PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Playing the second half of the season series against the second-ranked Boston College Eagles, the seventh-ranked Providence College Friars suffered a 2-0 loss on Friday night at a sold-out Schneider Arena.
Eagles' freshman goaltender Thatcher Demko stopped all 30 shots he faced for his first career shutout, while Friar sophomore Jon Gillies (South Portland, Maine) made 28 saves against the nation's top-ranked offense.
Providence (15-7-5, 7-6-1 HEA) and Boston College (19-4-3, 12-1-1 HEA) played a scoreless game until 10:45 of the second period when Brendan Silk gave the Eagles the lead off a 2-on-1 play. Johnny Gaudreau doubled the advantage for Boston College at 14:01 of the final period of play.
Through the first forty minutes of play, Silk was the only player to find the back of the net. The Eagles' forward gave his team the lead at 10:45 of the second period when he scored his second goal of the season. Defenseman Steve Santini created the play up the ice to break out Silk and Patrick Brown on a 2-on-1. Silk, who had the puck from inside the face-off circle, elected to take the shot on the play and wristed a shot over the shoulder of Gillies to give Boston College the edge after two periods of play.
Providence had several quality scoring chances throughout the game but could not solve Demko. One of the Friars' best chances of the night came seven minutes into the third when Steven Shamanski (Carberry, Manitoba) blasted a shot from the blue line that Demko kicked out with his right pad to an onrushing Brandon Tanev (Toronto, Ontario). Tanev's follow up beat Demko low but slid just wide of the far post.
Gaudreau then added to the Eagles' lead at 14:01 of the third as he scored his league-leading 23rd goal of the season. Gaudreau gathered the puck at the offensive blue line after a Friar defenseman possessed a Boston College breakout pass off the glass. Gaudreau then broke into the offensive zone and found enough space to send a quick wrist shot past Gillies from the slot.
The game ended with both teams registering 30 shots on goal. Neither team could capitalize with the extra skater on as Providence went 0-for-4 on the power play while Boston College went 0-for-3.
The Friars are off next weekend but then enter their busiest stretch of the season with five games in 12 days, beginning with a 7:00 p.m. game against UConn on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at Schneider Arena.
Notes
Tonight's game marked the seventh sell-out at Schneider Arena this season ... The Friars have held their opponents to two or fewer goals 17 times this season ... Derek Army skated in his 137th consecutive game as a Friar, while Steven Shamanski played in his 118th straight ... The Friars were shutout for the first time in over a calendar year (Jan. 5, 2013 at Minnesota State).
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |