Providence 7, UNH 1

There are occasions when teams back in to tournaments, playoffs and titles. And then there are occasions when teams BACK IN to tournaments, playoffs and titles. The University of New Hampshire capitalized that phrase Saturday, when they took a 7-1 thumping from Providence -- but still clinched the Hockey East crown thanks to a Boston University loss to Vermont.

UNH (23-7-2, 18-5-2)  0-1-0 -- 1
PC (8-21-3, 7-15-3)    3-3-1 -- 7

GOALIE SAVES
KEVIN REGAN, UNH (10-x-x) -- 10
Brian Foster, UNH (x-21-13) -- 34
CHRIS MANNIX, PC (11-7-3) -- 21

Deering's Jon Rheault got the Friars on the board first, walking the puck out of the corner on a power play and putting a nice move on Kevin Regan before stuffing the rubber into the far side from the goalmouth. That score came at 6:05 of the opening period, and was Rheault's 10th tally of the season.

Rheault struck again less than four minutes later, capitalizing on a 'Cats turnover near the end of a power play. Craig Switzer misplayed a point-to-point pass from Brad Flaishans, and Rheault raced the other way with the loose puck. Skating around the cage with Switzer on his back, Rheault baited Regan out of position, went all the way around the net, and stuffed it into the short side. 

Rheault's 11th goal tied him for the team lead, but Colin McDonald would regain sole possession before the period was finished. Just after a Providence power play had expired, Greg Collins found McDonald on the edge of the right faceoff circle and the 6-foot-3, 210-pound senior unloaded a wicked one-timer that snuck over Regan and under the crossbar for a 3-0 Friar lead.

Pembroke's Brian Foster replaced Regan in the Wildcat net after the first period, but gave up a power-play goal on his fourth shot. Foster made the initial save after Chase Watson was left alone on the right post, but the rebound kicked up into the air, hit the traffic in front, and squirted over the stripe.

UNH then took three penalties in a span of 55 seconds, forcing them to play two men down for 2:34, and short-handed for close to four minutes. They almost managed to escape unscathed, but with eight seconds left on a Brett Hemingway's sentence for cross checking, Dinos Stamoulis fired from the point and after Rheault had the initial push, Matt Taormina stuffed it by Foster for the 5-0 edge.

UNH finally found some life with 4:52 left in the second, when Matt Fornataro carried in on a two-on-one and Jerry Pollastrone stuffed the rebound to make it 5-1. A power play then ensued a few seconds later, but the 'Cats couldn't capitalize.

Any momentum, however, was lost with 25 seconds to play in the middle stanza, when Mark Fayne fired through Foster from the point, and Providence restored its five-goal lead. This time it was 6-1, and they took the edge to the third.

Nick Mazzolini added another goal, this time while spinning in the left circle, less than a minute into the third. Rheault assisted again.

• Kevin Regan made his ninth straight start for New Hampshire, but was lifted after stopping 10 of 13 shots in the first period. Pembroke's Brian Foster replaced him.
• Replacing Tyler Sims, who gave up six goals on Friday, PC's Chris Mannix picked up his first career win.
• Foster faced 24 shots in his first period of action, stopping 21 of them.
• Captain Josh Ciocco was on the ice for UNH a night after suffering a muscle pull that put him out of action for the entire third period. This time he half of the third, but this time it was because he drew a 10-minute misconduct for arguing.
• Providence's Bryan Horan, who was taken to a Dover hospital and had surgery Friday after taking a stick to the eye, was out of the lineup.
• Providence scored on two of its first four shots.
• Schneider Arena has undergone somewhat of a makeover since UNH's last appearance here, with the ketchup-and-mustard, Hulk Hogan-in-his-prime seats having been repainted silver and black in accord with the team's colors.
• Rheault now has five goals in his last six regular-season games against his home state's school, and three this weekend. He also has three assists, giving him seven points in two games.
• UNH took three penalties in a span of 55 seconds, forcing them to play two men down for 2:34, and short-handed for close to four minutes, but they killed it off without being scored upon.
• Jacob Micflikier received a game disqualification penalty for spearing, meaning he'll miss Friday night's game at Boston College. The infraction came as he was trying to chase down Tony Zancanaro on a breakaway.
• The Wildcats had four penalties in each period. totaling 43 minutes and leading to the following post-game quotes:
• UMILE: "I'm disappointed with a lot of stuff. Didn't play well. Disappointed with the penalties. Disappointed with ... just really disappointed."
• UMILE:  "It's an embarrassing loss. We just didn't come out ready tonight. It started with the leadership. The captains, the seniors, we let the team down tonight."
• MURRAY: "No question it's a lack of discipline. They weren't listening but I'll deal with that next week."
• CIOCCO: "I don't think we came out at all to be honest with you. I don't think they did anything exceptional. We didn't show up."

Will be posted soon...