FOUR-GOAL THIRD LIFTS PROVIDENCE PAST UNION, 5-2
Jon Rheault and Cody Wild each register goal and assist for Friars

Jon Rheault had a goal and an assist for the Friars

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The Providence College men's hockey team scored four times in the third period to break open a 1-1 tie en route to a 5-2 victory over Union Friday night in a non-conference game at Schneider Arena. With their season long third consecutive win, the Friars improved to 6-6-2, while Union fell to 3-7-2.

With the scored deadlocked at 1-1, the Friars used the power play to take a 2-1 lead at 2:01 of the third period. Junior Kyle Laughlin (Gambrills, Md.) took a feed from senior Jon Rheault (Deering, N.H.) at the bottom of the left face off circle and Laughlin ripped a high wrist shot past Union goalie Justin Mrazek. Rheault increased PC's lead shortly thereafter as junior Cody Wild (North Providence, R.I.) fired a long pass to Rheault who skated in on a breakaway before tucking in a back hander at 3:39.

The Dutchmen had two power plays late in the game and both time they elected to pull Mrazek for an extra skater, but the Friars capitalized, scoring two empty-net goals. Wild scored his third goal of the season at 15:46, while junior Nick Mazzolini (Anchorage, Alaska) also added his third at 18:26. Union capped off the scoring as Mike Schreiber tallied a power-play goal with one minute remaining.

Mrazek finished with a career-high 43 saves, while PC senior Tyler Sims (Fort Wayne, Ind.), who came into the game with back-to-back shutouts, stopped 25 shots to earn his fifth win of the season.

The Friars took a 1-0 lead at the 9:33 mark of the first period when senior Trevor Ludwig (Grapevine, Texas.) scored his first goal of the season and the second of his career. Freshman Austin Mayer (Providence, R.I.) battled for the puck behind the net and gained possession before slipping a pass to Ludwig at the left face off circle. Ludwig then fired a quick wrist shot over Mrazek's right shoulder. Sophomore Greg Collins (Hingham, Mass.) also assisted on the goal. However, the Dutchmen responded just over one minute later as Mario Valery-Trabucco scored his team-leading fifth goal of the season. Valery-Trabucco pounced on a rebound in front to even the score at 10:37.

The Friars are back in action on Friday, December 28 when they play Michigan at Great Lakes Invitational in Detroit, Mich.