BUTLER RECORDS 100TH POINT, LIFTS #16 UNH MEN’S HOCKEY TO 3-2 OVERTIME WIN OVER PC

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Bobby Butler (Marlboro, Mass.) recorded a pair of assists including the primary assist on a game-winning overtime goal (100th point) to lift the 16th-ranked University of New Hampshire men’s hockey team to Friday night’s 3-2 overtime win over Providence College in Hockey East action at Schneider Arena.

UNH extends its Hockey East unbeaten streak to 10-games (8-0-2) as it improves to 11-7-4 overall, 10-2-3 in Hockey East. Providence, which is winless in its last 10 against New Hampshire (0-8-2), falls to 9-12-1, 4-10-1 HE.

Butler, who becomes the 67th player in program history to tally 100 career points and first since Matt Fornataro and Mike Radja did so on Jan. 28, 2008, carried the puck into the offensive zone and behind the net. After holding the puck for several seconds, Butler found a crashing Phil DeSimone (East Amherst, N.Y. - 1g, 1a) for the one-timer from the right slot. Blake Kessel (Verona, Wis.) tallied his team-high 21st assist on the game-winning goal at 2:17 of overtime. Before the New Hampshire goal, PC had held a 3-0 shot advantage in the overtime frame.

The Wildcats controlled play throughout the first period, but did not break the deadlock until 18:17 of the period. Paul Thompson (Derry, N.H.), who’s five goals in the last three games, scored on an awkward-angle shot from the bottom of the left circle that slipped past PC netminder Alex Beaudry and gave UNH a 1-0 lead at the break. Thompson curled in from around the net after receiving a backwards feed from Butler. DeSimone was also credited with an assist on the play. UNH held a 16-5 shot advantage in the period.

UNH wasted little time in the second period to extend its lead to 2-0. Dalton Speelman (San Jose, Calif.) started the play by gloving down a PC clearing attempt and passing it to Stevie Moses (Leominster, Mass.) on the left side of the net. Moses made a quick move and found an open Mike Borisenok (Watervliet, N.Y.) on the backside of the net, who shot the puck into an open net at 2:46. The Friars cut the lead in half as Ian O’Connor scored at 10:57 on the rebound of an Alex Velischek shot. Mark Fayne was also credited with an assist on the tally. The Friars held a 16-12 shot advantage in the period.

Providence scored the equalizer at 7:28 of the third period as John Cavanaugh scored on a one-timer from the top of the left circle that beat UNH netminder Brian Foster (Pembroke, N.H.) on his high glove side to make it 2-2. Matt Germain and Kyle MacKinnon assisted on the goal. UNH concluded the second half of the period on the offensive and held a 13-8 shot advantage, but could not break the deadlock.

Foster stopped 30 shots, including 15 in the second period, and improves to 10-7-4, while Beaudry turned away 39 shots, but falls to 8-10-1 overall. New Hampshire held a 42-32 shot advantage for the game.

The Wildcats were 0-4 on the power play, but extend their penalty-killing streak to 21-straight kills, a streak which dates back to the first period of these teams’ last meeting on Dec. 11, 2009.

UNH returns to action on Saturday night when it travels to play Hockey East foe Boston University. Puck drops at 7 p.m. from Agganis Arena. The game will be broadcast live on NESN with radio coverage on the Wildcat Sports Network. For more information on UNH hockey including live stats and live audio log onto www.UNHWildcats.com.