PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Jan. 11, 2008) – Jon Rheault (Deering, N.H.) scored two goals including the overtime winner as Providence College defeated No. 13 UMass Lowell, 4-3, in overtime on Friday night in Hockey East action at the Schneider Arena.

The Friars improve to 8-7-2 overall and 5-3-2 in Hockey East play with the victory. Providence has won five of its last six games. The River Hawks fall to 9-5-4 overall and 4-5-4 in league play with the loss. The loss snaps UML’s five game winning streak.

In addition to Rheault, Pierce Norton (South Boston, Mass.) and Cody Wild (No. Providence, R.I.) scored for Providence.

Scott Campbell (Navan, Ont.), Mark Roebothan (St. John’s, Nfld.) and Kelly Sullivan (Beverly Hills, Mich.) scored for UML. Campbell, Roebothan and Sullivan had two-point nights with a goal and an assist each.

Rheault, who opened and closed the scoring, gave the Friars a 1-0 lead at 3:17 of the first. His overtime goal came just 46 seconds into the extra session. Mark Fayne (Bourne, Mass.) assisted on Rheault’s first tally. Greg Collins (Hingham, Mass.) had the lone helper on the OT winner.

Despite giving up the first goal of the game – the fifth time that’s happened in the last eight for UML – the River Hawks scored two unanswered to lead 2-1 after 20 minutes of play. Campbell evened the score at 10:51 with assists from Roebothan and Mike Potacco (Kinnelon, N.J.). And Roebothan (from Campbell and Sullivan) netted his team-leading 10th goal of the season at 14:21 of the first.

Norton made it a 2-2 game for Providence at 17:01 of the second with a power play goal. The tally was his ninth of the year, third against the River Hawks. The power play goal was the 17th of the season for the Friars, who had 16 all of last season.

The River Hawks took their second lead of the night when Sullivan scored his first of the year and second of his career at 4:36 of the third. Chris Auger (Belleville, Ont.) and Jonathan Maniff (Revere, Mass.) had the assists.

The UML lead lasted until the 9:08 mark of the third when Cody Wild got his fourth of the season beating UML netminder Carter Hutton on the far post. John Mori (Westport, Conn.) and John Cavanagh (Warwich, R.I.) had the assists.

Wild’s goal made it a 3-3 game and set up the fifth overtime in the last 10 meetings between the River Hawks and Friars. It took Rheault and the Friars just 46 seconds to earn their eighth win of the year and second straight overtime victory over UML (3-2 on January 13, 2007 at the Tsongas Arena).

Tyler Sims (Fort Wayne, Ind.) made 25 saves to earn the win for Providence. Hutton made 30 saves but took the loss, just his second on the season. Rheault’s first period goal ended Hutton’s shutout streak at 162 minutes and 12 seconds.

The Friars out-shot the River Hawks 34 to 28 for the game. PC was 1-for-2 on the power play. UML was 0-for-4 on the man-advantage.

The River Hawks and Friars conclude the weekend home-and-home and their 2007-08 season series Saturday afternoon at the Tsongas Arena. Game time is set for 4:00 p.m., moved up from 7:00 p.m. so fans can attend the hockey game and watch the New England Patriots playoff game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.