PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The No. 10 Providence College men's hockey team skated to a 4-2 victory over the No. 16 Miami RedHawks on Friday, Jan. 4 at Schneider Arena. The Friars extended their winning streak to five games and are now unbeaten in their last seven (5-0-2).
SCORE
No. 10 Providence - 4 | No. 16 Miami - 2
RECORDS
Providence - 12-4-3 (6-2-1 HEA) | Miami - 9-7-3 (3-3-2 NCHC)
VENUE
Schneider Arena - Providence, R.I.
GOALIES
Hayden Hawkey (PC) - 13 saves
Ryan Larkin (Miami) - 38 saves
NOTES
- Tyce Thompson got the Friars on the board early in the first, scoring just 4:22 in. His third-career goal was assisted by Brandon Duhaime and Vincent Desharnais.
- Miami responded with a power-play goal less than two minutes later. Ryan Siroky squeaked a shot past Hayden Hawkey for his fourth of the season.
- The RedHawks added a second power-play goal at the 17:10 mark of the first. Josh Melnick walked off the boards on the right wing and slipped a shot through Hawkey's five-hole to make it 2-1.
- Providence applied pressure early in the middle stanza, notching the game up at the 6:33 mark of the second. Kasper Björkqvist played the puck to Jack Dugan, who fed it to Scott Conway for a back-door finish. The senior's goal was his eighth of the season.
- The Friars ended up outshooting the RedHawks 14-3 in the second period.
- Matt Koopman scored his first-career goal to give the Friars a 3-2 lead nearing the midpoint of the third. Dugan skated through the zone and shoveled the puck over to Josh Wilkins. He took a wrist shot that Koopman tipped past Ryan Larkin.
- Vimal Sukumaran extended the Friars' lead late in the game. He pushed a shot through Larkin's five-hole from the top of the crease for his fourth goal of the season. Greg Printz earned his second assist of the season on the play.
- The Friars ended up outshooting Miami 42-15.
- Ryan Larkin was forced to make a season-high 38 saves in net for Miami.
- Björkqvist's assist puts him on a seven-game point streak (3-7-10), which marks a new career-long.
- Wilkins extended his career-long point streak to nine games (4-11-15). He leads the Friars in scoring with 22 points overall.
- Providence improved to 8-1-2 in their last 11 games against the RedHawks.
- The Friars have rallied from first period deficits to win in three-consecutive games. It was the first time Providence won this season when tied after two periods (1-1-2).
HOW THEY SCORED
1-0 (Providence) - 4:22/1st - EV - Tyce Thompson (Duhaime, Desharnais) - Thompson turned and fired a wrist shot from the right dot.
1-1 (Miami) - 6:02/1st - PP - Ryan Siroky (Knies, Daschke) - One-timer from the slot that went off Hawkey's stick and trickled in.
2-1 (Miami) - 17:10/1st - PP - Josh Melnick (Hutton, Daschke) - Melnick walked off the boards and slid a shot through Hawkey's five-hole.
2-2 (Providence) - 6:33/2nd - PP - Scott Conway (Björkqvist, Dugan) - Tic-tac-toe passing that led to a back-door finish for Conway.
3-2 (Providence) - 8:46/3rd - EV - Matt Koopman (Wilkins, Dugan) - Shot from Wilkins that was tipped in by Koopman in front.
4-2 (Providence) - 15:56/3rd - EV - Vimal Sukumaran (Printz) - Shot from the top of the crease through Larkin's five-hole.
PC GAME HIGHS
Goals: Thompson, Conway, M. Koopman, Sukumaran (1)
Assists: Dugan (2)
Points: Dugan (2)
Shots: Conway, M. Koopman (5)
POWER PLAYS
Providence - 1/2
Miami - 2/4
SHOTS
Providence - 42
Miami - 15
UP NEXT
The Friars and RedHawks conclude their two-game series tomorrow night (Jan. 5) on NBC Sports Boston beginning at 7 p.m.