PROVIDENCE COLLEGE ROLLS PAST SACRED HEART, 8-2
Sophomore forward Stefan Demopoulos and freshman forward Mark Jankowski each score two goals for Friars

Sophomore forward Stefan Demopoulos scored two goals for the Friars

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The men's hockey team poured in eight goals to open the 2012-13 season with an 8-2 win over Sacred Heart on Friday night at Schneider Arena.

In the first game of the year for both teams, Friar freshman Mark Jankowski (St. Catherines, Ont.) and sophomore Stefan Demopoulos (La Mesa, Calif.) each scored two goals and sophomore Ross Mauermann (Janesville, Wis.) notched a goal and two assists to lead the Providence offense. In net, freshman goaltender Jon Gillies (South Portland, Maine) posted a shutout through the first two periods, making 14 saves en route to his first career victory.

With the win, which included Providence's highest goal total since an 8-2 win at Bowling Green on Oct. 23, 2009, the Friars moved to 4-0 all-time versus the Pioneers.

Jankowski opened the scoring for the Friars just 3:15 into the first period. A perfect pass from the boards by red shirt freshman Noel Acciari (Johnston, R.I.) set up Jankowski to bury his first collegiate goal from the slot. Acciari registered his first collegiate point on the play. Sophomore Drew Brown (Grass Lake, Mich.) also tallied an assist.

In the second period, the Friars extended on their lead by scoring the only four goals of the period. Mauermann ignited the offense when he scored a wraparound goal on the power play to give the Friars a 2-0 lead at 6:53. Senior Alex Velischek (Kinnelon, N.J.) set Mauermann up for the goal when he found Mauermann with a pass along the far boards as he was exiting the penalty box.

Demopoulos scored his first of two goals on a shot that deflected off of Sacred Heart goaltender Andre Bodnarchuk at 8:48. Demopoulos' second goal came off a long shot from outside of the face-off circle at 10:52 of the period. Jankowski then netted his second of the game at 14:59 to complete the scoring in the second period. Freshman John Gilmour's (Montreal, Que.) assist on Jankowski's goal marked his first collegiate point.

Freshman Paul de Jersey (West Vancouver, B.C.) scored the Friars sixth goal of the night with a nice move outside the crease to net his first career tally following a Sacred Heart turnover. The Pioneers then netted a goal at 3:51 when Eric Delong converted a pass to the slot from just outside the crease.

Sophomore Shane Luke (Dauphin, Man.) scored his first goal of the season for the Friars to pushed the score to 7-1 at 16:28. Sacred Heart's Drew George scored at 18:30 and then Providence senior captain Kyle Murphy (Fairhaven, N.J.) capped the scoring at 19:37 with a slap shot from the slot for his first goal as a Friar. De Jersey and freshman Steve McParland (Schreiber, Ont.) both were awarded their first collegiate assists on Murphy's tally.

The Friars outshot the Pioneers, 59-26, in the game. Senior goaltender Russ Stein (Ridgefield, Conn.) replaced Gillies for the third period and made 10 stops. Providence went 1-for-2 on the power play and 5-for-6 on the penalty kill.

The Friars travel to Boston University to face-off against the Terriers tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m. It will be Boston University's first game of the season and the first Hockey East game of the year for the Friars.

Notes: All four meetings between PC and Sacred Heart have taken place at Schneider Arena ... The Friars now hold a 4-0-0 all-time record against the Pioneers ...The Friars have outscored the Pioneers 28-7 in the four meetings ... It was the fourth consecutive season-opening win for the Friar (all played at Schneider Arena, including last season's 5-3 win against Boston University) ...The last time that the Friars scored eight goals in a game was an 8-2 win at Bowling Green (10/23/09) ... Ross Mauermann set a career-high in points in a game with 3 (1 goal, 2 assists) ... Stefan Demopoulos tied a career-high in goals in a game (2) ... Shane Luke tied a career-high in points in a game (2).