UMASS LOWELL NOTCHES 5-2 WIN OVER TORONTO
Junior forward Joseph Pendenza nets two goals for River Hawks

Junior forward Joseph Pendenza scored two goals for the River Hawks

Junior F Joe Pendenza (Wilmington, Mass.) scored two power play goals in the first period as No. 7 UMass Lowell defeated the University of Toronto, 5-2, Saturday in a college hockey exhibition game at the Tsongas Center.

UMass Lowell, which posted a 24-13-1 record last year (17-9-1 Hockey East), opens the 2012-13 season at home Friday night against the University of Vermont (7:00).

Toronto visits Boston University Sunday night at 7:00.

Two River Hawk freshmen - forward Michael Colantone (Cave Creek, Ariz.) and defenseman Gregory Amlong (O'Fallon, Mo.) - etched the scoresheet while freshman Ryan McGrath (O'Fallon, Mo.) dished out two assists.

Pendenza helped UMass Lowell break a 1-1 draw in the first period as he took advantage of two Toronto penalties, the first at 13:26 from McGrath and junior D Joe Houk (Richboro, Pa.); and the second at 19:58 from junior Josh Holmstrom (Colorado Springs, Colo) and McGrath.

Colantone opened the scoring at 7:54 in the first period via assists from sophomore F Terrence Wallin (Yardley, Pa.) and sophomore Scott Wilson (Oakville, Ont.), but the Varsity Blues equalized on a power play roughly two minutes later behind sophomore Paul Van De Velde.

Wilson gave UMass Lowell a 4-1 cushion at 19:13 into the second period when he took a pass from senior F Riley Wetmore (Swanton, Vt.) in the slot and fired home.

Toronto junior Michael Markovic capitalized on a power play at 11:31 of the third with help from senior D Matt Walters and sophomore D Dylan Heide, but Amlong notched his goal, also on the power play, at 19:19 with an assist to sophomore D Zack Kamrass (Atlanta, Ga.) to cap the scoring.

UMass Lowell outshot the Varsity Blues, 52-21, and was 3 for 9 on the power play. Freshman G Connor Hellebuyck (Commerce, Mich.) had 12 saves in 31 minutes while junior G Doug Carr (Hanover, Mass.) stopped seven shots in 29 minutes.

Junior G Garrett Sheehan had 47 saves for Toronto.