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UMass Lowell Hockey Notebook (March 4, 2008)
Balanced Scoring
With Mike Potacco’s four-goal weekend the River Hawks have four double-digit goal scorers for the first time since 2004-05 when they had five. In addition to Potacco, Kory Falite, Mark Roebothan and Jonathan Maniff are also in double figures in goal scoring.
Falite leads the squad with 15 goals overall and has a Hockey East-leading 14 goals in league games. The sophomore winger has nine goals in the last 15 games and has netted the game-winning goal in two of the River Hawks last three victories (2/15, 3/1).
Roebothan is second on the team with career-high 14 goals. The junior winger recorded his first career hat trick in a 6-2 win over Merrimack on November 24, 2007.
Maniff and Potacco each have 10 goals on the season. Maniff is tied for the team lead (3rd in Hockey East) with three-game winning goals and has a pair of two-goal games this season, both against Maine (12/29 and 2/1).
Potacco reached 10 goals Saturday night in UML’s 3-2 win at Northeastern. The junior right wing netted his first career hat trick Friday night, giving him four goals in the weekend sweep. He was named the Hockey East Player of the Week for his four-goal effort over the weekend.
Having four players with 10 or more goals shows good balance. But the defining factor to the balance the River Hawks have received is that the four 10-plus goal scorers have come from three different lines. Falite has played the entire season as the team’s top-line left wing, while Roebothan and Potacco have skated on the second line for most of the season. Maniff has been the team’s third line right wing.
The River Hawks have gotten an even strength goal from two or more forward lines in 15 of 32 games this season (49.6%). Lowell is unbeaten in 11 of those 15 games (8-4-3). The River Hawks are 4-0-0 when three forward lines have scored an even strength goal this season.
Along with the production up front River Hawk defensemen have chipped in with 14 goals and 55 assists this season.
As a team UML has scored 86 goals in 32 games for an average of 2.77 per game. Last season the River Hawks tallied 74 goals in 36 games (2.06 per game). Falite and Jason Tejchma led the team with 10 goals each last season.
MacDonald Reaches 100 Wins at UMass Lowell
UMass Lowell head coach Blaise MacDonald reached 100 career victories with the River Hawks with last weekend’s sweep of Northeastern. MacDonald has guided the young River Hawks a 15-13-4 overall record, 10-11-4 in league play this year. The 15 wins nearly doubles Lowell’s total from a season ago when it went 8-21-7.
MacDonald, a native of nearby Billerica, Mass., has compiled 191 victories in 12 seasons as a head coach at both Niagara and UMass Lowell.
River Hawks conclude 2007-08 regular season with two at Maine
UMass Lowell hits the road this weekend to finish up its 2007-08 regular season schedule at the University of Maine. The River Hawks have beaten the Black Bears twice already this season, 6-0 in the championship game of the Florida College Classic on December 29, and 3-2 at the Tsongas Arena February 1.
The 6-0 win over Maine in Florida is UML’s biggest win (goal margin) since beating Bentley, 8-0, on November 27, 2004.
Sophomore forward Jonathan Maniff has four goals in the two games against Maine this season. The Revere, Mass. native netted two goals and added an assist in Florida and was named the MVP of the Florida College Classic. He scored two more goals against the Black Bears in the February meeting, including the game-winning goal with 23 seconds left in the third period.
The two teams have met 92 previous times with Maine holding a 65-24-3 lead in the all-time series. The Black Bears are 28-13-1 all-time and unbeaten in their last 12 games (11-0-1) at home against UML. The River Hawks last won at the Alfond Arena on February 17, 2001 (3-1). Maine won the last meeting at Alfond, 4-1, on November 10, 2006.
Who’s Hot
Mike Potacco (Kinnelon, N.J.) was named Hockey East Player of the Week after recording four goals in UML’s weekend sweep of Northeastern. Potacco netted his first career hat trick in Friday’s victory and added a goal in Saturday’s win. The junior right wing has points in three of the last four games (4g, 1a) and has a career-high 21 points (10g, 11a) in 26 games on the season.
Barry Goers (Ivyland, Pa.) has points in seven of the last eight games (2g, 7a). The sophomore defenseman had three points (1g, 2a) in the weekend sweep of Northeastern and was named to the league’s Honor Roll. He assisted on the game-winning, power play goal Saturday night. Goers leads the River Hawks with 13 points play points (all assists) and has 22 points (4g, 18a) in 32 games this season.
Scott Campbell (Navan, Ont.) had two assists in Friday’s 5-4 overtime victory over the Huskies to record his fourth multi-point game of the season and was named to the Hockey East Weekly Honor Roll. The freshman center won 21 of 38 face offs (55.3%) in the two games against Northeastern. Campbell is tied for 12th in Hockey East in rookie scoring on the season with 16 points (6g, 10a) and has won 60.2% of his draws since the beginning of February.
Maury Edwards (Rocky Rapids, Alb.) had a goal and an assist over the weekend against Northeastern and was named to the Hockey East Weekly Honor Roll for a team-high sixth time. Edwards scored his team-leading sixth power play goal of the season Friday night and assisted on the game-winning, power play goal Saturday night. Edwards has points (2g, 3a) in five of the last seven games. He is tied with Campbell for the team lead in freshman scoring with 16 points (7g, 9a).
Miscellaneous Notes
UML’s CPR line (Scott Campbell, Mike Potacco and Mark Roebothan) combined for seven points (4g, 3a) in the weekend sweep of Northeastern. Potacco scored all four goals for the line, including netting his first career hat trick in Friday’s overtime victory. Earlier this season the trio totaled 34 points (16g, 18a) during a 10-game stretch (11/9-1/12) … Lowell is 15-3-1 this season when scoring three or more goals, something it did in both games last weekend against the Huskies … The River Hawks improved to 13-3-3 when surrendering two goals or less with Saturday’s 3-2 win … Over the last three seasons UML is 33-3-1 when leading after two periods, including a 10-1-0 mark this year … Friday’s overtime win was the River Hawks’ second of the season (2-1-4) and just second since January 2006. Lowell was 0-2-7 in overtime last season … The River Hawks power play went 2-for-8 against the Huskies and has goals in six of the last eight games.
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