PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Providence College women's ice hockey team received a hat trick from junior Kate Bacon (Chanhassen, Minn.) and two goals from junior Laura Veharanta (La Verne, Calif) en route to a decisive, 6-1 victory over visiting St. Lawrence today (10/9) at Schneider Arena.
The Friars' offense was clicking early. Ahead 1-0 midway through the first, Veharanta broke on a 2-on-1 with freshman Corinne Buie (Edina, Minn.) Buie's initial shot was turned aside, but Veharanta deposited the rebound for her first of the season, to make it 2-0.
The goal of the game came at the 16:06 mark of the first. Playing shorthanded, sophomore Jessica Vella (Pickering, Ontario) blocked a shot in the high slot. Vella outraced the Saint defensemen to the ricochet and scored on a breakaway at the other end. Vella's first of the season made it 3-0 Providence heading into the first intermission.
The Friars added to the cushion at the 3:51 mark of the second, with Bacon digging the puck free from a scrum in front. She hammered in her second goal of the game for a 4-0 lead.
The Saints scored their first and only goal at 15:53 of the second. Brook Fernandez skated through the neutral zone and into the slot in front of the Friar goal. The puck was knocked over to Rylee Smith just inside the left face-off circle. The first-year winger went top shelf for a 4-1 scoreboard.
The Friars added two insurance goals in the third, with Bacon and Veharanta both adding empty net goals for the 6-1 final.
Bacon's effort was her first career hat trick and PC's second hat trick of the young season (Jean O'Neill scored three times in the season opener at Robert Morris.) Click here to find out more!
Junior goalie Genevieve Lacasse (Scarborough, Ontario) was tested often, including two partial breakaways in the first period. She turned away both and finished the game with 41 saves.
Providence returns to action tomorrow afternoon (10/10) against another ECAC foe. Clarkson visits Schneider Arena for a 2 p.m. face-off. Tickets are available by calling the Providence College ticket office at 401-865-GOPC.