River Hawks Stumble Against Maine: A Thrilling 3-1 Showdown!

LOWELL, Mass. – The No. 8 UMass Lowell ice hockey squad (12-5-2, 5-4-1 Hockey East) narrowly lost to No. 7 Maine, 3-1, on Friday evening in the first of a two-game series at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, Mass.

Freshman Lee Parks (Ottawa, Ontario) netted the only goal for the River Hawks, increasing his point streak to three matches. Junior Scout Truman (Lethbridge, Alberta) provided the assist, marking three points over his past two games. Seven unique players recorded at least one blocked attempt, with graduate student Pierson Brandon (Irvington, N.Y.) leading with three. Three different competitors had two blocks each, while another trio contributed one. Graduate student Henry Welsch (Lakeville, Minn.) was chosen as the goalie for the River Hawks, accomplishing 24 saves.

“In summary, we were defeated in a tightly contested hockey match tonight,” commented Head Coach Norm Bazin. “I didn’t feel we had control right from the beginning, possibly for several reasons, but in the end, it doesn’t really change anything. We need to improve if we want to earn points in any Hockey East matchups.”

The initial period saw a back-and-forth exchange, with the River Hawks leading the shots on goal, 12-7. Junior Connor Eddy (Victoria, B.C.) had the first significant scoring opportunity for the River Hawks at the 11:21 mark, racing towards the net on a breakaway, but Maine’s goalie Albin Boija intervened to stop his attempt. Ian Carpentier followed with his own breakaway at the 16:21 mark, but this too was thwarted. Following a Black Bears penalty, Welsch made a vital shorthanded save during a Maine 2-on-1 later in the period, providing the River Hawks with momentum. They threatened for the remainder of the power play, landing four quality shots on goal, yet could not capitalize, concluding the period with a 0-0 deadlock.

In the second period, the River Hawks started strongly, with Parks scoring merely 1:36 into the frame. The play developed when Truman won possession with a poke check, setting up a 2-on-1 with Parks. The two exchanged passes before Parks surpassed Boija for the game’s initial goal and his third of the season. Maine equalized later at the 14:31 mark, but Welsch preserved the tie with an impressive save on another 2-on-1 at 15:35. The teams went to the second intermission with the score tied at one.

The game continued to shift back and forth at the start of the third; however, it was Maine that struck first at the 11:18 mark. The River Hawks reacted with aggressive play in the offensive zone and registered nine shots, but Maine sealed the game with an additional goal into an empty net, wrapping up the contest with a score of 3-1.

The River Hawks will return to the Tsongas Center tomorrow evening for the second game of the series at 6:05 p.m.