Heartbreaker for No. 8 River Hawks: Narrow 2-1 Defeat to No. 7 Maine

LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell ice hockey squad (12-6-2, 5-5-1 Hockey East) faced a 2-1 setback Saturday night against No. 7 Maine (15-4-2, 7-2-2 Hockey East) at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Freshman Jacob MacDonald (Fort Worth, Texas) netted the only goal for the River Hawks in this contest, marking his second goal of the collegiate season. Fellow freshman Chris Delaney (Hopkinton, Mass.) and senior Owen Cole (Dunnville, Ontario) provided the assists on the goal. A total of 10 skaters contributed with blocked shots for the River Hawks, four of whom led with two each, while six blocked one. Junior Beni Halasz (Budapest, Hungary) took on the goaltending duties for the River Hawks, achieving a season-high of 34 saves.

“Not the situation we would have preferred to be in tonight, but here we are,” stated Head Coach Norm Bazin. “It was a tightly contested game. I felt it began with some challenging plays on our end. We conceded an early goal, and facing a five-minute major penalty along with a total of seven minutes in the first period is difficult. I thought we improved as the game progressed, our players fought hard and competed, and I was extremely proud of their efforts. I felt we were one shot away from leveling the score, and I believed if we could equalize, we had a shot at winning, but it didn’t materialize, and that’s how it goes.”

The River Hawks initiated the game with the initial two shot attempts, which included a notable wraparound opportunity from senior Isac Jonsson (Ängelholm, Sweden) at 1:45. Maine was the first to score, finding the net at the 1:54 mark and again on a power play at 9:07. Halasz and the River Hawks defense effectively kept the Black Bears in check for the rest of the period with significant saves and blocked shots, leading to a 2-0 score as both teams went to the locker room.

The second period witnessed a resurgence from the River Hawks. Both teams were equal in shots on goal, but it was UMass Lowell that claimed the period, scoring at 13:57. Cole initiated the play, sending the puck towards the net from the goal line, after which Delaney retrieved it behind the net and located MacDonald in the left faceoff circle, who then scored with a shot past Maine goalkeeper Albin Boija to the top right corner. This ignited some momentum for the team, and the battle continued for the rest of the period, maintaining the 2-1 score at the end of two.

The River Hawks came out strong in the third, amassing 15 shots on goal, against Maine’s eight. Halasz stood out, keeping the River Hawks competitive in the game. The best chances for the River Hawks came late in the period, as they threatened on a power play with four quality shots just under six minutes remaining. After the power play concluded, Halasz was pulled with less than two minutes left, making it a 6 on 5 scenario for the River Hawks. They maintained control in the offensive zone, sending seven shots, three of which were on target, but failed to score, and the game ended with a 2-1 score.

The River Hawks will now redirect their attention to Stonehill next Saturday, January 18 at the Tsongas Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.