LOWELL, Mass. — In a game that appeared not to be in doubt through the first 25 minutes, Massachusetts challenged UMass Lowell in the second period, before succumbing, 5-2, in the final stanza.

Lowell dominated the first period and appeared poised to continue that domination through the second. But UMass defenseman Joel Hanley beat the typically reliable Doug Carr with a shot the goalie usually stops. That goal kicked off an excellent second period for the Minutemen. However, a rash of third-period penalties ended any opportunity to mount a comeback for UMass.

With the victory, the River Hawks swept the season series against their rivals — one season after being swept by the Minutemen themselves. The three wins against UMass are indicative of a remarkable turnaround for Lowell this season after winning only five total games last year.

In addition, the weekend sweep affirms Lowell’s quest to finish in the top half of the conference, while UMass must focus on merely securing conference play-off qualification.

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A crazy night around the WCHA tonight:

– Michigan Tech fell behind the defending champs, in Duluth, 4-0 after one period. But this isn’t last year’s Huskies anymore. One goal in the second and three more in the third sent the game to overtime, and Michigan Tech earned a point. Huge point for the Huskies, which keep themselves in the home ice race with the point. On the other side, just a brutal tie for UMD. With Minnesota’s win tonight, the Bulldogs are now three points back of the Gophers in the MacNaughton Cup race. This could be a point the Bulldogs look back on at the end of the season…

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AMHERST, Mass. — UMass-Lowell defeated in-state rival UMass at the Mullins Center Friday night, 4-2. Josh Holmstrom scored twice for the River Hawks, as the team enjoyed an appreciable power-play advantage, with five more opportunities than their opponent.

The River Hawks sealed the victory with an even-strength goal late in the third period. Lowell’s sustained pressure in the final minutes prevented Mastalerz from leaving the net for an extra-attacker. That effort was a microcosm of the game for the River Hawks, whose spirited play created multiple scoring chances and stifled the UMass offense. The Minutemen had cut the deficit to one goal

With the victory at the Mullins Center, the River Hawks clinched the season series. Both teams meet again Saturday night in Lowell.

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A late and abbreviated edition of the WCHA Power Rankings, as I’ve been on the road all day and am in Bemidji for this weekend’s Beavers-Mavericks series. I am also looking forward to my first games at the Sanford Center.

1 — Minnesota Duluth (Last week: 1)

A pair of one-goal wins over Alabama-Huntsville is more than enough to keep the ‘Dogs out front.

2 — Minnesota (Last week: 2)

Nothing wrong with a split against CC, but the Gophers need to figure out what ails them on Friday nights. This team is virtually unbeatable on Saturdays though…

3 — North Dakota (Last week: 3)

Wisconsin has just one road win this season, meaning UND needs to make some hay this weekend at Ralph Engelstad Arena.

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My intention tonight was to write a story on the Spirit of the Maverick trophy. It’s why I came down here. And with the teams tied at 1 headed to overtime, it looked like I was going to get the perfect scenario for such a story — a tie. An outcome where neither coach would be too overjoyed or disappointed and would be more than happy to engage in some rivalry trophy chatter…

Then overtime happened.

First, the important stuff. Under a minute into the extra session, UNO goaltender Ryan Massa was struck in the crease by Minnesota State defenseman Evan Mosey. Mosey was ridden into the goal by a Omaha defender and there was contact in the crease. Massa was motionless on the ice for several minutes and medical personnel was quick to get to him on the ice. After a delay of about 15 minutes, Massa was taken off the ice on a stretcher, and presumably taken to the hospital.

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Not much was decided last weekend in the first one back in a while for conference teams. All 12 teams were in action against each other and there were 4 splits among the 6 series.

The big movers were Michigan Tech and Denver, who secured home sweeps over Alaska-Anchorage and Bemidji State, respectively.

Four more conference series are on tap this weekend, with Minnesota Duluth looking to avoid the Alabama-Huntsville trap with a series in Duluth this weekend. Michigan Tech will also host Northern Michigan in a single game Saturday night in Houghton.

If you feel inclined, give my column on hits from behind a read. It is here or linked on the main homepage. I have received plenty of feedback on Twitter regarding the column (follow me @CHNDanMyers if you’re not already). Clearly this is an issue that is front and center right now in all of hockey, especially with the increase in the number and the severity of concussions. Hitting from behind and shots to the head are clearly “culture” things that need to be changed from the youth levels up. But we can’t afford to wait 20 years for the next generation of hockey players to work their way up. Some changes need to be made now, and I made my own suggestion for the college game in the column. Check it out…

I will be in Mankato this weekend reporting on one of the more unique — and forgotten — aspects of the UNO-MSU rivalry, the Spirit of the Maverick Trophy. I will try to get to Mariucci for a spell on Saturday as well…

Now, onto this week’s power rankings:

1 — Minnesota Duluth (Last week: 1)

UMD saw its 17-game unbeaten streak end in a 2-1 loss Saturday night at Nebraska-Omaha. It’s too bad because it would have been nice to see how far that thing could go. Had they won or tied, the Bulldogs host Huntsville this weekend, where they’d be favored. Next weekend, they host Michigan Tech, where they’d be favored. In two weeks, they play at Alaska-Anchorage, where they’d be favored. It’s quite possible Duluth could have brought a 24-game unbeaten streak into its series with North Dakota in mid-February. That would have been good stuff. Instead, UMD should have no trouble starting a new streak this weekend. But I’ve said that before…

2 — Minnesota (Last week: 2)

Kent Patterson was brilliant in a losing effort last Friday night at North Dakota and only a late goal by UND prevented Minnesota from pushing that game to overtime. A split at North Dakota is nice, but it doesn’t do much to silence those that feel the Gophers are slipping. Since a 9-1 start over the first month and a half, Minnesota is a .500 team.

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Just under a month removed from our last WCHA Power Rankings, the true second half of the college hockey season kicks off tonight with the rare weekend where all six WCHA teams are in action against each other. This will only happen two more times the rest of the season.

There are an intriguing array of games set for this weekend, so enjoy!

1 — Minnesota Duluth (Dec. 16 — 1)

The Bulldogs enter the weekend unbeaten in 16 straight games. That includes their last six, which have all been on the road. UMD hasn’t played at AMSOIL Arena since before Thanksgiving, and it will spend one more weekend on the road tonight and Saturday at Nebraska-Omaha. The Mavericks have done their best to try and sell out tonight’s game at the CenturyLink Center, and at last check, are within 1,000 tickers of doing so. Regardless, it will be the largest crowd to ever see a UNO game in Omaha. In talking with Scott Sandelin earlier this week, the Bulldogs are looking forward to the challenge.

2 — Minnesota (Dec. 16 — 2)

Don Lucia’s bunch has been thoroughly underwhelming for the better part of six weeks now, and since sweeping North Dakota during the first weekend in November, Minnesota is just 6-6-1. They were unable to win their own holiday tournament, again, something that used to be routine for this team. They were asleep for much of their game against Notre Dame last Saturday night before finally waking up with under three minutes to play in a 4-3 loss. With North Dakota heating up and Minnesota cooling down, this could be a crossroads weekend for these two squads. The Gophers need at least 2 points to regain some momentum.

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The WCHA needed a big weekend to salvage it’s at-large hopes for the NCAA Tournament in March. And while it posted a winning record thanks to a late-Saturday rally, a 7-4-1 record on the weekend isn’t exactly what was needed.

What’s truly disappointing is what could have been for the league this weekend. Denver blew a two-goal lead Friday in a 3-2 loss. Minnesota State blew a 3-2 lead late in the third period Friday, allowing two goals in 1:16 in a 4-3 loss. CC had a two-goal lead Saturday and tied. A 10-2-0 record this weekend would have been an unquestioned success. A 7-4-1 record? Not so much.

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BOSTON ― In the first game of the Frozen Fenway celebration of hockey, Massachusetts defeated Vermont, 3-2, in overtime. With both teams competing at Fenway Park for the first time, UMass defenseman Mike Marcou scored on a rebound late in the extra frame. The Minutemen gave Vermont ample opportunity to score on the power play, including a five-minute chance late in the game through part of overtime.

What I saw

The Catamounts took advantage of many UMass penalties and scored twice on the power play. Vermont spent the last 2:43 of the game on the power play after UMass forward Patrick Kiley received a five-minute, game misconduct penalty for hitting from behind. The remainder of that penalty continued into overtime, providing Vermont with ample opportunities to break the tie.

Special teams, especially the man advantage, has been a weakness for Vermont all season. And Saturday afternoon, it cost the team a victory.

In the first period, UMass responded to Vermont’s first goal 15 seconds later. It was a critical response for the Minutemen at that stage in the game, as the team was having trouble establishing sustained pressure.

The game also included two game misconducts from separate circumstances, and one five-minute major penalty. The teams finished with a combined 53 penalty minutes.

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I hope everyone had a great holiday season, and I’m excited for what promises to be another great second half of action in the WCHA.

I will jump back into the power rankings prior to next weekend, but I did want to stress how important the nonconference action this weekend should not be overlooked.

Because there are no WCHA games on the schedule, many will look at this weekend’s games and think “who cares?” Well, you shouldn’t care — if all you care about is winning the MacNaughton Cup. January means it’s time to start looking at those Pairwise Rankings a little closer, and for those of you who haven’t checked them out yet, you can find them here.

I am, by no means, a Pairwise expert — very few are. But I can tell you this with certainty: Only two WCHA teams are in good NCAA Tournament position as we head into the second half, as Minnesota Duluth (No.2) and Minnesota (tied for 4th) are the only two locks as of right now. Colorado College is square on the bubble, and would likely be one of the last one or two at-large teams in.

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