University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
3-6-3, 2-4-2HEAM
Providence
7-4-3, 5-3-2HEAM
Huskies Fall at No. 12 Providence, 5-2
11/23/2019 9:42:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Providence Friars got goals from five different players on Saturday night to post a 5-2 Hockey East win over the visiting UConn Huskies at Schneider Arena. UConn got goals from seniors Alexander Payusov (Montreal, Quebec) and Benjamin Freeman (Falmouth, Maine) in the loss.
The Friars take three of four Hockey East points on the weekend and improve to 7-4-3 overall and 5-3-2 in league. The Huskies fall to 3-6-3 overall and 2-4-2 in Hockey East.
Providence took a 2-0 lead after the first on goal from Parker Ford and Patrick Moynihan. UConn cut it to 2-1 on a Payusov power play goal to open the second but the Friars answered with three-straight to seize control.
For PC, both Moynihan and Craig Needham both scored a goal and had an assist while Jack Dugan chipped in a pair of assists. Tyce Thompson and Michael Callahan were the other goal scorers for the Friars.
UConn's Freeman scored late in the third for his second on the season. Sophomore Tomas Vomacka (Trutnov, Czech Republic) made 37 saves before departing in the third period. Freshman Ryan Keane (Coppell, Texas) made his collegiate debut and made three stops.
1st Period:
The Friars put two on the board in the first period and wasted little time in grabbing a 1-0 lead. Just 59 seconds into the game, PC's Ford scored his fifth goal of the season, burying a juicy rebound off a Jack Dugan shot, right in front of Vomacka.
Providence made it 2-0 at the 6:05 mark as Moynihan scored his fifth. The Friars dug the puck out of the left corner with Moynihan taking the puck toward the left post and place a shot in a tough spot, over Vomacka's shoulder, stick side and bar down for a 2-0 edge.
2nd Period:
At the end of the first period, the referees reviewed a play that ended the period and assessed a five-minute major and game misconduct to UConn's Vladislav Firstov (Yaroslavl, Russia), giving the Friars a full five-minute power play to start the second.
The Huskies dug in and killed off all five minute and then earned their third power play of the night at 5:09. UConn finally connected with the extra skater and cut the PC lead in half. Sophomore Jachym Kondelik (Budejovice, Czech Republic) collected a rebound out in the right circle and fed a pass to Payusov cross ice who had an open net and buried it for his second on the season, cutting the deficit to 2-1 at 6:11.
The Friars got the goal back at the 12:29 mark as Thompson scored his team-leading 11th on the year. The sophomore took a feed from Matt Koopman into the slot area, settled the puck, waited for shooting lane and then beat Vomacka with a wrister to make it 3-1.
3rd Period:
Providence extended the lead to 4-1 at 5:11 of the third as Needham scored his first collegiate goal. The freshman was able to stuff the puck out of a scrum and under Vomacka to give the Friars a four-goal edge.
Callahan gave Providence a 5-1 lead with his third goal of the season coming at the 10:37 mark. Digging the puck out of the corner, Dugan fed Callahan in the left circle and he buried it top-shelf at the left post. The Huskies pulled Vomacka for freshman Keane for the remainder of the game.
The Huskies cracked the scoring column once more as Freeman tallied his second on the weekend, coming at the 17:32 mark. Sophomore Carter Turnbull (Nanaimo, British Columbia) chipped the puck up to a streaking Freeman who broke in and beat Lackey to the far post to cut the deficit to 5-2.
Up Next:
The Huskies will be home after Thanksgiving to host Miami University for a pair of games at the XL Center on Friday and Saturday, November 29 and 30. Puck drop is 4:05 pm for both games.
