Originally posted by [log in to unmask] Forwarded to the list by [log in to unmask] Providence College defeated Boston College 5-2 at Providence last night to take a 1-0 lead in their quarterfinal Hockey East playoff. I'll have to limit my comments to a few brief impressions. Not knowing I would be the lone hockey-l attendee, I had neither paper nor pen with me, and with the storm outside my mind was often on the ride home I still had to face. As best as I can remember it.... PC took a 1-0 lead in the first. For the middle ten minutes of the period the Friars took complete control of the game, keeping the puck in the BC zone for extended periods and quickly turning around the few rushes the Eagles got and turning them into PC scoring chances. Their play was among the best they've shown in a while. BC evened things up with just a few minutes left until intermission. In the second period PC went back up 2-1 when a BC defender gave up on a puck at his blue line and the Friars swooped in and converted an easy 2 on 1. Play became increasingly chippy with lots of clutch and grab and a regular parade to the penalty box for much of the rest of the game. Referees Cole and Taylor had their hands full and weren't helped by the penalty clock going on the fritz. BC scored very early in the third to make it 3-2 and put the outcome back in doubt but PC countered extending the lead to 5-2 which is how it ended. I didn't think BC netminder Greg Taylor was at his best tonight. He was stung on his left side (arm? shoulder?) by a close in PC wrister in the first period and took a minute or two to shake off the effects. I can't say if that effected the rest of his game, but he was clearly frustrated with his own play after the third PC goal, a soft slap shot right along the ice that he surprizingly did not stop. Both BC and all but PC's last goal came on the powerplay. That's especially good news for the Friars whose PP has been anemic of late. I believe the stat is something like less than 15% over their last seven games. They did have one man advantage situation in the second though where they were so disorganized that they would have been better off to have declined the penalty. B-) Best line of the night came from the PC student section, an area not usually known for being especially into the game. After one non-call a fan yelled "C'mon ref, that's illegal in 48 states." If others have used that line before I'd never heard it, but I sure do wish I'd thought of it first. In all a good outing for the Friars. Dan Dennis again looked solid in the PC net on the few BC chances there were although he was not tested often. The Eagles looked frustrated for much of the night. Taylor's concentration seems to suffer after he makes a mistake or is unhappy with the play in front of him, which of course makes it even harder for his team to get back into the match. The game was played before a sparse crowd that I'd guess was about 300. Among the missing was Ron Correia, who usually posts the PC boxes. Sorry I couldn't stick around to pick one up but I was anxious to start my battle with the elements and try to get home. I was told Ron was off elsewhere playing in the snow by attaching sticks to his feet and sliding down hills. Weeeeeee!!!! Considering the storm going on at game time he could have stayed home and saved some big bucks. B-) I also didn't see BC hockey-l'er Rick McAdoo and will assume he used the sense God gave him and didn't make the trip down (unlike myself!) Same two teams tonight. With BC's season on the line it should be interesting to see if the chippiness carries over and if PC can wrap things up and get themselves on a roll just in time for a trip to the Fleet Center. -- Bill HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey; send information to [log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.