#15 UMass Lowell Loses to UConn 4-1 in Hockey East Action

Read Time:3 Minute, 51 Second

On Friday night, The #15 UMass Lowell River Hawks returned to Tsongas Center for a weekend series against the UConn Huskies. The River Hawks came into Friday night’s game with a 3-2-0 home record. Their 8-2-0 start is their best start in program history. The Huskies returned two of their top-five point scorers from a season ago. Callum Tung (0-0-0, 0.90 GAA, 000%) was starting in net for the Huskies, who was making his season debut for UConn. In fact, it was his first game that he dressed for. The River Hawks Henry Welsch was making his sixth straight start and his record is 8-1-0, 2.23 GAA, 905%.

The first period was an up-and-down stanza with no goals and no penalties. Each team had great chances to get the game’s first goal. For the River Hawks, Dillian Bentley had two close chances that were stopped by Tung. In the latter stages of the period, the Huskies had the chance. First, Tabor Heaslp was stopped at the doorstep by Welsch. Then, Welsch got some help from his friend, the goal post as Viking Gustafsson Nygerg fired a wrist shot from the high slot that beat Welsch but rang off the post to keep the game scoreless after one period. Shots were 11-4 in favor of UMass Lowell.

The up-and-down play continued into the early portion of the second period. The Huskies finally came through with the game’s first goal from Ryan Tattle off a cross-ice pass from Kai Janviriya put home his fifth of the season from the right faceoff circle. The other assists went to Tristan Fraser. The time of the even-strength goal was 3:41. 1-0 UConn. The Huskies received the game’s first power play at 7:51 when Jak Vaarwerk was sent off for holding. The River Hawks killed off the man-advantage and at the halfway point of the game, it was still a 1-0 UConn lead. The River Hawks went on the power play for the first time at 15:40 when Tattle went off for cross-checking. The power play has been one of the pleasant surprises so far working at 39.3%. That power play was short-lived as the River Hawks were called for too many men on the ice at 16:41. Once the 4-4 was over, the Huskies cashed in on their second PP of the night from Joey Muldowney, his fourth of the year. He redirected a pass from Ethan Gardula on the short side past Welsch. Janviriya picked up an assist as well. The time of the PP goal was 18:33. The teams left the ice with UConn up 2-0. Shots in the second period were 11-6 in favor of UConn. For the game, UMass Lowell had a 17-15 advantage.

The third period started with the Huskies on the power play for 42 seconds. Scout Truman was off for cross-checking. UConn cashed in on what was left on the PP as Hudson Schandor, off a scramble in front of the River Hawks net, scored his third of the season. The assists went to Gardula and Kaden Shahan. The hill was now a bit steeper with the score at 3-0 Huskies. The River Hawks did not help themselves as they went down a man again at 7:56. Connor Eddy was sent off for elbowing. The River Hawks killed off the man-advantage and now had ten minutes to make up a three-goal deficit. With 7:23 left in the game, the River Hawks got on the board as a stuffed shot by Lee Parks found the back of the net. The assist went to Bentley and the goal came at 12:39. Seconds later, UMass Lowell went on the PP as Hugh Larkin went off for elbowing at 13:18. The Huskies killed it off with some solid defense in front of Tung (25 saves on 26 shots). With four minutes left, things were not looking good for UMass Lowell. The Huskies restored the three-goal advantage when Jake Percival scored his seventh of the year at 17:31. Percival came off the left wing side and beat Welsch (26 shots 22 saves) to the far side. Assist went to Heaslip. UConn went up 4-1 which was the final score. After the game, head coach Norm Bazin simply said “Tonight’s loss was earned.”

On Saturday night, the River Hawks will look for the split with faceoff at 6 PM.