ESPN

The spring session completed, University of Massachusetts football coach Charley Molnar can now turn his full attention to recruiting.

But instead of future players, Molnar and the Minutemen are setting their sights on future fans. The school has planned events in the Greater Boston area and Western Mass. through June, hoping to drum up enthusiasm about UMass football at the FBS level headed into Year 2.

Molnar knows it’ll be a hard sell after his program went 1-11 in Year 1 in the Mid-American Conference.

“I think we’re light years ahead of where we were a year ago as a football team,” Molnar said by phone Wednesday. “We still have some areas of concern. The biggest thing now is lack of depth at certain positions.”

The head coach pointed to offensive line and wide receiver as two trouble spots. Molnar said he usually likes to have between 12 and 14 wideouts on the roster, with 10 or 11 of those players on scholarship. At the moment, he said, the latter number is more like 7 or 8.

“I can’t create depth overnight,” he said. “We’re going to have to play young players at a lot of positions again this year.”

That includes the O-line, a clear position of need for the Minutemen after they struggled to both run the ball and protect the quarterback consistently in 2012.

“The improvement was good, the depth again is an area of concern,” Molnar said of the offensive line. “You’re talking about an influx of new football players at that position. How many guys are going to be ready to be quality backups remains to be seen.”

The Minutemen haven’t added just players, bringing in four new coaches in the offseason (including the first strength and conditioning coach dedicated solely to football in the school’s history). It’s all geared toward reaching two goals: success on the field and in the stands.

UMass averaged 10,902 fans at its five home games in 2012, down from more than 13,000 in its last FCS season in 2011. Two of the five games at Gillette Stadium drew fewer than 10,000 fans, with a low of 6,385 in the season-closing loss to Central Michigan.

Molnar said people, recruits and fans alike, have been receptive to UMass. And he expects the more than $34 million construction project underway at McGuirk Stadium, upgrading the facility to meet MAC standards and building a new “performance center” to house the football locker room, weight room and coaches offices under one roof, to enhance the Minutemen’s status going forward.

“Right now our facilities would have to rank at the very, very bottom of 1-A football,” he said. “A year from now our facilities will be at the top of mid-major football and better than what many BCS programs have to offer.”

But even with gleaming new digs, there’s no guarantee the product on the field will look a whole lot better in 2013.

“On the inside looking out we could see a lot of signs of progress that fans in the stands couldn’t see,” Molnar said. “The fans only understand wins and losses. … We’ve certainly closed the gap. I wouldn’t say we’ve arrived by any stretch of the imagination.”

When you’re trying to build a program, and a fan base, from the ground up, perspective is important.

“As a fan they’ll look at wins and losses, and so will I,” Molnar said.

But for now, progress will be measured in smaller increments than that.

“Do we turn the ball over less?” the coach said. “Do we have fewer pre-snap fouls? False starts. Illegal formations and substitutions. These are things that go wrong before the ball’s ever snapped. Let’s just get the ball snapped and go from there.”

Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.

Two years after the most famous player in recent Boston College history won the Lott IMPACT Trophy as the nation’s premier defender, another Eagles linebacker is on the award's preseason watch list.

Steele Divitto was just a sophomore when Luke Kuechly won the award in 2011. He’s a rising senior now, and the 6-foot-3, 238-pound Don Bosco Prep product will be a big part of the BC defense in 2013.

He’s started every game the past two seasons, piling up 92 tackles as a junior in 2012.

The Ridgefield, Conn., native is one of seven ACC players on the initial list of 42. The IMPACT -- which stands for integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community and tenacity -- award is given to a player deemed to have made the biggest impact both on and off the field.

Manti Te’o won the award in 2012.

BC men's basketball coach Steve Donahue visited "SVP & Russillo" on Thursday to talk about the plight of longtime sports information director Dick Kelley, who is battling ALS.

CLICK HERE to listen to the podcast.

For more on Kelley and what he means to the BC family, CLICK HERE and read Pete Thamel's piece on SI.com.

In the video above, new BC head coach Steve Addazio talks about the style of play he plans for the Eagles as well as the difficulties that can come with the first year at a new program.

In the video above, new Boston College head coach Steve Addazio discusses what the day of the Boston Marathon bombings was like on campus. He also talks about what the entire week following the bombings was like and the decision to cancel the spring game.

Also, Addazio was on Mike & Mike this morning, talking about his thoughts on conference realignment, the College Football Playoff, coaching Tim Tebow, the expectations for the Eagles and more. Click here to listen to that interview.

None of them heard their names called during the draft, but all of them will have a shot at an NFL career.

Four former Boston College players signed free-agent deals with teams soon after the final round ended on Saturday. Linebacker Nick Clancy signed with the Atlanta Falcons, offensive tackle Emmett Cleary signed with the Indianapolis Colts, tight end Chris Pantale signed with the New York Jets and offensive tackle John Wetzel signed with the Oakland Raiders.

After finishing his first season as a starter with an ACC-high 145 tackles, Clancy was named first-team All-ACC. Once he signed with the Falcons, the Plainfield, Ill., native tweeted:

So psyched to join the Atlanta Falcons!

— Nick Clancy (@nickclancy54) April 28, 2013

Cleary, who was named an offensive cocaptain and started at left tackle for the Eagles in 2012, will join fellow Boston College alumni Gosder Cherilus and Anthony Castonzo in the offensive line corps in Indy.

Pantale, the other offensive cocaptain in 2012, suffered a foot injury early in training camp and as a result had a subpar senior season after being named to the preseason Mackey Award watch list.

When word of his deal with the Jets spread, one former and now future teammate celebrated the news:

Big shout out to my boy Chris Pantale for signing with the Jets! #WeAreBC #JETS

— Ryan Quigley (@RQuigs46) April 28, 2013

After going undrafted himself after the 2011 season and spending time with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent, punter Ryan Quigley signed a free-agent deal with New York prior to this April’s draft.

And while he had to have been at least somewhat disappointed not to hear his name called as he watched the draft from home in Pittsburgh, Wetzel, like his former teammates, has a chance to fulfill his career ambitions after signing with the Raiders.

“I feel good,” Wetzel said by text Sunday. “Oakland was one of the teams who liked me and called me right after the draft to get a deal done.”

The Raiders made the best offer, and now Wetzel is ready to get back on the field.

“I am just looking forward to getting back into football stuff and making the most of the opportunity,” Wetzel said.

The draft may be over, but the NFL dreams aren’t.

Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.

And on the 2013 NFL draft's third day, Harvard tight end Kyle Juszczyk finally heard his name called.

With the 33rd pick in the fourth round, the 130th pick overall, the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens chose the Crimson H-back.

Juszczyk finished his career as Harvard's all-time leader in receptions (125), receiving yards (1,576) and touchdown catches (22) by a tight end, but will likely play more of an H-back role in the NFL.

He was ranked fourth among fullbacks, according to Scouts Inc. But he was the first player taken at the position.

Once the pick was official, Juszczyk tweeted his excitement:

Couldn't be happier to be a Baltimore Raven!Dream come true!Now it's time to work!#PurpleandBlack #NFL

— Kyle Juszczyk (@JuiceCheck44) April 27, 2013

Harvard coach Tim Murphy had high praise for his former player, the fourth drafted in Murphy's tenure as head coach, in a statement Saturday.

"Guys like Kyle Juszczyk do not grow on trees," Murphy said. "He will go down as one of the great players in Harvard and Ivy Football history. His rare combination of versatility, toughness, leadership and playmaking ability was one of the major catalysts for the highest scoring offense since the Ivy League was formed in 1956."

Juszczyk is the first Harvard player drafted since Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2005, and the 18th overall.

Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.

To watch, or not to watch?

That is the question for potential late-round NFL draft picks like Boston College linemen Emmett Cleary and John Wetzel.

Whether ‘tis better to sit in front of the TV and stew, or to get out and find something to do.

Both Cleary and Wetzel were invited to the combine in February, where they were poked and prodded, questioned and tested. In Scouts Inc.’s full seven-round mock draft, both are projected to be drafted in the final round.

“It’s definitely been interesting,” Cleary said Thursday of the pre-draft process. “It’s been great to kind of go through the whole thing and learn how to comport yourself and treat yourself as a job applicant for the first time.”

The strangest part of the combine for Cleary was during the testing at Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium.

“It’s so quiet in that dome,” the 6-foot-6, 316-pound left tackle said. “Watching on TV for a couple years, you always expected this is the big thing. Then you get up to the start line and the whole NFL is looking at you ….”

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Wetzel, a 6-foot-7, 315-pound right tackle. “I was training at ING in Florida for two months before, and just spent so much time preparing for the things in the combine. And then when you get there, the first two days it was a lot of waiting. You just want to get out there and get it done.

“Then the last day, it just went by so fast. It was a great experience. I enjoyed talking to all the coaches and meeting a bunch of new people there that I’ll be playing with in the NFL later on.”

Neither Cleary nor Wetzel knows exactly what to expect this weekend.

“I heard a lot of stuff,” Wetzel said of where he might be selected. “I heard I could possibly even go [from] three to seven, within that range. … Some teams think real highly of me and really want me and some teams might have a different perspective.”

Cleary doesn’t expect his phone to ring with good news until Saturday.

“I think it’s a crapshoot, honestly,” he said. “I’ll be a late-rounder. Regardless, it’ll be either Saturday or free agency.”

Whatever happens, the Illinois native is keeping his eyes on the horizon.

“My focus is on making a team and making the best of the situation that I have,” he said. “I don’t think [whether I’m drafted or not] really changes my outlook.”

For now, there is no backup plan.

“Geez, I hope I don’t have to worry about that for a couple years,” Cleary said. “This is something I want to do so I’m gonna chase this dream for as long as I reasonably can.”

As offensive linemen from Boston College, Cleary and Wetzel both said they feel some added pressure to continue the tradition the school has established at the position.

“You want to do everything you can to keep that going,” Wetzel said. “It’s something we pride ourselves on. We still think we have some good linemen who can continue that tradition of O-line U at Boston College.”

Anthony Castonzo, who first Wetzel and then Cleary replaced at left tackle in Chestnut Hill, was the latest high-profile lineman to make the successful transition from college to the pros when he was taken in the first round by Indianapolis in 2011 and started as a rookie. Also included in the lineage are players like Marc Colombo, Jeremy Trueblood and former Patriots center Dan Koppen.

That the Eagles have struggled in recent seasons, going 4-8 in 2011 and 2-10 in 2012 under former coach Frank Spaziani, just adds to the pressure.

“Our year last year was terrible,” Cleary said, “but we’re hoping to prove that we’re just as good as those guys who’ve gone before.”

All the workouts now done, the interviews finished, Cleary and Wetzel just have to decide whether or not to watch.

Cleary said he’ll probably watch the first round, but he’s not sure about Friday or Saturday. He said he doesn’t want to be “stuck in front of the TV all day.”

Wetzel, meanwhile, said he might get in a workout instead of watching Thursday night. But the Pittsburgh, Penn., native has a different plan for Rounds 2-7.

“The next two days I’ll be in front of the TV with my family watching,” Wetzel said. “And if I get picked, after that I’ll have a bunch of family and friends over to celebrate.”

Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.

The City of Boston, Hockey East and Fenway Sports Management announced "Frozen Fenway 2014" on Thursday. The two week series of hockey and ice skating events will including two Hockey East men’s doubleheaders.

On Saturday, January 4, 2014, Merrimack College will face Providence, followed by Notre Dame against Boston College.

On Saturday, January 11, UMass Lowell will play Northeastern University, followed by University of Maine against Boston University.

“Last year, more than 90,000 people came to Fenway Park to watch college and high school hockey or to enjoy free, public skating,” said Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino. “This generated tens of millions of dollars for local business. I’m confident that top-notch outdoor college hockey at Fenway Park will make for another unforgettable experience, drawing fans from across the region and serving as a major platform to showcase the people, culture, and local businesses that make our city special.”

“After the success of the Winter Classic in 2010 and the Frozen Fenway college games in 2012, hockey and skating are fast becoming winter traditions at Fenway Park,” said FSM President and Red Sox EVP/COO Sam Kennedy. “We welcome back Hockey East and, along with the Mayor, look forward to once again having our beloved ballpark be host to college games, high school games, and to welcome various communities throughout New England to Fenway Park this winter.”

Game times and ticket information for the two doubleheaders will be announced in the coming months.

In addition to the two Hockey East doubleheaders, there will also be two, free public skating days for City of Boston residents. The skates will be on Sunday, December 29, New Year’s Day, Wednesday, January 1. Information about tickets for the skates will be announced in the coming months.

AMHERST, Mass. -- Gary Menin's last-minute decision to take part in the halftime ceremonies at UMass' annual spring game Saturday wasn't by design.

Menin, a 30-year-old attorney, held back tears as he explained the shock of hearing the news Friday morning of the death of his former roommate of two years in Somerville. He collapsed to his knees and broke down in his Milton home, in shock and disbelief.

Sean Collier, a 26-year-old MIT campus police officer, was slain in the line of duty during the nearly 20-hour manhunt for two suspects connected to Monday's Boston Marathon bombings.

"I didn't know him in the capacity of a cop. I knew him grilling in the backyard. I knew him playing Frisbee in the park by Tufts," Menin began, eyes welling up. "He's a real person, and now a lot of people aren't going to get to know him. They'll read about him, but you don't get to hear his voice, or play 'Rock Band' with him, you know, stuff you do with roommates."

Saturday afternoon at McGuirk Alumni Stadium, those who were unable to finish Monday's marathon were invited to run a ceremonious "finish" at halftime of the annual intrasquad scrimmage that concludes spring practices. Menin was among the six taking up the offer, running a lap around the perimeter of the gridiron and finishing with a scamper across the 50-yard line, with football players forming a gauntlet along the last 50.

Menin, a UMass alum, was one-tenth of a mile from the finish line when the explosions went off, and found himself circumnavigating around the block another mile to find his family, who were waiting at the finish line at the time.

He may not find closure over losing his former roommate to such senseless violence.

"If this is how I feel, I can't imagine what his family is going through," Menin said.

But he felt honored to be able to partake in today's ceremonious run.

"Unfortunately I found out very last minute I wanted to do this for Sean," he said. "It's nice to have everyone here. Everyone's been so great in Boston, but in Massachusetts and all around the world as well."

Shrewsbury resident Lisa Lunt, 30, was stopped a few miles back from the finish line when the explosion went off, and Saturday wielded an American flag during the lap -- just as she did for the entire race on Monday, as a tribute to servicemen deployed overseas.

"I'm a UMass alum, and today I really wanted to be a part of it," Lunt said. "If people can die overseas for our country, I can carry a flag for 26 miles. It's a small price to pay."

Players also paid tribute to Collier and the three victims who lost their lives in Monday's bombing by placing the full names of each on their nameplates on the backs of their jerseys. Defensive back Randall Jette wore the nameplate of Collier; he was joined by linebacker Stanley Andre (Martin Richard), wide receiver Klysmann Afonso (Krystle Campbell), tight end Brandon Howard (Lu Lingzi), and tight end Rob Blanchflower, who wore a "#BostonStrong" nameplate.

"I know how it is growing up in Dorchester," says Andre, who hails from the same part of Boston as Richard, the 8-year-old who lost his life in Monday's bombing. "Dorchester is a tough neighborhood. Not to see him grow, it's tough to experience and witness. It's really an unfortunate tragedy."

Afonso, a midyear walk-on from Medford, grew up on the city's Lawrence Street, a short distance from the 29-year-old Campbell's Park Street residence. And while he didn't know Campbell or her family personally, he knew folks that were close to her.

"I know some of my friends who have worked with her family and said she was just a joy to be around," he said. "I was so proud to have her name even on my nameplate. That was just a huge honor for me to represent Medford, her and the bombing victims."

UMass head coach Charley Molnar called Saturday's event "really high" on the list of most memorable moments of his decades-long coaching career.

"This is was much bigger than I ever thought it would be," he said.

He also said he plans on trying to run for next year's race.

"After the events on Monday, I was absolutely determined that I want to run Boston in 2014," he said. "I'm going to enter my first marathon in Long Branch, N.J., in a few weeks, and just see where I'm at, and maybe get a couple more under my belt to see if I can qualify."

Boston College has canceled all home events for Saturday in light of the massive manhunt underway in and around the city for suspects of the Boston Marathon bombing.

“After consulting with campus, city and law enforcement officials, including the Boston College Police Department, we have decided to cancel all home athletics events scheduled for Saturday, including the spring football game," athletic director Brad Bates said in a statement. "Our first priority is ensuring the safety of our student-athletes, coaches and spectators. Our local law enforcement community has done a phenomenal job this past week, and we do not want our events to serve as a distraction.

“Furthermore, now is a time for reflection to honor those who have been tragically killed and injured this past week and to allow our community to heal. The entire Boston College family stands with those who have been affected by this week's events. Together we will persevere and emerge stronger and more unified than ever.”

Events scheduled for Saturday included an alumni flag football game, a fan fest, the spring football game, a women’s lacrosse game and a women’s tennis match.

Amherst men's basketball team beat Mary Hardin-Baylor, 87-70, to win the Division III national title on Sunday in Atlanta.

It's the second national title for Amherst, the other coming in 2007.

The Lord Jeffs finished the season 30-2, winning their final 24 games.

For more on the game, check out Amherst's website.

NEWTON, Mass. -- As far as Steve Addazio is concerned, there’s no room for “my bad” at Boston College.

The new coach of the Eagles, one of the last people off the Alumni Stadium field on Thursday after practice, said he’s encouraged with how the players have responded so far this spring. But he knows there’s a long, long way to go.

As the team went through scrimmage situations late in the day’s session, shadows creeping farther and farther across the turf, the energy level was noticeably different from years past. Players on the sidelines were shouting encouragement to teammates on the field. Coaches were shouting instructions and exhortations, and voicing their pleasure (or displeasure) with results as they happened.

“I think it’s important that there’s energy, that there’s passion, there’s energy and they’re holding each other accountable,” Addazio said afterward about the noise level. “There’s no such thing as my bad. You gotta count on the guy on your left and the guy on your right, and they’ve gotta perform, when their number’s called they’ve gotta get the job done.

“Not being able to just brush off, ‘Oh, yeah, I made a mistake.’ Well that’s not acceptable. Can’t have that. It’s a fine line in football. It’s creating that atmosphere, and putting that pressure on and finding out who can really make a play when the pressure’s really on.”

For a program coming off a 2-10 finish, changing the mindset is important. So far Addazio has been pleased with the players’ attitudes.

“It’s important,” he said of seeing the offense and defense competing as hard as they did Thursday. “We’re trying to reestablish [a mindset of] winning is all that matters and losing is not tolerable. You’ve gotta fight for every inch, for every win. And how hard it is, how fragile it is to win a major college football game.

“We have to get back into that mindset, because we’ve had two years when we have not been bowl eligible. This is all about changing that and establishing that atmosphere. This is just the start.”

Asked where the team is in the process of installing new offensive and defensive systems, Addazio said the focus this spring is more fundamental than that.

“We don’t really know exactly which system it’s gonna be,” the coach said. “We’re really hunting and pecking to find our identity right now. It’s hard to know [what system you’ll run] until you really see what you have and what you can do. I know we can run some power football.”

Addazio said the staff is still figuring out how best to deploy the personnel at its disposal.

“We’ve got a lot of ball left to go. This was practice seven,” he said with a short laugh. “We’ve got a long way to go. But I like the attitude, I like the effort, I like where we’re headed. I really do. I do. I’d like to get a little bit more explosive, make a few more plays. Although we made a few today, [Alex] Amidon had a few today.”

The last hour of practice was devoted to game situations, complete with officials and down-and-distance markers. In one sequence, Amidon caught a ball from the left slot and exploded up the left side for a touchdown.

His offensive teammates chased him, cheering, all the way to the end zone to celebrate the practice score.

And later, when Sean Sylvia delivered a hit that produced a loud “Pop” of pad-on-pad, it was the defense‘s turn to turn up the volume.

It’s instances like those that have Addazio excited. But the veteran coach isn’t getting ahead of himself.

“I’m realistic about where we are,” he said. “I know where we need to be, and we’re not there. But I like our effort. I like our willingness, I like our energy.

“I know where we are, though, we’ve got a long way to go,” he said, with another short laugh. “But I like the fact that we’re scratching and clawing to get there. And my experience is we’ll get there.

“I don’t have a time clock on it. We’ll just keep working, building this thing the right way: on a good foundation of physical toughness and accountability.”

There’s no more room for “my bad” in Chestnut Hill, and that can only be a good thing.

Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey.

When UMass Lowell coach Norm Bazin sat before the media alongside players Connor Hellebuyck, Chad Ruhwedel and Scott Wilson on Saturday, the second-year bench boss looked almost bewildered.

"It's almost like a surreal experience for us," Bazin said after his River Hawks dispatched the New Hampshire Wildcats, securing Lowell's spot in the Frozen Four for the first time in school history.

Don't believe it. Bazin knows exactly what he's doing, and that's a credit to not only Bazin, but the school administrators who believed this Hockey East also-ran could rise from its old mill city surroundings and be a force in college hockey. Bazin began molding this team to be a winner from the moment he left Hamilton College (where he crafted a 48-31-7 mark in three seasons) and returned to his alma mater two years ago.

"He came in and he believed in us from day one, and he got us to believe in each other as well and he instilled some great work habits for everybody," said junior Josh Holmstrom, who was a freshman on the 2010-11 Lowell squad that went 5-25-4. "Every day that we come to the rink, we're trying to get better. That's been the goal the past two years. We didn't have anything really set in stone [as far as goals]. It was improve every day, and the results will take care of themselves. That's been one of the biggest things that he's taught everybody on the team -- just always work and try to get better every day."

Bazin not only has registered the best two-year win total ever at Lowell (52), but he has done it against a tough backdrop. Some state university trustees openly questioned whether the school should have a Division I hockey team as recently as 2007 (when the River Hawks went 8-21-7). That was before chancellor Marty Meehan -- a Lowell native and former U.S. congressman -- took the reins and empowered athletic director Dana Skinner to bolster the hockey program.

Former coach Blaise MacDonald did a commendable job, compiling winning records in 2008-09 and 2009-10, and recruited a number of the players who are now leading the current Lowell squad, including captain Riley Wetmore. However, the disastrous 2010-11 campaign resulted in MacDonald's ouster, and Bazin was brought home.

"We've got an outstanding school. I am very fortunate to be working at UMass Lowell," said Bazin, who graduated from Lowell in 1994. "We might be the storefront for the program, however there are so many exciting changes happening on campus. The tagline is 'progress in motion,' and that applies to the hockey club also."

Bazin and his River Hawks wasted little time putting Lowell back on the map, earning the program's first NCAA bid since 1996 with a 24-13-1 mark last season. They defeated Miami (Ohio) before falling to Union in the East Regional. This season, riding the momentum of a best-in-the-nation 22-3-1 stretch since Christmas, the River Hawks have taken the next step and are preparing to meet Yale in Pittsburgh on April 11.

(Read full post)

MANCHESTER, N.H. -- The UMass Lowell River Hawks prolonged decades of frustration for New Hampshire hockey fans, ending the Wildcats season with a 2-0 victory in the NCAA Northeast Regional final before 8,357 at the Verizon Wireless Center on Saturday.

In the first-ever meeting between the schools in the NCAA tournament, the top-seeded River Hawks (28-10-2) upended a game-but-undermanned Wildcats squad (20-12-7), and they did it with a stifling defense and clutch scoring. The Lowell victory avenges three losses to UNH during the Hockey East regular season and guarantees the program's first-ever trip to the Frozen Four. They'll square off against the Yale Bulldogs in Pittsburgh on April 11.

The win was particularly sweet for second-year River Hawks coach Norm Bazin, who was on the 1994 Lowell team that was denied a chance to get to the Frozen Four, losing to Minnesota in double overtime, 2-1, in the regional finals at Michigan State. The current Lowell squad, said Bazin, is capable of creating its own legacy.

"I think this team is starting to show people that they're capable of something special," he said. "And we hope this continues."

Lowell goaltender Connor Hellebuyck again was a wall for the River Hawks, stopping 28 shots to record his second shutout of the postseason (sixth of the season) and capture Most Outstanding Player honors for the regional. In six playoff games since the end of the end of the regular season -- all victories -- the freshman from Michigan has given up a grand total of five goals, and only two in his last four.

"Connor's an exceptional goalie. Obviously, he's had two great weekends, and he's been strong most of the second half," said Bazin, noting that he has the luxury of two superb goaltenders in Hellebuyck and junior Doug Carr. "You don't get very far, and you certainly don't get to a final four, without great goaltending. And he's been providing that."

Meanwhile, UNH -- known derisively in some circles as the University of No Hardware -- suffered another bitter NCAA exit, and will have another offseason to contemplate what went wrong. It was the fifth straight time the Wildcats have lost in the regional final (2005, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013).

"We've been here one too many times, in this situation, where we won the first game and then lost," said UNH captain Connor Hardowa. "A lot of credit to [Lowell]. They played an unbelievable game. They forced us to dump pucks when we didn't want to, and made it hard for us to break the puck out.

"I thought we played a pretty good game," said Hardowa. "There were just a couple of mistakes here and there that cost us the game, and that's just how the game goes. In this tournament, you make one mistake, it costs you the season."

After exploding for a combined 11 goals in their two semifinal wins on Friday, the River Hawks and Wildcats locked in a defensive struggle for the first 39 minutes. Then, with 30 seconds remaining in the second period, the tide turned dramatically in favor of the River Hawks. UML defender Chad Ruhwedel fired a shot from the right point, which caromed off the backboards to sophomore Scott Wilson. Wilson saw his first chip shot blocked, but he collected his own rebound and tucked it past UNH goaltender Casey DeSmith for a 1-0 Lowell lead.

"It was something we actually pre-scouted," said Bazin. "We felt that [DeSmith] was vulnerable from underneath the goal line. Whether it's true or not, we were aiming to get pucks down low. They've got such a good defensive corps, we didn't get that opportunity too many times tonight. Sometimes it works as you scripted it.

"On that goal, we certainly were aiming for that all game long, and it finally happened for us."

The Wildcats started the game behind the 8-ball, having lost top scorer Kevin Goumas (42 points) and top goal-getter Grayson Downing (15 tallies) to injuries in Friday's opening match against Denver. Still, UNH had the best early chance, with freshman Collin MacDonald narrowly missing a tap-in just minutes into the contest. For the remainder of the period, Lowell kept the Wildcats to the outside, giving Hellebuyck an unobstructed view, until UNH's Austin Block got a last-chance bid with less than 10 seconds remaining that skittered just wide.

"They play a really tough game," said UNH's John Henrion. "They strive off their forecheck. Anything in the neutral zone gets deep. It's tough for our defensemen, as it would be for any team to constantly have to go back and fetch pucks. And from there, they get on the puck. They forecheck hard."

The middle stanza produced more of the same, with both teams employing a grinding, responsible defensive style, and few first-rate scoring chances. Shots that did get through were either gobbled up or easily deflected by Hellebuyck and DeSmith. With almost 14 minutes gone, UNH's Jay Camper was set up nicely inside the right face-off circle by freshman Dan Correale, but his one-timer was blocked by Hellebuyck's right arm.

Lowell's Josh Holmstrom was got the puck between the hash marks two minutes later, but misfired on his shot and failed to put the puck on net. Finally, Wilson broke the deadlock at 19:30, finishing off a 20-second Lowell flurry. Collecting the puck at the left corner of the crease, Wilson snapped a shot that DeSmith blocked. But the sophomore from Ontario jumped on the rebound, and slipped in past the sprawling UNH netminder to give Lowell the game's first lead.

Wilson's strike was a foreboding harbinger for the Wildcats, who had managed only a 7-9-4 record when surrendering the game's first goal (compared to a 13-2-2 mark when taking the lead). The Wildcats ramped up the pressure in the third period, only to see the River Hawks match their intensity. Specifically, the Lowell forwards were tenacious in their backchecking, rarely giving their UNH counterparts any room to move and constantly harassing the Wildcats defenders.

"Discipline has really been a key word for us this season," said Ruhwedel, a junior assistant captain. "I think our team has really showed true character, and tonight was definitely one of those games."

At 13:58 Lowell freshman Adam Chapie gave the River Hawks some breathing room. Picking up the puck at his own blue line, Chapie drove down the left wing, getting position on UNH's Brett Kostolansky. Just as DeSmith attempted a poke check, Chapie flipped the puck underneath the right arm of the UNH netminder, giving Lowell a 2-0 lead.

"It was a big goal for us. He's somebody, oddly enough, who seems to flourish in tough situations," said Bazin. "He seems to excel along the wall. Credit to him, he doesn't quit on pucks. That was a big goal to add to our cushion, because a one-goal lead against UNH isn't very settling when you're a coach standing behind the bench."

The Wildcats threw caution to the wind with 2:47 remaining, pulling DeSmith for the extra attacker. In the last minute, UNH stormed the Lowell defensive zone, but Dick Umile's troops couldn't get a puck past Hellebuyck.

"He's a big boy," said Umile. "Obviously, we saw two pretty talented goaltenders in our last games in [Hellebuyck and Providence freshman John] Gillies. I'm going to have nightmares about the two of them. It's a big difference when they're that big and that quick.

"He just towers over the net," said the UNH bench boss. "He reminds me of my old days, and Kenny Dryden. He's that type of goaltender."

Next stop for the Lowell freight train? Pittsburgh.

"We'll let these guys enjoy it for a night, but that's about it," said Bazin. "Then we'll get back to work."