Image by Lowell Sun/Julia Malakie
09/28/2016
Lowell Sun
By Shawn Hutcheon
BOSTON -- The calendar is about to turn to October, which is a very welcome sight for hockey fans.
The 2016-17 version of the UMass Lowell River Hawks will hit the ice for a preseason game with the University of Prince Edward Island on Sunday, Oct. 2, at the Tsongas Center (4 p.m.). It will be the first time fans will get to see some highly-touted recruits.
This season, coach Norm Bazin welcomes 10 new players to his club.
"It's too early to tell anything," Bazin said at Tuesday's Hockey East Media Day at TD Garden. "I've been fairly pleased with what I've seen out of their work ethic and attention to detail. That's all I can say at this point because I've only worked with them for a lengthy two hours a week so far. I'm looking forward to seeing them in game action come Sunday. I do feel that several of them will compete for immediate minutes."
Keith Burchett, a native of Oak Brook, Ill., is the lone non-freshman among the newcomers. The junior forward transferred from UMass Amherst where he played in 56 games, compiling 12 points on 4 goals and 8 assists.
Mattias Goransson, a freshman defenseman, hails from Slottsbron, Sweden. For the last two seasons, he played junior hockey with the Tri City Storm of the USHL where he contributed 14 goals and 55 assists for 69 points in 115 games.
Kenny Hausinger is a freshman forward who calls Anchorage, Alaska home. In 60 games last season with the Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL), Hausinger produced 16 goals and 32 assists.
Guillaume Leclerc is another incoming player from Europe. Leclerc comes to Lowell from Franois, France with a stop in Madison, Wisc., where he honed his skills with the USHL's Madison Capitols. In 109 contests with Madison, the forward registered 59 points on 25 goals and 34 assists.
Ryan Lohin, a native of Chadd's Ford, Pa., had an outstanding season last year with the USHL's Waterloo Black Hawks and Madison Capitols. The forward scored 23 goals and assisted on 34 in 62 games. He was selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning (7th round) in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.
"He's a very mature kid, probably one of the most mature kids in the whole class," Bazin offered on Lohin. "He had a great year last year. Ryan was a real impact player last year and we hope he can be that same (player) with us."
Nick Marin is the lone Mass. native in the UML hockey freshman class. He hails from Shrewsbury and was a member of the Springfield Pics junior team last year. In 44 games, the forward contributed 20 goals and 19 assists.
Collin O'Neill, the sixth of seven first-year River Hawks forwards, skated in the Alberta Junior Hockey League last year, posting 55 points in 56 games.
James Winkler, a New Englander who comes from York, Me., played the last two seasons with the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL. The big (6-foot-3) forward scored 26 goals in 101 contests.
After four years of stellar goaltending by Kevin Boyle and Connor Hellebuyck, Bazin and his staff believe they have found the right men in freshmen Tyler Wall and Garrett Metcalf, along with returners Christoffer Hernberg and Sean Cleary, to come in and add their names to the long list of outstanding puck stoppers the River Hawks have had over the years.
"We're excited about the guys who are coming in," Bazin said. "Somebody's going to have to steal the show and steal the minutes. We plan on giving them the opportunity and see what they can do with it so it's going to be a highly competitive position."
Both Wall (6th round, Rangers) and Metcalf (6th round, Ducks) have been drafted by NHL teams.
"I like our recruits," Bazin said. "I think everybody likes their recruits on paper at this time of year. You haven't played any games, you haven't faced any adversity but several of them will compete for playing time right away and we're looking forward to giving them the opportunity."