Previewing UMass Lowell’s 2020 men’s college lacrosse schedule

The UMass Lowell River Hawks are the 37th team in our 2020 men’s college lacrosse schedule preview series and the fourth team from the America East. UMass Lowell finished 5-9 overall in 2019 and 2-4 in America East play. The River Hawks failed to qualify for the America East Tournament.

Here’s their entire 2020 schedule:

Who’s In?

• Boston University Terriers (2/15)
• Merrimack Warriors (3/7)

Who’s Out?

• Manhattan Jaspers (8-5 W)
• Providence Friars (14-4 L)

Circle These Dates

• 2/8 vs. Quinnipiac: When these two teams met last season, the Bobcats were without the majority of their seniors due to a suspension. UMass Lowell got a taste of the future of Quinnipiac in a 12-10 win with guys such as Jake Tomsik and Will Abbott playing big roles on offense. The Bobcats had a stable fall with permanent head coach Mason Poli leading the way and are looking for not only their first win against the River Hawks, but also a MAAC Championship.
• 2/22 at Siena: Last year’s game began with a five-goal run and it ended with a five-goal run. UMass Lowell was the team that started hot, but Siena finished hot and ended up winning in overtime. Mike Reilly had the final two goals for the Saints and tied Keenan Cook with a team-high six points. Both of those guys have graduated, but defenseman Jack Drillock remains. The River Hawks did win all but 10 faceoffs in the matchup thanks to Liam McDonough.
• 3/7 at Merrimack: A new team arrives onto UMass Lowell’s schedule, as Merrimack becomes the program’s 13th all-time different opponent. The Warriors move up to Division I after winning the last two Division II titles and will look to make a mark against other nearby D1 teams such as the River Hawks, even though they’re ineligible for the postseason for the next four years.
• 3/28 at Vermont: One of the more surprising upsets of the season, UMass Lowell took down what looked like the America East favorite at home in an 8-4 victory. After giving up the first two goals of the game, the River Hawks responded with six straight and held the Catamounts scoreless for 29:46 of gametime. Despite the low-scoring affair, Vermont got off 44 shots in the loss, but goalie Grant Lardieri saved 22 of those chances for UMass Lowell.
• 4/17 vs. UMBC: After losing the first three meetings to the Retrievers, the River Hawks have taken the last two games including last year’s overtime finish. Trevor Patschorke tied the game with two seconds left, but UMass Lowell won it on Isaac Bot’s sixth goal of the game. It was also another solid day at the faceoff X as McDonough, who was a First Team All-America East selection, went 22-of-29 with 14 ground balls plus a goal.