LOWELL, Mass. - Junior Scout Truman (Lethbridge, Alberta) scored the game-winner in overtime, as the No. 7 UMass Lowell ice hockey team (16-15-4, 8-13-3 Hockey East) collected a thrilling 3-2 victory against No. 10 New Hampshire Wednesday evening in the Hockey East Opening Round at the Tsongas Center.The win advances the River Hawks to the Hockey East Quarterfinal Round on Saturday evening.
Joining Truman in the scoring department was senior Matt Crasa (South Setauket, N.Y.) and freshman Chris Delaney (Hopkinton, Mass.). Graduate student Jack Robilotti (New York, N.Y.), junior TJ Schweighardt (Manahawkin, N.J.), graduate student Ben Meehan (Walpole, Mass.) and freshman Mirko Buttazzoni (Langley, B.C.) all tallied one helper apiece. Graduate student Henry Welsch (Lakeville, Minn.) got the nod in net for the River Hawks, making 22 saves in the win.
"It is a new season and we're glad to open it up with a win," said Head Coach Norm Bazin. "I am excited for the guys. (The quarterfinal round) is going to be a good environment as we all know, and that is good to grow your personality and grow your game. To play in a good environment and play in meaningful games, that's why they're here."
The first period ended with the River Hawks chasing one, but it was Delaney that opened up the scoring for the River Hawks at the 9:33 mark. He found a loose puck in front of the net after a Buttazzoni shot attempt was blocked, finishing it for the lead and his first career postseason goal. Earlier in the period, the River Hawks picked up their momentum from a penalty kill at 6:01. During that New Hampshire power play, Truman picked up a breakaway opportunity that was just saved, and the River Hawks killed off the man advantage with 14 minutes remaining in the period. New Hampshire responded to Delaney's goal with two of their own at 10:58 and 12:27, the second being on a power play, and the game went to the first intermission with a 2-1 score. The River Hawks came out attacking after heading to a power play of their own at the 1:05 mark of the second. During the advantage, the team put four quality shots on goal but could not find the back of the net, until the 11:23 mark, when Crasa took a long pass from Robilotti from the defensive zone and blew by a defender before sniping one home for the equalizer. Welsch made a huge sliding save against a 2-on-1 shorthanded opportunity later in the period to help keep it a tie after two periods.
Shots on goal remained plentiful for UMass Lowell in the third, outshooting the Wildcats 14-6 in the period and collecting a handful of scoring opportunities, while Welsch and the defensive unit did their jobs on the other end. The squad kept the pressure on in the offensive zone after killing a penalty at the 8:31 mark, but the game was sent to overtime with the score still knotted up at two.
In the 20-minute, 5-on-5 overtime, it was all River Hawks, as they kept the momentum from the third. Crasa got it started with a near-goal on a breakaway chance just under three minutes in, and not even a minute later, Truman stole the puck from behind a New Hampshire player near UMass Lowell's offensive blue line, skated into the zone and fired one past the goaltender to seal the victory and send the River Hawks to the Hockey East Quarterfinals.
They will now head up to Orono to take on No. 2 Maine on Saturday, March 15 at 6:00 p.m. at Harold Alfond Sports Arena.
