Friday, February 16, 2007
UMASS LOWELL SHUTS OUT MERRIMACK, 3-0
Freshman Nevin Hamilton posts shutout with 20 saves
Box Score

LOWELL, MA (Feb. 16, 2007) – Three players scored for the River Hawks and Nevin Hamilton (Ashland, MA) made 20 saves as UMass Lowell defeated Merrimack, 3-0, Friday night in college hockey action at Tsongas Arena.

Lowell has won three straight and improves to 6-19-6 overall and 5-14-3 in Hockey East with the win. Merrimack falls to 3-22-4 overall and 3-17-2 in league play with the loss.

Hamilton picked up his third shutout in the last four games with the 20-save effort. The freshman netminder has allowed just two goals in the last 14 periods of hockey and extended his shutout streak to 166 minutes and 20 seconds.

Patrick Watson (Waltham, MA) had 26 saves for Merrimack but took the loss. The River Hawks got a goal in each period and out-shot the Warriors 29 to 20 for the game. Mike Potacco (Kinnelon, NJ) scored in the first, Jeremy Dehner (Madison, WI) in the second and Mark Roebothan (St. John’s, NFLD) in the third.

Potacco gave UML a 1-0 lead at 6:04 of the first on a give-and-go three-on-two with Jason Tejchma (Muskegon, MI) and Jeremy Hall (Mays Landing, NJ). Potacco skated into the zone on the right wing before dropping the puck off to Tejchma, who returned the puck to Potacco for the goal. Hall also earned an assist on the strike.

Dehner’s tally, his third of the season, came on the power play at 10:59 of the second when Kory Falite (Billerica, MA) found him cutting back door on the left wing. Two of Dehner’s three goals this season have come on the power play and on similar back-door plays.

Roebothan wrapped up the scoring with his fifth of the year at 16:09 of the third when his shot from the right side of the slot trickled past Watson. Falite and J.R. Bria (Monroe, CT) picked up the assists.

The River Hawks went 1-for-3 on the power play. Merrimack was 0-for-1 on the man-advantage. “It was a game that didn’t have a lot of rhythm or flow to it,” said UML head coach Blaise MacDonald. “We struggled a little bit trying to find our game, but for the most part we accomplished what we wanted to. We got a nice power play goal and another shutout from Nevin (Hamilton). Those are two key elements for us that were real positive.”

UML and Merrimack conclude this weekend’s home-and-home series and the season series Saturday night at the Volpe Center in North Andover, MA.