UMass Lowell 2021-2022: Which way are we going?

[Patman]

I'll defend savory, I don't think he got the defense Hellebuyck saw. I think we have great potential coming in. Obviously Savory is done but I applaud what he gave us.

edit: comparing to Helly's defense is unfair but this was never a lock down defense. Its been competent and it worked hard

[ScottK]

No disrespect to Savory but his GAA average the last half of the season was not as sparkling as the first half, but then again we were dealing with higher skilled and better teams the second half of the year, so maybe a correlation.

Not counting yesterday's game:

Before Christmas 9-1-2 1.23/.950
After Christmas 11-5-0 2.34/.913

There was zero chance he was going to keep up the numbers he had in the first half, but it's not like he was bad in the second half. For the whole season, BU's Drew Commesso had 2.54/.914 and Matt Murray for UMass was 2.27/.919.

[Middle Street]

I stand corrected. Sorry for the bad info about player's rights.

[boblav1]

The best of luck to Andre.
https://goriverhawks.com/news/2022/3...-la-kings.aspx

[Middle Street]

According to Barry Scanlon on twitter, Carl Berglund is confirmed to return for his senior year and Jon McDonald will also return to play a 5th season.

[boblav1]

According to Barry Scanlon on twitter, Carl Berglund is confirmed to return for his senior year and Jon McDonald will also return to play a 5th season.

That’s great news.

[UMLFan]

So ... this is what we look like going into next season, as of now. I could be missing a couple of players, and I'm making an assumption that Svensson has 2 years eligibility left and another that Savory will be back.

22/23 roster

Defense (8):
Seniors: Marek Korencik, Jordan Schulting
Juniors: Brandon Engum, Ben Meehan
Sophomore: Gabe Blanchard, Isac Jonsson
Freshmen: Ben Brunette, T.J. Schweighardt

Forwards (20):
Seniors: Carl Berglund, Ryan Brushett, Brian Chambers, Zach Kaiser, Josh Latta, Blake Wells
Juniors: Matt Allen, Andranik Armstrong-Kingkade, Jackson Sterrett, Filip Forn?? Svensson
Sophomores: Owen Cole, Matt Crasa, Stefan Owens
Freshmen: Dillan Bentley, Jack Collins, Owen Fowler, Nick Rheaume, Roc Truman, Scout Truman, Jan Vaarverk

Goalies (3):
Senior: Owen Savory
Junior: Henry Welsch
Sophomore: Edvard Nordlund
Freshman:

This leaves us at 31 on the roster, with the class breakdown being:
Seniors: 9
Juniors: 7
Sophomores: 6
Freshmen: 9

[bottomdweller]

So ... this is what we look like going into next season, as of now. I could be missing a couple of players, and I'm making an assumption that Svensson has 2 years eligibility left and another that Savory will be back.

22/23 roster

Defense (8):
Seniors: Marek Korencik, Jordan Schulting
Juniors: Brandon Engum, Ben Meehan
Sophomore: Gabe Blanchard, Isac Jonsson
Freshmen: Ben Brunette, T.J. Schweighardt

Forwards (20):
Seniors: Carl Berglund, Ryan Brushett, Brian Chambers, Zach Kaiser, Josh Latta, Blake Wells
Juniors: Matt Allen, Andranik Armstrong-Kingkade, Jackson Sterrett, Filip Forn?? Svensson
Sophomores: Owen Cole, Matt Crasa, Stefan Owens
Freshmen: Dillan Bentley, Jack Collins, Owen Fowler, Nick Rheaume, Roc Truman, Scout Truman, Jan Vaarverk

Goalies (3):
Senior: Owen Savory
Junior: Henry Welsch
Sophomore: Edvard Nordlund
Freshman:

This leaves us at 31 on the roster, with the class breakdown being:
Seniors: 9
Juniors: 7
Sophomores: 6
Freshmen: 9

I'd like to see an additional goalie. If Savory is back, I'd think that would limit who would come via the Portal. If he doesn't come back, I wouldn't mind seeing the NU goalie who's name I'd really have to learn to spell come on board. I was impressed with him in his 8 games this year.

[ScottK]

So ... this is what we look like going into next season, as of now. I could be missing a couple of players, and I'm making an assumption that Svensson has 2 years eligibility left and another that Savory will be back.

22/23 roster

Defense (8):
Seniors: Marek Korencik, Jordan Schulting
Juniors: Brandon Engum, Ben Meehan
Sophomore: Gabe Blanchard, Isac Jonsson
Freshmen: Ben Brunette, T.J. Schweighardt

Forwards (20):
Seniors: Carl Berglund, Ryan Brushett, Brian Chambers, Zach Kaiser, Josh Latta, Blake Wells
Juniors: Matt Allen, Andranik Armstrong-Kingkade, Jackson Sterrett, Filip Forn?? Svensson
Sophomores: Owen Cole, Matt Crasa, Stefan Owens
Freshmen: Dillan Bentley, Jack Collins, Owen Fowler, Nick Rheaume, Roc Truman, Scout Truman, Jan Vaarverk

Goalies (3):
Senior: Owen Savory
Junior: Henry Welsch
Sophomore: Edvard Nordlund
Freshman:

This leaves us at 31 on the roster, with the class breakdown being:
Seniors: 9
Juniors: 7
Sophomores: 6
Freshmen: 9

Per Barry Scanlon's tweet, Savory and Condotta are looking to go pro, but Jon McDonald will be back for a 5th season. No word yet on the other seniors (Stefanson and Knoblauch)

[boblav1]

Interesting offseason awaits UMass Lowell hockey team – Lowell Sun

[UMLFan]

It's amazing to me to see some of the schools with 5 or more players in the portal.

[ScottK]

It's amazing to me to see some of the schools with 5 or more players in the portal.

From Mike McMahon:

One quick transfer portal note. Last year, teams were allowed to go over the 18 scholarship maximum in order to retain their own fifth-year seniors. But, that was only allowed for one year. Moving forward, if schools want to bring back fifth-year seniors their scholarships will count towards the maximum of 18. That's why many of the names in the transfer portal are graduating seniors who were probably told they didn't have a spot (at least not a scholarship spot) with their former team and are looking for another opportunity to use their fifth year.

[UMLFan]

Well that helps explain a lot. Thanks.

[Patman]

Well that helps explain a lot. Thanks.

honestly, over-extending last year to make things "fair" just made things a mess. I get it when a program shuts down for a year. hell, maybe even partial "losers" like Savory who sat half a year at RPI. However, wholesale?! Nah. Not something I'd do, we lie and say we can make the world fair. And our 2021 season certain was harmed by COVID.

That being said, would love to see Savory come back, but I don't blame him for wanting to go pro... schollie existing or not (I don't know what the school has offered to him one way or another).

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My next observation is probably not fair because these were mostly scoring plays but I saw some of the highlights of 2013 et al promoted to me and those teams seemed so much more sharp. I feel like Bazin is getting what he can out of these guys but I miss having these sharp players. Maybe I'm missing out when they looked like crap, I don't know.

the ability to control the puck, i feel like our current system is design around the idea we can't stop a beachball when passed in one direction.

[UMLFan]

honestly, over-extending last year to make things "fair" just made things a mess. I get it when a program shuts down for a year. hell, maybe even partial "losers" like Savory who sat half a year at RPI. However, wholesale?! Nah. Not something I'd do, we lie and say we can make the world fair. And our 2021 season certain was harmed by COVID.

That being said, would love to see Savory come back, but I don't blame him for wanting to go pro... schollie existing or not (I don't know what the school has offered to him one way or another).

--------

My next observation is probably not fair because these were mostly scoring plays but I saw some of the highlights of 2013 et al promoted to me and those teams seemed so much more sharp. I feel like Bazin is getting what he can out of these guys but I miss having these sharp players. Maybe I'm missing out when they looked like crap, I don't know.

the ability to control the puck, i feel like our current system is design around the idea we can't stop a beachball when passed in one direction.

That 2013-2014 team also had a couple of phenomenal goalies (including a Vezina winner), a 6 season NHL defenseman in Folin, a forward (Wilson) who played in the NHL for six years, and a lot better all around talent overall. This team was good, but there was a reason they were picked 7th in the preseason. I'd expect them to be close to the Top 4 in next year's preseason poll, depending on departures or transfers that might take place from this point on.