PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Vermont's Oskar Autio matched a career-high with 41 saves but Providence's Max Crozier scored with two minutes left in overtime to lift the ninth-ranked Friars to a 4-3 win over the Catamounts Saturday night in Hockey East action from Schneider Arena.

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Box Score
 
COACH'S QUOTE
"The team did everything we asked of them tonight," Head Coach Todd Woodcroft said. "We were perfect on the PK. We scored a PP goal and scored three total goals. We battled back in the third to get the game to OT. Oskar Autio was magnificent with 41 saves and gave us the chance to play in OT. After losing another forward to injury in the first period, after already playing tonight one forward down, I am proud of the way that we competed and showed we can play with top seeded teams. We are looking forward to RPI next weekend and will be back to work tomorrow."

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Autio was outstanding for the Catamounts in the first period, making 15 saves in his first start since November 5. He made two stops in a critical early Catamounts kill.
• Vermont struck on its own power play with nine seconds left in the opening frame to take a 1-0 lead. Robbie Stucker scored his first of the season with assists to Eric Gotz and Andrei Buyalsky. Stucker got the puck at the faceoff dot and with Jacques Bouquot completely screening PC's Austin Roden Stucker wristed a shot just under the bar that Roden never saw.
• The Friars equalized 3:13 into the second period. Brett Berard broke in on a semi-break and Autio made a difficult pad save, but Patrick Moynihan followed up the play and put it home into a semi-open net.
• Just 61 seconds later Vermont regained its lead with Joel Määttä's third goal of the season. In transition Isak Walther lowered his shoulder and bullied his way to the PC net. As he approached the crease he attempted a cross-crease pass to Bouquot, it deflected off a PC skate in front and came to Määttä for a tap-in. Joe Leahy earned the secondary assist on the play.
• Providence struck right back and tied things up 23 seconds later. Berard blocked a point shot by a Vermont defender and broke in alone on Autio. He faked backhand and went back to his forehand before stashing it home for his sixth goal of the season.
• The Friars took its first lead of the night 6:50 into the middle frame. Liam Valente forced a turnover behind the Vermont net and his centering feed went to Chase Yoder who one-timed it home.
• Bouquot tied things back up for the Catamounts 2:28 into the third period. Roden made an initial save on Bouquot but the puck was left uncovered in the crease. Walther got a stick to it to keep it from Roden and then from the side of the net Bouquot was able to get a stick on the puck and force it past the line for his first tally of the season.
• In overtime Crozier stretched to reach a puck in front of the net just as Autio tried to poke the puck away. Crozier beat him to the puck and snuck in for his fifth career game-winning goal.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Four of the Friars last five games have required overtime.
• Luca Münzenberger and Carter Long shared the team-lead with three blocked shots Saturday.
• This evening was Isak Walther's first career multi-point game, he had two assists.
• With tonight's 4-3 decision, Community Bank N.A. will donate $225 to Special Olympics Vermont. Community Bank, N.A. donates $75 per goal to Special Olympics Vermont for every goal the men's and women's team scores this season.
• With tonight's win, Vermont Mutual Insurance Group will donate $100 to COTS, the Committee on Temporary Shelter, as part of the Cats Win, Community Wins initiative. Since the campaigns inauguration in 2017, Vermont Mutual Insurance Group has donated over $72,000 to local non-profits.

UP NEXT
Vermont will return to action on Black Friday as the Catamounts welcome RPI to Gutterson Fieldhouse on Friday, November 25. Faceoff is set for 7 p.m. The radio voice of the Catamounts Adam LaFleur will have the call on WVMT. The Zero Gravity Craft Brewing Pregame Show starts at 6:30 p.m.

Friday's action like all home games will air on ESPN+. It will also be available on a pay-per-view basis internationally at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/hockeyeast. Subscriptions to the service are available for $9.99 USD per month or $4.99 USD for individual games.

Handy Toyota is the presenting sponsor of the 2022-23 men's hockey season