The Providence College Hockey Friars showcased their prowess this weekend with a decisive sweep over the Vermont Catamounts, securing victories with scores of 5-2 and 5-3 in Burlington, Vermont. These triumphs marked the Friars’ 20th and 21st wins of the season, while Coach Nate Leaman celebrated his ninth season achieving twenty or more wins at the helm of the team.
With these wins, the Friars solidified their position at the top of the Hockey East standings, amassing 48 points. Meanwhile, Boston College climbed to second place, now holding 39 points after a successful sweep against Connecticut.
Game Highlights
In the first game on Friday night, the Friars faced an early challenge when Vermont’s Colin Kessler scored just over four minutes into the first period. However, the Friars quickly responded, netting two goals before the period concluded. Jack Mustard capitalized on a power play at 9:04, followed by a stunning short-handed goal from Will Eiger at 14:55, who intercepted a wayward Vermont pass. This prompted Vermont to replace backup goalie Axel Mangbo after he allowed two goals on ten shots.
Carrying a 2-1 lead into the second period, the Friars continued to dominate, scoring two more goals against Vermont’s regular goalie, Aiden Wright. Freshman Roger McQueen found the net for his tenth goal of the season, courtesy of a precise assist from Jonathan Fauchon. Kale McCallum, a graduate transfer defenseman, then extended the lead to 4-1 with his fifth goal of the year. Vermont managed to narrow the gap with a goal from Sebastian Tornquist just 14 seconds later, but the Friars held strong, with Tanner Adams sealing the game with an empty-net goal in the final moments.
Saturday night’s rematch saw Vermont come out aggressively, defying their 12-18 record. Despite their efforts, the Friars managed to score three goals in the first period, with Hudson Malinoski netting two and John Mustard adding his team-leading 14th goal. Vermont responded with a goal from Dan Sambuco late in the second period, but the Friars quickly regained control. Malinoski completed his hat trick at 12:10, and Roger McQueen added another power-play goal just before the end of the second period, bringing the score to 5-2.
Vermont managed to score again early in the third period, narrowing the gap to 5-3, but the Friars’ goalie, Parsons, remained steadfast, preventing any further goals and finishing the night with 24 saves. This victory marked the Friars’ twelfth win in their last thirteen road games, boasting an impressive 12-3-1 record away from home this season.
Parsons’ season statistics now reflect a record of 12-2-1, with a 2.09 goals against average and a .920 save percentage, underscoring his critical role in the Friars’ success.
Additional Slap Shots
- The Friars will face the University of New Hampshire next weekend in a home-and-home series, starting with a game at Schneider Arena on Friday at 7 PM, followed by a match in Durham on Saturday.
- Providence’s last regular-season game is scheduled for Saturday, March 7th, at Schneider against UConn, with a puck drop at 4 PM. Earlier in the season, PC defeated the Huskies 4-1 at Storrs and tied 2-2 at Schneider.
- Boston College recently triumphed over UConn with a score of 2-1 in front of 10,494 fans at the Hartford People’s Bank Arena, marking the largest Hockey East crowd of the season. There is a growing interest in hosting a PC-BC matchup at the AMP, potentially alongside a Brown-Harvard game, reminiscent of the sell-out crowds at the old RI Auditorium before the construction of Schneider Arena in 1973.
