The UConn men’s ice hockey team will look to continue their winning ways when they play host to the UMass Lowell River Hawks this Friday evening from Toscano Family Ice Forum in Storrs, Connecticut. They’ll continue their weekend by traveling to Orono, Maine for a matchup with the Maine Black Bears on Sunday evening.
The Huskies are fresh off of their most encouraging victory of the season last Saturday. Playing at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut, the Ice Bus handedly defeated a pesky Dartmouth squad, 6-1. UConn scored two goals in the first period, one in the second, and three in the third, going up by as much as 5-0 before Dartmouth was able to manage their first score. Chase Bradley scored two goals in the victory with the other four coming from Jake Black, Jake Richard, Ryan Tattle and Matthew Wood. Goalkeeper Ethan Haider corralled 22 saves in a solid buzzer-to-buzzer performance by the UConn defense. Bradley and Haider were recognized on the Hockey East Weekly Honor Roll for their efforts on Saturday.
The win moved the Huskies to 6-8-1 overall on the season including a 3-5-0 showing against Hockey East opponents. Their nine points in conference play place Connecticut in a tie with Merrimack for seventh place.
“I think that [these games] are a tremendous way to end our first half,” Husky head coach Mike Cavanaugh said ahead of the upcoming weekend. “We’ve always had tremendous battles with Lowell. I’ve said many times before that I have the utmost respect for [Lowell head coach] Norm [Bazin] and how he runs his program. It seems that every time that we play them, it’s always a tight game and I expect more of the same on Friday night.
The River Hawks played games against Bentley and Army last weekend, losing both matches. They first yielded to Bentley, 4-1, on Friday, before losing to Army, 4-2, on Saturday. Both Dillan Bentley and Jak Vaarwerk were named to the Hockey East Weekly Honor Roll for their performances over the weekend. The two losses dropped UMass’ record to 5-8-1 overall, including a 2-5-1 showing in the Hockey East. Their seven points in conference play place them 10th in the Hockey East, just one spot better than last-place.
“We’ll do a better job of preparing for our next opponents and hopefully we start to get results, but we’re far from where we want to be and that’s just where [we] are right now,” UMass Lowell head coach Norm Bazin said following the loss to Army on Saturday.
The Black Bears have lost their last two games, both to No. 8 Boston University. Despite the losses, Maine managed two close games in an away environment against formidable opponents, losing by scores of 3-2 and 5-4. The team will host No. 15 New Hampshire on Friday evening before welcoming the Huskies on Sunday. The losses moved Maine’s overall record to a still solid 6-3-1, including 3-2-1 against Hockey East opponents. With their 10 points in conference play, the Black Bears are in sixth place in the Hockey East, one spot ahead of Connecticut.
“If [Maine]’s not the toughest road win in our league, then it’s certainly in the conversation,” Cavanaugh said. “It’s such a rabid fanbase, a dynamite atmosphere… it’s always a fun place to play.”
A player to keep an eye on for the Huskies this weekend will be team captain Hudson Schandor. A senior from North Vancouver, British Columbia, Schandor is far and away the Ice Bus’ leader in assists this season with 10, five more than the next-closest Husky. He’s also scored one goal, giving him 11 points on the season, the second-most for Connecticut. Schandor was an integral part of the UConn offensive attack on Saturday, rifling off three assists in the game. It was the second time that Schandor has dished out three assists in a game in his college career, the first time coming back during his freshman campaign.
One of Lowell’s best offensive performers this season has been junior Matt Crasa. In 14 games, Crasa has amounted six goals and three assists, resulting in nine total points, third-best on the River Hawks. His .200 shot percentage and plus-3 plus/minus are each the best for Lowell. Crasa got off to a strong start to the season, scoring two goals in Lowell’s season opener against Alaska Anchorage. Two games later, against Colgate, Crasa scored a career-high four goals in the contest. He’s been consistent ever since, dishing out assists in three separate games to help facilitate UMass’ offense.
Freshman Bradley Nadeau has made an immediate impact in his first season with the Black Bears. Hailing from St-François-de-Madawaska, New Brunswick, Nadeau ranks second for Maine in points with 12. He has scored seven goals and dished out five assists on the year. Maine is plus-7 when Nadeau is on the ice, the best individual plus/minus on his team. He slammed home a goal in the Black Bear’s most recent loss to BU and has scored two goals in two different contests this season. He figures to be a focal point for Maine against the Ice Bus this weekend.
The Huskies are set to host Lowell at 7 p.m. on Friday from Toscano. Fans at home can catch the game live on NESN. Connecticut will then travel up to Maine for Sunday’s bout versus the Black Bears. The game is set for 5 p.m. from the Harold Alfond Sports Arena in Orono. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.