PROVIDENCE, R.I. – For the first 35 minutes of tonight's season opener, the Pioneers played like they were up for the challenge of starting the new season at No. 16 Providence.

The score was 1-1 with senior goalie Justin Robbins making saves all over the place. However, the Sacred Heart Men's Hockey Team could not sustain that level of play for the rest of the second period and fell 6-1 to the Friars at Schneider Arena.

"I'm a big believer that you get what you deserve," said C.J. Marottolo, the head coach of the Pioneers. "Tonight, we got that, but I give a lot of credit to Providence. They outworked us and got a ton of momentum off the penalty kill. We have to take what we can from tonight's game and use it to be better next week against Holy Cross."

PC scored four straight goals to finish off the middle frame, and SHU could not recover. Robbins finished with 19 saves through two periods, Luke Lush came on for the third and stopped nine shots.

Providence, the 2015 national champs, found the net first six minutes into the second period. The visitors responded almost six minutes later when first-year left wing Aidan Connolly took a long pass along the right boards from captain Braeden Tuck and skated through the circle with a defender on his tail. The Marshfield, Mass., native, looking for his first career goal, kept the puck from the defenseman and then slipped it under PC goalie Philip Svedeback, one of 10 Friar NHL draft picks dressed tonight.

"It was great to see Aidan get his first collegiate goal, but we just could not sustain it." said Marottolo.

It's tough to beat a nationally ranked team on the road with just 16 shots on goal. The Friars had 34 and scored once on four power plays.

SHU is back in action next Thursday night at Holy Cross.