NHL Prospects Report: UMass Lowell at New Hampshire

UMass Lowell 2, New Hampshire 0
Whittemore Center
Durham, NH
Friday, October 31, 2014

Game Recap: Opportunistic Lowell Shuts Out UNH

Evan Campbell, LC, 6-1/195, 3/1/93 (Edmonton '13) - This was my first viewing of the River Hawks this season and it comes as no surprise that the Port Moody, British Columbia native has significantly picked up his production this season compared to his rookie campaign. He was held scoreless on the night, but he made several strong, powerful moves to the net. He uses his speed and size to leverage defenders from the puck. He was phenomenal at the faceoff dot, going 17-6. Overall, it seems as if Campbell has really elevated his game to start his sophomore year.

Brett Pesce, RD, 6-3/175, 11/15/94 (Carolina '13) - He's never the flashiest of defenders. When he's playing his best he doesn't really stand out. He's usually just very methodical and doesn't make any huge hits. Despite being a -1 on the evening he did some good things. He skates very well backwards and does a good job going one-on-one with opposing forwards. His skating ability overall is smooth and he has nice vision and poise pushing the puck up ice. Negatives were his proneness to losing his guy and floating in the defensive zone.

Warren Foegele, LW, 6-1/185, 4/1/96 (Carolina '14) - It's easy to tell why his stock soared as his prep school career concluded at St. Andrew's College. The speed and stick skills are easily noticeable, but a serious lack of strength deters his ability to finish and drive to the net, at least on Friday night. He was pushed off the puck a few times and was generally kept to the perimeter by UML's defense.

Shane Eiserman, LW, 6-1/205, 10/10/5 (Ottawa '14) - It was tough to get a thorough read on Eiserman. This wasn't my first viewing of him, but it was the first time seeing him a Wildcat jersey. He's big and very strong on pucks. At times he can be a game changer with his ability to set the tempo with his physicality. Unfortunately for him he didn't get much ice time on Friday night, sitting on the fourth line. He did make a good move, willing his way into the slot from the right side before getting off a shot, but a few seconds later the puck was going the other way and it found its way into the back of the cage for a Lowell score.

Grayson Downing, LC, 6-0/185, 4/18/92 - A undrafted free agent, Downing is a nice college player, but his game likely doesn't translate to the next level. He's a smart hockey player with decent speed and an ability to elude opposing defensemen. However, he lacks a true finishing touch. He had the puck on his stick three times practically alone on Lowell goaltender Kevin Boyle, but failed to convert including on a second period penalty shot. If I'm picking a college team, Downing is absolutely high on my board, but he's got AHL or ECHL written all over him.

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Jeff Cox covers college, junior and high school hockey, NCAA recruiting and NHL Draft prospects. Follow him on Twitter @JeffCoxSports.