PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Freshman Nicole Anderson (Jordan, Minn.) slammed home a late third period goal on the power play to even the score as the Providence College (4-6-6, 3-3-3-2 HEA) women's hockey team earned a 2-2 tie with No. 7 Wisconsin (8-5-2, 6-4-0 WCHA) in Providence, R.I. on Friday. Genevieve Lacasse (Scarborough, Ontario) made 34 saves in net for the Friars.
With Wisconsin taking the lead at 9:27 of the third and carrying the play for the majority of the period based on a 16-5 shot advantage, Anderson stationed herself just outside the crease and slipped a one-timer into the right side of the net off a perfect pass from sophomore Ashley Cottrell. After receiving a pass from classmate Laura Veharanta (La Verne, Calif.) at the half wall, Cottrell set up on the end line to the goalie's right and sent a pass tape-to-tape to set up the freshman's eighth goal of the season and her fifth power-play tally. Wisconsin had the last five shots of the period but the Friar defense was able to block or deflect four to send the game into overtime.
Facing their sixth ranked opponent in as many games, the Friars took an early 1-0 lead with a power-play goal from junior Jean O'Neill just 2:20 into the game. Defenseman Amber Yung (Rockville, Va.) sent a pass to freshman Jessica Vella (Pickering, Ontario) on the goal line to the right of Wisconsin goaltender Becca Ruegsegger. Vella slipped the puck through the slot to O'Neill who lifted the puck into the right side of the cage for her third goal of the season. Vella earned the first point of her career with the assist while Yung registered her sixth assist of the season on the play.
Providence had a chance to make it 2-0 with an Arianna Rigano (Malden, Mass.) penalty shot but her shot to left side was denied by Reugsegger. Wisconsin held a 7-6 edge in shots after the first 20 minutes but the Friars went into the locker room ahead, 1-0.
Wisconsin came out for the second and outshot PC, 9-4. The Badgers evened the score at 4:24 when Geena Prough took the puck along the right wall and found her way towards the front of the net before lifting a back-handed shot over the right pad of Lacasse.
The Friars nearly took the lead at 10:55 when an Alyse Ruff (Tualatin, Ore.) tip in front rang off the post. Neither team was able to break the deadlock in the final nine minutes of the second and the two teams headed into the locker room tied, 1-1.
Wisconsin put home its second goal at 9:27 when Mallory Deluce beat Lacasse with a forehand from the slot after a pass from Carolyn Prevost. Wisconsin had the better of the play throughout the period before Anderson's late game-tying goal.
The two teams took part in a shootout with the Friars outscoring Wisconsin, 2-1. Ruff and Cottrell scored for PC.
The Friars and Badgers will finish the weekend series in Schneider Arena on Saturday, November 28 with a 7:00 p.m. start time.