1/9/2025 3:21:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
Friday vs. Maine: Live Stats | Watch | Listen | Game Notes
Saturday vs. Maine: Live Stats | Watch | Listen | Game Notes
LOWELL, Mass. – Following a tournament victory last weekend at the inaugural Coachella Valley Cactus Cup, the No. 8 UMass Lowell ice hockey team (12-4-2, 5-3-1 Hockey East) returns to the Tsongas Center to host No. 7 Maine for a two-game set on Friday, January 10 at 7:15 p.m. and Saturday, January 11 at 6:05 p.m.
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 18 games this season, they hold a 12-4-2 record (5-3-1 Hockey East). Nationally, they rank #8 in both the USCHO and USA Hockey Polls, as well as the Pairwise rankings.
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UMass Lowell enters this series after a tournament victory last weekend at the 2025 Coachella Valley Cactus Cup. They defeated Michigan Tech 3-2, before taking on Omaha in the championship game and defeating them with the same score. Scout Truman scored two goals in the championship game, including the game-winner, while Lee Parks won the tournament MVP award for his one goal and three assists for four points.
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At the moment, Mirko Buttazzoni leads the way with 15 points (5g, 10a), while Scout Truman is just behind him with 14 (8g, 6a). Owen Cole (5g, 6a), Ben Meehan (2g, 9a) and Matt Crasa (4g, 7a) are tied for third on the team with 11 each.
SCOUTING THE BLACK BEARS
The Black Bears enter the weekend with a 13-4-2 overall record (5-2-2 Hockey East), most recently splitting a two-game series with #6 Denver. They fell, 2-1, in game one, before coming back with a 2-1 victory the next night for the split.
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The Black Bears are coming off a successful 2023-24 season year where they finished 23-12-2 and reached the NCAA National Regional, falling to Cornell, 3-1. They return three of their top five point-scorers from 2023-24 in sophomore Josh Nadeau, graduate student Lynden Breen and senior Harrison Scott. Nadeau totaled 45 points (18g, 27a) for second on the team, while Breen finished third with 30 points (9g, 21a). Scott was fourth on the team with 27 points (15g, 12a). They returned one goaltender in sophomore Albin Boija, who appeared in 18 games last season with a 10-6-1 record, 2.01 GAA and .916 save percentage.
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This season, Harrison Scott leads the team with 24 points (13g, 11a), while Charlie Russell is behind him with 18 (4g, 14a). Taylor Makar ranks third with 15 points (6g, 9a).
HOT START
At 12-4-2, this is UMass Lowell's sixth-best start through 18 games in their Division 1 history. The only better records came in 1986-87 (14-3-1), 2001-02 (14-3-1), 2015-16 (11-3-4), 2014-15 (12-3-3) and 2021-22 (12-3-3).
AT THE DOT
UMass Lowell currently ranks 40th in the nation at the faceoff dot going into this weekends slate. The River Hawks have won 540 of their 1,094 faceoffs taken for a .494 faceoff win percentage through their first 18 games.
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UMASS LOWELL vs. MAINE
The River Hawks have seen a lot of Maine throughout program history, registering a 46-84-8 (.362) all-time mark against the Black Bears. The two teams last played on January 20, 2024 when Maine picked up a 7-2 victory. The last win for the River Hawks  came on January 13, 2023, when they earned a 2-1 victory at Maine.
IN THE POLLS
UMass Lowell is ranked eighth in both polls this week, as well as in the Pairwise. The last time UMass Lowell was ranked eighth in the USCHO poll was December 7, 2020. The last time they were ranked higher than eighth was when they were fifth in the preseason poll to start the 2017 season. The last time UMass Lowell was ranked eighth or higher in the USAHockey poll was when they were ranked fifth in the final poll of the 2016-17 season. The last time they were eighth or higher in the Pairwise rankings was when they were fifth going into the 2017 NCAA tournament.
A WIN TODAY...
A win today would move the River Hawks to an 13-4-2 record on the season and a 47-84-8 record all-time against the Black Bears. Head Coach Norm Bazin would also move to 20-10-3 against Maine.
UP NEXT
Following this top 10 matchup, the River Hawks will shift their focus to Stonehill for a one-game set next Saturday, January 18 at 6:05 p.m. at the Tsongas Center.
Saturday vs. Maine: Live Stats | Watch | Listen | Game Notes
LOWELL, Mass. – Following a tournament victory last weekend at the inaugural Coachella Valley Cactus Cup, the No. 8 UMass Lowell ice hockey team (12-4-2, 5-3-1 Hockey East) returns to the Tsongas Center to host No. 7 Maine for a two-game set on Friday, January 10 at 7:15 p.m. and Saturday, January 11 at 6:05 p.m.
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 18 games this season, they hold a 12-4-2 record (5-3-1 Hockey East). Nationally, they rank #8 in both the USCHO and USA Hockey Polls, as well as the Pairwise rankings.
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UMass Lowell enters this series after a tournament victory last weekend at the 2025 Coachella Valley Cactus Cup. They defeated Michigan Tech 3-2, before taking on Omaha in the championship game and defeating them with the same score. Scout Truman scored two goals in the championship game, including the game-winner, while Lee Parks won the tournament MVP award for his one goal and three assists for four points.
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At the moment, Mirko Buttazzoni leads the way with 15 points (5g, 10a), while Scout Truman is just behind him with 14 (8g, 6a). Owen Cole (5g, 6a), Ben Meehan (2g, 9a) and Matt Crasa (4g, 7a) are tied for third on the team with 11 each.
SCOUTING THE BLACK BEARS
The Black Bears enter the weekend with a 13-4-2 overall record (5-2-2 Hockey East), most recently splitting a two-game series with #6 Denver. They fell, 2-1, in game one, before coming back with a 2-1 victory the next night for the split.
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The Black Bears are coming off a successful 2023-24 season year where they finished 23-12-2 and reached the NCAA National Regional, falling to Cornell, 3-1. They return three of their top five point-scorers from 2023-24 in sophomore Josh Nadeau, graduate student Lynden Breen and senior Harrison Scott. Nadeau totaled 45 points (18g, 27a) for second on the team, while Breen finished third with 30 points (9g, 21a). Scott was fourth on the team with 27 points (15g, 12a). They returned one goaltender in sophomore Albin Boija, who appeared in 18 games last season with a 10-6-1 record, 2.01 GAA and .916 save percentage.
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This season, Harrison Scott leads the team with 24 points (13g, 11a), while Charlie Russell is behind him with 18 (4g, 14a). Taylor Makar ranks third with 15 points (6g, 9a).
HOT START
At 12-4-2, this is UMass Lowell's sixth-best start through 18 games in their Division 1 history. The only better records came in 1986-87 (14-3-1), 2001-02 (14-3-1), 2015-16 (11-3-4), 2014-15 (12-3-3) and 2021-22 (12-3-3).
AT THE DOT
UMass Lowell currently ranks 40th in the nation at the faceoff dot going into this weekends slate. The River Hawks have won 540 of their 1,094 faceoffs taken for a .494 faceoff win percentage through their first 18 games.
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UMASS LOWELL vs. MAINE
The River Hawks have seen a lot of Maine throughout program history, registering a 46-84-8 (.362) all-time mark against the Black Bears. The two teams last played on January 20, 2024 when Maine picked up a 7-2 victory. The last win for the River Hawks  came on January 13, 2023, when they earned a 2-1 victory at Maine.
IN THE POLLS
UMass Lowell is ranked eighth in both polls this week, as well as in the Pairwise. The last time UMass Lowell was ranked eighth in the USCHO poll was December 7, 2020. The last time they were ranked higher than eighth was when they were fifth in the preseason poll to start the 2017 season. The last time UMass Lowell was ranked eighth or higher in the USAHockey poll was when they were ranked fifth in the final poll of the 2016-17 season. The last time they were eighth or higher in the Pairwise rankings was when they were fifth going into the 2017 NCAA tournament.
A WIN TODAY...
A win today would move the River Hawks to an 13-4-2 record on the season and a 47-84-8 record all-time against the Black Bears. Head Coach Norm Bazin would also move to 20-10-3 against Maine.
UP NEXT
Following this top 10 matchup, the River Hawks will shift their focus to Stonehill for a one-game set next Saturday, January 18 at 6:05 p.m. at the Tsongas Center.
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Ice HockeySaturday, October 24
Friday, October 23
Sunday, October 18
Sunday, October 18
