It was a first period to forget for the UMass hockey team.
Host Providence stormed out of the gates to a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes in front of a boisterous Schneider Arena crowd. Despite a fervant Minuteman rally over the second and third periods, the early deficit proved to be too much to erase as the 14th-ranked Friars handed No. 5 UMass a 7-4 loss in Hockey East play on Friday night in Providence, R.I.
UMass fell to 5-2-1 overall (1-2-0 Hockey East), while Providence improved to an identical 5-2-1 mark.
“It was a really slow start and poor special teams,” said UMass head coach Greg Carvel. “For spurts there we looked like we were going to pull ourselves back into the game and then take another penalty and bad turnovers. It was an unexpected high scoring game, but it was probably that way because we didn’t come out ready to play and opened the game up. The game was pretty wide open tonight.”
Providence scored a shorthanded goal, a power play goal and an even-strength marker in the opening period. The lead grew to 4-0 just 57 seconds into the second period, before Tyson Dyck finally slowed the momentum with a UMass goal just 2:11 into the middle stanza to cut the deficit to 4-1.
Trailing 5-1 midway through the second period, the UMass offense got to work. Noah Ellis, Kenny Connors and Cal Kiefiuk netted three unanswered goals for the Minutemen, cutting the lead to 5-4 with 18:47 to play in the third.
Providence finally halted that momentum shift when Parker Ford tallied with 12:49 remaining, re-establishing the two-goal cushion. The Friars tacked on an empty-net goal with 10.3 seconds remaining, putting a bow on the 7-4 victory.
UMass started Cole Brady (9 saves) in net, and he lasted just one period before being replaced by Luke Pavicich (19 saves) to start the second in a 3-0 hole.
The two teams return to action on Saturday when Providence comes to the Mullins Center for the return game at 7 p.m.