3rd Ranked PC Friars Skate Past Catamounts in Doubleheader Weekend at Vermont

January 15, 2016 11:39 pm

PC news release…

BURLINGTON, Vt. – Sophomore Brian Pinho factored in on all three goals as the Providence College men’s hockey team scored its first win of 2016 with a 3-1 victory over Vermont at Gutterson Fieldhouse on Friday night.

With the win, the Friars improve to 14-3-4 and secure two crucial Hockey East points to improve to 5-1-3 in league play. Vermont drops to 9-13-2 (3-6-2 HEA) with the loss.

Pinho recorded a goal and two assists on the night and boasts three multi-point efforts in his last four games.

Nick Ellis made 30 stops for the Friars and recorded his first career point to improve to 13-3-4 this season. Packy Munson (5-3-0) also made 30 stops for the Catamounts, as UVM’s four-game winning streak was snapped on Friday night.

The Friars wasted no time in drawing first blood as Nick Saracino found the back of the net for the third time in as many games just 25 seconds into the contest. Good work by Brandon Tanev and Brian Pinho set up Saracino, who snapped a turn-around shot past Munson for his eighth of the season.

Providence utilized two power play chances to maintain momentum, but Vermont came on strong in the latter half of the first with some extended zone time. Ellis was sharp in the opening frame, stopping all 10 Vermont shots he faced.

The teams exchanged goals early in the middle stanza, with the Friars notching their first shorthanded goal of the season thanks to Trevor Mingoia at 1:54. Brendan Bradley put the hosts on the board just 2:09 later as he found a loose puck at the top of the crease.

After Providence’s third power play of the night expired, Tom Parisi found Pinho on a rink-long stretch pass and the sophomore slipped a backhander through the legs of Munson for his fifth of the season at 15:12 to give the Friars their two-goal cushion back. On the play, Nick Ellis recorded his first career assist and the first Providence goaltender assist in nearly three seasons.

The Friars defense took over the third period, limiting the host Catamounts to just eight shots on goal in the final frame. Tensions mounted late in the game as the teams combined for 37 penalty minutes in the final 1:40 of play.

Up next, the Friars and Catamounts will tangle in the back-end of their two-game series on Saturday night beginning at 7:05 p.m.

HOW THEY SCORED

1-0 (PC) Goal scored by Nick Saracino (Tanev, Pinho): Turn-around snap shot from the slot.

2-0 (PC) Shorthanded goal scored by Trevor Mingoia (Monk, Pinho): On a 2-on-1, fired a wrister over the glove of Munson.

2-1 (UVM) Goal scored by Brendan Bradley (Shaw): Putback of a loose puck at the top of the crease.

3-1 (PC) Goal scored by Brian Pinho (Parisi, Ellis): Stretch pass by Parisi to Pinho, backhander five-hole on Munson.

NOTES

Providence tallied a shorthanded goal for the first time since Shane Luke notched one against Maine on Feb. 28, 2015 … Saracino scored in his third consecutive game … Nick Ellis recorded the first assist by a Friars netminder since Jon Gillies on March 16, 2013 against UNH … Pinho has now posted two goals and six assists in his last four outings … Jake Walman had a game high nine shots on goal … Power Plays: Providence – 0/8, Vermont 0/3 … official shots on goal: Providence 33, Vermont 31 … Attendance: 4,007.