LOWELL, MA (Jan. 13, 2007) - Colin McDonald (Wethersfield, CT) scored at 3:24 of overtime to lift Providence College past UMass Lowell, 3-2, Saturday night in college hockey action at the Tsongas Arena.
With the win Providence snaps a seven-game losing skid and, improves to 5-15-1 overall and 4-9-1 in Hockey East. The River Hawks fall to 3-15-5 overall and 2-10-2 in conference play with the loss.
In addition to McDonald's OT strike, Bryan Horan (Farmington, CT) and Greg Collins (Hingham, MA) scored for the Friars. Jason Bergeron (Ancaster, ON) and Jeremy Dehner (Madison, WI) scored for UML.
The game-winning strike came at the 3:24 mark of overtime when McDonald accepted a lead pass by Kyle Laughlin and skated in alone to beat UML goaltender Vinny Monaco (Andover, MA) with a top-shelf backhand.
Dehner forced overtime when his sharp-angle shot beat PC goaltender Tyler Sims (Grand Blanc, MI) with at 6:16 of the third. The goal was unassisted and the first of the collegiate career for Dehner. The Friars built a 2-1 lead before Dehner's equalizing strike in the third. Horan opened the scoring at 2:41 of the first with a shot from the right point that deflected off a UML defenseman. Brad Cooper (Coppell, TX) and Pierce Norton (So. Boston, MA) picked up the assists.
Bergeron tied the game early in the second period, at 4:48, when he broke in alone off a pass from Nick Schaus (Orchard Park, NY) to beat Sims one-on-one. Frank Stegnar (Toronto, ON) picked up the secondary assist. For Bergeron the goal was his third in the last four games and seventh of the season.
Providence re-took the lead midway through the second off a UML turnover in the defensive zone. Nick Mazzolini (Anchorage, AK) intercepted the puck along the near boards and found Collins alone in the slot for a one-timer goal at 9:47.
Sims stopped 35 shots to earn the win. Monaco took the loss, stopping 27 shots.
The Friars out-shot the River Hawks 38-29, marking just the sixth time UML has been out-shot this season. Providence was 0-for-4 on the power play. Lowell was 0-for-2.
This was the fifth overtime game in the last nine meetings, and second of the season, between UMass Lowell and Providence. The schools have split those games, 2-2-1.
UML returns to action next weekend with a home-and-home series with Northeastern. Friday's game is at Tsongas Arena. Saturday the teams hook up at Matthews Arena. Game time is 7:00 p.m. for both squads. The Friars return to the ice Friday night for the first of two straight at home against the University of Maine.