LOWELL, Mass. - The No. 10 ranked UMass Lowell men's hockey out muscled Boston University, 3-1, Saturday night in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 5,856 at the Tsongas Center.
The River Hawks improved to 15-6-2 (5-3-1 HEA), while Boston University dropped to 7-13-2 overall and 2-7-1 in Hockey East play. It was UMass Lowell's sixth consecutive win, and seventh in their last eight games against the Terriers, a team that once dominated the River Hawks.
UMass Lowell dominated the game from the start out shooting the visitors in the first period 19-2, but only junior forward Scott Wilson (Oakville, Ont.) was able to find the back of the net.
Wilson got the River Hawks on the board with 7:51 left in the first period taking a pretty behind the back pass from sophomore forward Adam Chapie (Oxford, Mich.) and skating from the right wing, his off wing, to the high slot, and drilling a snap shot high into the net and past BU goalie Sean Maguire's stick side. It was Wilson fifth goal of the season. Chapie and Senior forward Josh Holmstrom (Colorado Springs, Colo.), who put the play in motion in the neutral zone picked up assists.
Junior forward Terrance Wallin (Yardley, Pa.) extended the River Hawk lead to 2-0 with a breakaway goal firing a wrist shot past Maguire's blocker side. It was his second goal of the season; he'd been sent in alone on a long north/south pass from freshman defenseman Michael Kapla (Eau Claire, Wis.)
Boston University made the game interesting early in the third period. Kevin Duane narrowed the gap to one with a rocket from the top of the left circle which eluded the glove of UMass Lowell sophomore netminder Connor Hellebuyck (Commerce, Mich.) The goal came with just seven seconds remaining on a five minute power play. Sophomore defenseman Christian Folin (Gothenburg, Sweden) had been sent to the locker room with a major for kneeing and a game misconduct.
The River Hawks picked up the insurance they needed when senior center Joseph Pendenza (Wilmington, Mass.) put the puck in the empty net as the Terriers added an extra attacker in hopes of tying the game. Sophomore A. J. White (Dearborn, Mich.) picked up the lone assist. Hellebuyck finished the night with 11 saves and lowered his nation's best Goal Against Average to 1.62. The lanky goaltender has allowed just two goals in four career starts against the Terriers, all of which have been victories.
UMass Lowell went 0-7 on the power play, the fifth game in a row without a power play goal. Bost6on University was 1-for-4 with the man advantage.
The No. 10 ranked UMass Lowell hockey team returns to action on Friday, January 24th at Providence College. Game time at Schneider Arena is 7pm. The game will be televised locally in Rhode Island on Cox Sports. The River Hawks return home on Saturday, Jan. 25th on the back end of a home-and-home series with the Friars for "Star Wars Night" and don't miss out on pink ice sheet as the River Hawks support Hockey East's Skating Strides for Breast Cancer awareness initiative. Game time at the Tsongas Center is 7pm.
Boston University hosts Vermont next weekend.