ATTENTION SPORTS        FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 23, 2002       Contact Jorge Rocha
        (401) 865-2201

#12 Providence defeated at merrimack, 4-1

        NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. -- The 12th-ranked Providence College men's hockey
team was defeated at Merrimack, 4-1, in a HOCKEY EAST game on Saturday,
November 23 at the Volpe Complex in North Andover, Mass.
        Merrimack quickly jumped out to a 1-0 lead as Tim Reidy scored a
power-play goal just 21 seconds into the game.  The Warriors increased
their lead to 2-0 at the 16:40 mark of the first period as Brent Gough.
        The Friars came out stronger in the second period and cut the lead to 2-1
at the 8:44 mark as senior co-captain Devin Rask (Parkside, Sask.) scored
on the power play.  Rask's goal was his ninth of the year.  Freshman James
Pemberton (Cumberland, R.I.) and Chris Chaput (Pawtucket, R.I.) assisted on
the goal.  However, Merrimack regained their two-goal advantage as Blake
Stewart scored with 37 seconds remaining in the second period to give the
Warriors a 3-1 lead.  The Friars outshot the Warriors, 12-4 in the second
period.
        In the third period, Merrimack moved ahead, 4-1, when Brendon Clark scored
on a breakaway at the 5:18 mark.
        Merrimack's netminder Joe Exter made 39 saves, while PC's Nolan Schaefer
stopped 14 shots.
        The Friars are back in action on Friday, November 29 versus Clarkson at
Potsdam, N.Y.


Providence College      0       1       0       --      1
Merrimack       2       1       1       --      4



First period - MC, Tim Reidy (Bryan Schmidt, Alex Sikatchev) PP 00:21; MC,
Brent Gough (Marco Rosa, Nick Pomponio) 16:40; Penalties - PC, 2-4; MC, 2-4.

Second period - PC, Devin Rask (James Pemberton, Chris Chaput) 11:07; MC,
Blake Stewart (Eric Pederson) 19:23 Penalties - PC, 2-4; MC, 1-2.

Third period - MC, Brendon Clark (Blake Stewart, Lucas Smith) 5:18;
Penalties - PC, 1-2; UNH, 2-4.


PC, Nolan Schaefer, 8-3-3 -- 14  (60:00); MC, Joe Exter, 12-11-16 -- 39
(60:00)

Records - PC, 8-4-1, 3-4-1; MC, 3-5-2, 2-3-1.

Attendance - 1,736 (Volpe Complex).

- Friars -