UMass Lowell Edges Union College 5-4 Despite Late Rally

Union College men’s hockey fell just one goal short of a comeback on Friday night, losing 5-4 to UMass Lowell at the Tsongas Center.

The Garnet Chargers mounted a furious third-period rally to erase a 5-1 deficit, but the effort wasn’t enough to overcome the River Hawks. According to Union College Athletics, the loss marks the third defeat for Union (5-5-0), the first such slide since the conclusion of the 2024-25 season.

Despite the result, the game highlighted a high-octane offensive potential within the Union roster, particularly through its freshman class. The team’s power-play unit demonstrated why it currently sits at the top of the national rankings, converting at a 44.1 percent rate after going two-for-three against Lowell.

Three first-year players accounted for Union’s scoring on Friday. Cooper Sharp notched his first collegiate goal late in the first period to tie the game at 1-1, a goal that also served as Union’s first shorthanded tally of the season. Sharp’s performance made him only the 12th rookie in the program’s Division I era to score while shorthanded.

Nathan Free continued his dominant freshman campaign, recording seven goals on the season. Free’s third power-play goal of the year came during the third-period surge, and he also provided an assist on a goal by junior Connor Smith. Free currently shares the lead for the most goals by a rookie in the country, matching New Hampshire’s Emile Guite.

The statistical impact of the Union freshmen is evident in the national scoring race. The following table breaks down the key contributions from the team’s primary offensive drivers during the matchup:

Video: UMass Lowell Athletics

Player	Role	Key Statistic from Friday	Season Context
Nathan Free	Freshman	Three-point game	Tied for most rookie goals nationally
Connor Smith	Junior	Power-play goal	National leader in man-up goals
Cooper Sharp	Freshman	First collegiate goal	First shorthanded goal of the season

While the offense showed flashes of brilliance, the defensive struggles in the second period proved costly. The River Hawks scored four goals in an 11:32 span, capitalizing on a Union penalty kill that is currently allowing opponents to score 26.5 percent of the time when shorthanded.

The momentum shift in the third period was aided by a change in net. Sophomore Brendan Holahan took over for Brayden Gillespie, who allowed five goals during the first 40 minutes of play. Holahan managed to keep the deficit at a single goal by saving all six shots he faced in the final period.

The comeback attempt reached its peak in the closing minutes. After Gavin Garry scored at the 3:42 mark of the third, Free and Smith both found the net on the power play to narrow the gap. Libor Nemec blocked two shots from Free in the final 30 seconds, despite having just broken his stick.

The loss places Union in a precarious position in the standings as they head into a critical stretch of the schedule. The team must reconcile its league-leading power play with a defensive unit that has struggled to contain rapid scoring bursts.

The Garnet Chargers travel to Durham, N.H., to face New Hampshire on Saturday, Nov. 14, with the puck set to drop at 7 p.m.