PROVIDENCE, R.I.- The Providence College women's ice hockey recorded an 8-1 win over Hockey East rival Maine on Saturday, November 23 at Schneider Arena. The Friars set a new season-high with 8 goals in a game, and freshman Cassidy Carels (Bruxelles, Manitoba) led the offense with her first career hat trick in the win. With the win, the Friars improve to 5-10-0 overall and 2-5-0 in Hockey East play.
The Friars had a strong start to the game, netting four goals to take a 4-1 lead over the Black Bears after the first twenty minutes of play. Senior Maggie Pendleton (Woodbury, Minn.) opened the scoring in the game at 2:02 of the first period when she sent a shot from the blue line past Maine netminder Meghann Treacy for her second goal of the season. Senior Corinne Buie (Edina, Minn.) and red-shirt junior Stephanie Demars (Vermontville, N.Y.) each assisted. DeMars registered her first assist of the season.
Sophomore Brittney Thunstrom (Coon Rapids, Minn.) recorded her first career goal at 7:38 of the first. Thunstrom followed up on a play in front of the net with junior Haley Frade (Marion, Mass.) to get the puck past Treacy. Thunstrom's goal would turn out to be the game winner. Graduate student Janine Weber (Innsbruck, Austria) added a third goal for the Friars at 15:32 when she capitalized on a play in front of the Black Bears net to tally the unassisted goal.
Maine took advantage of a power play chance when Audra Richards sent a shot that beat Sarah Bryant (Bethlehem, Pa.) high at 17:02 of the first to put the score at 3-1.Carels scored her first goal of the game with 34 seconds left in the period when she put away a rebound from a shot by freshman Liv Halvorson (Richfield, Minn.).
Carels and Weber each scored their second goals of the meeting in the second period to extend the lead for Providence to 6-1. Weber's team leading 8th goal of the season beat Maine goaltender Mariah Fujimagari at 1:15 of the second. Weber's second goal was a result of a scramble in front of the net with junior Allison Micheletti (Inner Grove Heights, Minn.) and senior Corinne Buie (Edina, Minn.) at 11:11.
In the third period, the Friars scored twice more. Junior Haley Frade's (Marion, Mass.) goal came at 2:52 of the period. The final goal of the game was scored by Carels, for her first career hat trick. Her third goal was assisted by Frade and junior Victoria Virtue (Walpole, Mass.) with 23 seconds left to play in the game.
The Friars offense set a new season-high in shots on goal in a game with 39, after getting 21 shots on net in the first period. Special teams did not play a huge factor in the game as all of the Friars goals were scored at even strength. The Black Bears only goal of the game came on the power play.
Providence goaltender Sarah Bryant made 19 saves in the win. Treacy and Fujimagari combined for 31 saves for Maine.
The Friars will close out the Hockey East series against the Black Bears tomorrow, Sunday, November 24 at 2:00p.m. at Schneider Arena.