No. 15 Men's Hockey Game Notes vs. Vermont

GAME COVERAGE
Matchup: No. 15 Providence College (2-3-1, 2-3-1 HEAM) vs. Vermont (0-3-1, 0-3-1 HEAM)
Faceoff: 1 PM (Fri.) – Schneider Arena – Providence, R.I.
TV: NESN | Play-by-play: Mike Logan; Color: Sonny Watrous
Stream: CollegeSportsLive.com (Outside New England) | NESN.com (Inside New England)
Radio: NewsRadio 104.7 FM | TuneIn Radio | Play-by-play: Mike Mancuso
Live Stats: Friars.com
Twitter: @Friarshockey

Faceoff: 7 PM (Sat.) – Schneider Arena – Providence, R.I.
TV: NESN | Play-by-play: Mike Logan; Color: Sonny Watrous
Stream: CollegeSportsLive.com (Outside New England) | NESN.com (Inside New England)
Radio: NewsRadio 104.7 FM | TuneIn Radio | Play-by-play: Mike Mancuso
Live Stats: Friars.com
Twitter: @Friarshockey

Last Time Out
-Both teams skated through the first period scoreless. The Friars and the Huskies had 10 shots a piece in the opening 20 minutes.
-The Huskies got on the board two minutes into the middle stanza with a goal from Adam Karashik, assisted by Jonny Evans and Jachym Kondelik.

-The Friars made a push in the middle period, outshooting the Huskies by a 18-9 margin, however, UConn carried their 1-0 lead into the second intermission.

-UConn's Jonny Evans sealed the game with 5:16 remaining in regulation to give the Huskies a 2-0 lead. Evans was assisted by Jachym Kondelik, both notching their second point of the day.

-The Huskies finished off the final minutes of the game on the power play after Providence's Nick Poisson was whistled for a five-minute major.

- Providence was shutout for the third time in six games this season.

- Jaxson Stauber made a career-high 31 saves as he suffered his first NCAA loss in five career games played.

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. On Tuesday, the U.S. defeated the Czech Republic by a score of 7-0. Berard also added an assist for his fourth point of the tournament.

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 six 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-17 on the power play over the past three games (.292).

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 Catamounts
Vermont enters the weekend at 0-3-1, having just resumed play on Dec. 19. The Catamounts earned one point in the Hockey East standings last weekend after a loss and tie (SO loss) at home against Northeastern. Alex Esposito and Ray Vitolins lead the way with a goal and an assist each over the first four games. Senior goaltender Tyler Harmon has started all four games with a 3.66 GAA and .892 save percentage. New Head Coach Todd Woodcroft is also remotely serving as an assistant coach for Team Sweden at the World Junior Championship.

Series History vs. Vermont (PC trails 27-28-10, .492)
Providence has struggled in recent years against the Catamounts, going 2-2-3 over the last seven meetings dating back to 2017. The teams met in Burlington last season, with the Friars earning a tie and a win at Gutterson Fieldhouse. The Catamounts in their last trip to Providence in 2019, earned a 3-1 win and a 1-1 tie on the strength of a 79-save weekend from Stefanos Lekkas.

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

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Brett Berard

Anton Martinsson

Patrick Moynihan

Nick Poisson

Uula Ruikka

Jaxson Stauber

Matt Tugnutt

Chase Yoder

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