Zacher Backstops Northeastern to 2–0 Shutout Win at Lowell

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An important weekend of Hockey East action kicked off at the Tsongas Center on Friday night as the Northeastern Huskies battled the UMass Lowell River Hawks. Entering the series tied for sixth in the standings—just one point ahead of the eighth-place River Hawks—both teams were desperate for points to secure postseason positioning. Northeastern arrived coming off a split with Providence, while UMass Lowell was riding the momentum of a road sweep at Vermont.

Goaltending Duel: Zacher vs. Richard

The Friday night clash featured a battle between the pipes:

Lawton Zacher (NU): Entered with an 11–13–1 record, a 2.16 GAA, and a .930 save percentage.
Samuel Richard (UML): Entered with a 5–6–0 record, a 2.79 GAA, and a .907 save percentage.

The opening frame was a defensive stalemate. Despite both teams trading penalties and playing a stretch of 4-on-4 hockey late in the period, neither side could find the back of the net. UMass Lowell held a slight edge in activity, outshooting the Huskies 14–10 in the first twenty minutes.

Second Period: Henry Breaks the Ice

Northeastern finally broke the deadlock at the 13:11 mark of the second period. Sophomore defenseman Jack Henry fired a wrist shot from the right point that beat Richard for his first goal of the season. Amine Hajibi and Griffin Erdman were credited with the assists on the eventual game-winner.

The game took a physical turn late in the frame when River Hawks LW Diego Buttazzoni was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for hitting from behind at 17:37. UMass Lowell’s penalty kill stood tall, surviving the initial wave of the major to keep the deficit at 1–0 heading into the intermission.

Third Period: Defensive Masterclass

The River Hawks began the final period by successfully killing off the remaining 2:37 of the Buttazzoni major. Momentum seemed to shift mid-period following a delay caused by a clearing pass that shattered a piece of glass, but they could not solve Zacher.

The Empty Netter: With under three minutes to play, UMass Lowell pulled Richard for the extra attacker. After a Northeastern timeout with 37 seconds remaining, Eli Sebastian sealed the victory with an empty-net goal at 19:33, assisted by Erdman.
The Stats: Lawton Zacher stopped all 32 shots faced to earn his nation-leading fifth shutout of the year. The loss drops the River Hawks to 3–10 at home this season and marks the seventh time they have been held scoreless.

Coaches’ Corner

Jerry Keefe (Northeastern): Praised his team’s discipline and the timely saves made by Zacher. He was particularly pleased with the Huskies’ ability to stay out of the penalty box, as they did not allow a single power play to the River Hawks.
Norm Bazin (UMass Lowell): Admitted the result wasn’t what the team wanted, but credited both goaltenders for their play. He expressed frustration with the officiating, suggesting missed or quick calls may have influenced the flow of the game.