Third Period Lifts #10 Providence to Mayor's Cup Win Over Men's Hockey

Saturday, December 30

Providence, R.I.

7 p.m.

Brown University

4-9-1

Providence

10-5-2

Providence

Brown

Photo by: Chip DeLorenzo

Third Period Lifts #10 Providence to Mayor's Cup Win Over Men's Hockey

12/30/2023 10:23:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey

Box Score Photo Gallery

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – After two periods of scoreless play, the tenth-ranked Providence Friars (10-5-2, 4-3-2 HEA) tallied three goals in the third to break the deadlock and claim the 37th Mayor's Cup over the Brown Bears (4-9-1, 2-5-0 ECAC) Saturday night at Meehan Auditorium.

"I thought we played great, I told the guys after the game I wasn't disappointed at all with the effort, I was disappointed with the result," said head coach Brendan Whittet '94. "We got beat by a really good hockey team; it was 0-0 for the majority of the game. We had chances, they had chances. Their goalie played well; our goalie played well. They got a break with the fourth power play and they scored on it.

"This team is going to win a championship this year, I truly believe that. We have the makings of a really good hockey team; we have excellent goaltending; we have good defense; we have some skill up front."

The Bears and Friars went scoreless in the opening frame with Brown goaltender Lawton Zacher (35 saves) turning aside all 12 shots faced in the frame. Both teams came up empty on a power play chance in the period.

The middle frame went scoreless again with the Friars picking up the lone power play chance of the period and coming up empty.

The Friars broke the deadlock 8:22 into the third on the fourth power play chance of the night. Chase Yoder collected a rebound in the slot after Zacher made the initial save on Nick Poisson for his sixth goal of the season.

Just over 90 seconds later, Taige Harding doubled PC's lead with Austen May picking up the assist on the rush.

Brown pulled Zacher for the extra attacker late in the period in search of two goals, but Craig Needham found the empty net to push the score to 3-0.

GAME NOTES

Zacher's 35 saves mark the second-most by the Buffalo native this season. He recorded 37 saves in the season-opener against Yale.

"We're going back to league play next week and the next four games are huge, all the teams are right around us," Whittet added. "We have to make sure we have a good week of preparation and then go on the road and play hockey the right way like we did for 60 minutes tonight. We'll be where we want to be at the end of the year if we do that."

Brown returns to ECAC play next weekend on the road, facing off against Union (8-8-0, 3-3-0 ECAC) on Friday and Rensselaer (5-11-1, 2-4-0 ECAC) on Saturday. Both games are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and will stream on ESPN+.

Gallery: (12-30-2023) MHockey vs. #10 Providence (12/30/23)

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