UMass Lowell Grabs Both Hockey East Weekly Awards

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What a difference a year makes. A year ago, the UMass Lowell River Hawks (8-2-0, 4-1-0) hockey team could not get out of their own way. A year later, they are playing like one of the best teams in the country. They have already matched their win total for all of last season. They are one of six Hockey East teams ranked this week in the USCHO Poll. They stand at #15 as they prepare for a home weekend series vs UConn. In the Men’s Division I PairWise Rankings, the River Hawks are at #10.

They are unbeaten on the road at 5-0-0 while their home record is a modest 3-2-0. They are putting the puck in the net this year, something they have had problems doing for the last couple of years. An interesting stat in the goals-per-game ranking of teams that have played 8 or more games is that the River Hawks are third at 3.9. The two that are ahead of them are Minnesota at #2 at 4.1, and the defending national champions Denver Pioneers at 4.8. This ranking is based on 58 schools that have played eight or more games.

On Monday, Hockey East gave out their weekly awards. The River Hawks swept up those honors. The Hockey East Player of the Week is junior centerman Dillian Bentley who had a three-point weekend (2G, 1A) in the sweep of Vermont up in Burlington, VT. For the year so far, Bentley has 4G and 1A for 5 points. This is Bentley’s first career weekly award.

Graduate Senior Henry Welsch has been rock solid between the pipes for the River Hawks. Over the weekend in Vermont, Welsch went 2-0-0 with a GAA of 1.00 and a save percentage of .951. In Saturday’s 3-0 win, he picked up his first shutout of the season stopping 20 shots.

The weekend performances earned him the Hockey East Stop It Goaltender of the Week honor. It is the second time this year and the fourth time in his UMass Lowell career he has won the honor. For the season, Welsch is 8-1-0 with a 2.23 GAA and a .905%. Henry has appeared in nine games with eight of them being starts.

Look for Welsch to be back in net on Friday night when the River Hawks host the Huskies.