No. 15/13 Men's Hockey Game Notes vs. UConn

GAME COVERAGE
Matchup: No. 15/13 Providence College (2-2-1, 2-2-1 HEAM) vs. UConn (1-4-1, 1-4-1 HEAM)
Faceoff: 3 PM (Mon.) – Freitas Ice Forum – Storrs, Conn.
Stream: CollegeSportsLive.com
Radio: NewsRadio 104.7 FM | TuneIn Radio | Play-by-play: Mike Logan
Live Stats: Statbroadcast.com
Twitter: @Friarshockey

Last Time Out
- Jaxson Stauber made 28 saves for his first career shutout and five different players scored as the No. 19 Providence College men's hockey team blanked No. 12 Northeastern, 5-0, last Sunday afternoon (Dec. 20) at Schneider Arena.
-Providence got on the board and cashed in on the power play 17:20 into first period as Jason O'Neill put away his first goal of the season on a strong drive to the net. Matt Tugnutt earned the assist on the play.
-The Friars gained a two-goal cushion in the final 2.3 seconds of the opening period with a goal from Tyce Thompson. Thompson wired a shot over the glove over Murphy after Davis Bunz dished him the puck from his stomach.
-Providence extended its lead to 3-0 in the opening 42 seconds of the middle frame as Parker Ford netted his first goal of the season on the power play goa. Ford put back a rebound off a shot from Uula Ruikka. Greg Printz earned the secondary assist on the play.
-Greg Printz put in an empty netter with 39 seconds to go in regulation putting the Friars up 4-0. Printz was assisted by Max Crozier.
-Craig Needham scored his first goal of the season and the fifth goal of the night with 18 seconds left in the game. Matt Koopman and Davis Bunz assisted on Needham's second career goal.
-Jaxson Stauber finished the night with 28 saves for his first career shutout, including 10 saves in the third period.
- Providence extended its home winning over the Huskies to six games dating back to 2015.

World Juniors Success
- The 2021 World Junior Championship kicked off on Friday night for the U.S., led by Friars Head Coach Nate Leaman and Director of Hockey Operations Theresa Feaster. Team USA fell 4-3 to Russia on Friday night before rebounding for an 11-0 win over Austria on Saturday. Freshman Brett Berard had a goal and two assists, while sophomore Patrick Moynihan added two assists in the win over Austria on Saturday.

Three Current and Future Friars Drafted
Forwards Brett Berard and Chase Yoder were both selected on day two of the 2020 NHL Draft in October. Berard was selected by the New York Rangers in the fifth round (134th overall), while Yoder was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the sixth round (170th overall). Future Friar Riley Duran was taken by the Boston Bruins in the sixth round (182nd overall).

Meet the New Guys
Providence welcomed in a seven-member incoming class for this season - four freshmen and three transfer student-athletes. The freshmen are: Brett Berard, Nick Poisson, Uula Ruikka and Chase Yoder. Sophomore Jaxson Stauber is a transfer from Minnesota State, while Matt Tugnutt and Anton Martinsson are graduate transfers from Sacred Heart and Alaska Fairbanks, respectively.

A Shorthanded Weapon
Graduate transfer Matt Tugnutt is the nation's active career leader in shorthanded goals with five.

Spreading Out the Points
Twenty-one different Friars had at least one point last season. Through five games in 2020-21, 12 players have recorded at least one point.

Striking First
Providence opened the scoring in a game for the first time in five outings last Sunday against Northeastern.

Strong on the Power Play
After starting the season 0-of-9, the Friars are now 5-of-13 on the power play over the past three games (.385).

Returning Production
Providence ranks sixth in the nation with 84 goals returning this season. The 82% of returning goals ranks fourth nationally. The Friars also return 76% of their points from last season, which also ranks sixth.

Youth Movement
The Friars have the 10th youngest roster in the NCAA this season (average age of 21 years, 181 days). Freshman Brett Berard is the fifth youngest player on an NCAA roster this year.

Seeking Seven
Providence holds the nation's second longest-active NCAA appearance streak, having made a sixth- straight tournament appearance in 2018-19. Denver leads the pack with 12-straight appearances.

Three is the Magic Number
The Friars are 166-17-18 all-time under Nate Leaman when scoring three or more goals in a game.

After 40
The Friars are 152-6-17 all-time under Nate Leaman when holding a lead after two periods.

Scouting the Huskies
After upsetting Boston College on Dec. 12, UConn has since dropped two straight games against UMass Lowell (2-1) and UMass (6-2). The Huskies are 1-1-1 on home ice this season, playing on campus at the Freitas Ice Forum in Storrs. Juniors Jonny Evans (2-4-6), Carter Turnbull (2-2-4) and Kale Howarth (2-1-3) top the Huskies in scoring, while Tomas Vomacka has logged all minutes in goal - posting a 3.27 GAA and .898 save percentage.

Series History vs. UConn (PC leads 11-2-3, .781)
Providence held a 2-0-1 advantage in last season's three-game series, earning a tie on the road and claiming both games at Schneider Arena. Monday will mark the first time the teams will square off at the Freitas Ice Forum. All previous matchups have come at the XL Center in Hartford.

For more updates on the Providence College men's hockey program, follow the team on Twitter @FriarsHockey.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Brett Berard

Davis Bunz

Max Crozier

Parker Ford

Matt Koopman

Anton Martinsson

Patrick Moynihan

Craig Needham

Jason O'Neill

Nick Poisson

Greg Printz

Uula Ruikka

Jaxson Stauber

Tyce Thompson

Matt Tugnutt

Chase Yoder

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Upcoming Event: Men's Ice Hockey at UConn on November 7, 2025

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