University of Maine senior left wing Owen Fowler, named the Hockey East co-Defensive Forward of the Year by the league’s coaches, will return to Orono in the fall for a fifth year, according to Black Bear head coach Ben Barr.
Fowler has a fifth year of eligibility because he was injured and sat out his second season at UMass Lowell as a medical redshirt before transferring to UMaine.
Junior right wing Josh Nadeau and junior defenseman and alternate captain Frank Djurasevic passed up their final seasons at UMaine to sign professional contracts, but junior goaltender Albin Boija has also decided to return to the team.
Fowler concluded an impressive season with five goals and two assists in his last six games.
The hard-nosed Tewksbury, Massachusetts, native was the team’s fifth-leading scorer with 22 points on 12 goals and 10 assists in 34 games. He was third in goals scored.
He led the team in plus-minus at plus-18. Players receive a plus-one when they are on the ice when their team scores an even-strength or shorthanded goal and a minus-one when the opponent scores one.
He was one of the team’s most effective penalty-killers. He shared the team lead in shorthanded goals with two and in game-winning goals with three.
He scored the overtime game-winner in a 5-4 victory over UMass Lowell on Dec. 10 in Portland.
His 24 blocked shots were first among the team’s forwards.
The 23-year-old Fowler has elevated his point totals every season. He had 12 points on five goals and seven assists in 33 games his freshman season at UMass Lowell in 2022-23.
He notched 10 goals and 10 assists for 20 goals in 38 games in 2024-25 in helping the Black Bears to their first Hockey East Tournament title since 2004 and their second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
He has two goals and four assists for six points in six career Hockey East playoff games for the River Hawks and Black Bears.
Barr said he’s happy to have Fowler back next season.
“He’s everything we want in a Black Bear,” said Barr. “He will be a leader for us on and off the ice and his development this past season was very impressive.”
