DRACUT, Mass. – UMass Lowell hockey alumni, coaches, current players, friends of the program and staff gathered at Four Oaks Country Club in Dracut for the 23rd annual River Hawk Hockey Golf Tournament on July 14, presented by UKG.
"It was awesome," said Ed Campbell, who played for the team from 1993-96. "The event was great, and I had a ton of fun. I'm not even a great golfer, but being able to see everybody, have a little fun and a day of golf is better than any day of work, so I think it was great."
The tournament featured 18 holes of competition with a shotgun start, followed by a lunch, a silent auction hosted by Assistant Coach Dylan Zink and some remarks from both Zink and Head Coach
Norm Bazin in front of a packed ballroom.
"I hadn't been back in a while and came last year and this year, and actually couldn't believe the turnout," said former River Hawk center Brendan Flynn (Class of '91). "It just goes to show you the success of the team lately and it is just great to see and especially being happy for a guy like Norm."
In that crowd was current NHL player and former UMass Lowell forward Lucas Condotta (Class of '22). Condotta signed with the Montreal Canadiens the day before the tournament and scored his first NHL goal in his first NHL game and first NHL shift this past season against the Boston Bruins.
"It was surreal," said Condotta. "It was unbelievable and especially doing it against Tom Ford's Boston Bruins."
Along with current and former NHL players, members of the 2013 UMass Lowell Frozen Four team were in attendance, celebrating the 10-year anniversary of their special run.
"It was special," said Derek Arnold (Class of '14). "It was a long run. A lot of hard work in the summers and transitioning with the coaching staff the years before. We had a very tight group, maybe not the most skilled group that Lowell's ever had, but we had a lot of passion in the room and had the will to win. We made it to Pittsburgh, obviously didn't get the job done there, but ultimately, it was a very fun and successful season for the school."
In addition to returning to the Lowell area to catch up with former teammates, coaches and friends, the participants make their way to the tournament year in and year out to help bring the program that they all know and love to new heights.
"I think it brings everyone together, so everyone gets to stay current with what's happening with the program, the school, their friends, teammates and obviously raise money," said Campbell. "The more money the team gets, the more things they can have."
"Lowell has done so much for me," said Condotta. "If I can come to a UMass Lowell golf tournament and it helps the alumni and helps the team a little bit, I love to do it."
