River Hawks Snap Slump: Lowell Stuns No. 19 UMass in Defensive Gem

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The second game of a three-game Hockey East series saw the UMass Lowell River Hawks defend their home ice at the Tsongas Center on Friday night. Facing a UMass Amherst team riding a seven-game winning streak, the River Hawks secured a gritty 3–1 victory, snapping their own four-game home losing skid in the process.

The night brought an emotional boost for Lowell as left wing Mirko Buttazzoni returned to the lineup after a seven-game absence. In the crease, the River Hawks turned to Austin Elliott, while the Minutemen started Michael Hrabal, fresh off being named Hockey East Player of the Month.

First Period: Goalies Take Center Stage

The opening twenty minutes were a tactical chess match that ended scoreless. Lowell controlled the pace early, outshooting the Minutemen 12–9, but Hrabal was sensational. He denied Lee Parks from the low slot with a quick pad save and later stuffed Jay Ahearn on a partial breakaway. At the other end, Elliott matched the intensity, making a critical close-range stop on Justin Kerr to keep the board clean.

Second Period: The Offense Ignites

After a scoreless first, the game opened up in the second frame. Following a successful penalty kill by Lowell, the scoring finally began:

The Breakthrough: At 7:56, Dillan Bentley rifled his 12th goal of the year from above the left faceoff circle, assisted by Luke Shipley and the returning Mirko Buttazzoni.
The Response: UMass Amherst answered at 11:27. Justin Kerr found the back of the net for his third straight game, beating Elliott from between the circles on feeds from Cam O’Neill and Daniel Jencko.
The Game-Winner: With just 2:48 left in the period, Lee Parks took a beautiful stretch pass from TJ Schweighardt, broke free, and beat Hrabal low to the glove side to restore the Lowell lead at 2–1.

Third Period: No Panic in Lowell

Entering the third, Lowell held an 8–0–0 record when leading after two periods, and they protected that stat with their most complete defensive effort of the year. They held the Minutemen to just four shots in the final frame.

The Dagger: With 2:07 remaining, Jak Vaarwerk sealed the upset with an empty-net goal, assisted by Libor Nemec and Connor Eddy, making it a 3–1 final.

Box Score Breakdown

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	Final
#19 UMass Amherst	0	1	0	1
UMass Lowell	0	2	1	3

Shots on Goal: Lowell 31, UMass 23
Goaltending: Austin Elliott (22 saves / 23 shots); Michael Hrabal (30 saves / 33 shots)

Coaches’ Corner

Following the game, Minutemen head coach Greg Carvel was candid about his team’s performance, stating they “did not have any push” and were outcompeted by a “desperate” Lowell squad. He credited Hrabal as his team’s best player on an otherwise disappointing night.

River Hawks coach Norm Bazin praised his team’s composure, particularly noting there was “no panic on the bench” in the third period. He called the performance the team’s most complete defensive effort of the season.