DURHAM - His team trailing by two after 20 sluggish minutes, Dick Umile's verbal undressing during last night's first intermission featured, to put it mildly, its fair share of screaming.

"Yeah, you could say that," said laughing senior Sean Collins. "It was one of those Dick Umile, get-your-butts-in-motion type of speeches. And it worked."

It sure did. The University of New Hampshire hockey team responded to its coach's tongue lashing by outshooting Providence College 30-14 over the final two periods and keeping the Friars scoreless while Preston Callander potted a pair of goals, including the game-winner with seven and a half minutes to play, as the seventh-ranked Wildcats took a 3-2, come-from-behind win before a packed house at the Whittemore Center.

Playing center for the first time this season, the senior captain made the shift in style and kept his team perfect in five home games this fall. It also improved the 'Cats (5-2-1) to 2-1 in Hockey East, and kicked off a stretch of five conference contests in a dozen nights with a skate in the right direction.

"That's a real good win for us," Umile said. "I really like the way the team responded after the first period."

UNH had battled most of the night from behind, but Jacob Micflikier tied the game at two just 3:55 into the third period, and the Wildcats never relinquished the control they had held since the start of the second period. Settling a feed from Josh Ciocco in the slot, Micflikier ripped a wrister inside the near post, past Tyler Sims's glove and starting a dominant closing stretch in which his team outshot the Friars 13-3.

But it wasn't until Callander capped the evening that UNH's 40 shots were worth a win. Freshman defenseman Craig Switzer began the deciding play by lugging the puck into the offensive end and dishing to Collins along the right wall. From there the senior slung a pretty pass to Callander, who took it in stride between the faceoff circles and fired five-hole.

"It was a nice play by Sean,"Callander said. "He drew the guys to him, and I was wide open and he found me. It wasn't where I wanted it, but hey, I was going high blocker. A little lucky, but I'll take it."

The backbreaker ruined an evening that started so well for the Friars (4-4-0, 2-3-0 HE), who are not unlike the Wildcats in their reliance on youth. Providence Coach Paul Pooley said his team is "inches away from being a very good club,"but it was ultimately mistakes that made the difference in crunch time.

"Puck decisions cost us down the stretch," said Pooley, whose team forced Jeff Pietrasiak to make just 20 saves. "A couple turnovers, and that's all they need."

Umile benched senior captain Justin Aikins, who is a minus-6 on the season and hasn't scored since the IceBreaker Tournament more than a month ago, using Callander to the center the top line alongside Collins and Brett Hemingway. The move brought more youth to an already inexperienced Wildcat lineup, leaving them with only four seniors. Of the 18 skaters who suited up last night, 11 entered the game with fewer than 10 career points.

And the inexperience was evident early. Providence took a 2-0 lead within the first seven minutes, getting a shorthanded score from Bill McCreary and an even-strength tally from Jamie Carroll to enter intermission with a 2-0 lead. The Wildcats outshot the Friars 10-8 in the frame, though still found themselves in a two-goal hole after 20 minutes for the first time at home since they played UMass-Lowell on Nov. 25, 2003, a span of 19 games.

In the second period, however, the 'Cats came to life. Callander got UNH on the board just 6:08 after the break - it was the Wildcats first goal in more than 97 minutes of action - roofing his own rebound to make it 2-1 after Sims denied a short-range power play bid with the right pad.

"It was a big goal," Callander said. "We needed to get one on the board to get it going, and Hemingway made a nice play to get it to me."

Exactly a minute later, it looked like Matt Fornataro had the first score of his college career, but Ciocco was called in the crease and the goal was disallowed. Nevertheless, UNH had its spark. The reformed first line leading the way, and Collins skating as energetically as he has this season, the Wildcats generated several sensational chances. Hemingway put a point-blank shot into Sims's belly, Micflikier hit the post and the team outshot Providence 17-11 in the period, but still entered the third trailing by a tally. The deficit wouldn't last much longer.

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