PROVIDENCE COLLEGE (13-12, 8-8) HOCKEY NOTES:

FRIARS DROP TWO GAMES OVER THE WEEKEND... The Providence College Friars posted a 0-2 record last week. On Jan. 29, second-ranked Maine defeated the Friars, 7-4, at Schneider Arena. Junior Jason Ialongo (Cranston, R.I.) led the Friar offense with two goals and senior Mike Omicioli (W. Warwick, R.I.) added three assists. PC's other goals were scored by junior Fernando Pisani (Edmonton, Alberta) and freshman Drew Omicioli (W. Warwick, R.I.). Sophomore Boyd Ballard (Weyburn, Saskatchewan) started the game and made 25 saves in two periods of action. Junior Mark Kane (St. Albert, Alberta) entered the game in the third period and registered 14 stops in 20 minutes of action. The following night, the Friars were defeated by third-ranked New Hampshire, 4-2, at Durham, N.H. Pisani and junior Jerry Keefe (Billerica, Mass.) each scored for PC. Ballard recorded 24 stops in net.

TOUGH SCHEDULING... Saturday's 4-2 loss to the third-ranked New Hampshire Wildcats marked PC's fourth consecutive game against a ranked team. On Friday, the Friars were defeated by second-ranked Maine, 7-4, at Schneider Arena. On Jan. 22-23, PC split a two game-series against the sixth-ranked Boston College Eagles. PC has posted a 2-6 mark this season against top-10 teams.

PISANI CLOSES IN ON 100 POINTS... Junior Fernando Pisani (Edmonton, Alberta) tallied four points (two goals, two assists) in two games against some of the top competition in the country on Jan. 29-30. Pisani recorded one goal and one assist in a 7-4 loss to second-ranked Maine on Jan. 29 and one goal and one assist in a 4-2 loss to third-ranked New Hampshire on Jan. 30. Pisani's assist on the Friars' second goal in the 4-2 loss to UNH was his 99th career point. The junior right wing is one point shy of becoming the 43rd player in the history of PC hockey to record 100 or more points. He will become the first player to reach 100 points in his junior season since All-American Chad Quenneville (South Hadley, Mass.) accomplished the feat in 1995. A 1996 eighth-round draft pick of the Edmonton Oilers, Pisani has recorded 99 points (39 goals, 60 assists) in 96 career games. In 25 games this season, he is third on the team in scoring with 11 goals and 24 assists.

MIKE OMICIOLI CONTINUES TO CLIMB PC SCORING CHART... Senior center Mike Omicioli (W. Warwick, R.I.), who notched three assists in PC's 7-4 loss to Maine on Jan. 29 and one assist in PC's 4-2 loss to New Hampshire on Jan. 30, is tied for 24th all-time in scoring at Providence College with 124 points (44 goals, 80 assists) in 122 games. Omicioli also ranks 18th all-time in assists with 80. This season, he is tied for first on the team in goals (14) and is second in scoring (36 points).

KEEFE RECORDS 40TH POINT OF THE SEASON... Junior center Jerry Keefe (Billerica, Mass.) recorded three points (one goal, two assists) in two games against Maine and New Hampshire on Jan. 29-30. Keefe tallied one goal in PC's 4-2 loss to New Hampshire on Jan. 30. His goal against UNH was his 40th point of the season. Keefe becomes the first Friar to register 40 points in a season since Russ Guzior (Palos Park, Ill.) recorded 40 points in 1997. In 25 games this season, he leads the team in scoring (40 points) and assists (26) and is tied for the team lead in goals (14). In 77 career games, Keefe has registered 77 points (28 goals, 49 assists).

NEXT WEEK'S GAMES... PC will play two games against UMass-Lowell on Feb. 5-6. The Friars will play at UMass-Lowell on Friday, Feb. 5. The following night, PC will host the River Hawks at Schneider Arena.

THE PROVIDENCE/UMASS-LOWELL SERIES... Friday's game will be the 58th meeting between the two schools. Providence leads the all-time series 28-24-5. The two teams first met on Jan. 27, 1982 with Providence defeating UMass-Lowell, 5-3, at Schneider Arena. PC's last win against the River Hawks was a 5-2 victory on Jan. 17, 1999 at the Tsongas Arena. The Friars' last loss to UMass-Lowell was a 5-1 defeat at Schneider Arena on Jan. 24, 1998.

AT TSONGAS ARENA... PC has registered a 1-0 mark against UMass-Lowell at Tsongas. In PC's only game at Tsongas Arena, the Friars earned a 5-2 win against UMass on Jan. 17, 1999.

AT SCHNEIDER ARENA... PC has posted a 14-16 mark against the River Hawks at Schneider Arena. In the Friars' last game against UMass-Lowell at Schneider Arena, the River Hawks defeated the Friars, 5-1, on Jan. 24, 1998. The Friars' last win against UMass-Lowell at Schneider Arena was a 5-3 victory on Nov. 16, 1997.

THIS SEASON VS. UMASS-LOWELL... The Friars have registered a 1-0 record against UMass-Lowell this season. On Jan. 17, PC defeated UMass, 5-2, at Tsongas Arena. Marc Suderman, Jon Cameron, Troy Lake, Doug Sheppard and Mike Omicioli all scored for the Friars. Boyd Ballard recorded 23 stops in the win.