PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Providence College women's hockey team defeated the Holy Cross Crusaders, 3-0, in its final game of the regular season in Schneider Arena on Saturday, Feb. 22. The Friars clinched home ice in the Hockey East Quarterfinals with the victory as the No. 3 seed.
SCORE
Providence - 3 | Holy Cross - 0
RECORDS
Providence - 18-12-4 (15-10-2 HEAW) | Holy Cross - 5-23-5 (5-20-2 HEAW)
VENUE
Schneider Arena - Providence, R.I.
GAME FLOW & NOTES
- Lauren DeBlois (Lewiston, Maine) scored her sixth goal of the season with 3:03 left in the first period to give Providence a 1-0 lead at the first intermission. Chloe Gonsalves (Toronto, Ontario) was credited with her seventh helper of the year as Neve Van Pelt (Mitchell, Ontario) tallied her sixth assist of the season.
- DeBlois now holds 22 points on the season with six goals and 16 assists. The goal marked her fifth point in the last five games.
- Providence held a 21-6 advantage in shots at the end of the first period.
- The Friars built a 2-0 cushion 9:02 into the middle frame. Ciara Barone (North Tatawanda, N.Y.) found the back of the cage for her fourth goal of the season after firing a slap shot past the goaltender rotating over. Meaghan Rickard (Coventry, R.I.) was credited with her eleventh assist of the year and 18th point.
- Senior Clare Minnerath held nine saves after 40 minutes of play.
- Freshman Bailey Burton (Bloomington, Minn.) added an insurance goal 3:15 into the final period. Whitney Dove (Port Moody, British Columbia) fired a pass from Providence's goal line through the neutral zone to Burton, Burton outskated two defenders before finishing a wrist shot blocker side.
- Providence finished the game 1-4 on the power play with a total of seven shots with the man advantage. Holy Cross only recorded two shots on net in its four power play chances.
- Minnerath posted her third career shutout with 16 saves.
HOW THEY SCORED
1-0 (Providence) - 16:56/1st - PP - Lauren DeBlois (Gonsalves, Van Pelt) - One-timer from the point
2-0 (Providence) - 9:02/2nd - EV - Ciara Barone (Rickard) - Slap shot in front of the crease
3-0 (Providence) - 3:15/3rd - EV - Bailey Burton (Dove, Minnerath) - Wrist shot past the blocker side
GOALTENDERS
Clare Minnerath (Providence) - 16 saves, 0 goals against
Jada Brennon (Holy Cross) - 42 saves, 3 goal against
STAT COMPARISON
Providence -
Shots: 45
Face-offs: 40-58
Power plays: 1-4
Penalty kill: 5-5
Holy Cross -
Shots: 16
Face-offs: 18-58
Power plays: 0-5
Penalty kill: 3-4
PC GAME HIGHS
Goals: Dove, Hardy, Rickard (1)
Assists: Barone, DeBlois, Rickard, Van Pelt (1)
Points: Rickard (2)
Shots: Fransoo, Gonslaves, Hjalmarsson, Julien (9)
UP NEXT
Providence will host the No. 6 seed New Hampshire in a best-of-three series next weekend from Feb. 27-March 3. Game one is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 27 at 6 p.m. in Schneider Arena.
