UMass Lowell blanked in final home game of season by New Hampshire, 4-0

LOWELL — The River Hawks are skidding into the Hockey East Tournament.

In a potential first-round preview, UMass Lowell welcomed New Hampshire to the Tsongas Center on Friday night to iron out the wrinkles in their penultimate contest of the regular season. After receiving a 4-0 blanking, the hardships that have plagued the River Hawks all season remain more prevalent than ever.

The Wildcats (18-14-1, 11-11-1 HE) scored two goals in the first 2:41 of the second period, sucking the life out of the Tsongas Center and the 4,986 fans in attendance and putting a damper on Senior Night en route to a 4-0 win in the first leg of the home-and-home series.

Jakob Hellsten was perfect in goal for the Wildcats, posting a 21-save shutout to blank the River Hawks (4-16-3 HE), who were playing on home ice for the final time in 2023-24. UML went just 2-11-3 at the Tsongas this season.

“Not the game we’re looking for, it’s this season of firsts,” said UML head coach Norm Bazin. “And that’s not the start we’re looking for. Not the type of game that we’re accustomed to playing in our D-zone.”

UML was blanked for the second time in five games. During their five-game losing skid, the River Hawks have netted just five goals.

The only team in the conference to appear in the semifinals in each of the last three seasons, UMass Lowell has a lot of work to do to extend its streak this March. They enter Saturday night’s rematch with the Wildcats in the basement of the Hockey East with 18 points.

“I think we’ll have lots of energy for tomorrow, as will they,” said Bazin. “We’ll look at the film and try to make a few adjustments and start playing because that wasn’t what I expected.”

It wasn’t the start the River Hawks hoped for. After a Scout Truman turnover wound up on the stick of Nick Ring, he didn’t waste the opportunity, finding Nick Cafarelli on the back door for an easy tap-in and a 1-0 lead just 3:10 into the first period.

After applying some pressure the rest of the frame, UNH capitalized on yet another blunder, this time lighting the lamp at the hands of a Mitchell Becker giveaway in the defensive zone. Robert Cronin picked his pocket, wheeling the puck to the cage and finding an uncovered Harrison Blaisdell in the slot.

That’s when the Wildcats pounced. Potting two tallies in the first 2:41 of the second frame, UNH put the finishing touches on their 2-0 lead to put the River Hawks in a hole. Ryan Conmy went top shelf 1:47 into the period before Blaisdell notched his second of the game on a feed from J.P. Turner. The two-goal flurry marked the end of senior Henry Welsch’s night between the pipes.

Luke Pavicich was perfect in relief, making nine saves the rest of the way.

UMass Lowell wasn’t without its chances. Receiving a pair of power plays in the second period, the 59th-ranked special teams unit in the nation failed to convert on a combined three shot attempts.

“The goaltender change always draws up a little bit of emotion,” said Bazin. “And we played fine after that. But fine doesn’t get it done in Hockey East.”

The River Hawks missed on two more power plays in the third period, unable to break past Hellsten despite holding a shooting advantage.