LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell ice hockey team (9-15-0, 5-9-0 Hockey East) fell short, 2-0, against No. 17 Maine (13-9-2, 7-7-0 Hockey East) on Friday evening at the Tsongas Center.

Senior TJ Schweighardt (Manahawkin, N.J.) led the team in blocked shots with four, while three other skaters added two each and eight players had one apiece. Freshman Austin Elliott (Strathmore, Alberta) got the nod between the pipes for the River Hawks, making 27 saves.

"I'd like to think that the game was a little closer than it indicated on the scoreboard, but I'm not sure that's true, I'll have to watch the video," said Head Coach Norm Bazin. "I didn't think we started in the first period and a half the way we wanted to. They were a little hungrier. I thought our third period was our best. We've got to be better and we've got to find a way."

The first period was a battle, as the River Hawks collected opportunities offensively, while limited the Black Bears' chances on the other end. Graduate student Jay Ahearn (Staten Island, N.Y.) picked up a good look at 4:48, but the shot was just blocked after senior Dillan Bentley (Peoria, Ill.) won the puck from the goalie. Maine then scored at 7:40, but Ahearn responded with another chance at 8:12 that ringed off the pipe. The River Hawks picked up some momentum with a nifty move and shot from freshman Diego Buttazzoni (Langley, B.C.) in the slot at 10:54 that was saved, along with more pressure in the offensive zone for the remainder of the period. With 57 seconds left, Maine was called for tripping, sending UMass Lowell to the power play, but the squad was unable to find the back of the net during the final seconds, and the game went to the intermission with the score at 1-0.

The River Hawks had two power play chances in the second, and despite not cashing in on the man advantages, they kept possession in the offensive zone and collected chances. Maine went on to adda goal at the 9:14 mark, but the defensive unit and Elliott kept the Black Bears at bay for the remainder of the period. UMass Lowell was called for a five-minute major with 10 seconds left in the second, but the clock hit zeroes with the game at 2-0.

The five-minute penalty was killed off by the River Hawks with tight defensive play and a multitude of blocked shots. Junior Jak Vaarwerk (Clarence, N.Y.) also had a great scoring chance while shorthanded from the major, but it caught the pad of the goaltender. Immediately following the penalty, the River Hawks went on a power play of their own, firing shots on goal, including a Diego Buttazzoni slapshot that ricocheted off the post at 5:56. The team then went two more power plays beginning at 10:45 and 16:17, but to no avail, and the game concluded with a 2-0 score.

Both teams will return to the Tsongas Center tomorrow, Saturday, January 24 for game two at 6:05 p.m.