After UMass Lowell stunned fifth-ranked Northeastern 3-2 in overtime in the semifinals of the Hockey East Tournament, Huskies coach Greg Cronin had only words of praise for the River Hawks.
“They have been one of the best teams in the country the last few weeks,” Cronin said.
At the time the River Hawks were ranked 19th in the country in the U.S. College Hockey Online Poll. A highly controversial 1-0 loss to second-ranked Boston University in the Hockey East Championship Game the following night that kept the River Hawks out of the NCAA Tournament did nothing to diminish UML’s 2008-09 campaign.
UML went 11-4-2 in its last 17 games, finished the season 20-16-2, and rose to 16th in USCHO’s final poll, the team’s highest ranking of the season.
When you consider the River Hawks played the eighth-toughest schedule in the country this past winter, their record is even more impressive.
Next year’s outlook appears so bright, it’s hard to believe that 24 months ago UML’s hockey program suffered through a school-record 20-game winless streak and was at death’s door.
“We did face a lot of adversity, a lot of it played far away from the boards and glass,” said UML coach Blaise MacDonald after the win over Northeastern.
For the second time this decade, some politically influential people on Beacon Hill were trying to de-emphasize UML’s hockey team or terminate it completely, arguing that the state’s resources should be thrown completely behind the hockey program at the flagship campus, UMass Amherst.
“Fortunately (new UML chancellor) Marty Meehan was coming on board,” MacDonald said, “and he is why we’re where we are today.”
The River Hawks should be virtual locks for an NCAA Tournament berth next year. They lose only three seniors.
The graduation of Mark Roebothan and Mike Potacco will break up UML’s hard-working CPR Line and leave the team’s leading scorer, sophomore Scott Campbell, looking for new wings to play with in the fall.
But the River Hawks bring back all six of their regular defensemen, who combined for 20 goals and 98 points, including All-Hockey East sophomore Maury Edwards. Edwards scored 11 goals and 29 points and was second on the team in scoring behind Campbell. He was also the top-scoring defenseman in Hockey East and eighth overall.
Both their goaltenders are back, and statistically Nevin Hamilton and Carter Hutton are the two best goalies in school history.
Hamilton’s career 2.33 GA average and .915 save percentage are tops among goalies who played at least 50 games, and Hutton’s 2.46 GA average and .905 save percentage rank second. Hamilton’s .925 save percentage this season was a team record.
Looking ahead to the fall, here are some of the recruits the River Hawks are bringing in.
The coaching staff is especially excited about 5-11, 190-pound forward Robert Visca, who played for Orangeville in the Ontario Junior Hockey League this past winter. Visca battled some early-season injuries, which is why he was overlooked by other colleges. But he scored 17 goals and 33 points in 26 regular-season games and then added seven goals and 14 points in 16 playoff games.
Riley Wetmore, a 6-0, 195-pound forward, was the third-leading scorer in the Eastern Junior Hockey League this past season, netting 33 goals and 75 points in 42 games for Green Mountain.
Division II Hobey Baker winner Mike Carr, Lowell’s all-time leading scorer who has been bird-dogging for the River Hawks, raves about incoming 6-0, 187-pound defenseman Colin Wright, who tallied 11 goals and 50 points in 46 games for Burlington in the OJHL.
Also among the recruits arriving in September is 5-7, 165-pound Chris Ickert, who had five goals and 22 points in 37 games for Langley in the British Columbia Junior Hockey League.