAA, 1st HEA), and penalty killing percentage (.842 – 11th NCAA, 3rd HEA).
Up to any challenge, the River Hawks opened the season with an action-packed non-conference slate, starting with a 4-0 shutout over St. Lawrence in the team’s earliest season opener to date on Oct. 1. Grad transfer Gustavs Davis Grigals made his debut between the pipes, making 27 saves en route to becoming just the second goaltender in program history to record a shutout in his first appearance.
The team went on to cap its non-conference slate with series wins over Miami (OH) and Michigan State before diving headfirst into an especially competitive Hockey East schedule. In addition to midseason matchups with ECAC and Atlantic Hockey opponents like Dartmouth and AIC, the River Hawks finished 2022-23 with a .600 record against non-Hockey East foes.
Opening the conference schedule on the road, UMass Lowell kickstarted the season with a 3-2 win over then No. 12/14 Northeastern at historic Matthews Arena. They followed up the win with another victory over then-No. 9 Boston University in front of a lively crowd at the Tsongas Center. Prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, the River Hawks collected a weekend sweep over Vermont and an overtime thriller over UConn before shipping off to Belfast.
For the second time since the tournament’s inception, the River Hawks went back to Belfast, Northern Ireland, for the return of the Friendship Four. The team spent the week touring the sights and sharing the game with the local community before dropping the puck on game one against familiar rivals UMass at SSE Arena.
After a hard-fought 2-1 loss, UMass Lowell returned to the ice Saturday to square off against Dartmouth. A troublesome first left the River Hawks chasing a 3-0 deficit after 20 minutes, but the team surged back heroically, notching the game-tying goal with 1:17 left in regulation to force overtime. Sophomore Stefan Owen earned the title of Man of the Match after netting the game-winner just 1:36 into the extra frame.
The River Hawks closed out the first half on a high note after returning stateside, taking down UMass in a thrilling shootout before earning a 3-2 win over Dartmouth on the road to cap the first half.
Coming off the holidays, UMass Lowell regrouped before going 5-1-0 across January, picking up wins over AIC, Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.
Grigals played an integral role in the goal for the River Hawks, picking up a 4-1-0 mark, a 1.81 GAA, and a .939 save percentage in his five appearances. For his efforts, he was named the Stop It Goaltending Goaltender of the Month.
The River Hawks pushed through a stacked end-of-season schedule with a ticket back to the Garden within reach. Collecting wins over, Boston College, Maine, Providence, and Northeastern, UMass Lowell earned their spot in the Tournament for the third-straight year.
As the fifth seed, the River Hawks had the luxury of a midweek bye before sending off to Storrs, Conn., to face off against the No. 4 seed UConn in the quarterfinal round. An exhilarating two-goal first period thanks to Blake Wells and Owen Cole helped UMass Lowell jump out to a 2-0 lead heading into the second.
A particularly stellar showing by the defense and Grigals kept the River Hawks ahead of the Huskies. Even when a late UConn goal in the third threatened to close in, UMass Lowell held steady to solidify their trip back to the Garden.
The River Hawks stint in Boston was nothing short of thrilling. A deadlocked game through the opening two periods, Merrimack got the jump with a 1-0 lead just 9:34 into the third. UMass Lowell refused to go down without a fight, however, as freshman Scout Truman notched the game-tying goal to force overtime with 31.1 seconds remaining in regulation. It took until the second overtime for the game to be decided, with the Warriors earning the win after over 90 minutes of action.
The end of the season only brought about more wins for the River Hawks in the form of signings and postseason honors. Graduate students Jon McDonald and Gustavs Davis Grigals were tabbed to the Hockey East All-Star Third Team after their incredible campaigns.
Carl Berglund, Zach Kaiser, Jon McDonald, Marek Korencik and Gustavs Davis Grigals all took their game to the next level after inking professional contracts to add to the long list of River Hawks in the pros.
In one final celebration of the 2022-23 season, the River Hawks gathered for their annual Awards Banquet to honor the team’s accomplishments and hand out the team’s awards. In total, seven River Hawks earned individual accolades spanning from Team MVP to Most Improved to the Unsung Hero of the 2022-23 campaign.
INDIVIDUAL POINT LEADERS
CARL BERGLUND
Led the team in points (27) for the second-consecutive season // Scored a team-best 12 goals // Hobey Baker Award nominee
GUSTAVS DAVIS GRIGALS
Finished 1st in GAA & 2nd in save percentage in HEA // Finished 7th in GAA & 6th in save percentage in the nation // HEA Third Team All-Star // Hobey Baker Award Nominee
JON McDONALD
Led the team in assists (17) // Registered career-highs in points (20) & assists (17) // Clocked 48 blocks (T-15 in HEA)
BREHDAN ENGUM
Set a career-high in blocks (60) to lead the River Hawks // Tied for 7th in HEA in blocks
SCOUT TRUMAN
Led all rookies in scoring with eight goals & six assists for 14 points
FILIP FORNÅÅ SVENSSON
Led the team in PPG with four this season // Finished the year with six goals & six assists for 12 points
