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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Northeastern men's ice hockey team (4-10-1, 3-6-1) received 37 saves from goaltender Clay Witt, including 17 in the third period alone, en route to a 2-1 victory at No. 16 Providence (8-6-1, 6-4-0) on Saturday afternoon at Schneider Arena.
 
Colton Saucerman and Zach Aston-Reese both scored for the Huskies, which was outshot 38-26 in the game. NU was 1-of-4 on the power play and won 33-of-66 faceoffs, while Jon Gillies made 24 stops for the Friars, who were 1-of-4 on the man advantage.
 
Both teams had its chances during a first period that saw each squad log 10 shots on goal. NU had the first scoring opportunity of the afternoon when John Stevens found Ryan Rosenthal in the slot for a shot that Gillies knocked down with his right shoulder. Later in the period, Gillies was able to scoop up a deflection from Adam Reid off an initial shot from Garret Cockerill at the point.
 
At the other end of the ice, Witt faced his biggest test midway through the period when Ross Mauermann attacked the net with speed down the right side of the rink. Mauermann tried to beat Witt low, but the NU netminder was up to the task.
 
While shots were even at 10 apiece during the second period, the Huskies struck twice during the middle stanza. The first came less than three minutes in when Colton Saucerman netted his third of the season with the Huskies on the power play. After Dalen Hedges took a pass from Kevin Roy, Hedges' shot was blocked by Gillies before Saucerman crashed the cage in search of the rebound, burying it for a 1-0 NU lead.
 
Providence pressured Witt and the Northeastern defense throughout the second frame, but Witt stood his ground to keep PC off the board through two. With the Friars on the power play six minutes into the stanza, Mark Jankowski nearly tied the game when he tipped a shot from Jake Walman at the blue line, but Witt came across just in time to get a pad on it. Witt would make three additional saves on the penalty kill, and received some help with two blocked shots from Dax Lauwers at the tail end of the man advantage.
 
The Huskies extended their lead to two with 5:19 left in the period as Aston-Reese potted his second goal of the season, taking a Mike Szmatula feed from behind the net and one-timing the puck shortside.
 
PC peppered Witt for a majority of the third period, tossing 18 shots on the NU netminder and cutting the deficit in half midway through the frame. Witt stood on his head during a Providence power play early in the period, making three stops in the final moments of the penalty kill, including a diving stop on a shot from the point.
 
With the Friars on a four-on-three power play with 9:33 left in regulation, Trevor Mingoia made it a 2-1 game when a shot from Nick Saracino at the point caught Mingoia in the shoulder before beating Witt. The goal was briefly reviewed and stood as called.
 
Witt would preserve the Northeastern lead during the final seven minutes of the game, and made his save of the game when he stoned Stefan Demopolous on a shot from the left side. PC would pull Gillies in favor of the extra skater with 1:27 left, but NU stood tall to seal the victory.
 
The Huskies will have more than a week off for final exams before returning to the ice on Tuesday, December 16 when Northeastern travels to the Mullins Center for a nonconference matchup with Massachusetts.
 
Season tickets, as well as individual game tickets, are available for men's ice hockey and can be purchased by visiting GoNU.com/tickets. In addition, the student sale for the 2015 Beanpot will take place on Saturday, January 17, 2015 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Matthews Arena lobby. Please contact the Ticket Office by calling 617-373-4700 or emailing huskytix@neu.edu with any questions.

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Game Notes:
• Northeastern is now 53-80-17 all-time against Providence.
 
• Saturday's win marks the first road victory of the season for the Huskies, and gives NU two straight victories at Schneider Arena for the first time since the 2008-09 season.
 
• Witt made a season-high 37 saves on Saturday. He has made at least 30 saves 27 times during his collegiate career.
 
• Hedges extended his point streak to a career-long five games (one goal, five assists).
 
• All three of Saucerman's goals this season have come on the power play. He is one of 11 defensemen in the nation with at least three power play tallies.


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