After a four-game road trip, the University of New Hampshire men’s hockey team returned home with a 2-2-1 record after a 6-3 loss to Providence at the Whittemore Center on Saturday, Nov. 2.

Providence came out aggressive early, with three shots on goal and a one-on-one chance against UNH goaltender Jared Whale just three minutes into the first period. Whale made the save, keeping the puck out of the crease. As the student section prepared for the “I Believe in UNH” chant, senior forward Robert Cronin pressured Providence goalie Zachary Borgiel, nearly scoring the game’s first goal. Sophomore forward Marty Lavins also came close, hitting Borgiel’s left pad with a shot. UNH earned a power play after Providence was called for too many men on the ice, but the Wildcats were unable to capitalize.

Providence struck first at 3:19 of the opening period when freshman forward Will Elger’s shot deflected off Whale’s helmet and into the net. Despite some close calls, Whale kept the game within reach for the remainder of the period.

In the third, both teams played with intensity. UNH fired two shots on goal within the first minute, but Providence quickly gained a power play after Lavins was penalized for diving. The call drew boos from the crowd. Despite being short-handed, UNH’s Liam Devlin broke away on a one-on-one chance but was denied by Borgiel, who made a leg-pad save. 

“I thought I was surrounding the net, trying to create chances,” Devlin said. “I thought it would have been helpful to score on that breakaway, maybe get some momentum, and make it a 1-1 game.”

As Providence’s power play ended, Logan Will scored off a pass from Tanner Adams, slipping the puck between Whale’s legs for a 2-0 lead. With less than four minutes remaining, Whale was pulled for an extra attacker, but Tanner Adams sealed the win for Providence with an empty-net goal at 18:17.

The Wildcats ended the game on a power play but couldn’t find the back of the net.

“We’re frustrated, like them (the players), because you want to win,” said UNH head coach Mike Sousa. “There’s two emotions as a coach: misery and relief. Misery when you lose and you’re relieved when you win. It’ll be a miserable week for me, but that’s fine. We’ll make sure next week is from relief.”

UNH will return to action at home on Saturday, Nov. 9, against Long Island University. The game will also be available for streaming on ESPN+.