The Clarkson University Hockey team’s struggles against UMass-Lowell at Cheel Arena continued on Friday night as the River Hawks defeated the Golden Knights 3-1 before a crowd of 3,004. UMass-Lowell improves its record at 27-year-old Cheel Arena to 7-1 all-time.
Ranked 10/12th in the national polls, the Golden Knights suffered their first loss of the year to go to 3-1-1. The Knights host 9/10th-ranked Providence on Saturday in a 7:30 p.m. start.
Clarkson outshot the 19th-ranked River Hawks 32-27, but Lowell (2-3) set the tone for much of the game. Sophomore Jake Kielly (Eden Prairie, MN) made eight saves in each period to finish with 24 stops. Both teams failed to score on the power play with the Green and Gold going 0-of-4 and the visitors 0-of-5.
Postgame audio Head Coach Casey Jones
Lowell, which won its second straight game after a 0-3 start to the season, came out strong, outshooting the Knights 5-0 through the first two minutes and grabbed the lead shortly after. The River Hawks’ Kenny Hausinger picked up a loose puck off a block shot and fired in a quick shot at 4:43. Ryan Lohin created the play by intercepting a Clarkson clearing pass.
Lowell skated away with a 2-1 lead after 40 minutes despite two lengthy reviews going against the visitors in the second period.
The River Hawks thought they netted their second goal at 8:13 of the second period, but the play was waved off for too many men on the ice for the River Hawks.
There was another review minutes later, again going in Clarkson’s favor. Freshman Jack Jacome (Caledon, ONT) scored his first collegiate goal at 11:03, scoring from the top of the crease after finding a loose puck in front. Classmate Josh Dickinson (Georgetown, ONT) and sophomore defenseman Greg Moro (Edmonton, ALB) assisted.
Lowell had a break go its way late in the period when Connor Wilson fired in a quick shot from the bottom of the right circle that snuck past Kielly at 17:48.
The River Hawks tallied an insurance goal early in the third with Hausinger finishing off a 2-on-0 break from Lohin at 5:21.
Chris Hernberg picked up the win in the Lowell nets with a 31-save effort.
