PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Being the four seed and going down 3-0 in the first 11:08 of the hockey game isn’t exactly a recipe for success. However, there was no quit in Providence College’s hockey team on Saturday in front of 7,180 partisans at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.
The Friars rallied for six unanswered goals, four coming on the power play, to skate past Minnesota State, the third overall seed in the tournament. Up next is a date with Cornell, 5-1 winners over Northeastern, in Sunday’s East Regional final.
The defensive lapses and miscues that caused a 3-0 deficit were very uncharacteristic of the Friars. There were blown assignments, including two lapses that allowed Minnesota State players to drive the far post for goals. Another pass from the boards right into the middle was intercepted, resulting in the puck being in the back of the net.
Junior defenseman Jacob Bryson was there to pick up his fellow blue liners. The Buffalo Sabres prospect was on the ice for all six of Providence’s goals while only being out for one of the Mavericks’ tallies.
Bryson had just one assist, but he put five shots on net and is a possession machine with his footwork and puck skills. His ability to make breakout passes and start the transition from defense to offense is uncanny.
He’ll have a lot of heavy pressure on him in Sunday’s final. With Cornell having the last change, expect the Big Red to put their big guns on the ice when Bryson is out there. One player Cornell could try to get out against Bryson is Beau Starrett, a Bellingham, Mass., native who is a Chicago Blackhawks prospect. The 6-foot-5 center scored his team’s first goal against Northeastern.
Providence had two three-point scorers on Saturday afternoon. Josh Wilkins potted two goals and added a helper while Tyce Thompson had a goal and two primary assists. Both players registered all their points on the man advantage.
“[The dot to dot pass] is just something we like to do. Those two guys have pretty good chemistry. They started on the power play together about three weeks ago. We moved Tyce to that unit and those two just have a pretty good chemistry,” said Leaman.
For both Thompson and Wilkins, the special performance on the man advantage came at a good time. In addition to helping the Friars move on in the NCAA Tournament, there were plenty of NHL scouts in attendance. Wilkins is a sought-after free agent while Thompson is a potential top three round pick in his third year of draft eligibility.
Tough Ending
After winning the Hockey East Tournament, Northeastern was 11-1-0 over their last 12 games entering Saturday’s tilt against Cornell. Unfortunately, that positive momentum didn’t carry over.
The Big Red rolled to a 5-1 win, sending the Huskies home for the summer. It was an uncharacteristically mediocre performance for sophomore goaltender Cayden Primeau, who will reportedly sign with the Montreal Canadiens, the team that drafted him in the seventh round of the 2017 NHL Draft. He allowed five goals on just 19 shots faced.
The other Husky likely to depart for the pros is junior left-shot defenseman Jeremy Davies, property of the New Jersey Devils. He led Northeastern in scoring with eight goals and 28 assists for 36 points in 37 games. He’s six shy of reaching the century mark, a milestone that would be well within reach if he returns for his senior season.
There could be questions for junior defenseman Ryan Shea (Milton, Mass.) and junior left wing Matt Filipe (Lynnfield, Mass.), but the guess here would be that both return for their senior seasons. Shea, always known for his offensive abilities, has developed into a legitimate two-way defenseman. He’s property of the Chicago Blackhawks. Filipe’s game hasn’t progressed offensively like many thought it would. Filipe is a Carolina Hurricanes prospect.
Freshman Tyler Madden provided a few highlight reel plays this winter, but he still needs to fill out his frame and learn how to play away from the puck before signing a pro contract. The Vancouver Canucks own his rights.
