BURLINGTON, Vt. – Hudson Malinoski posted his second career hat trick leading No. 7 Providence past Vermont 5-3 in Hockey East action Saturday night from Gutterson Fieldhouse on Vermont Night presented by Vermont Federal Credit Union.

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COACH'S QUOTE
"The hardest thing in life is knowing you're on the right track when you don't get the results," said Head Coach Steve Wiedler. "That's a very good PC team. Best team we've played all year. I thought we hung with him. I thought we fought our way back into the game. Our guys didn't just lay down when it wasn't going their way. They pushed back.  We have some work to do.  A loss is a loss, but the Catamounts are coming."

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Providence opened the scoring 6:42 into the first period. The Friars forced a turnover in the Vermont zone and Kale McCallum found Malinoski open on the back door for a tap-in to make it 1-0.
• Malinoski made it a two-goal lead 3:02 later in the first period. Tanner Adams intercepted a pass behind the Vermont net and quickly fed it to Will Elger in the faceoff circle. Again, Malinoski was alone in front and he one-timed his 10th goal of the season past Aiden Wright.
• John Mustard made it a three-goal first period with his 14th goal of the season with 3:35 to play. Caeden Herrington blocked Mustard's initial shot in the slot but the carom went right back to Mustard and he slotted it home.
• Daniel Sambuco responded for the Catamounts 62 seconds later. Jax Wismer fired a shot on net looking for a rebound and he got it, it came right out to Sambuco and he rifled it top corner for his fifth goal of the season to make it 3-1. Thomas Sinclair earned the secondary assist on the play.
• The Catamounts cut it to a one-goal deficit with Blake Steenerson's fourth goal of the year 8:17 into the second period. Jack Malinski fired a shot towards the net and Zach Filak deflected it in front; it bounced around in traffic before Blake stashed it home.
• Malinoski answered back completing his hat trick with 7:50 left in the middle frame. Malinoski cut into the slot and found the near post through two UVM defenders for his second career three-goal game.
• With 12 seconds left in the second period Roger McQueen made it 5-2 with a power play goal, his 11th of the season.
• Sinclar made it a two-goal game again two minutes into the third period. On a broken play Massimo Lombardi found Sinclair alone in front for a tap-in. Malinski earned his second assist of the night on Sinclair's third goal of the season.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Thomas Sinclair was named the games second star, he had a goal and an assist.
• Jax Wismer blocked a game-high three shots Saturday night.
• With this evening's 5-3 decision, Community Bank N.A. will donate $150 to Special Olympics Vermont. Community Bank, N.A. donates $50 per goal to Special Olympics Vermont for every goal the men's and women's team scores this season.

UP NEXT
The Catamounts head out next weekend for their final road trip of the regular season as they travel to Merrimack for a two-game set. The teams will faceoff on Friday, February 27 and Saturday, February 28 at 7 p.m. at Lawler Arena in North Andover, Mass. Owen Gund will have the radio call on The Varsity Network and WVMT and the contests will also air on ESPN+.

For news and updates about the Vermont men's hockey program, follow @UVMmhockey on Instagram, X, and Facebook, and visit UVMathletics.com.