PROVIDENCE UPENDS BOSTON UNIVERSITY, 5-3
Senior Kristin Gigliotti registers two goals and an assist for PC

BOSTON - The Boston University women’s ice hockey team fell to Providence, 5-3, Saturday afternoon at Walter Brown Arena. The Terriers (7-4-0, 3-4-0 HE) jumped on the board early with goals from Gina Kearns and Nicki Wiart, before the Friars (4-5-2, 3-1-2 HE) scored four consecutive goals. BU scored in the third period to cut PC’s lead to one, but just three minutes later, Providence regained the two-goal lead and won the game, 5-3. Both teams combined for 24 penalties and played less than half of the game five-on-five.

Sophomore co-captain Gina Kearns opened scoring in the first period at 7:56 while on the power play. The goal came off of BU’s first shot on the game. Kearns took the pass from fellow captain, senior Cara Hendry, and blasted a wide angle shot past Providence goaltender Jana Bugden. Previous to Kearns’ goal, BU went scoreless in their past 22 power-play opportunities.

Just over three and a half minutes later, sophomore Nicki Wiart increased BU’s lead to 2--0, notching her fourth goal on the year. Freshman Melissa Anderson took the initial shot at Bugden, who made the save but was unable to hold onto the puck. Freshman Jonnie Bloemers collected to puck and passed it to Wiart, who was waiting at the crease.

Providence cut BU’s lead in half at 16:30 in the third period off an unassisted goal from leading scorer Kristin Gigliotti, who scored her tenth goal of the year. The Friars took four consecutive penalties after Gigliotti’s goal, but BU was unable to convert, and the game stayed at 2-1 entering the second.

Both teams spent the first half of the second period exercising their special teams units. The Terriers took three straight penalties, including a hooking penalty on junior Julie Poulin at 11:50. Less than a minute into the penalty Sarah Feldman slipped one past freshman goaltender Melissa Haber, to tie the game at 2-2 and end scoring for the period.

Providence opened the third period with its second power-play goal at 1:58. Just over five minutes later, it notched its third power-play goal. At 7:01 Kelli Doolin took a pass from Gigliotti and Sarah Feldman to record her second goal on the year. BU responded at 12:03 as Bloemers scored her second goal this year to put the game at 4-3. However, Providence struck again at 15:05 when Colleen Martin scored an unassisted goal.

Providence went 3-for-12 on the power-play, while holding the Terriers to 1-for-10. Haber recorded her first loss on the year, despite registering a season-high 30 saves.

BU travels to Connecticut tomorrow to face the Huskies for the second weekend in a row. UConn shut out BU last Saturday, 2-0, in Boston. Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m.