Wildcats Shutout River Hawks 2-0 in Hockey East Action

The University of New Hampshire Wildcats ($4-4-0,2-2-0$) secured a decisive victory over the UMass Lowell River Hawks ($4-5-0,2-3-0$) on Friday night at the Tsongas Center, winning 2-0 in Hockey East play.

Both teams entered the contest having split their respective series last weekend—UNH against Vermont and UMass Lowell against Providence. The game marked the 141st meeting between the two rivals, with the Wildcats improving their all-time record to $73-50-18$.

Game Summary

Attendance: 6,008

Goaltending Duel

The first period was a scoreless affair, with both starting goalies holding strong:

• UNH: Kyle Chauvette ($3-4-0,2.47\text{ GAA},.913\%$)
• UML: Austin Elliott ($3-2-0,2.27\text{ GAA},.917\%$)

Chauvette came up with a critical save on UMass Lowell’s Dalyn Wakely to keep the River Hawks off the board. Shots were even after the first, and UMass Lowell went $0-$for-$2$ it on the power play.

Wildcats Break Through

The Wildcats found the back of the net in the second period at the mark, when center Cam MacDonald stuffed a puck past Elliott. Assists on the go-ahead goal went to J.P. Turner and Brendan Fitzgerald. The River Hawks led the shot count through two periods, having outshot UNH $10-8$ in the second.

Insurance Goal and Shutout

UNH’s standout penalty kill, which entered the game tied for 1st in Hockey East and ninth nationally, proved to be the difference maker in the third. After killing off a UMass Lowell power play early in the period, the Wildcats were put on the kill again late when Turner was whistled for hooking at $17:20$.

River Hawks Coach Norm Bazin pulled Elliott for a $6$-on-$4$ advantage, but Ryan Philbrick capitalized on the open net, firing a wrist shot from deep in his own zone for an empty-net, shorthanded goal. The goal was Philbrick’s third of the year and the team’s first shorthanded goal (SHG) of the season, cementing the 2-0 final.

Post-Game Reaction

UNH Head Coach Mike Souza called the victory “A good road win” and praised Chauvette’s “good” play. He attributed the team’s shorthanded success to players “buying in to blocking shots and doing the little things.”

UMass Lowell Head Coach Norm Bazin was clearly disappointed, saying his team “did not do anything well,” calling their offensive effort “A lot of one and done.” Bazin noted UNH’s successful penalty kill was due to their ability to pressure the power play unit and expressed frustration with his team’s tendency to settle for too many outside shots.

The loss marked the first time the River Hawks have lost to UNH in a sold-out Tsongas Center.

The two teams will meet again on Saturday night for the second game of the series at the Whittemore Center in Durham, with puck drop scheduled for 7 PM.