LOWELL, Mass.-Well-balanced scoring coupled with a standout special teams performance helped lift the No. 16 UMass Lowell men's hockey team (18-9-3, 13-8-1 Hockey East) to a 5-1 takedown of Long Island University (9-18-3) in front of an electric crowd of 3,512 at the Tsongas Center Friday night.
Five different River Hawks found the back of the net in the non-conference clash. Junior Brian Chambers (Weymouth, Mass.) sparked the five-goal run with UMass Lowell's opening tally in the second period followed by senior Reid Stefanson (Winnipeg, Manitoba), junior Carl Berglund (Hammaro, Sweden), freshman Matt Crasa (South Setauket, N.Y.) and junior Andre Lee (Karlstad, Sweden).
On top of his third period goal, Lee added an assist to his point total to finish the night with two. Junior Ryan Brushett (Montreal, Quebec) matched Lee's total with two assists on the River Hawks' two power play goals against the Sharks. Graduate student Nick Austin (St. Louis Park, Minn.) topped the River Hawks' scoresheet with a season-best three points off three assists.
Allowing just one goal in the outing, senior Owen Savory (Cambridge, Ontario) ended the night with 26 saves to move to a 17-5-2 record.
The first period favored the visiting Sharks as they picked up an early 1-0 lead after forcing a turnover in the neutral zone to catch the River Hawks off guard.
UMass Lowell shifted the tone of the game in the second period with 15 shots to LIU's one. The extensive shot differential gave way to a particularly productive frame for the River Hawks as they overtook the Sharks' one-goal lead with three straight tallies.
Chambers fired in the first of the night just 9:28 into the second frame. Aggressive back-checking efforts from Sodergren and Wells tripped up LIU's defenders deep in the zone to steal back possession. A quick flick from Wells behind the net found its way into the slot for Chambers to one-time it past LIU's Kris Carlson to lock the teams at 1-1.
The stalemate held briefly before a boarding call against the Sharks sent out the UMass Lowell power play unit. With 42 seconds left on the penalty, the River Hawks settled the puck behind Savory before speeding down the ice. Getting the pass from Austin, Brushett made his way down the right wing and crossed a firm centering pass to Stefanson. The alternate captain wasted no time knocking one past Carlson to keep the momentum rolling as the River Hawks captured the lead.
UMass Lowell's special teams returned to the ice just moments later as LIU headed back to the box. The Sharks' penalty-killing crew knocked down the first few attempts for the River Hawks before the home squad finally steadied the puck outside the circles. Crisp and patient puck movement between Austin and Brushett allowed Berglund to move outside the left post. Finding the pass, Berglund snuck one past the unexpecting LIU defense to head into the second intermission with a 3-1 advantage.
Although the Sharks outshot the home team 16-11 in the third, the River Hawks' scoring streak stayed alive. Stuck on the boards in a battle with his defender, Lee kicked the puck loose to Condotta behind the net. The captain bumped the pass to Crasa, who missed just wide. Condotta was quick on the chase, however, regaining possession before sending it right back to Crasa. This time, the rookie's shot made its way past Carlson to light the lamp for the fourth time.
LIU pressed its way into the zone with just under a minute left. Unwavering defense by the River Hawks forced the puck out of the Sharks' possession and to the stick of Austin, who sent a deep pass down the ice to Lee. The forward accelerated towards the net before dangling the puck around Carlson to secure the 5-1 win for UMass Lowell.
The River Hawks close out the regular season next weekend, March 4-5, with a home-and-home series against New Hampshire. Game times for the final pair of conference matchups are set for 7:05 p.m. and 6:05 p.m., respectively.
