LOWELL, Mass. – After splitting last weekend’s games at the Adirondack winter Invitational, the UMass Lowell ice hockey team (6-8-0, 3-3-0 Hockey East) return too Hockey East play to take on No. 14/15 Boston College (8-5-1, 5-3-0 Hockey East) in a two-game, home-and-home series. The River Hawks will host the Eagles in game one on Friday, December 5 at 7:15 p.m., before hitting the city for game two at Conte Forum at 7:00 p.m.
SCOUTING THE RIVER HAWKS
umass lowell entered the 2025-26 season coming off an 16-16-4 campaign that saw the River Hawks enter the Hockey East Tournament as the #7 seed. The team has graduated a handful of players and have bolstered their lineup of 14 returners with 15 newcomers, including three transfers and 12 freshmen. Of those transfers, one is graduate student, one is a senior and one is a sophomore. The team kicked off the 2025-26 season tied for the seventh spot in the Hockey East Preseason Poll with 53 points. At the moment,they are not recieving votes in the USCHO or USA Hockey Polls. They ended last season at No. 19 in the Pairwise rankings.
UMass Lowell enters this weekend after a split weekend at the Adirondack Winter Invitational in Lake Placid. The river Hawks fell against Clarkson, 2-0, before earning a 7-3 victory against St. lawrence the next day. Dalyn Wakely led the team with his first career hat trick in Saturday’s win.
At the moment, Wakely leads the squad with 12 points (5g, 7a). Jay Ahearn (6g, 3a), Dillan Bentley (5g, 4a) and Jak Vaarwerk (3g, 6a) are all just behind him with nine apiece.Austin Elliott leads the goaltenders with a 2.50 GAA and .905 save percentage in his 11 appearances, while Samuel Richard holds a 2.62 GAA and .911 save percentage in six appearances.
SCOUTING THE EAGLES
The Eagles enter the weekend with a 4-10-0 overall record,most recently going 1-0-0 last weekend against Notre Dame.They pic
UMass Lowell River Hawks Face Boston College with Eyes on Improvement
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The UMass Lowell River Hawks (2-4-0 overall) face off against Boston College today, seeking to improve their season record and head coach Norm Bazin’s record against the Eagles. Under Bazin, the River Hawks have a 49-155-17 overall record. historically, UMass Lowell is 46-74-12 against Boston College, and Bazin is 15-18-5 against them. A win today would bring their season record to 7-8-0.
Defensive Success Key to UMass Lowell’s Wins
The River Hawks have shown a strong correlation between defensive play and success. This season, they are 4-4-0 when allowing two goals or less. Throughout Coach Bazin’s tenure, the team boasts a 235-38-30 record when limiting opponents to two or fewer goals.this highlights the importance of strong defensive performances for UMass Lowell victories.
faceoff Prowess
UMass Lowell currently ranks 24th nationally in faceoff win percentage, winning 444 of 870 faceoffs for a .510 success rate through their first 14 games.Effective faceoff play is a crucial component of controlling possession and generating offensive opportunities.
recent Standing and Upcoming Schedule
Currently, the River Hawks are not receiving votes in either the USCHO or USA Hockey Polls. They finished last season ranked No. 19 in the Pairwise rankings.
Following today’s game, UMass Lowell will travel to Portland, Maine, to face Maine in a midweek matchup on Wednesday, December 10th, at 7:00 p.m. at the Cross Insurance Arena.