UMass Lowell 2024-2025 Season: Expectations are.....Expectations

[FiveLetterBird]

Well, the day is upon us. It’ll be a tall task going up to Orono and beating that team. Alfond is a lions den. I hope the boys are jacked up and ready to come out flying. All I want to see is Lowell give Maine one helluva fight.

 

[boblav1]

For the folks heading to the game. Parking was already a pain the last time I went to Alfond.

Men's Hockey - Gameday Information

Men's Hockey - Gameday Information

goblackbears.com

 

[Patman]

The team that showed up in the first should have made the ncaas. I still don't see maines major but I'm not saying no

 

[BC/HE]

Lowell probably committed a fatal mistake on the second Maine goal. I believe the player coming out of the box went to the bench and the player coming in was too late to the play to make a difference. Maine scored 5 seconds after the PP ended. That defenseman should have been broken up by that time. One can go end to end in that time but they could not even get to the defenseman at the blue line.

 

[Patman]

Lowell probably committed a fatal mistake on the second Maine goal. I believe the player coming out of the box went to the bench and the player coming in was too late to the play to make a difference. Maine scored 5 seconds after the PP ended. That defenseman should have been broken up by that time. One can go end to end in that time but they could not even get to the defenseman at the blue line.

The fatal mistake was the first penalty in the period. Everything else unraveled from there.

Awful decision in key times has plagued this team. The Truman major, while I wouldn't have called it, was also not a smart hit just to give the opportunity for something like that to happen.

I never put good odds on tonight but cannot do obviously wrong things and hope to get away with it

 

[Patman]

We will see what happens next. This team wasn't going to do much but that collapse absolutely rubs me raw. Stonehill, vermont, etc.

If anything will do norm in its the recruiting over the years after the top years

 

[ScottK]

Obviously the 2nd half was a huge disappointment after the way the 1st half went, but let's look at this as a whole. They doubled their win total from the previous season (8-->16), they doubled their Hockey East win total from the previous season (4-->8), they were picked to finish 11th or 9th in Hockey East, depending on which preseason poll you looked at and they actually finished 7th. In my mind, this team exceeded the preseason expectations. Now, we wait to see who leaves via the portal, and what this coaching staff brings in. At the very least, nearly the entire defense needs to be replaced, since there were 5 seniors/grad students playing nearly every night. Losing Welsch will hurt, but Halasz has proven that he's at least capable of being the 1B to a 1A for this team. Not a lot of losses to graduation from the forwards, but the big question is which of the underclassmen decide to look for greener pastures.

 

[Sparkee]

Lowell probably committed a fatal mistake on the second Maine goal. I believe the player coming out of the box went to the bench and the player coming in was too late to the play to make a difference. Maine scored 5 seconds after the PP ended. That defenseman should have been broken up by that time. One can go end to end in that time but they could not even get to the defenseman at the blue line.

You are incorrect.

#19 Bentley served the time in the box and came out of the box and skated directly towards Djuresevic. The benches for the teams at Maine are both on the same side and opposite the penalty boxes. Djuresevic was on the penalty box side of the ice. The skater had no time to get back into the play.

You can watch the replay on ESPN+ and see you are incorrect.

 

[Middle Street]

Obviously the 2nd half was a huge disappointment after the way the 1st half went, but let's look at this as a whole. They doubled their win total from the previous season (8-->16), they doubled their Hockey East win total from the previous season (4-->8), they were picked to finish 11th or 9th in Hockey East, depending on which preseason poll you looked at and they actually finished 7th. In my mind, this team exceeded the preseason expectations. Now, we wait to see who leaves via the portal, and what this coaching staff brings in. At the very least, nearly the entire defense needs to be replaced, since there were 5 seniors/grad students playing nearly every night. Losing Welsch will hurt, but Halasz has proven that he's at least capable of being the 1B to a 1A for this team. Not a lot of losses to graduation from the forwards, but the big question is which of the underclassmen decide to look for greener pastures.

As others mentioned, there were a lot of bad defensive plays that led to goals, but overall, the goaltending wasn't great this season. Henry had a down year compared to last season, and that team, as you just pointed out, was much worse.

 

[boblav1]

The fatal mistake was the first penalty in the period. Everything else unraveled from there.

That was a frustrating penalty, we were saying before the period started, don't let Maine off the hook by taking a penalty. The Hawks then proceeded to take a couple more. Game over.

Awful decision in key times has plagued this team. The Truman major, while I wouldn't have called it, was also not a smart hit just to give the opportunity for something like that to happen.

I'm not sure about that call either. They showed the replay from a couple of different angles, and I still didn't 't see an elbow /shoulder to the head. Based on the length of the review It certainly wasn't an obvious call for the officials.

I never put good odds on tonight but cannot do obviously wrong things and hope to get away with it

Yes, too many defensive breakdowns and too many penalties. It's been that way for a several games now.