UML hockey notebook: River Hawks look to continue winning ways vs. Holy Cross

LOWELL  — The leaves are falling and the wins are piling up again for the UMass Lowell hockey team.

And folks nationally are noticing. After four straight wins, the River Hawks (4-1) have soared into the USCHO.com top 20 poll for the first time this season.

The No. 20 River Hawks have scored 17 goals during their streak. After a season-opening loss to Minnesota Duluth, UML has defeated Duluth, Colgate (twice) and Merrimack College. UML is coming off a 6-3 win at Merrimack to open the Hockey East slate.

“I like our compete level and it’s been good in four of the five games. They seem to be meshing well and getting along well,” said head coach Norm Bazin. “It’s a small sample size. We’re just trying to add to our identity. I think we’ve been strong on special teams. I think our goaltending for the most part has been pretty good.”

Scoring has been an issue with the team in recent years. But pucks are flying into opposing nets with regularity and three players are averaging more than a point a game in the early going – senior forward Owen Cole (4-3-7), freshman forward Chris Delaney (4-2-6) and graduate defenseman Ben Meehan (1-5-6).

Cole earned Hockey East Co-Player of the Week honors following his one-goal, three-assist gem during the win at Merrimack.

Not far behind are junior Scout Truman (3-1-4) and freshman Mirko Buttazoni (0-4-4). UML has showed impressive balance as 12 players have at least one goal and 19 skaters have tallied at least one point.

UML’s best seasons under Bazin have come when the River Hawks featured balanced scoring up and down the lineup.

Scouting report

For the second straight week, UML will only play one game. On tap Friday (7 p.m.) is a visit to Worcester and the Hart Center Rink to battle Holy Cross (3-4).

Last season the Crusaders tied UML 2-2 in Lowell and then won the rematch the next night in Worcester 4-2.

“They took care of business against us last year. I can tell you they play extremely hard. They’re extremely aggressive,” Bazin said. “I can appreciate and respect their compete. They charge the net like it’s their job. They beat UConn and it was a legitimate win. They beat us last year and it was a legitimate win.”

Holy Cross is coached by Bill Riga, a former UMass Lowell skater.

Loose pucks

Graduate student Henry Welsch has been named the Hockey East Goaltender of the Month. He went unbeaten between the pipes in October, compiling a 4-0-0 record with a 1.75 goals against average and .918 save percentage.

He is the only Hockey East goalie to not record a loss or tie and Welsch leads the conference in winning percentage. He is tied for second in goals against average. … A couple of weeks ago defensemen Nick Anderson and Pierson Brandon played against Colgate, a team they had been with for four seasons before transferring. This week defenseman Jack Robilotti is in the same spot.

Robilotti played four seasons at Holy Cross before joining UML. He has one assist in five games. He had five blocked shots and sports a terrific +5 in the plus/minus category. “To be honest they have good friends over there,” Bazin said, “but they have good friends over here, too.” … Transfers Andover (0-3-3), Connor Eddy (1-1-2), Brandon (1-0-1), Ian Carpentier (1-0-1) and Robilotti (0-1-1) have all contributed in the early going.