PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Providence College (4-5-5, 3-2-3-2) women's hockey team exploded for six goals to defeat No. 7/8 Boston University (5-4-5, 2-3-1-1), 6-2, on Sunday, November 15 at Schneider Arena. Freshman Nicole Anderson (Jordan, Minn.) recorded four points with a hat trick while sophomore Ashley Cottrell (Sterling Heights, Mich.) added four points of her own with a goal and three assists. Sophomore netminder Genevieve Lacasse (Scarborough, Ontario) recorded 41 saves on the day.
The hat trick was the first since Alyse Ruff (Tualatin, Ore.) put home a triple as a freshman against Northeastern on February 17, 2008. The four-point effort from Cottrell was the second of her career. She recorded four assists against Robert Morris as a freshman on November 8, 2008.
BU opened the scoring at 9:22 with a goal from Jonnie Bloemers. Tara Watchorn fired a shot from the left point that was saved by Lacasse. Melissa Anderson picked up the puck behind the net and pushed a pass in front to Bloemers who put home her third goal of the season. PC answered back with Anderson's tally at 13:53. Ashley Cottrell took a pass from sophomore Jennifer Friedman (San Gabriel, Calif.) in the neutral zone and skated past a BU defender at the blue line. Her shot from the bottom of the left face-off circle was saved but she was able to recover the puck and slip a pass through the crease from behind the net to Anderson who put home her fourth goal of the season. Friedman earned her second assist of the season while Cottrell tallied her fifth assist on the play.
Providence held the edge in shots, 10-6, after one and the two teams went into the locker room tied, 1-1.
The Friars took an early lead in the second with a long-range blast from junior defender Leigh Riley (Lexington, Mass.) at 2:45. Riley took a pass across the blue line from senior Arianna Rigano (Malden, Mass.) and sent a slap shot into the upper right corner for the first goal of her career. Rigano recorded her second assist with the pass.
The Terriers outshot PC, 18-8, in the period but Lacasse made several nice stops in front on Bloemers and Janelle Kohanchuk to keep PC ahead, 2-1.
BU came out for the third and quickly evened the score with a goal by Melissa Tetreau at 4:07. The Anderson and Cottrell show officially began just 12 seconds later. Anderson stationed herself in front of the net and put home her second of the night at 4:19 with a pass from Cottrell. The freshman forward would finish the hat trick a mere 46 seconds later when she slid the puck under the pads of BU goaltender Alissa Fromkin for her sixth goal of the season. Cottrell earned her seventh assist on the play and sophomore Laura Veharanta (La Verne, Calif.) recorded her fourth assist of the season as well.
Anderson would return the favor when she fed Cottrell for her ninth goal of the season at 7:44 to put PC ahead, 5-2. Ruff would go on to net the final goal at 18:44 with a coast-to-coast effort when she roofed a wrister under the cross bar for her fourth of the season. Senior Jackie Duncan (Kitchener, Ontario) earned her first assist of the season on the play.
Providence is next in action with a 2:00 p.m. contest in Schneider Arena against No. 9 Northeastern on Friday, November 20. Following Friday's game, PC's Ashley Cottrell, Amber Yung and Genevieve Lacasse will head to Durham, N.H. to compete with the Hockey East All Stars against Team USA on Sunday, November 22 at 1:00 p.m. Assistant Coach Meredith Roth will be on the bench coaching for the Hockey East All Stars while former Friar great Karen Thatcher ('06) will represent Providence with Team USA.