Crasa's Four Goals Lead River Hawks to 4-2 Victory at Colgate

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HAMILTON, N.Y. – With a four-goal performance from junior Matt Crasa (South Setauket, N.Y.), the UMass Lowell hockey team (2-1-0, 0-0-0 Hockey East) earned a 4-2 victory against Colgate (2-2-1, 0-0-0 ECAC) on Friday night at Class of 1965 Arena in Hamilton, N.Y.

Crasa, the New York native, now has six goals through three games this season. He is also the first River Hawk forward with three or more goals since 2016 and the first with a four-goal game since Ben Walter did it on October 29, 2004, at RPI. He also Sophomore Scout Truman (Lethbridge, Alberta) picked up three assists on the final three goals of the victory, while junior Owen Cole (Dunnville, Ontario) added two of his own to make it four on the year. Senior Ben Meehan (Walpole, Mass.), junior Isac Jonsson (Ängelholm, Sweden), and sophomore Dillan Bentley (Peoria, Ill.) each collected a helper as well. Junior goalie Luke Pavicich (Clarence Center, N.Y.) got the win between the pipes, making 27 saves.

Colgate had the advantage with two power play opportunities in the first, but the River Hawks killed both off successfully. After a great scoring opportunity on a graduate student, Filip Fornää Svensson (Linköping, Sweden) passed to graduate student Nick Granowicz (Macomb, Michigan) in front of the net, Colgate responded with a 2-on-1 opportunity, but Pavicich denied it with a pad save. The Raiders came right back with a breakaway chance towards the end of the period but were halted by two great defensive plays from Meehan and sophomore TJ Schweighardt (Manahawkin, N.J.) to help keep the game scoreless heading into the first intermission.

Colgate drew the first blood on a 5-on-3 early in the second, capitalizing immediately with a Pierson Brandon goal from the faceoff circle. The River Hawks evened it up when Crasa took a well-touched pass from Cole on a power play after a feed from Meehan and buried a wrist shot into the top right corner of the net. The goal marked the third of the year for the Cole-to-Crasa connection, as each team entered the second intermission with a goal apiece.

The River Hawks took the momentum into the third period, peppering Colgate goalie Carter Gylander with early shots, but the netminder was able to defend the goal line. After a challenge and review at the 12:38 mark, Colgate was called for a five-minute major for kneeing, and the River Hawks took full advantage, as Crasa picked up his first power-play goal of the game off the sticks of Truman and Bentley for the 2-1 lead. He then went on to clinch the hat trick at 7:50, when Crasa took a feed from Jonsson and sent it to the back of the net to make it 3-1 on yet another power play. Truman was credited with the secondary assist for his second of the game. Colgate responded immediately to cut the deficit to one at the 6:54 mark, as Ryan Sullivan beat Pavicich, before Crasa added to his stellar day with his fourth goal of the evening on a tough angle shot with 2:11 remaining, along with Truman’s third assist. The River Hawks hung on for the victory to move to 2-1-0.

The River Hawks head back to Class of 1965 Arena tomorrow night, Saturday, October 21 for game two of the series at 7:00 p.m.