Providence Surges Past Denver, 3-1
Freshman forward Josh Wilkins scores game-winner for Providence

Freshman forward Josh Wilkins scored the game-winner for Providence
Prd Time  Team Score Type Scored By Assists
2nd 4:00  PRV1-0 PP Scott Conway (6)Brian Pinho/12, Jake Walman/10
2nd 9:42  DEN1-1 PP Will Butcher (4)Dylan Gambrell/12, Jarid Lukosevicius/4
3rd 1:16  PRV2-1 PP GW Josh Wilkins (6)Brandon Duhaime/4, Spenser Young/3
3rd 14:20  PRV3-1 EV Conor MacPhee (3)Bryan Lemos/3
Scoring 1st 2nd 3rd Final
Denver  0101
Providence  0123
Shots on Goal 1st 2nd 3rd SOG
Denver  78722
Providence  8171136
Team Stats and Records  PP PIM SHGF
Denver (12-4-4)  1/3 5/10 0
Providence (8-6-4)  2/5 3/6 0
Denver Goaltending MIN GA 1 2 3 Saves
Tanner Jaillet (L, 11-3-4)55:563 816933
Empty Net4:040     
Providence Goaltending MIN GA 1 2 3 Saves
Hayden Hawkey (W, 8-6-4)59:571 77721
Empty Net0:030     

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Third period goals by Josh Wilkins and Conor MacPhee paced the Providence College men's hockey team to a thrilling 3-1 win over No. 2/2 Denver on Saturday night at Schneider Arena.

With the win, the Friars improve to 8-6-4 this season and extend their unbeaten streak to five games (3-0-2). The Pioneers drop to 12-4-4 despite 33 saves from goaltender Tanner Jaillet. Hayden Hawkey made 21 stops for the Friars, including a frantic final four minutes when Denver pulled its goaltender for an extra attacker.

The teams battled through a scoreless opening frame that saw only a combined 15 shots on goal. Providence's best chance of the period came as Bryan Lemos exited the penalty box, cut across the top of the slot and centered a pass to Brandon Duhaime that was stopped by Jaillet, as well as the rebound follow up from Scott Conway. Despite the Friars outshooting the Pioneers early, Denver controlled the faceoff dot by a 17-5 margin the first period.

Providence went to work with a two-man advantage in the opening minutes of the second period and cashed in on the 5-on-3 at the 4:00 mark. Scott Conway hammered home a rebound of a Brian Pinho shot for his sixth tally of the season and fourth on the power play to put the Friars up 1-0. The Pioneers responded to tie things up 5:42 later as defenseman Will Butcher fired a shot through traffic over the blocker of Hawkey to make it a 1-1 score.

The Friars responded with a string of quality shifts in the Denver zone, but Jaillet kept Providence off the board in the waning minutes of the period in which they out-shot the Pioneers, 17-8.

Josh Wilkins gave the Friars a 2-1 lead on the power play just 1:16 into the third period after firing a shot past Jaillet after a nice give-and-go with Brandon Duhaime. Conor MacPhee gave Providence a huge insurance tally with 5:40 remaining with his third strike of the season.

Denver pulled Jaillet in favor of an extra attacker for the final 4:04 of play but couldn't get anything past Hawkey and the Friar defense.

Up next, the Friars are return to Hockey East play next Saturday at Frozen Fenway against Boston College.

HOW THEY SCORED

1-0 (PC) Scott Conway (PPG) (Pinho, Walman) - Pinho fired a shot off a Walman rebound and Conway finished off the loose puck in the crease.

1-1 (DU) Will Butcher (PPG (Gambrell, Lukosevicius) - Gambrell fed to Butcher at the point and he wired a wrist shot through a screen over the blocker of Hawkey.

2-1 (PC) Josh Wilkins (PPG) (Duhaime, Young) - Give-and-go between Duhaime and Wilkins and he finishes over the blocker of Jaillet from the bottom of the circles.

3-1 (PC) Conor MacPhee (Lemos) - Off a face-off win, MacPhee fired a loose puck from the circles far side on Jaillet.

Notes: Power Plays - Denver (1/3), Providence (2/5) ... final shots on goal: 36-22 in favor of the Friars ... shot attempts: Providence 51, Denver 46 ... Pinho extended his team lead in points (17) with an assist ... the Friars are 10-1-3 in their last 14 games on home ice against ranked opponents ... Hawkey has surrendered just 11 goals in his last seven outings ... Conor MacPhee has three goals in his last four games ... Scott Conway, Josh Wilkins, and Erik Foley all have a team-high four power play goals this season