PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The No. 6 seeded University of New Hampshire Wildcats used three second period goals to propel them over the No. 3 seeded Providence College women's hockey team, 4-2, on Thursday, Feb. 27 in game one of the Hockey East Quarterfinals.
SCORE
Providence - 2 | New Hampshire - 4
RECORDS
Providence - 18-13-4 (15-10-2 HEAW) | New Hampshire - 17-14-4 (12-12-3 HEAW)
VENUE
Schneider Arena - Providence, R.I.
GAME FLOW & NOTES
- New Hampshire scored the lone goal of the opening period with 7:46 left on the clock. Annie Berry won the face-off in the offensive zone dishing the puck back to Taylor Wenczkowski, she put her wrist shot through traffic that found the back of the cage.
- The Wildcats held a 9-7 advantage in shots in the opening 20 minutes.
- Both sides combined for four goals in the second period of play, with UNH taking a 4-1 lead after the first 40 minutes.
- Emily Rickwood put UNH up 2-0 just 1:04 into the middle frame on her seventh goal of the season. Rickwood threw a wrist shot towards net from the bottom of the right circle that snuck under Sandra Abstreiter (Freising, Germany).
- Grace Middleton added a power play goal just over a minute later after receiving a pass on the edge of the crease from behind the net, she one-timed a wrist shot over Abstreiter's left shoulder.
- Clare Minnerath (Sartell, Minn.) took over for Abstreiter in net, she finished the night with 10 saves.
- New Hampshire capped off its scoring for the night with an even strength goal with just over eight minutes left in the second period to take a 4-0 lead. Grace Middleton re-directed a shot in front of the crease for her second goal of the game.
- Providence responded with two goals to make it a two-goal deficit with just over 13 minutes remaining in game one. Whitney Dove (Port Moody, British Columbia) got the Friars on the board after firing a wrist shot from the left point, through traffic, to the top left corner of the cage. Meaghan Rickard (Coventry, R.I.) earned her 12th assist of the season while Dove picked up her ninth goal of the year.
- Rickard added her second point of the night with a power play goal 6:36 into the third period. Bailey Burton (Bloomington, Minn.) dished the puck to Lauren DeBlois (Lewiston, Maine) at the blue line who fired a wrist shot on net, Rickard deflected the puck in to make it a 4-2 game.
- Providence fell short on the comeback trail despite outshooting the Wildcats, 25-23.
- Minnerath finished the night with nine saves, after playing the final 33 minutes between the pipes.
HOW THEY SCORED
1-0 (UNH) - 12:14/1st - EV - Taylor Wenczkowski (Berry) - Wrist shot from the middle of the left circle through traffic
2-0 (UNH) - 1:04/2nd- EV - Emily Rickwood (Warren, McManus) - Shot from the bottom of the right circle snuck underneath the goaltender
3-0 (UNH) - 3:29/2nd- PP - Grace Middleton (Howran, Boutilier) - One-timer on the edge of the crease after a feed from behind the net
4-0 (UNH) - 11:56/2nd- EV - Grace Middleton (Rickwood, Dunbar) - Re-direct in front of the crease
4-1 (PC) - 12:42/2nd- EV - Whitney Dove (Rickard) - Wrist shot from the left point to the top left corner of the cage
4-2 (PC) - 6:36/3rd- PP - Meaghan Rickard (DeBlois, Burton) - Deflection in front of the crease
GOALTENDERS
Sandra Abstreiter (Providence) - 10 saves, 3 goals against
Clare Minnerath (Providence) - 9 saves, 1 goal against
Ava Boutilier (New Hampshire) - 23 saves, 2 goal against
STAT COMPARISON
Providence -
Shots: 25
Face-offs: 29-55
Power plays: 1-3
Penalty kill: 2-3
New Hampshire -
Shots: 23
Face-offs: 26-55
Power plays: 1-3
Penalty kill: 2-3
PC GAME HIGHS
Goals: Dove, Rickard (1)
Assists: Burton, DeBlois, Rickard (1)
Points: Rickard (2)
Shots: Lunny (5)
UP NEXT
Providence will host the No. 6 seed New Hampshire in game two tomorrow night at 6:00 p.m.
