AMHERST, Mass. - No. 12 Massachusetts hockey used a third period snipe from freshman Scott Morrow to defeat No. 7/8 Providence, 1-0 on Friday night at the Mullins Center for the squad's fifth straight victory. The win moves the Minutemen to 5-2-0 on the season, 3-0-0 in Hockey East, while the Friars fall to 6-4-0 overall and 3-2-0 in league action.
UMass controlled much of the play in the first period, out-shooting Providence 9-2 in the frame, but had nothing to show for it through 20 minutes of action. The Minutemen sent a loose puck perilously through the Friars crease midway through the second, but still the squads remained in a scoreless deadlock.
Cody Monds hit the post for Providence with under five minutes to play in the second period and rung another shot off the iron in the third, but Morrow's goal would stand as the lone tally of the night.
At the 6:25 mark of the third, freshman Lucas Mercuri dug the puck out of the corner and graduate student Cam Donaldson found Morrow alone streaking down the slot for the quick strike, his second of the season and second in as many games. Donaldson's helper marked the first point in a UMass uniform for the Cornell transfer.
The Friars finished the night with a 28-26 shot advantage and UMass had the lone power play of the contest, going 0-for-1.
Goaltender Matt Murray stopped all 28 shots he faced en-route to his UMass record 12th career shutout, while Jaxson Stauber turned aside 25 for Providence.
The teams will close out their weekend series tomorrow night, November 6, in Providence at 7 p.m.
