ATTENTION SPORTS        FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 5, 2002        Contact Jorge Rocha
        (401) 865-2201

#15 Providence defeated at merrimack, 2-1, in overtime

        NORTH ANDOVER, MASS. -- The 15th-ranked Providence College men's hockey
team Merrimack on Thursday, December 2 at the Volpe Complex.
        Providence controlled the first period, outshooting Merrimack, 9-6.  The
Friars opened the scoring at the 9:02 mark of the period when junior Mike
Robinson (Biggar, Sask.) collected a rebound after freshman Jason
Bloomingburg's initial shot and tallied his second goal of the season.  In
the second period the Warriors tied the game at 1-1 as freshman Blake
Stewart scored his third goal of the season at 2:08.
        Neither team could score in the third period, but with 2:51 remaining in
overtime, Stewart fired a high shot over PC's netminder Bobby Goepfert
(Kings Park, N.Y.) to win the game.  All of Stewart's four goals this
season have come against Providence.  Merrimack's win marked the first time
since the 1992-93 season that they have defeated the Friars twice in one
season
        The Friars will next play on Thursday, January 3, 2003 versus Maine at
Schneider Arena.


Providence      1       0       0       0               --      1
Merrimack       0       1       0       1               --      2



First period - PC, Mike Robinson (Jason Bloomingburg) 9:02;  Penalties -
PC, 2-4; MC, 2-4.

Second period - MC, Blake Stewart (Rob LaLonde) 2:08; Penalties - PC, 2-4;
MC, 2-4.

Third period - No scoring; Penalties - none.

Overtime - MC, Blake Srewart (Brendan Clark, Lucas Smith) 2:09; Penalties -
none.


PC, Bobby Goepfert, 6-4-7-2 -- 19  (62:09); MC, Joe Exter, 8-6-15-0-- 29
(62:09)

Records - PC, 9-6-1, 3-5-1; MC, 4-6-3, 3-3-1.

Attendance - 1,041) (Volpe Complex).

- Friars -