NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. - Taige Harding scored twice and added an assist while Parker Ford posted four points as the No. 14/15 Providence College men's hockey team scored a key 8-3 victory on the road at Merrimack on Friday (Jan. 13).
RECORDS
No. 14/15 Providence (12-5-6, 7-2-5 HEA) | No. 10 Merrimack (14-7-1, 9-3-0 HEA)
SCORE
No. 14/15 Providence - 8 | No. 10 Merrimack - 3
VENUE
Lawler Rink - North Andover, Mass.
GOALIES
Philip Svedebäck (PC) - 28 saves, 3 goals against
Zachary Borgiel (MC) - 5 saves, 5 goals against
Hugo Ollas (MC) - 14 saves, 3 goals against
NOTES
- The Friars got on the board early in this contest as Taige Harding's one-timer off a clean faceoff rang off the post and in for the sophomore's third of the season. Uula Ruikka and Parker Ford earned this assists.
- Merrimack tied the game at 8:07 of the first period as Jordan Seyfert's shot from the high slot deflected in off the Friar defense and past Svedebäck.
- Bennett Schimek kicked off a run of five-consecutive goals for the Friars with his seventh of the season at 11:52.
- In the second period, Providence exploded for four goals in the opening 8:24 of play.
- Cody Monds made it a 3-1 game as he netted his second of the season off a faceoff win.
- Patrick Moynihan cashed in on the power play minutes later with his seventh of the year to make it 4-1.
- Parker Ford walked in alone off a seam pass from Brett Berard and he finished a forehand deke for his ninth of the season and put the Friars up 5-1. Merrimack replaced Borgiel in goal for Hugo Ollas.
- Taige Harding's second of the game, this time a power-play strike, extended the lead to 6-1.
- Merrimack cut the deficit to 6-3 late in the second period on goals from Mike Brown and Will Calverley.
- In the third period, Providence re-gained the momentum and eventually extended their lead with a pair of power-play goals.
- Brett Berard finished off a one-touch passing play from Nick Poisson and Ford for his seventh of the year to make it 7-2.
- Ruikka found the back of the net for the first time this season to make it an 8-3 game.
- Ford registered his second-career four-point game (1-3-4), while Brett Berard posted his fourth-career three-point game. Harding and Ruikka both boasted their first-career three-point outings.
- In total, 12 players recorded at least one point on the night.
- Svedebäck stopped 28-of-31 shots, including all 10 in the third period.
- Providence scored four power-play goals in a game for the first time since March 30, 2019 against Minnesota State in the NCAA East Regional.
- The Friars hit the eight-goal mark for the first time since an 8-3 win over RIT on Dec. 8, 2017.
PC GAME HIGHS
Goals: Harding (2)
Assists: Ford (3)
Points: Ford (4)
Shots: Harding (4)
POWER PLAYS
Providence - 4/6
Merrimack - 0/5
SHOTS
Providence - 27
Merrimack - 31
UP NEXT
The Friars and Warriors will conclude their regular season series on Saturday (Jan. 14) once again at Lawler Rink. Puck drop is slated for 7 p.m.
