Providence College Wins NCAA Title With 4-3 Win Over Boston University
Friars earn first National Championship; Junior goaltender Jon Gillies makes 49 saves for PC

Junior goaltender Jon Gillies made 49 saves for the Friars


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Prd Time  Team Score Type Scored By Assists
1st 9:25  PRV1-0 EV Anthony Florentino (3)Noel Acciari/17, Shane Luke/19
1st 12:50  BU1-1 EV Ahti Oksanen (25) -
1st 12:54  BU2-1 EV Danny O'Regan (23)Jack Eichel/45
2nd 4:29  PRV2-2 PP Mark Jankowski (8)Trevor Mingoia/16, Ross Mauermann/16
2nd 11:36  BU3-2 EV Cason Hohmann (11)Ahti Oksanen/13
3rd 11:24  PRV3-3 EV Tom Parisi (5) -
3rd 13:43  PRV4-3 EV GW Brandon Tanev (10)Kevin Rooney/8
Scoring 1st 2nd 3rd Final
Providence  1124
Boston University  2103
Shots on Goal 1st 2nd 3rd SOG
Providence  6172043
Boston University  18221252
Team Stats and Records  PP PIM SHGF
Providence (26-13-2)  1/3 1/2 0
Boston University (28-8-5)  0/1 3/6 0
Providence Goaltending MIN GA 1 2 3 Saves
Jon Gillies (W, 24-13-2)59:513 16211249
Empty Net0:090     
Boston University Goaltending MIN GA 1 2 3 Saves
Matt O'Connor (L, 25-4-4)58:114 5161839
Empty Net1:490     

BOSTON, Mass. - The Providence College men's hockey team captured its first ever National Championship, and the third all-time team title for the College, a with a third period, come-from-behind 4-3 victory over Boston University at TD Garden on Saturday, April 11.

In the third period, Tom Parisi (Commack, N.Y.) tied the game (11:24) while dumping the puck in the BU zone. Terrier netminder, Matt O'Connor, mishandled the puck and it crossed the line to tie the game 3-3.

Two minutes later, Brandon Tanev (Toronto, Canada) netted the biggest goal in Providence College history at 13:43 with the game winner when he beat his defender and connected on a wrist shot from the slot that went high past O'Connor.

"It was amazing," Tanev said. "I couldn't even register what was going on. It was a heck of a draw win by Kevin Rooney. Steve McParland was able to give me some space and I was able to rip that puck and it went in. It's something I dreamed of ever since I wanted to play college hockey. The words can't describe how I feel right now."

Jon Gillies (Portland, Maine) earned the 60th win of his Friar career by making a career-high 49 saves.

The Friars opened the scoring in the first period as defenseman Anthony Florentino (West Roxbury, Mass.) scored his third goal of the season at 9:25. Shane Luke (Dauphin, Manitoba) carried the puck into the Terriers zone before getting off a shot on goal that was kept out of the net by O'Connor. However, the rebound created a scramble in front of the BU crease as Noel Acciari (Johnston, R.I.) collected the puck and got off a shot that hit of the post and darted to Florentino, at the blue line. Florentino's blast beat O'Connor to put the Friars ahead 1-0.

"You know it didn't even cross my mind," Florentino said of scoring. "We just focused on defense tonight. I saw the puck squirt out, saw an opportunity, and just tried to get it on net. Our forwards are doing such a great job crashing the net."

Later in the first period, Boston University responded to Providence's lead by netting a pair of goals. Ahti Oksanen tied the game at one when he found an opening between Gillies' skate and the goal post at 12:50 of the period. A.J. Greer recorded the assist on the Terriers first goal of the game.

Setting a NCAA Tournament record for fastest two goals, Danny O'Regan scored just four seconds after Oksanen's goal to put the Terriers ahead 2-1 (12:54). After Jack Eichel won the face-off at center ice, he carried the puck into the Friars zone, eventually left the puck for O'Regan in the slot. O'Regan's backhander at 12:54 beat Gillies to give BU the lead for the first time in the game.

In the second period, Mark Jankowski (Dundas, Ontario) evened the game at two with his eighth goal of the season, and his third playoff goal of the season. Ross Mauermann (Janesville, Wis.) started the play for the Friars as he sent a pass to Trevor Mingoia (Fairport, N.Y.), while the Friars were on the power-play. Mingoia was positioned in the right face-off circle when he sent a pass through the slot to Jankowski, who tapped the puck by O'Connor at 4:29 of the period.

Boston University would regain the lead before the close of the second period as Cason Hohmann scored at 11:36. After Hohmann won a face-off for the Terriers in the Friars defensive zone, Oksanen carried the puck into the corner of the ice before reconnecting a pass to Hohmann.

The Terriers had a perfect 19-0-0 mark this season entering third period with a lead, but all that changed when the Friars had an amazing third period comeback that will be long remembered in Frozen Four.

With the Friars trailing 3-2, Providence kept the pressure on O'Conner throughout the period and eventually Tom Parisi (Commack, N.Y.) scored the game-tying goal (3-3) at 11:24. Parisi scored the equalizer after he collected a BU clear in the neutral zone and went to dump the puck high on net. O'Conner mishandled the puck as it slipped past the goal line.

Following a faceoff in Providence' offensive zone, Tanev scored coming off the right wing to beat a defender and fired off a wrist shot from the slot to the right corner. Kevin Rooney (Canton, Mass.) was credited with the assist when he won the faceoff and dished it to Tanev.

Gillies was named the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player after finishing the game with a career-high 49 saves, including 21 in the second period - a single season record total for saves in a period in the NCAA Championship game. Gillies joins former Friar netminder Chris Terreri '86 as Frozen Four MOP's from Providence College.

O'Connor ended the game with 39 stops.

Providence went 1-for-3 on the power-play while BU went 0-for-1.

BU entered the game with a 4-0 record at the Garden this season, capturing the Beanpot and the HOCKEY EAST title. The Friars ended their undeafeated run at the Garden with their NCAA title win.

The Terriers held the overall shot advantage at 52-43, however, Providence outshot BU in the third, 20-12.

The Friars will celebrate their NCAA Championship at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14 at Schneider Arena.

Game Notes: Noel Acciari ended the year on a five-game point streak (3-3-6), tying a career-high ... Florentino scored his first goal since January 24 against UMass-Lowell ... Two of Florentino's eight career goals have been scored in NCAA play ... Ross Mauermann moves into sole possession of 36th place on Providence's all-time scoring list (52-60-112) ... For the third time in his career, Mark Jankowski netted goals in back-to-back games ... Jon Gillies' 37 total saves in the first two periods is the most in a NCAA Division I Championship Game ... Brandon Tanev's game-winning goal was the first of his career ... Kevin Rooney extended his point streak to three games with the primary assists on Tanev's game winner (1-2-3).


Additional Links:

Providence College Postgame Press Conference Quotes
BU Postgame Press Conference and Locker Room Quotes