ESPN

MANCHESTER, N.H. -- One of the refrains repeated by UMass Lowell River Hawks coach Norm Bazin during last week's Hockey East finals was simple but direct: "Why not Lowell?"

After a 6-1 dismantling of Wisconsin on Friday night, and a Saturday date in the finals of the NCAA Northeast Regional, with a chance for the program's first Frozen Four appearance hanging in the balance, the question seems more relevant than ever. "Why not the River Hawks?"

New Hampshire (20-11-7) knocked out the Denver Pioneers in Friday's nightcap with a come-from-behind win, 5-2 win, so Lowell will face the Wildcats in an all-Hockey East final on Saturday night, with the goal of improving a program-best 27-10-2 record.

"I believed in this team since day one," Bazin said Friday.

Lowell, however, started at a glacial pace this season, stumbling out of the gates with a 4-7-1 record. Among those seven losses were three defeats suffered at the hands of the Wildcats, the last on Dec. 8. After that loss, Lowell went on a 23-3-1 tear, the best in the country.

"They're a very gritty team," said UNH forward John Henrion. "They're a really tough team to play against. They're really hard-nosed. They're skilled. They've got some big, strong defensemen. And obviously their goalie [Connor Hellebuyck]. They've been playing their best hockey. It's going to be a tough test for us."

Given their success over the second half of the season, it's not surprising that the River Hawks are drawing comparisons to defending national champs Boston College, the team that Lowell edged to take the Hockey East regular-season crown. Many see Lowell's composure under pressure, and quick-strike capabilities, as a carbon copy of Eagles squads of recent vintage.

"I've got a lot of concerns [with Lowell]. They're a real good hockey team, obviously," said UNH coach Dick Umile, who lost forwards Kevin Goumas and Grayson Downing in Friday's win. "They're a very well-coached team. They've got balance throughout. They've got skilled forwards, they've got defensemen. We'll have our hands full."

Wisconsin coach Mike Eaves said it was Lowell's defensive structure that reminded him most of the BC Eagles, who defeated the Badgers in the 2010 NCAA title game.

"They do a good job of fronting, getting in front of your guys and blocking shots," said Eaves. "The other thing they did well tonight was take advantage of moments when we gave them odd-man rushes. They put the puck away."

Bazin said as long as his squad remains committed to playing team defense, he likes its chances against any opponent. "I think the guys are truly believing that they can help out every single shift, and the forwards drive the bus," said Bazin. "When their back pressure is strong, we're very good defensively. When their back pressure isn't as strong, we're not as good."

"It's a team effort," he said. "We don't go very far when we're not aggressive. But when we're aggressive on the puck, we're a good hockey club."

After a dominating finish to Friday's win over Wisconsin, the No. 1 seed River Hawks appear to be sitting in the driver's seat. "They play hard, they play as a team, and they know what it takes to win," said Wisconsin senior defenseman John Ramage. "Obviously, look at their record. They are a hot team, too. They know how to win, and they showed it in this game."

In New Hampshire, the River Hawks face an opponent with good team speed, very good special teams, a solid netminder in sophomore Casey DeSmith, but an occasional penchant for turnovers. Just the recipe for an opportunistic squad like Lowell. Still, judging from his comments after the Wisconsin rout, Bazin is focusing on his own team, not the Wildcats.

"We concentrate on our own game, and we feel if we concentrate on our own game, we have a chance against anybody. That's been the M.O. for us," said the second-year Lowell bench boss. "For us, it's about executing our team systems. And we're focused on that."

Lowell's run may have the River Hawks feeling like world-beaters, but one of Friday's stars said the team won't get ahead of itself.

"We do have a lot of confidence right now," said Lowell sophomore forward Scott Wilson. "The coaches and captains kept us pretty level-headed throughout the whole run here. Even tonight, a great win for us but [Riley] Wetmore, our captain, just pulled us aside and said tonight, 'Enjoy it for five minutes, but tomorrow we have to do business again.' It's just been a process all year, that we focus on the next one."

The next one is a big one, with a trip to the Frozen Four in Pittsburgh -- the first Frozen Four appearance in Lowell's history -- on the line. Conversely, the Wildcats have been to seven Frozen Fours, the last in 2003, so it appears that history might be on New Hampshire's side.

To which Lowell's Bazin would probably reply, "Why not Lowell?"

MANCHESTER, N.H. -- UMass-Lowell (27-10-2) served notice on Friday: not only do they deserve the Northeast Regional's No. 1 seed, but they are gunning for a spot in the Frozen Four after dismantling a white-hot Wisconsin Badgers squad, 6-1.

Norm Bazin's troops didn't have a huge edge in shots on goal (30 to 28), but they were ruthlessly efficient. Joe Pendenza got the River Hawks on the board just 7:11 into the opening period, firing a dart from the left wing that squeezed under the glove of Wisconsin's Joel Rumpel. The River Hawks doubled up shortly after intermission, when Scott Wilson feathered a deft pass to defender Christian Folin, who immediately snapped a shot that beat Rumpel low on the glove side for a 2-0 lead at 3:12. Lowell's Shayne Thompson delivered the backbreaker at 14:08 of the middle stanza, completing a sensational rush by shoveling a forehand shot past Rumpel an instant before Wisconsin defender Joe Faust sent him crashing into Rumpel, giving Lowell a 3-0 lead. In the third period, Derek Arnold's tap-in of a super Ryan McGrath feed at 13:56, finishing off another Lowell odd-man rush, gave the River Hawks an insurmountable 4-1 lead. Lowell's Adam Chapie added an empty-netter at 19:12, and Ryan McGrath buried a breakaway chance with less than four seconds remaining to finish off the Badgers.

CLUTCH PERFORMANCE: Lowell freshman goaltender Connor Hellebuyck showed the same impressive form that won him MVP honors in the Hockey East playoffs last weekend. While the River Hawks were opportunistic on offense, Hellebuyck repeatedly shut the door on the Badgers with several huge stops to protect Lowell's leads early in the game.

UNSUNG HEROES: Though not flashy, the rugged River Hawks defensive corps, led by Chad Ruhwedel, Joe Houk, Greg Amlong, Zack Kamrass, Jake Suter and Folin, constantly put a body on Wisconsin's forwards, making them pay for any play, and making crisp, clean outlet passes that kept the Badgers on their heels.

TURNING POINTS: Hellebuyck not only made the big saves, but also made timely saves. The first came 17 seconds after Lowell took a 1-0 lead, when Hellebuyck stuffed Badger Joseph Labate's cross-crease bid with his right pad. He stopped Wisconsin's Jefferson Dahl on a penalty shot to preserve that one-goal lead, and then robbed Tyler Barnes on a wraparound bid shortly after Lowell took a 2-0 lead in the second period. Even after Wisconsin finally scored a power-play goal at 8:19 of the third, trimming Lowell's lead to 3-1, Hellebuyck's calm, confident play between the pipes had to demoralize the Badgers.

BOSTON -- Providence College's bid to get back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2001 was derailed on Friday, as the top-seeded Lowell River Hawks upended the Friars, 2-1, in the opening Hockey East semifinal tilt at the TD Garden.

The win was sweet revenge for Norm Bazin's River Hawks, who were unceremoniously dumped from the Hockey East playoffs last year in the quarterfinal by the Friars despite having home ice. This year, it was Lowell (25-10-2) that came out on top, going toe-to-toe with the fourth-seeded Friars (17-14-7) before getting two third-period goals to secure the win.

The Lowell victory ends the Friars' season, and sends the River Hawks into the Hockey East finals for the third time in their history, and the first time since 2009.

The game featured a great goaltending duel between freshmen Jon Gillies of Providence (31 saves), the night after he was named the league's Rookie of the Year, and Lowell's Connor Hellebuyck (34 saves). When the smoke cleared, it was Hellebuyck who won the battle, shutting down the Friars over the last 51 minutes, and allowing Lowell to post its come-from-behind win.

And for the second year in a row, Nate Leaman's young Friars saw their season end at TD Garden in the league semifinals. However, it looked promising early on for the Friars, who struck first.

Providence freshman Kevin Rooney, slashing across the low slot, picked up the rebound of Noel Acciari's wrister, and tucked it past the outstretched right leg of Lowell's Hellebuyck. It was Rooney's first career goal, giving the Friars a 1-0 lead at 8:59.

Lowell nearly knotted the game late in the first stanza, with Friar Myles Harvey in the box for interference. But Christian Folin's power-play bid from the right point, which beat Gillies, glanced off the left post and stayed out with 40 seconds left.

The River Hawks turned up the heat in the second frame, but Gillies was immense, turning aside 15 Lowell shots, including two point-blank bids by Riley Whetmore and Joseph Pendenza. Lowell had another last-minute bid when Whetmore corkscrewed Harvey into the ice on the right half-wall, but his shot sailed wide right.

Lowell finally broke through at the 34-second mark of the third period, knotting the game at 1-1. Pendenza, driving down the left side, ripped a shot that Gillies blocked. The puck popped into the air, and as Friars captain Kyle Murphy spilled into Gillies, Lowell's A.J. White potted the puck for his second of the year.

Hellebuyck kept the game deadlocked, stuffing Friar Chris Rooney at the doorstep at 6:27. The River Hawks rewarded their goalie, grabbing their first lead at 12:30.

Whetmore feathered a terrific saucer pass from the left wing that found Scott Wilson streaking into the slot. Despite Friars defenseman John Gilmore's suffocating presence, Wilson was able to corral the puck and in a single motion rip it past Gillies' glove for a 2-1 Lowell lead. Wilson's 15th goal of the season proved to be the winner, with Hellebuyck and the Lowell defense shutting down the Friars the rest of the way.

With the win, Bazin's River Hawks -- already assured an NCAA bid based on their No. 5 national ranking and sixth place in the national PairWise rankings -- will have a chance to compete for their first-ever Hockey East championship on Saturday night.