PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Providence College women's hockey team picked up its first Hockey East win of the season with a 5-0 victory over the Holy Cross Crusaders on Friday, Oct. 12.
SCORE
Providence - 5 | Holy Cross - 0
RECORDS
Providence: 3-0-0 (1-0-0 HE) | Holy Cross: 0-2-2 (0-1-0 HE)
VENUE
Schneider Arena | Providence, R.I.
GAME FLOW & NOTES
- Just 1:13 into the game, senior Cassidy MacPherson (Oakville, Ontario) got the Friars on the board. Giana Savastano (Mapleville, R.I.) started the breakout and Maureen Murphy (Buffalo, N.Y.) skated end-to-end with it. The puck was knocked off her stick, but directly to MacPherson who fired a shot past Jada Brenon.
- The goal was MacPherson's second of the season. Savastano picked up her first-career point with the assist.
- At the midway point of the second period, Sara Hjalmarsson extended the lead to 2-0. She took a slap shot from the point that beat Brenon, giving the Friars their first power-play strike of the season. She was assisted by Murphy and Whitney Dove (Port Moody, British Columbia).
- Hjalmarsson scored again at the 16:07 mark of the middle stanza. Ciara Barone (North Tonawanda, N.Y.) made a diving play in front of the net to shovel the puck across to Hjalmarsson. She finished into the empty net for her second of the night. Ariane Julien (Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec) picked up the secondary assist on the play.
- Barone's assist was the first of her career. She becomes the second freshman on the squad to score a point in her first-career game this season.
- Hjalmarsson tacked on her third goal of the night with less than three minutes remaining in the game. She was assisted by Avery Fransoo (North Battleford, Saskatchewan).
- With under a minute remaining, Barone struck for her first-career goal to push the score to 5-0. Julien and Caroline Peterson (East Falmouth, Mass.) grabbed the assists.
- Peterson's assist marked her first-career point.
- Myers finished the game with 13 saves and notched her first shutout of the season. It is the eighth of her career.
- Brenon made 49 saves for the Crusaders.
HOW THEY SCORED
1-0 (Providence) - 1:13/1st - EV - Cassidy MacPherson (Murphy, Savastano) - Wrist shot from the slot
2-0 (Providence) - 10:01/2nd - PP - Sara Hjalmarsson (Dove, Murphy) - Slap shot from the point
3-0 (Providence) - 16:07/2nd - EV - Sara Hjalmarsson (Barone, Julien) - Diving play by Barone to pass across to Hjalmarsson who finished in the empty net
4-0 (Providence) - 17:25/3rd - EV - Sara Hjalmarsson (Fransoo) - Wrist shot from the slot
5-0 (Providence) - 19:19/3rd - EV - Ciara Barone (Julien, Peterson) - Tipped in Julien's shot from the point
GOALTENDERS
Providence: Madison Myers, 2-0-0: 13 saves, 0 goals against
Holy Cross: Jada Brendon, 0-1-1: 49 saves, 5 goals against
STAT COMPARISON
Providence-
Shots: 54
Face-offs: 25/47
Power plays: 1-5 (20%)
Penalty kill: 2-2 (100%)
Holy Cross-
Shots: 13
Face-offs: 22/47
Power plays: 0-2 (0%)
Penalty kill: 4-5 (80%)
PC GAME HIGHS
Shots: Murphy (11)
Goals: Hjalmarsson (3)
Assists: Murphy, Julien (2)
Points: Hjalmarsson (3)
LOOKING AHEAD
The Friars hit the road for the first time in 2018-19 with a two-game series at Penn State. Games are set for 2:00 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 19 and 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 20.