HAMILTON, N.Y. – Brian Pinho’s career best four points and Jake Walman’s hat trick led an impressive offensive performance as the No. 3 Providence College men’s hockey team skated past Colgate, 7-2, on Friday night at Starr Rink.
Providence remains unbeaten at 5-0-1, while Colgate evens its record at 3-3-0.
Pinho posted a goal and three assists to lead the way, while Walman found the back of the net three times and added an assist. Walman’s three goals gives him the team lead at six on the season, he now has 10 points overall in 2015-16. Nick Saracino also chipped in with three assists for the Friars.
Nick Ellis remained unbeaten on the season after making 16 saves before giving way to Hayden Hawkey in the final 5:25 of play. Charlie Finn made 26 saves for the Raiders, surrendering five goals in the process.
Pinho got the Friars off and running just 1:20 into the game, after Saracino’s shot caromed off of Finn’s pad and off of Pinho’s skate. After a short review, the goal stood and gave Providence the 1-0 lead. Two successful penalty kills gave way to two more Friar strikes in the opening period.
After gaining the offensive blue line, Pinho pulled up and found a trailing Ryan Tait who’s shot broke through Finn’s arm to give Providence a two-goal cushion. Tait’s tally was his second in as many games. Walman tallied his second point of the night just under four minutes later when his wrist shot from the point found its way through traffic at 14:07.
The Raiders got on the board early the second frame after Calgary Flames draft pick Tim Harrison re-directed Kevin Lough’s shot from the point over the shoulder of Ellis just 54 seconds in. Walman cashed in with his second of the night on the power play at 6:54 with his patented one-timer off a feed from Mark Jankowski.
A solid defensive effort in the second period stymied the Raiders, as Providence outshot the hosts 13-4 in the middle stanza.
Providence added insurance in the third with Erik Foley’s first career goal and Tait’s second of the night to run the cushion up to 6-1.
After Jake Kulevich got one back for the Raiders at 13:22, the Friars put the clamps on defensively for the remainder of the night. Walman capped off his hat trick with an empty net goal with 1:29 to play.
Up next, Providence and Colgate will conclude their two-game set tomorrow night beginning at 7 p.m. at Starr Rink.
