University of New Hampshire Athletics
University of New Hampshire
14-10-4, 13-5-3HE
Providence
9-17-2, 4-15-2HE
BUTLER'S FOUR GOALS LIFTS MEN'S HOCKEY TO 5-2 WIN OVER PROVIDENCE
2/12/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
DURHAM, N.H. – Bobby Butler (Marlboro,
Mass.) scored a career-high four goals to lead the 15th-ranked
University of New Hampshire men's hockey team to Friday
night's 5-2 victory against Providence College in Hockey East
action at the Whittemore Center.
UNH, unbeaten in the last 11 games (8-0-2) vs. the Friars,
improved to 14-10-4 overall and extended its lead in the Hockey
East standings to five points with a 13-5-3 league record. PC fell
to 9-17-2, 4-15-2.
Butler, whose previous career high was two goals, struck early in
the game to give the 'Cats a 1-0 lead and scored the only
three goals of the third period to break a 2-2 tie and further
extend UNH's advantage. The four points matched his career
high.
Phil DeSimone (East Amherst, N.Y.), who extended his
point-scoring streak to 10 games, tallied a personal best of three
assists – all on goals by Butler – and Mike
Sislo (Superior, Wis.) matched his career high of two
assists.
UNH goaltender Brian Foster (Pembroke, N.H.)
recorded 28 saves, including 12 in the first period. PC counterpart
Alex Beaudry stopped 29 shots.
With the score tied 2-2 at the start of the third period, DeSimone
and Butler combined to give the Wildcats their third lead of the
game, 3-2, at 9:04. DeSimone intercepted a pass in front of Foster
and sent a long outlet pass that Butler corralled at the attacking
blue line. He skated down the slot and slid a shot between
Beaudry's leg pads.
In the 12th minute, UNH's Peter LeBlanc
(Hamilton, Ontario) carried the puck down the left wing and
continued behind the net. Instead of opting for a wraparound shot,
he peeled off towards the circle and sent the puck to the low slot,
where the one-timer by Stevie Moses (Leominster, Mass.) was stopped
by Beaudry.
The duo of DeSimone and Butler, with additional assistance from
Sislo, increased UNH's lead to 4-2 at 17:21 when Butler
skated down the right wing and one-timed DeSimone's pass into
the open near side of the net.
PC went on the power play and pulled Beaudry in favor of an extra
skater at 18:38. Moments later, Brett Kostalansky
(Denver, Colo.) stopped Mark Fayne's shot from the high slot
and slipped the puck ahead to Butler in the neutral zone. He skated
along the right dasher and, as he approached the blue line, fired a
shot into the empty net for a short-handed tally at 19:11 to secure
the victory.
Both teams netted one goal in the first period. UNH took a 1-0
lead at 4:01 on Butlers' first goal of the game. DeSimone
initiated the sequence with a pass from the right corner to
Matt Campanale (Chester Springs, Pa.) at the left
point. Campanale blasted a low shot that was redirected by Butler,
who was positioned in front of the net, into the goal.
The Wildcats were awarded a 5-on-3 power-play advantage at 8:30.
Thirty seconds later, Blake Kessel (Verona, Wis.)
rifled a shot from the slot that beat Beaudry but ricocheted off
the left post. UNH continued to pressure and Butler fired a
one-timer from the left faceoff dot that was blocked aside by
Beaudry.
New Hampshire went on another power play at 13:24 and, just as the
man advantage ended, DeSimone's bid from deep on the right
wing was stopped by Beaudry, who also denied Paul
Thompson (Derry, N.H.) off the rebound at the front
doorstep.
The Friars pulled even, 1-1, at 17:46. Rob Maloney led a 2-on-1
rush down the right wing and his centering pass was redirected high
into the net by Andy Balysky in the low slot. Mark Fayne was also
credited with an assist.
In the second period, both teams once again potted one goal to
advance the score to 2-2. The Wildcats regained the lead, 2-1, at
13:53. Sislo carried the puck on the right wing and threw the puck
along the boards. Moses gained possession behind the net, then
doubled back towards the right corner and threw the puck in front
of the net, where LeBlanc jammed the puck into the cage.
Providence responded with a goal 65 seconds later to once again
pull even. Foster stopped John Cavanagh's initial shot at the
left doorstep, but Aaron Jamnick corralled the puck behind the net
and swung a pass to Matt Bergland at the goal line on the right
wing. Bergland quickly moved the puck across the slot and Cavanagh,
still at the left doorstep, redirected a shot into the open
net.
New Hampshire, which improves to 7-0-2 against league foes at
Whittemore Center this season, continues its three-game homestand
Feb. 19 against the University of Vermont. The game, which will be
broadcast live on NESN, begins at 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 6:30
p.m.). The teams face off again Feb. 20 (7 p.m.) at the Whittemore
Center.
