LOWELL, MASS. -- Junior Drew Omicioli tallied two goals as the eighth-ranked
Providence College Friars defeated the UMass-Lowell River Hawks, 4-3, in
HOCKEY EAST action on Thursday, February 22 at Tsongas Arena  in Lowell, Mass.
        Devin Rask gave the Friars a 1-0 lead just 1:46 into the first period.
Rask received a clearing pass from Shawn Weiman in the neutral zone, he then
carried the puck inside the left face-off circle and wristed a shot past
UMass-Lowell goaltender Jimi St. John.  At the 12:18 mark of first period,
UMass-Lowell's Kyle Kidney tied the game 1-1.  Kidney one-timed a pass from
Laurent Meunier, off the face-off, that beat Friars goalie Nolan Schaefer.
        The Friars regained the lead at the 17:23 mark of the first period, on Drew
Omicioli's fourth short-handed goal of the season.  A River Hawk turnover in
the neutral zone, forced by Omicioli, created a break-away for the Friar
forward, who then beat St. John for his ninth tally of the season.
        The River Hawks tied the game 2-2 at the 5:28 mark of the second period.
On  a delayed penalty,  UML's RonHainsey fired a shot from the point that
deflected off Schaefer, Yorick Treille collected in the rebound and wristed
it into the empty net.  PC took a 3-2 lead at the 13:55 mark of the second
period, as the line of J.J. Picinic, Marc Suderman and Adam Lee worked a
text book three-on-two break.  Lee was the benefactor of two great passes
from his teammates as he tallied his fifth goal of the season.  Once again
UML fought back, tying the game for the third time, at the 17:28 mark of the
second period.  Brad Rooney ripped a low slap shot from the blue line that
snuck inside the left post for a River Hawk power-play goal.
        Just 44 seconds into the third period, Omcioli tallied the eventual
game-winning goal, his second tally of the night, giving the Friars a 4-3
lead.    Omicioli skated through the slot and redirected a Rask feed past
St. John.
         Schaefer stopped 24 shots in the win, while St. John recorded  16 saves
for the River Hawks.
        With the win,  Providence improves to 18-8-5 overall and 12-6-3 in league
play, while UMass-Lowell drops to 16-13-3 overall and 9-10-3 in HOCKEY EAST
action.  The victory secured the Friars home ice for the 2001 HOCKEY EAST
Quarterfinals.
        The Friars will return to action against UMass-Lowell on Friday, February
23  at Schneider Arena at 7:00 p.m.

Providence College      2       1       4       -- 4
UMass-Lowell    1       2       0       -- 3

First period - PC,Rask 18 (Weiman, Fregoe) 1:36; UML, Kidney 10 (Meunier)
12:18; PC, Omicioli 9 (unassisted) 17:23.  Penalties - PC, 2-4; UML, 0-0.

Second period -UML,Treille 10 (Hainsey, Maunier) 5:28; PC Lee 5 (Suderman,
Picinic) 13:55; UML Rooney 13 (Meunier, McGrane) 17:28 PP. Penalties - PC,
2-4; UML, 2-4.

Third period - PC Omicioli 10 (Rask, Fregoe) 00:44; Penalties - PC, 0-0;
UML, 0-0.

Saves - Schaefer, PC, 8-7-9-- 24 (60:00):  St. John, UML, 6-7-3 --16 (60:00):

Records - Providence College, 18-8-5 (12-6-3); UMass-Lowell,  16-13-3 (9-10-3).

Attendance: 4,082 (Tsongas Arena)