PROVIDENCE, R.I.-- Junior Ross Mauermann's (Janesville, Wis.) goal at 3:28 of the third period proved enough for a 3-1 win over No. 18 Boston University by the No. 3 Providence College Men's Ice Hockey team on Saturday night at a sold out Schneider Arena. With teh win, the Friars posted their first Hockey East victory of the season, split the season series with the Terriers and remain unbeaten at home.
Providence (5-1-1, 1-1-0 HEA) and Boston University (4-4-0, 2-1-0 HEA) remained scoreless through the first half of the game. Ahti Oksanen and senior Derek Army (North Kingstown, R.I.) each tallied a power play goal in the late stages of the second period for a 1-1 tie heading into the third period. Mauermann was the only player to break through in the final period, scoring both the game winner as well as an empty net goal to clinch the win at 19:13.
Sophomore goalie Jon Gillies (South Portland, Maine) earned his fourth win of the season, making 28 saves over the course of the game for the Friars. Sean Maguire stopped 33 shots in the game for the Terriers.
After a scoreless first period, each team cashed in once on the power play in the second period. Terriers defenseman Ahti Oksanen scored the first goal of the game at 15:08. Nick Roberto connected a cross ice pass to Oksanen who was stationed in the right face-off circle. Oksanen fired a high shot to beat Gillies.
The Friars responded before the second came to a close when they had an abbreviated 5-on-3 man advantage in the final minutes of the period. After winning the offensive zone face-off, Mauermann slid a pass to freshman Anthony Florentino (West Roxbury, Mass.). Florentino blasted a shot from the blue line that made its way through traffic and on net. Army collected the rebound and put the puck behind Maguire to even the score at 1-1. Army's second goal of the season was scored at 18:03 of the period.
At 3:28 of the third period, Mauermann scored the eventual game winner. His sixth goal of the season started after junior Drew Brown (Grass Lake, Mich.) chipped the puck up the ice to Mauermann. Mauermann, then, drove hard to the net following a rush up the ice and slid the puck under Maguire's legs to give the Friars their first lead of the night.
The Friars held onto the one goal lead before finally gaining a two-goal cushion when Mauermann scored his second of the period with 47 seconds left to play. After junior Shane Luke (Dauphin, Manitoba) cleared the puck out of the Friars' defensive zone while Boston University had their goaltender pulled in favor of an extra skater, Mauermann continued up the ice and fired the puck into the empty net.
The Friars outshot the Terriers in all three periods, giving them a 36-29 advantage at the end of the game. Each team added a power play goal in the game, with Providence going 1-for-4, while BU went 1-for-3.
The Friars continue Hockey East play with a home-and-home series next weekend against Merrimack. The series will open on the road for Providence as they play a game on Friday, Nov. 8 at 7:00p.m. The series will conclude on Saturday, Nov. 9 at Schneider Arena. Puck drop for game two is also slated for 7:00 p.m. and the game will be televised live on COX.
Notes
The Friars remain unbeaten at Schneider Arena, posting a 5-0-1 record at home ... Drew Brown notched his first point, an assist on the game winner, in his season debut ... Shane Luke has a two-game assist streak ... Ross Mauermann recorded his fourth multi-point game of the season ... Mauermann has a three-game point streak, going 4-3-7 in that span.