Friday vs. UConn: Live Stats | Watch | Listen | Game Notes
Saturday vs. UConn: Live Stats | Watch | Listen | Game Notes
LOWELL, Mass. – After a series sweep in Vermont last weekend, the No. 15 UMass Lowell ice hockey team (8-2-0, 4-1- Hockey East) returns to the Tsongas Center to host Connecticut (6-5-1, 3-4-1 Hockey East) for a two-game set.
SCOUTING THE RIVER HAWKS
UMass Lowell entered the 2024-25 season coming off an 8-24-4 campaign that saw the River Hawks enter the Hockey East Tournament as the #11 seed. The team has graduate a handful of players and have bolstered their lineup of 17 returners with 15 newcomers, including seven transfers and eight freshmen. Of those transfers, five are graduate students and two are juniors. The team kicked off the 2024-25 season in the ninth spot in the Hockey East Preseason Poll with 40 points. Through ten games this season, they hold an 8-2-0 record (4-1-0 Hockey East). Nationally, in the USCHO poll, they are currently ranked No. 15, while ranking No. 13 in the USA Hockey poll.
UMass Lowell enters this game with UConn after a two-game road series at Vermont last weekend, where the squad picked up a sweep of the Catamounts. The River Hawks' offense exploded for five goals in game one, before earning a 3-0 shutout in game two.
Dillan Bentley earned Hockey East Player of the Week for his 2g, 1a performance, while
Henry Welsch picked up Goaltender of the Week honors for the shutout, as well as the 39-save, 1.00 GAA and .951 save percentage weekend.
SCOUTING THE HUSKIES
The Huskies enter the weekend with a 6-5-1 overall record, most recently getting swept by Merrimack, before picking up a huge win over No. 2 Boston College last Friday night at home by a score of 5-4.
The Huskies are coming off a 15-19-2 year where they fell to Boston College in the Hockey East Quarterfinals after defeating Vermont, 4-1, in the First Round. They return two of their top five point-scorers from 2023-24 in graduate student Hudson Schandor and sophomore Jake Richard. Schandor totaled 21 points (5g, 16a) for third on the team, while Richard was right behind him in fourth with 18 (7g, 11a). They did not return any goaltenders from last year's roster, but junior New Hampshire transfer Tyler Muszelik has gotten the nod for the majority of this season's games, and he has a 5-4-1 record with a 2.59 GAA and .897 save percentage.
This season, the Huskies have two players tied with a team-leading nine points in Jake Richard (4g, 5a) and Ryan Tattle (4g, 5a). Jake Percival (6g, 2a) and Joey Muldowney (3g, 5a) are just behind with eight points apiece. Percival also leads the squad with his six goals, while three players are tied for second with four.
HOT START
UMass Lowell is now 8-2-0, tied for the best start through 10 games in their Division 1 history. They also were 8-2-0 in 2001-02 and 7-1-2 in 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2021-22.
The River Hawks have won their 1st five games away from the Tsongas Center this season. This is the 1
st time in their Division I history they opened the season with 5 straight wins away from home. In their final year of Division II (1982-83), they opened the season with 9 straight wins away from home. The last time they were unbeaten in their 1st five road games of the season was actually a nine-game stretch (7-0-2) from October 14, 2014 through January 3, 2015.
HONORS
Dillian Bentley was named Hockey East Player of the Week and
Henry Welsch was named Hockey East Stop It Goaltending Goaltender of the Week on Monday. The last time UMass Lowell had 2 players honored by the league in the same week was Week 1 of the 2022-23 season, when
Isac Jonsson was Defensive Player of the Week and Gustavs Davis Grigals was Goaltender of the Week.
AT THE DOT
UMass Lowell currently ranks 33rd in the nation at the faceoff dot going into this weekend's slate. The River Hawks have won 311 of their 621 faceoffs taken for a .501 faceoff win percentage through their first 10 games.
UMASS LOWELL vs. CONNECTICUT
The River Hawks have seen quite a bit of UConn throughout program history, registering a 31-15-3 (.663) all-time mark against the Huskies. Last season, UMass Lowell concluded the year with a 1-2-0 record against them. The River Hawks fell short, 2-1, in overtime at home, before traveling to UConn the next night and earning a 1-0 shutout. Later in the season, the two teams met again at Toscano Family Ice Forum and UConn picked up the 2-0 victory.
IN THE POLLS
After the 2-0-0 weekend at Vermont to secure an 8-2-0 start to the year, the River Hawks stayed put in the USCHO rankings. They remain at No. 15 in the nation in the USCHO poll but have moved up to No. 13 in the USA Hockey poll. They are also sitting in 10th in the Pairwise rankings.
A WIN TODAY...
A win today would move the River Hawks to a 9-2-0 record on the season and a 32-15-3 record all-time against the Huskies. Head Coach
Norm Bazin would also move to a 15-9-2 career mark against UConn. It would also give UMass Lowell their third win in a row.
UP NEXT
Next, the River Hawks will travel to Lake Placid, N.Y., to participate in the Adirondack Winter Invitational over the Thanksgiving break. They are set to take on St. Lawrence on day one of the tournament at 4:00 p.m., before facing off against No. 19 Clarkson on day two at 7:30 p.m. Both games will take place at the historic 1980 Herb Brooks Arena.
