It’s a tall order for Massachusetts-Lowell in their first round NCAA Tournament matchup against the Miami RedHawks, but the similarly-named River Hawks have played well under first-year head coach Norm Bazin. Before Providence College upset them in three games during the Hockey East tournament quarterfinals, UML went 3-1-1 in their final five regular season games and defeated Boston University on the road. They’ve had the last week and a half to think about that loss to the Friars and how they come out in the first period will tell if they’ve left it in the back of their minds.
NCAA Hockey Tournament 2012: UMass Lowell Faces Tough First Round Matchup
The River Hawks are led up front by a first line of Scott Wilson, Derek Arnold and Riley Wetmore. Wilson and Arnold each have 37 points but Massachusetts-Lowell may be without Wetmore vs. Miami. He was less than 100 percent in the Providence series -- to the point where Bazin admitted he shouldn’t have played -- and appears to have a broken hand.
That could affect UML as while they have forward depth, the team still depends on scoring from its top line. But question mark or not, the River Hawks are not a team that can be held in check often and should pose a threat to Miami’s strong defense.
For more on the road to the Frozen Four in Tampa, stick with our 2012 NCAA hockey tournament StoryStream.
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