PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Providence College men's hockey team scored two power-play goals en route to a 3-2 victory over Massachusetts Saturday night in a Hockey East game played at Schneider Arena. With the win, the Friars improved to 2-4-1 overall and 2-2-1 in Hockey East. The Minutemen fell to 0-4-2, and 0-2-2 in the league.
The Friars jumped out to a 1-0 lead at 8:06 of the first period when seniors Ben Farrer (Calgary, Alberta) and Kyle MacKinnon (Walnut, Calif.) skated on a two-on-one rush. Farrer calmly slid the pass over to MacKinnon who fired the puck into the net for his team leading fifth goal of the season. Freshman Kevin Hart (Cumberland, Maine) also assisted on the goal. At 16:07, sophomore Aaron Jamnick (Hibbing, Minn.) scored on the power play with assists going to junior Daniel New (White Plains, N.Y.) and freshman Derek Army (North Kingstown, R.I.) as the Friars increased their lead to 2-0. Joel Hanley pulled the Minutemen to within 2-1 as he scored 41 seconds later marking his first goal of the season.
After a scoreless second period, the Friars scored their second power-play goal of the night at 9:18 of the third period to increase the lead to 3-1. MacKinnon and junior Matt Bergland (Faribault, Minn.) battled for the puck along the right wing corner, but it was senior Ian O'Connor (Londonderry, N.H.) who emerged with the puck. O'Connor skated to the slot before ripping a wrist shot off the cross bar and into the net. UMass responded at 12:47 as Michael Pereira scored an unassisted goal to trim the lead to 3-2.
The Minutemen could not score the equalizer as PC goalie Alex Beaudry (Cumberland, Ontario) made 32 saves, including two point-blank saves in the third period. UMass' Paul Dainton recorded 24 stops.
The Friars are back in action on Friday, November 5 when they host Merrimack at Schneider Arena.