January 10, 1999

PROVIDENCE COLLEGE (9-9, 5-5) HOCKEY NOTES:

FRIARS POST 2-1 RECORD LAST WEEK... The Friars recorded a 2-1 mark last week. On Tuesday, Jan. 5, the Friars earned a 7-3 victory against Cornell in Ithaca, N.Y. Senior Troy Lake (Edmonton, Alberta) led the Friar offense with two goals in the third period, including the game winner. Sophomore Heath Gordon (Pembroke, Mass.), junior Fernando Pisani (Edmonton, Alberta), senior Mike Omicioli (W. Warwick, R.I.), sophomore Matt Libby (Saco, Maine) and junior Nick Lent (Westwood, Mass.) also scored for PC. Sophomore Boyd Ballard (Weyburn, Saskatchewan) made 21 stops in net while earning his sixth win of the season. On Jan. 8, the Friars earned a 5-3 win against Northeastern at Matthews Arena. The Friars were led by junior Doug Sheppard (Georgetown, Ontario) who scored two goals, including the game winner. The Friars' other goals were scored by junior Jason Ialongo (Cranston, R.I.), senior Jon Cameron (Langley, British Columbia) and Pisani. Ballard recorded a season-high 34 stops in the win. The following night, the Huskies defeated the Friars, 5-4, at Schneider Arena. Junior Jerry Keefe (Billerica, Mass.), Pisani, Ialongo and Cameron all scored for PC. Ballard registered 30 saves in the loss.

PISANI SCORES FOR FRIARS... Junior right wing Fernando Pisani (Edmonton, Alberta) tallied three goals and one assist in PC's three games last week. Pisani notched one goal in the Friars' 7-3 win against Cornell on Jan. 5, one goal in PC's 5-3 victory against Northeastern on Jan. 8 and one goal and one assist in the Friars' 5-4 loss to the Huskies on Jan. 9. Pisani is second on the team in assists with 19 and tied for second in goals with eight. He has recorded 27 points (eight goals, 19 assists) in 18 games this season. On Dec. 4, he recorded three points (one goal, two assists) in PC's 3-2 overtime win against the Warriors at Schneider Arena. The three points against Merrimack on Dec. 4 was his 21st career multiple-point game and seventh multiple-point game this season. It also marked the 11th time in his career he has recorded three or more points in a game. On Nov. 27, Pisani notched four assists in the Friars' 6-5 loss to Princeton at Schneider Arena. The four-point effort marked the third time in his career he has recorded four points in a game. A 1996 eighth-round draft pick of the Edmonton Oilers, Pisani has recorded 91 points (36 goals, 55 assists) in 89 career games.

FRIARS FAIL TO HOLD LEAD... In PC's 5-4 loss to Northeastern on Jan. 9, the Friars allowed three goals in the final 3:03 and failed to hold a 4-2 lead. In four of PC's nine losses this season, the Friars have led by one or more goals in the third period.

NEXT GAMES... PC will play three games next week. On Tuesday, Jan. 12, the Friars will battle Brown at Brown in the 13th annual Mayor's Cup. On Jan. 15, PC will host UMass-Amherst at Schneider Arena. On Jan. 17, PC will travel to UMass-Lowell for its first game ever against the River Hawks in Tsongas Arena.

THE PROVIDENCE-BROWN SERIES... Tuesday's game will be the 78th meeting between the two schools. Providence holds an all-time series record of 37-39-1 against Brown. The two teams first met on March 1, 1927 with Brown defeating Providence, 3-1, at the Rhode Island Auditorium.

AT MEEHAN AUDITORIUM... The Friars have posted a 12-14-0 record against Brown at Meehan Auditorium. PC's last win against the Bears at Meehan Auditorium was a 6-3 victory on Jan. 17, 1995. The Friars' last loss to the Bears at Meehan Auditorium was a 3-2 defeat on Jan. 25, 1997. In four Mayor's Cup games at Meehan Auditorium, the Friars have posted a 3-1 mark.

THE MAYOR'S CUP... Tuesday's game is the 13th time PC and Brown have played for the Mayor's Cup. PC holds a 7-4-1 advantage in the series since it was renamed the Mayor's Cup in 1986. Last season, Brown defeated Providence, 6-3, at Schneider Arena on Jan. 31, 1998. It marked the third consecutive season the Bears won the Cup. PC last captured the Mayor's Cup on Jan. 17, 1995 with a 6-3 victory at Meehan Auditorium.

THE PROVIDENCE/UMASS-AMHERST SERIES... Friday's game is the 20th meeting between the two schools. Providence leads the all-time series 14-4-1. The two teams first met on Feb. 27, 1954 with Providence defeating UMass, 15-5, at the Rhode Island Auditorium. The Friars' last win against the Minutemen was a 5-3 victory on Nov. 22, 1997 at Schneider Arena. PC's last loss to UMass-Amherst was a 3-1 defeat on Jan. 31, 1998 at the Mullins Center.

AT SCHNEIDER ARENA... The Friars have recorded an 8-2 mark against UMass-Amherst at Schneider Arena. PC's last win against the Minutemen at Schneider Arena was a 5-3 victory on Nov. 22, 1997. The Friars' last loss to UMass at Schneider Arena was a 5-3 defeat on Dec. 6, 1996.

LAST SEASON VS. UMASS-AMHERST... The Friars recorded a 2-1 mark against UMass-Amherst last season. On Nov. 21, 1997 PC defeated the Minutemen, 5-3, at the Mullins Center. Jon Cameron led the offense with his first career hat trick. Jason Ialongo and Nick Sinerate also scored for the Friars. Goaltender Boyd Ballard registered 29 saves in the victory. The following night, the Friars earned a 5-3 win at Schneider Arena. Mike Omicioli tallied two goals and Doug Sheppard, Troy Lake and Josh MacNevin each added one goal. Ballard made a career high 42 saves in the win. In final meeting between the two teams last season, UMass defeated the Friars, 3-1 at the Mullins Center on Jan. 30, 1998. Mike Mader tallied the lone goal for the Friars. Mark Kane recorded 31 stops in net.

THE PC/UMASS-LOWELL SERIES... Sunday's game is the 57th meeting between the two schools. Providence leads the all-time series 27-24-5. The two teams first met on January 27, 1982 with Providence defeating UMass-Lowell, 5-3, at Schneider Arena. The Friars' last win against the River Hawks was a 5-3 victory on Nov. 16, 1997 at Schneider Arena. PC's last loss to UMass-Lowell was a 5-1 defeat at Schneider Arena on Jan. 24, 1998.

AT TSONGAS ARENA... Sunday's game will be the first game between the two teams at the Tsongas Center.

LAST SEASON VS. UMASS-LOWELL... The Friars recorded a 1-1-1 mark against UMass-Lowell last season. On Nov. 16, 1997 PC earned its first HOCKEY EAST win of the season as the Friars defeated UMass-Lowell, 5-3, at Schneider Arena. Mike Omicioli led the offense with four assists. Fernando Pisani, Doug Sheppard, Jon Cameron, Rich Miller and Jason Ialongo each scored for PC. Goaltender Boyd Ballard registered 38 saves in the victory. On Jan. 23, 1998 the Friars and the River Hawks skated to a 2-2 tie at Tully Forum. Josh MacNevin and Pisani each scored for the Friars. Mark Kane made 29 stops in his first collegiate tie. In the final meeting between the two teams last season, the River Hawks defeated the Friars, 5-1, at Schneider Arena on Jan. 24, 1998. Mike Farrell scored PC's only goal. Ballard and Kane combined to make 19 stops in the loss.