LOWELL, Mass. - Playing for the first time in nearly three weeks, the No. 13/13 UMass Lowell men's hockey team (10-7-1, 5-4-1 Hockey East) suffered a 4-2 setback at the hands of Alaska Anchorage (3-12) Friday night at the Tsongas Center.
Freshman Owen Fowler (Tewksbury, Mass.) net a career-high two points off a goal and an assist in the outing to lead the River Hawks on the scoresheet. Senior Brian Chambers (Weymouth, Mass.) scored the lone goal of the second period for his third of the year off looks from Fowler and sophomore Gabe Blanchard (East Aurora, N.Y.). On defense, graduate student Jon McDonald (Livonia, Mich.) finished with a team-best five blocked shots. Junior Henry Welsch (Lakeville, Minn.) earned the nod between the pipes, making eight saves.
"Not the outcome we were looking for, but that's hockey," said Head Coach Norm Bazin. "We had plenty of shots but lacked the execution after Christmas here. It's just one of those things. Congratulations to our opponent - they never quit. They scored three goals in the third period. That's on us."
Shaking off the holidays, the River Hawks were tested early with pressure off the opening draw from Alaska Anchorage. The Seawolves' offensive zone time was short-lived, however, as UMass Lowell flipped the switch and claimed possession for the better portion of the first frame largely in part thanks to the team's domination at the dot.
Turning in a perfect first period on the faceoff, Stella sparked the River Hawks' scoring efforts 13 minutes into the action. Handily gaining possession, Stella knocked the puck back to Jonsson, who made the quick switch over to his linemate Meehan just off the blue line. Meehan chased first blood with a rocket from the top of the nearside circle that was kicked away at the last second by Whale. Jonsson was quick to the chase, however, scooping the puck off the boards and sending it to an unmanned Fowler. Spinning to avoid an oncoming defender, Fowler flung the puck straight at Whale and skimmed it over his glove to take the 1-0 lead.
Despite heavily outshooting Alaska Anchorage 18-4 in the first 20 minutes, the River Hawks lead kept steady at 1-0 heading into the first break. Jonsson and classmate Stefan Owens (Midlothian, Va.) registered late chances but were unable to crack the goal line.
UMass Lowell headed to the box at the top of the middle period awarding Alaska Anchorage a chance to lock things up and turn up the heat. Though the River Hawks managed the Seawolves throughout the penalty kill, an unlucky bounce past Welsch leveled the score at 1-1 in the opening minutes of the second period.
The River Hawks wasted no time regrouping after the Alaska Anchorage equalizer. Continuing their flurry of shots on goal with 25 to Alaska Anchorage's four in the second period, UMass Lowell registered several grade-A chances that just skimmed wide or rang off the pipe as they hunted the lead. The team found their target with 12:27 left in the second to push themselves back out front.
Passing the puck around the perimeter, junior Brehdan Engum (Burnsville, Minn.) connected with Blanchard under the blue line. Eyeing another chance to light the lamp, Blanchard ripped a shot short side that thudded off Whale's pads. The Seawolves' goalie struggled to stifle the play as the puck quickly ricocheted back out into play. Taking a tip off Fowler in front of the net, Chambers collected the deflected shot and tucked in his third of the year to put UMass Lowell ahead moving into the final 20.
A highly productive third period for Alaska Anchorage turned the game on its head in the third period. After locking things up at the 8:31 mark in the second period, the Seawolves claimed their first and only lead in the game off a shot from Brett Bamber just minutes later. One final empty-net goal with 1:04 left in regulation ultimately cemented the upset for Alaska Anchorage and handed the River Hawks the 4-2 heartbreaker.
The team closes out its series with the Seawolves and rings in the New Year on Saturday, December 31, at the Tsongas Center. Puck drop for the matinee tilt is slated for 4:05 p.m.
