BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
PROVIDENCE, RI – Tyce Thomson’s three-points (two goals and an assist), strong team defense, terrific penalty killing, and a 20 save shutout from goalie Jaxon Stauber guided the Providence College Friars to a 4-0 smackdown of the UCONN Huskies on Friday.
The two teams will meet at Freitas Ice Forum at 4 PM Saturday with the CW20-Channel 20 televising the game.
“I have to give Providence credit tonight,“ UCONN Head Coach Mike Cavanaugh said. “I was happy with our effort, but they were tougher around the net. They got a couple of goals around the net and got a couple of rebounds, and they won the special team’s game. We need to be better if we’re going to win games. We have to be better.”
THE NAIL IN THE COFFIN
In the third period, PC, already up 3-0, added a Thompson shorthanded empty-net goal. UCONN pulled Vomacka with 5:24 left as they tried to make a power play into a two-man advantage. Thompson (Milford) spoiled the strategy with the empty-netter for his second goal of the night and ninth goal of the year at 16:05, shooting it into the net from the PC defensive zone to make it 4-0.
PC is second in the conference on the PK and went six-for-six killing penalties in the game.
“The last two kills were our best of the night,” PC Coach Nate Leaman, whose squad has a PK efficiency at 91.4%, said. “We did a really good job tonight killing penalties, and we won the races to the puck. We made adjustments during the game, but we can’t put ourselves in that position because they have such a good power play.”
For Cavanaugh, there was one critical element missing in that area.
“We have to do a better job retrieving pucks. It can’t be one-shot and an icing. You’re not going to be a successful power play. We just have to do a better job retrieving pucks.”
INJURIES LEAVE UCONN SHORTHANDED
UCONN went down two players as Vladislav Firstov and Hudson Schandor were injured and unable to finish the game.
“Both players didn’t finish the second half of the game. They’re undergoing medical evaluation now, so I have no updates,” Cavanaugh declared.
In a very physical hockey game, Schandor was hit hard behind the net. The referees reviewed the play and ruled a clean hit despite Schandor losing his helmet on the play.
“No, he hit him clean. His head hit the glass on the play. It wasn’t a shot to the head,” remarked Cavanaugh.
UCONN CHANCES BUT NO GOALS
UCONN had plenty of first chances, but not the necessary second or third to challenge Stauber, who effectively reduced those opportunities. The PC defensemen were very good at keeping the UCONN forwards wide for most of the game.
“I thought we had offensive zone time throughout the game. We just didn’t have enough penetrations and shots to the net. We have to get more pucks and more bodies to the blue paint.” Cavanaugh said.
Leaman was pleased with the Friars’ net-front defensive coverage. UCONN was held to just twenty shots propelling Stauber to his fourth shutout of the season and lowering his conference-best GAA to 1.69.
“Our D did a good job there. They got some point shots through early that we had to knock down, and we got some puck-luck tonight too. Jaxon has arguably been our best player the past month. It’s fun to watch his growth. He keeps getting better. For a first-year player, he is having a terrific season for us.”
FORD SCORES AND IMPRESSES
The Friars picked up a power play goal early in the third period. Thompson was below the goal line and spotted Parker Ford in the right-wing circle. Ford backed up a few feet and one-timed a snapshot high to the short-side at 6:40, extending the PC lead to 3-0.
Leaman was very encouraged with Ford, who had six shots on the net in the contest.
“That was one of his best games in a while. He and (Craig) Printz got going, got their motors going. Ford got three or four really good looks. It was very good to see him playing like that. When they’re playing like that, it really helps our depth.”
UCONN FALTERS
UCONN fortunes went further south a few minutes later when Adam Karashik took a major penalty for kneeing and a Game Misconduct, leaving the Huskies down three players.
UCONN had just three shots in the third period, with PC playing well defensively and UCONN struggling with their decision-making. Both were critical factors in the game’s outcome.
“They did a good job taking away time and space from us,” Cavanaugh stated. “They didn’t give up odd-man rushes. You know, some nights, your timing is off. It was a combination of them playing pretty good defense and taking away time and space, and we had chances; we just waited too long or fumbled before we were going to shoot it.”
Shutting down Kondelik, Evans, and Firstov when they were on the ice was a decisive factor.
“They’re one of the top lines in the league, and they got some looks, and Jason O’Neill did a really good job against them. If we’re going to have success tomorrow, we have to limit their touches with the puck because there such good players,” said Leaman.
HARD WORK POWERS PC
In the first period, Providence College used hard work to earn their first two goals.
Nick Poisson made a solid hit on UCONN’s Marc Gatcomb on the left-wing boards dislodging him from the puck. It popped the puck in the air and hit Poisson, and fell to the ice. Brett Berard found the loose biscuit, looked up near the right-wing faceoff circle, and spotted Thompson open on the left-wing.
The player that had Cavanaugh worried about buried his team with a one-timer wrist shot that beat Tomas Vomacka through the five-hole at 6:46.
“I was happy we scored first. We haven’t done that in a while,” Leaman remarked. “That was good. We were ready from the start. The only thing I was disappointed in was the number of penalties we took in the first.”
SECOND GOAL
The second tally came after Ford put a shot on net. Vomacka left a rebound that went to Greg Printz, whose backhander was turned aside by Vomacka. The third time was the charm when Patrick Moynihan chipped a backhander on a rolling puck and sent it upstairs in the top part of the net for a 2-0 Friars lead.
The Huskies had three powerplays in the first but couldn’t score on those opportunities.
In the second period, UCONN tried to force a change of fortune with one of their most physical periods of the season, but PC resiliency and physical play of their own kept UCONN at bay.
OUCH
Nick Capone had two bone-rattling hits, and Karashik stood-up O’Neill in the neutral zone, but lanes and seams didn’t open, and PC maintained puck possession.
“They finish every hit, and you have to fight back, or you’re going to take a lot of hits. We got better at that as the game went on. Certainly, going into that small rink tomorrow, we’re going to have to try to bring a physical presence again,” Leaman said. “They’re a big heavy team. I was proud of our guys that big hit led to our first goal.
CONNECTICUT CONNECTIONS IN PC
PC had several CT connections.
Ben Miragaes (Avon Old Farms)
John McDermott (Darien/Westminster Prep) who just missed getting his first-ever collegiate goal
Printz (Selects Academy at South Kent Prep)
Stauber is the son of former Hartford Wolf Pack and New Haven Nighthawks goalie Robb Stauber.
LINES
Firstov -Kondelik – Evans
Gatcomb – Schlaine – Turnbull
Howarth – Schandor – Tverberg
Robbins – Rigali – Capone
Kuznetsov – Karashik
Berger – Spetz
Wheeler – Flynn
Harrison Rees
Vomacka
INJURED:
D Roman Kinal (knee)
