#1 Providence Sweeps Series; #16 Men's Ice Hockey Blanked by Friars, 4-0, Saturday Night
Links: Box Score | Dennehy Postgame Comments
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Top-ranked Providence kept its unbeaten record intact after sweeping a weekend Hockey East home-and-home series against the No. 16 Merrimack College men's ice hockey team, as the Warriors suffered a 4-0 shutout loss on Saturday night at Schneider Arena.
The Basics
Score: Providence 4, Merrimack 0
Records: #16/RV Merrimack (6-4-4, 2-3-4 HEA) | #1 Providence (11-0-3, 4-0-2 HEA)
Location: Schneider Arena | Providence, R.I.
How It Happened
After dropping a one-goal decision in yesterday's series opener in North Andover, Merrimack took to the ice looking for its first win at Schneider Arena in over three years and its first win against a team ranked No. 1 in either national poll since March 15, 1998.
Neither side found the back of the net in the first, although they had their chances. Both hit crossbars in the early goings, and while Providence controlled the momentum early, Merrimack pushed the flow of the game in its favor after going to a power play five minutes in. Ultimately, both teams went into the first intermission scoreless, with the Friars holding a 10-7 edge in shots on goal after 20 minutes.
Providence would go to three straight power plays over the course of the second and capitalized on one of them, albeit in an unconventional fashion. Jake Walman, whose 10 goals coming into the contest were amongst the most nationally by any skater in college hockey, scored a fluky goal with about 30 seconds left on the man advantage after his shot from the neutral zone took an awkward hop and went into the net to give the Friars a 1-0 lead that they would carry into the third.
After a slow first 10 minutes of the third period in terms of scoring chances, Providence was rewarded its fourth power play of the game midway through the frame and, with only eight seconds remaining on that man advantage, John Gilmour doubled the Friars' lead on his fourth tally of the season on a wrist shot from the top of the left-wing circle to make it 2-0.
Providence added insurance after Erik Foley tallied his second of the season with less than five minutes left, and then Garrett Gamez' second of the weekend with only 14 seconds left with the hosts again on the power play wrapped up the weekend sweep for the Friars.
How They Scored
PC #1 | P2 8:41 (PP) – After Merrimack clears the puck to center ice in the midst of a Providence power play, Jake Walman collects the puck and shoots it on net from the neutral zone, as the puck takes a funny bounce and goes over Delia's glove and in.
PC #2 | P3 11:18 – Providence doubles its lead and gets its second power-play goal of the game after John Gilmour's shot from the top of the left circle goes over Delia's glove, off the bar, down and in.
PC #3 | P3 15:27 – Erik Foley triples the Friars' lead on an odd-man rush, burying a give-and-go feed from Brandon Tanev on a one-time shot into an essentially wide-open net at the back door to make it 3-0 Providence late in regulation.
PC #4 | P3 19:46 – Garrett Gamez gets his second of the weekend by skating in 1-on-1 against Delia and going forehand-backhand for the fourth and final Providence tally of the night while on the power play.
Inside The Numbers
- Providence became the first team to score three power-play goals in a game against the Warriors this season, as the Friars went 3-for-5 on the man advantage
- Merrimack saw its season-high winless streak stretch to five games (0-3-2) and also was shut out for the second time in three games
- Merrimack once again finished with a slight edge in shots on goal, outshooting the Friars by a 31-30 margin (including 14-10 in the final frame)
- Sophomore Collin Delia (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) turned away 26 shots while counterpart Nick Ellis stopped all 31 for his second shutout of the season
Up Next
Merrimack continues league play next Friday (Dec. 11), when the Warriors visit the University of Connecticut for a 7 p.m. puck drop at the XL Center in Hartford.
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