After being run out of their own building two weeks earlier, UND used a balanced attack, scoring six goals, by six different players to beat the Providence College Friars 6-1 at Ralph Englestad Arena.
UND’s penalty-kill set the tone as the Friars went 0-for-9 on the man advantage and gave up a short-hand goal.
This game was supposed to be a goaltending battle between Zane McIntyre and Jon Gillies. However, UND chased the Friars All-American goalie after two periods of play, putting four pucks past him. Sophomore goalie Nick Ellis relieved Gillies at the start of the third period and UND put two more pucks past him as well.
Head coach Dave Hakstol was asked how UND was able to get four goals past Gillies.
“We got a little bit of traffic (in front of him) and scored a couple of rebound goals,” Hakstol said. “Nothing fancy at all. We were in the right spot at the right time. Did the right things and fortunate to get a couple by him.”
UND dominated the Hockey East preseason favorite throughout the game, but the UND head coach was quick to give their opponent credit.
“They’re a good hockey team and they’re going to make plays and they did that,” Hakstol said. “Our guys showed up tonight and played hard tonight.”
The story of the game was the play of junior forward Drake Caggiula who scored a shorthanded goal and three assists. After the game, Caggiula broke down UND’s game plan.
“We just played our game,” Caggiula said. “UND hockey is playing fast, playing physical, and just overall being hard to play against and that’s what we did all night long.”
When Caggiula was asked about UND’s success on the penalty-kill and why they have scored four shorthanded goals in five games, he had this to say.
“That’s the way we penalty kill,” Caggiula said. “We’re aggressive, and when the opportunity is there we’re more than welcome to take that opportunity. They always preach if the opportunity is there to take it. When we’re so aggressive we just create turnovers and we have been lucky so far and got a couple of shorthanded goals off of it. We have to keep doing that.”
Junior forward Bryn Chyzyk likes playing on the penalty-kill and gave his explanation on why UND is scoring so many shorthanded goals.
“We’re getting a couple of bounces, and getting some odd man rushes,” Chyzyk said. “We’re always pressuring pucks up at the blue line. We’re just pressuring pucks and a couple of bounces are hopping over their D-men and were taking advantage of that. Hopefully that will continue.”
With the Win UND improves to 4-1-0. The loss drops Providence to 1-2-0 on the season.
Same two teams Saturday night at 7:07 pm CT.
