UMass Lowell at Northeastern: Pregame Notes and Line Combinations

BOSTON -- After a 3-3 tie on Friday night, No. 6/7 UMass Lowell closes its Hockey East home-and-home series with a return game at Northeastern this evening in historic Matthews Arena.

NU gave up its home game in last season's series on Jan. 11 as the teams took things outside a short mile down the road at Fenway Park. Thus, the River Hawks are making their first trip to St. Botolph Street since Jan. 25, 2013. UML leads the all-time series 57-42-7, but the Huskies are 2-0-1 in the last three games after last night's result.

In last night's series opener, UML junior A.J. White scored a pair of first-period goals before NU responded with two in the second and one more less than two minutes into the final frame.

White's classmate Adam Chapie scored the equalizing goal at 7:15, after sophomore Ryan Rosenthal scored for the second time in as many games to put NU up 3-2 at 1:22. Both teams scored twice with the man advantage on Friday night, combining for a 4-for-9 mark.

With the tie, the River Hawks earned a point on home ice and sit in a first-place tie Vermont in the early-season league standings. They have received incredible offensive balance through eight games with 16 different players recording at least a goal, including a team-high four by White and sophomore Chris Maniccia.

Husky sophomores Zach Aston-Reese and Dalen Hedges continued their hot starts to the season last night, extending their point streaks to four games. The former scored NU's second goal and an assist, while Hedges assisted Aston-Reese and freshman Dylan Sikura's first-career score.

Redshirt sophomore Derick Roy will get his sixth straight start in the NU goal in place of injured senior Clay Witt.

Here are tonight's lines:

RIVER HAWKS (5-1-2, 3-0-1 Hockey East)

Jake Kamrass - Chris Maniccia - Robert Francis
C.J. Smith - Joe Gambardella - Adam Chapie
Michael Fallon - Michael Colantone - Ryan Collins
A.J. White - Evan Campbell - Terrence Wallin

Michael Kapla - Dylan Zink
Tommy Panico - Jake Suter
Zach Kamrass - Tyler Mueller

Jeff Smith
Kevin Boyle
Olli Kalkaja

HUSKIES (0-6-1, 0-2-1 Hockey East)

Nolan Stevens - Mike Szmatula - Torin Snydeman
Kevin Roy - Dalen Hedges - Brendan Collier
Zach Aston-Reese - John Stevens - Ryan Rosenthal
Dylan Sikura - Mike McMurtry - Adam Reid

Dax Lauwers  - Garret Cockerill
Dustin Darou - Colton Saucerman
Trevor Owens - Matt Benning

Derick Roy
Jake Theut