MEN'S HOCKEY FALLS TO EIGHTH-RANKED MASS.-LOWELL, 6-3

LOWELL, MASS. – A four-goal third period, which included a pair of power play goals, helped lift eight-ranked Massachusetts-Lowell to a 6-3 win over the University of New Hampshire men’s hockey team on Sunday afternoon at Tsongas Arena.

UNH falls to 2-5-2 overall and suffers its first defeat in Hockey East falling to 2-1-1. The River Hawks are now 5-2-1, 3-1-1 HE.

With the game tied 2-2 after forty minutes, it was Ben Holmstrom breaking the deadlock just 36 seconds in to the third scoring a power play tally with assists from Maury Edwards and Jeremy Dehner. Kory Falite made it 4-2 River Hawks as he scored the eventual game winner at 4:56. Nick Schaus scored UML’s second power play goal of the period, third of the night, at 7:31 to make it 5-2. The Wildcats would cut into the lead with an even-strength goal by Bobby Butler (Marlboro, Mass.) at 9:58. Connor Hardowa (Edmonton, Alberta) registered his first collegiate point with a helper on the tally. However, the River Hawks regained their three-goal lead, 6-3, and closed out scoring a Michael Scheu scored at 15:04.

New Hampshire jumped out to a 1-0 lead just 3:44 into the game. Dalton Speelman (San Jose, N.H.) intercepted a pass in the offensive zone and passed to a centering Mike Sislo (Superior, Wis.), who fired a shot that beat UML netminder Carter Hutton for the 1-0 lead. The River Hawks would respond with a power play tally of their own at 14:21 of the first. The goal came on a shot from the left point by Maury Edwards and was assisted by Jeremy Dehner and Paul Worthington. The Wildcats held a commanding 16-7 shot advantage.

The teams traded goals in the second period. The first goal came as UML netted a shot in its own goal at 4:57. UNH freshman Austin Block (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) was credited with the goal, which was the first of his collegiate career, and gave UNH a 2-1 lead. UML tied it up as Falite scored his first of the night an even-strength tally at 12:32 of the second. Nick Schaus and Scott Campbell had assists of the goal.

The River Hawks were 3-6 on the power playing including 2-4 in the third period, while UNH was 0-3 in its extra-skater opportunities.

UNH netminder Brian Foster (Pembroke, N.H.) turned away 28 shots including 15 in the middle frame, but falls to 2-5-2 overall. Hutton earned the win and improves to 3-2-0 as he stopped 33 shots, including 15 in the opening stanza.

UNH travels to 19th-ranked Massachusetts for a two-game Hockey East series. Puck drops Friday (Nov. 13) and Saturday (Nov. 14) at 7 p.m. at Mullins Center.