PROVIDENCE, R.I.--The Harvard hockey team, on the strength of a strong offensive third period, copped its second win of the season here last night, 6-4, over Providence College.

With the score tied 3-3 in a wide-open contest after two periods, Harvard's Hughes brothers, shut out in the previous two stanzas, took matters into their own hands for the final 20 minutes.

Crimson pressure in the Friars' zone resulted in the temporary go-ahead goal at 12:44 when defenseman Jack Hughes took a face-off pass from freshman Bobby McDonald at the blue line, broke by two defenders into the Providence zone, and leveled a wrist shot into the upper right corner by P.C. netminder Bill Milner.

Less than two minutes later the Friars tied it again, when a crease scramble in front of the Harvard cage turned the puck over to Providence forward Jeff Whistler, who poked it by John Hynes to make it 4-4.

Twenty-four seconds later it was George Hughes who unknotted things for good. Linemate Gene Purdy led Hughes into the Friar zone, and the mustachioed junior uncorked a wrister that deflected off Milner's shoulder and into the net.

The peeved Friars then let their aggressions out--unfortunately in front of the referees--and Harvard went two men up with about five minutes to go.

Milner was up to the first half-dozen or so rounds in the ensuing shooting gallery, but with seven seconds left on the power play, freshman Phil Evans garnered his first varsity tally of the season with a wrist shot from ten feet out that caromed off the far post for Harvard's sixth goal.

Commandos

Although the Crimson did not take the lead until the final period, they were totally in command of the action at both ends for most of the contest, lapsing on defense only occasionally.

Providence took the lead very early (1:10 into the game), when freshman Steve O'Neill took a perfect lead pass from Dave Dornseif and flipped it past the beaten Hynes.

Harvard had to wait almost six minutes to tie the score. With Friar Dan Haskins off for tripping, the icemen's deliberate, checkerboard passing eventually found McDonald alone five feet in front of the net. The newcomer responded with his first goal of the year, with assists going to pointmen Jim Trainor and Bob Leckie.

The Friars took a first-period lead to the locker room on a power-play goal by Colin Ahern at 9:13. With 29 seconds left on an elbowing penalty to Murray Dea, defenseman Bruce Garber led Ahern in all alone on the left, and his slapshot snuck quickly between the split legs of Hynes.

Harvard again deadlocked the tilt 40 seconds into the second stanza. John Dunderdale took a pass from Jack Hughes, and then, realizing he was wearing number four, Bobby Orred his way by two men to snap a wrister from the left face-off circle by Milner, who had failed to come out to cut off Dunder's angle.

At 16:09, Hynes finally gave up his first ugly goal of the season, but give an assist to the hole underneath the boards behind the Harvard goal.

Hynes attempted to stop an around-the-boards pass, but the hole betrayed him and the puck wound up on Dornseif's stick. Forward John Sullivan was then left to walk it into an empty net for the Friars' last lead at 3-2.

Less than two minutes later the Hughes Corporation gave an indication of things to come in the final period, as they assited on the score that tied things at three apiece.

Jack fed George across the blue line and then, using a Providence defender as a screen, the latter let go a quick wrister that caught Milner totally unawares. The puck rebounded off the goalie's stomach and over to freshman Tom Murray, who likewise tallied his first of the season on a ten-foot blast.

Harvard's control of the game was most clearly evident in the shots-on-goal department, which wound up a lopsided 41-23 in its Hynes's favor. Hynes' 19 saves showed his ever-improvement and blooming confidence between the pipes.

Harvard is now 2-1 in ECAC competition, and Providence, at 1-4, seeks new inspiration from the Jesuits.