PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Freshman Ross Mauermann (Janesville, Wis.) scored 1:54 into overtime to lift the Providence College men's hockey team (7-6-1, 5-3-0 HE) to a 2-1 victory over previously unbeaten and No. 1 ranked Merrimack College (9-1-1, 6-1-1 HE) Friday night at Schneider Arena in front of a crowd of 2,381. The victory was the first for the Friars against a No. 1 ranked team since January 3, 2003 (a 4-2 triumph over No. 1 Maine).
Mauermann's goal came after a Merrimack turnover in its own end. Junior Myles Harvey (Orlando, Fla.) stole the puck just inside the blue line, spun, before firing a shot on net that was saved by Merrimack goaltender Joe Cannata. However, Mauermann was right in front to tap the puck into the net and give the Friars their first overtime win since February 9, 2008.
"It was just a good hockey game," Providence College Head Coach Nate Leaman. "Obviously it could have gone either way going into overtime, but we found a way to get one by Joe Cannata."
After the first twenty minutes of play, the score remained tied at zero as the Warriors outshot the Friars, 13-10 in the first period. The Friars grabbed the lead (1-0) at 15:38 of the second period while they skated short handed. Senior Andy Balysky (Randolph, N.J.) buried the puck over the shoulder of Cannata as sophomore Derek Army (North Kingstown, R.I.) and Harvey assisted on the goal. It marked the fifth short-handed goal that the Friars have scored this season.
At 9:01 of the third period, the Warriors tied the game on a power-play goal from Jesse Todd who ripped a one timer from the slot past PC senior goalie Alex Beaudry (Cumberland, Ont.). Neither team scored the rest of the third period as the game went into overtime.
The Friars had the shot advantage over the Warriors for the game, 36-27. Beaudry finished the game with 26 saves. Cannata stopped 34 shots.
The Friars and Warriors will complete the second game of their home-and-home series tomorrow night in North Andover, Mass. at Lawler Arena at 7:00 p.m.