Schenectady, N.Y. - The Providence College women's ice hockey team concluded its two game road series against the Union College Dutchwomen today, Saturday, Oct. 5. Providence earned a 6-2 victory to claim their first win of the season and move their overall record to 1-1-0 on the season. The Friars and Dutchwomen competed in the Frank L. Messa Rink in Schenectady, N.Y.
The Friars opened up the scoring in the first period with three goals. The Friars capitalized on a Union penalty and scored a power-play goal at 15:03 of the period. Sophomore Molly Illikainen (Grand Rapids, Minn.) tipped a shot taken by senior Maggie Pendleton (Woodbury, Minn.) for her first goal and point of the season to give the Friars a 1-0 lead. Sophomore Lexi Romanchuk (San Jose, Calif.) fed a pass along the blue line to Pendleton, who fired the puck along the ice for Illikainen to tip five hole against Union goaltender Shenae Lundberg.
Junior Victoria Virtue (Walpole, Mass.) gave the Friars a 2-0 lead with an unassisted goal from the top of the right circle. Virtue ripped a shot over the shoulder of Lundberg only 53 seconds after Providence's first goal.
Union was able to get on the board at 17:47 of the period with a power-play goal from Kathryn Tomaselli. Tomaselli was assisted on the play by Kathryn Davis.
The Friars were able to reclaim their two goal lead with a tally from freshman Cassidy Carels (Bruxelles, Manitoba). Carels collected a pass from junior Brooke Simpson (Boxboro, Mass.), who stole the puck from a Union defender below the goal line. Simpson found Carels at the top of the circle before Carels rifled a puck top shelf to notch her second goal of the season.
Providence moved the score to 4-1 at 8:42 of the second period with a power-play goal from Carels. Freshman Liv Halvorson (Richfield, Minn.) broke the puck out to senior defender Rebecca Morse (Westfield, N.J.) who lugged the puck down the ice along the wall. Morse found Carels with a pass before Carels placed the puck high past Lundberg.
The Dutchwomen were able to close the Friars lead to 4-2 with a goal at 13:40 of the second period. Tomaselli tallied her second goal of the game on the play. She was assisted by Courtney Turner and Jessica Kaminsky. Union had a close chance later in the period but was denied by Friar sophomore goaltender Sarah Bryant (Bethlehem, Pa.), who finished the period with four saves.
Illikainen and Pendleton teamed up again to earn the Friars fifth goal of the game. Freshman Kendra Goodrich (Apple Valley, Minn.) moved the puck to Pendleton, who fired a shot from the blue that was tipped past Lundberg by Illikainen at 10:28 of the third period.
Down a player, the Friars tallied a shorthanded empty net goal with less than a minute to play to seal the 6-2 win. Senior Corinne Buie (Edina, Minn.) found junior Beth Hanrahan (Poolesville, Md.) in the neutral zone with a pass. Hanrahan skated wide around the Union defender and fired a backhand shot to earn her first point of the season and 23rd career goal.
Bryant finished the game with 18 saves for her 12th career win and first of the season, while Lundberg finished with 20 saves. The Friars outshot the Dutchwomen, 33-20.
With the win, Providence moves its all-time record against Union to 4-1-0 and their record in the Frank L. Messa rink to 2-1-0.
The Friars are back in action on Saturday, Oct. 12 when they face the Mercyhurst Lakers in their home opener. Providence will take on Mercyhurst in a 2:00 p.m. puck drop before finishing the two game series on Sunday, Oct. 13 at 1:00 p.m. in the newly renovated Schneider Arena.