AMHERST – Bobby Trivigno put Providence goalie Jaxson Sauber in a spin cycle and sent the Mullins Center into a frenzy.
The UMass hockey team’s senior captain paid off a full third period of pressure with a twirling backhand that tied the game with 3 minutes, 51 seconds Friday.
“He’s more will than skill, which I think is his greatest asset,” UMass defenseman Colin Felix said. “I’ve seen Bobby make some tremendous plays and he’s probably the hardest worker on our tam. He’s getting rewarded, and we need him to be like that every night.”
The fervor lasted nine seconds.
Providence’s Riley Duran slammed home his second goal of the game in close to put the Friars back ahead, and they held on for a 2-1 Hockey East victory.
“That’s completely inexcusable,” UMass coach Greg Carvel said. “Way too easy. Frustrating.”
Duran’s second of the night and eighth of the year gives us the lead right back in 9 seconds! Monds earns the assist on the play, his second apple of the night. pic.twitter.com/cAQhLqqoX4
— PC Men’s Hockey (@FriarsHockey) January 29, 2022
The ninth-ranked Minutemen (12-8-2, 9-4-2 Hockey East) even won the face off after Trivigno’s goal. Then a defenseman’s pass bounced off his partner’s skates and back behind UMass’ goal. Cody Monds chased it down the boards behind the net then circled behind Matt Murray, finding a charging Duran on the other side of the goal for the answer.
“We’ve got to be a little more engaged coming off the draw. We did a really good job fighting back and giving ourselves a chance,” Felix said. “We’ve got to be a little hungry around our own net. That just comes down to one puck bounce that ended up biting us.”
Technically two puck bounces. Duran, a freshman, scored Providence’s first goal tapping home a puck that bounced off the end boards. Mounds and Max Crozier assisted on the play, which ended 42:17 of scoreless hockey between two teams that typically play tight, low-scoring games in Amherst.
“That line was in their zone almost every shift of the third period. I just went back with ’em,” Providence coach Nate Leaman said. “In typical freshman fashion, I think he was hitting a wall at the end of the first term. He went home, and he’s been one of our best players since he’s come back after that little break.”
The teams played to nearly a dead heat through two periods. Both put 17 shots on frame. UMass committed double the penalties, however (four vs. two for Providence).
“We took too many penalties,” Carvel said. “When you’re taking more penalties than the opposition, you’re getting outplayed a little bit. That was the case.”
No. 17 Providence (17-9-2, 8-7-1) disrupted how UMass typically likes to play by crashing the net to displace their big bodies up front. The Minutemen adjusted in the third period by leaning on their skilled defensemen to join the offense over preventing odd-man rushes.
As UMass generated more opportunities, the crowd became more engaged. The Minutemen hounded Stauber (31 saves) seven minutes into the third period. Scott Morrow, who assisted Trivigno’s goal, had an open look. Trivigno made a great move and an equally strong pass that wasn’t there to finish. Ryan Ufko passed an open look he could have shot for a pass.
“I thought we lost our poise a couple times. We’re kind of just feeding their points. The crowd really got into it,” Leaman said. “It was a quiet building for two periods then all of a sudden, the building got into it and they were starting to get momentum and coming through the neutral zone with too much speed.”
The announced crowd of 4,493 was never louder than Trivigno’s goal. It was his 12th goal of the season in 22 games. His career high is 13 from his freshman year when the Minutemen played 39 games and reached the national championship game.
The Minutemen called a timeout with 2:05 left to regroup for a final charge. Then before the puck dropped, Providence used its own timeout for another breather.
UMass pulled Murray, who stopped 26 shots, for the extra attacker at that point but couldn’t generate an equalizer. Murray was replaced Tuesday against Boston University after allowing four goals in the first 18 shots he saw.
“He’s our team’s rock. I mean, the kid is an absolute competitor, like that was his first real bad game all season for us. You knew he was gonna bounce back and have a great start to the game which he did,” Morrow said. “He gave us a chance to win. We let him down.”
The Minutemen have now lost two conference games in a row in regulation after opening the season with 14 in a row earning at least a point. They trail UMass Lowell, which they face at 1:05 p.m. Sunday at Tsongas Arena, by four points after the River Hawks bested Northeastern on Friday.
“We’ve got to take a look at ourselves in the mirror. Carv made that pretty clear in the locker room talking to us after the game,” Felix said. “We better find a way to get some points on Sunday. Whether we’re there before or showing up ready in the morning for the game, we’ve got to find a way to get two points and that’s what it comes down to. We’ve got to win.”
Kyle Grabowski can be reached at kgrabowski@gazettenet.com. Follow him on Twitter @kylegrbwsk.