The high-flying Providence College men’s and women’s ice hockey teams entered the first weekend of January in first place in the HOCKEY EAST conference standings.

The men’s team, which is ranked the highest it has been all season at 12th and 13th in the two major national polls, took a five-game winning streak and a record of 11-6-1 into its January 6 game against Boston University. The Friars’ 8-2-1 HOCKEY EAST record tied them for first place with Boston College in the conference standings.

PC’s two most recent victories came on December 21-22 when it captured its own Providence College Hockey Classic. The Friars defeated then-nationally 11th-ranked Colgate, 7-1, in the opening round and then captured the tournament title with a 5-2 win over Sacred Heart.

Through their first 18 games, the Friars were being led by goaltender Tyler Sims ’08 of Fort Worth, Texas, and left wing Torry Gajda ’06 of Westfield, Mass. Sims was sporting a goals-against average of 2.15 and a save percentage of .925. Gajda was leading the team in scoring with 24 points, including a team-high 12 goals.

PC’s women, meanwhile, were 10-6-2 overall and their 6-2-1 HOCKEY EAST record gave them sole possession of first place going into their January 7 game against Niagara. The Friars nipped nationally seventh-ranked Princeton, 2-1, in New Jersey in their most recent contest on January 2. PC has been ranked as high as ninth nationally this season.

Forward Karen Thatcher ’06 of Douglas, Mass., last year’s Co-Player of the Year in the HOCKEY EAST, led the Friars in scoring through their first 18 games with 23 points, including nine goals. In goal, Jana Bugden ’06 of Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Canada, had registered a 2.21 goals-against average in 17 games.