The Warriors will host UMass Lowell in the opening round of the Hockey East Tournament on Wednesday night at Lawler Arena.
Merrimack went 2–1 against UMass Lowell during the regular season, including last week’s 5–3 victory over the River Hawks on Thursday night.
When: Wednesday, 7 p.m.
Where (Friday): Lawler Arena (North Andover, Mass.)
TV/Stream: Watch (NESN) » Watch (INTL)
— This will mark the first playoff meeting between Merrimack and UMass Lowell since the 2023 Hockey East semifinal, when the Warriors claimed a 2–1 double-overtime victory.
The Warriors also won the only first-round playoff meeting between the programs, sweeping what was then a best-of-three series in 2018 — both games decided in overtime — at UMass Lowell.
Merrimack has not hosted UMass Lowell in a postseason game since March 8, 1978, when the Warriors defeated the River Hawks 6–4 in an ECAC East semifinal at Lawler Arena.
However, Lowell’s most recent postseason appearance at Lawler Arena came in 1981, when the program captured the NCAA Division II national championship there. Lowell defeated Minnesota State in the semifinal before topping Plattsburgh in the title game. The River Hawks also won the 1979 Division II national championship at Lawler Arena, beating Illinois-Chicago in the semifinal and Minnesota State in the championship game.
As a result, the River Hawks are 0–3 against Merrimack in playoff games at Lawler Arena (1975, 1977, 1978), but they are 4–3 overall in postseason games played in the building thanks to those national championship victories.