PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Providence College women's ice hockey team earned a 5-3 win against the University of Connecticut in an afternoon game on Saturday, Nov. 10 at Schneider Arena. The Hockey East win helps to improve Providence to a 7-4-1 overall and a 5-1-0 conference record.
After the first 20 minutes of play, the Huskies had built a 2 goal lead on the Friars. Leah Buress slid the puck past Providence freshman goaltender Sarah Bryant (Bethleham, Pa.) at 5:01 of the first period. At the 10:48 mark, Kayla Campero was wide open in front of the Providence goal and after receiving a pass from Stephanie Raithby she fired a shot past Bryant to widen the Huskies advantage to 2-0.
The second period began with the Huskies extending their lead, 3-0, after Kelly Horan was able to put the puck past Bryant. Junior goaltender Nina Riley (Lexington, Mass.) entered the game at 3:04 of the second for the Friars. Riley quickly generated momentum for the Friars off a sequence of great saves during a scramble around the Friars goal to keep the score 3-0, including a diving glove save. Riley finished the game with a total of 19 saves.
Just as the Friars first power-play of the game was set to expire, senior Nicole Anderson (Jordan, Minn.) managed to put Providence on the board. Her first goal of the match came at 11:26 of the second period after she stuffed the puck past Connecticut goaltender Sarah Moses to ignite the Friars comeback.
Only 31 seconds later, sophomore Beth Hanrahan (Poolesville, Md.) fired a shot as she was skating down the wing that beat Moses high glove side. Senior Emily Groth (Monona, Wis.) and junior Corinne Buie (Edina, Minn.) tallied the assists on the play.
Providence tied the game at 15:45 of the second period when Anderson recorded her second goal of the game and eighth on the season. Just like her first goal of the game, Anderson scored on the power-play from right outside of the crease when she deflected a shot by junior Maggie Pendleton (Woodbury, Minn.) to even the score. Sophomore Brooke Simpson (Boxboro, Mass.) also added an assist on the goal.
Freshman Lexi Romanchuk (San Jose, Calif.) scored the eventual game winner for the Friars after she fired a shot from the blueline that made its way through traffic and into the back of the net. Romanchuk's goal, her first collegiate goal, was scored at 8:34 of the third period. Anderson added her third point of the game with the assist on the game winner.
The Friars successfully completed their comeback with an empty net goal scored by senior Jessica Vella (Pickering, Ontario) at 19:34 of the third period. Pendleton recorded her second assist of the match-up.
The Friars return to the ice tomorrow, Sunday, November 11 against Hockey East opponent New Hampshire. Puck drop is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at Schneider Arena.