| Prd | Time | Team | Score | Type | Scored By | Assists |
| 1st | 7:45 | PRV | 1-0 | EV | Erik Foley (6) | Trevor Mingoia/20, Mark Jankowski/19 |
| 2nd | 9:13 | PRV | 2-0 | PP GW | Brandon Tanev (13) | Josh Monk/7, Bryan Lemos/5 |
| 2nd | 15:48 | NDM | 1-2 | EV | Steven Fogarty (9) | Justin Wade/5 |
| 3rd | 15:52 | PRV | 3-1 | EV | Kevin Rooney (5) | - |
| Scoring | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final |
| Notre Dame | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Providence | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Shots on Goal | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | SOG |
| Notre Dame | 10 | 7 | 18 | 35 |
| Providence | 10 | 13 | 8 | 31 |
| Team Stats and Records | PP | PIM | SHGF |
| Notre Dame (18-7-7) | 0/2 | 5/10 | 0 |
| Providence (23-5-4) | 1/5 | 3/6 | 0 |
| Notre Dame Goaltending | MIN | GA | 1 | 2 | 3 | Saves |
| Cal Petersen (L, 18-7-7) | 58:03 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 7 | 28 |
| Empty Net | 1:57 | 0 |
| Providence Goaltending | MIN | GA | 1 | 2 | 3 | Saves |
| Nick Ellis (W, 21-5-4) | 59:39 | 1 | 10 | 6 | 18 | 34 |
| Empty Net | 0:21 | 0 |
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Junior goaltender Nick Ellis made 18 third period saves and 34 stops overall as the fifth-ranked Providence College men's hockey team earned a two-game sweep over No. 7 Notre Dame with a 3-1 victory at Schneider Arena on Saturday night.
With the win, the Friars vault into sole possession of second place in the Hockey East standings, clinching a first-round bye in the league playoffs, and guaranteeing at least the No. 3 seed. Providence trails first-place Boston College by two points, with a two-game set against UMass coming up in the final regular season weekend. The Eagles will face UMass Lowell in a home-and-home series next weekend.
Ellis denied a Notre Dame surge in the third period with several banner saves. The junior improves to 21-5-4 this season, while Cal Petersen fell to 18-7-7 after making 28 saves for the Irish.
The Friars were able to draw first blood on Saturday thanks to Erik Foley's sixth tally of the season at the 7:45 mark of the first period. Mark Jankowski gained the Irish blue line and dropped it to Mingoia, who feed it across to the Foley and he fired a low, hard wrister through the legs of Petersen to give the Friars a 1-0 lead.
Ellis had to be sharp in the opening 20, especially on the Notre Dame power play when he forces to make a terrific stop on Thomas DiPauli's shot from close range. Moments later, Dennis Gilbert's slapper from the point beat Ellis but rang off the crossbar to keep the Friar lead at 1-0.
The Irish began the second with a flurry of chances that Ellis managed to stave off, before Providence kicked things into gear, eventually outshooting Notre Dame 13-7 in the middle period.
With Bobby Nardella serving a minor for hooking, the Friars went to work on the power play and extended their lead to 2-0 thanks to Brandon Tanev's 13th of the season and second in as many nights. Tanev appeared to fool Petersen as he looked cross-ice, but fired a low shot on goal that snuck between the pads of the Irish netminder.
Notre Dame closed within one in the latter stages of the second off the heels of a tremendous save by Ellis. Off a faceoff win by Steve Fogarty, he got the puck along the boards and fired a quick shot that snuck through the short side to make it a 2-1 game at 15:48 of the second.
The Irish held an 18-8 edge in shots during the final frantic 20 minutes, but Ellis turned in a flawless third with a memorable save on Thomas DiPauli, the third time Ellis robbed the Notre Dame senior winger on the night.
Dogged work by Kevin Rooney on the forecheck forced a turnover and he capped the Providence win with a whirl-around backhander past Petersen with just 4:08 to play.
Up next, the Friars will take on the Minutemen of UMass in a home-and-home series next weekend.
HOW THEY SCORED
1-0 (PC) Goal scored by Erik Foley (Mingoia, Jankowski): Snap shot from the top of the circles through the five-hole of Petersen.
2-0 (PC) Power play goal scored by Brandon Tanev (Monk, Lemos): No-look shot from the half-wall that snuck through the five-hole.
2-1 (ND) Goal scored by Steven Fogarty (Wade): Shot from the half-wall that beat Ellis short side.
3-1 (PC) Goal scored by Kevin Rooney: Forced a turnover in the Notre Dame zone and flung a no-look backhander past Petersen.
NOTES
The Friars improve to 12-1-2 at Schneider Arena this year and 19-0-4 when holding a lead after 40 minutes ... Rooney has now scored three goals in his last four games against Notre Dame ... Brandon Tanev now leads the Hockey East with five game-winning goals ... Josh Monk notched his third assist of the weekend on Saturday ... Foley now has two goals and four assists in his last five games ... Power Plays: Providence - 1/5, Notre Dame 0/2 ... official shots on goal: Notre Dame 35, Providence 31 ... Attendance: 3,232 (sellout).