HYANNIS, MASS - The Providence College women's ice hockey team has advanced to the Hockey East Championship, defeating #7 Northeastern, 2-0, in Saturday's semifinal at the Hyannis Youth and Community Center.
ADDITIONAL LINKS:
Video Interview: PC Head Coach Bob Deraney
Video Interview: PC Senior Genevieve Lacasse
Video Interview: PC Senior Ashley Cottrell
Providence will face #9 Boston University in Sunday's Championship game, with face-off scheduled for 1 p.m. at the HYCC. BU defeated #4 Boston College in Saturday's other semifinal, 5-2. Providence has never met the Terriers in a Hockey East tournament game.
Against Northeastern Saturday, Friar senior goaltender Genevieve Lacasse (Kingston, Ontario) halted all 41 shots she faced, including several on two, separate 5-on-3 Northeastern power plays, to record her third shutout in the last four games.
It was also Lacasse's eighth shutout of the season and extends her school record to 20 career blankings.
The Friars scored their first goal of the game on the power play in the waning moments of the second period. At 19:15, senior defenseman Christie Jensen (Delta, B.C.) sent a pass from the left point to the right circle. Freshman Haley Frade (Marion, Mass.) collected the feed, attacked the net, and lifted the puck top-shelf as she was falling to the ice. It was Frade's fourth of the season.
Providence extended the edge to 2-0 at 18:45 of the third period. With the Northeastern net empty, senior Ashley Cottrell (Sterling Heights, Mich.) skated into the neutral zone behind the NU defense. Before Cottrell could shoot on the gaping net, she was taken down from behind. By rule, a goal was awarded.
It was Cottrell's 100th career point.
Providence has now advanced to six of the conference's 10 finals. The Friars won the first three finals after the league was formed, taking the title in 2003, 2004 and 2004. PC lost to New Hampshire in the 2007 championship and again in 2008.