PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Providence College women's hockey team defeated the Boston College Eagles, 5-2, in Schneider Arena on Saturday, Jan. 25. The game was tied 2-2 at the conclusion of the first period before Providence scored three unanswered to seal the 5-2 victory. Providence improves to 14-10-2 on the season with an 11-8 Hockey East mark.
SCORE
Providence - 5 | Boston College - 2
RECORDS
Providence - 14-10-2 (11-8-0 HEAW) | Boston College - 13-10-3 (12-8-2 HEAW)
VENUE
Schneider Arena - Providence, R.I.
GAME FLOW & NOTES
- The Eagles and Friars traded goals in the opening period leading to a 2-2 score entering the first intermission. Boston College struck first just 3:49 into the game, Delaney Belinskas scored her 15th goal of the season. Belinskas stuffed home a rebound off a shot from the left wing.
- Sara Hjalmarsson (Bankeryd, Sweden) scored the equalizer just 26 seconds later. Meaghan Rickard (Coventry, R.I.) fed Hjalmarsson from the left boards before she deked the defender and put a wrist shot to the bottom left corner. Hjalmarsson's goal was her 14th of the season while Rickard picked up her seventh assist of the year.
- Kelly Browne of Boston College gave the Eagles a 2-1 lead 11:12 into the opening period. Browne put a puck on net from the blue line that trickled in past Sandra Abstreiter (Freising, Germany).
- Neve Van Pelt (Mitchell, Ontario) wasted no time tying the game at 2-2, scoring her fourth goal of the season just 20 seconds later. Van Pelt won a face-off in the offensive zone before rotating to the net and deflecting in a Lauren DeBlois (Lewiston, Maine) wrist shot. DeBlois earned her 13th assist of her freshman campaign.
- Providence scored three unanswered goals to close out the game, including two goals in the second period. Hjalmarsson netted her second of the afternoon just 1:05 into the period. She corralled the rebound before deking the goaltender and putting her backhand into the back of the net.
- Rickard closed the period on her sixth goal of the season, with just 24 seconds remaining in the period. Isabelle Hardy (Oakville, Ontario) stole the puck in the defensive zone before skating up the right boards and delivering a saucer pass to Rickard on the left wing, Rickard put her back hand over the goaltender's left shoulder to take a 4-2 lead. The assist marked Hardy's first of the season.
- Each side was 0-2 on the power play heading to the third period of play.
- Ciara Barone (North Tonawanda, N.Y.) added an insurance goal with 4:25 left in the final frame. Kathleen McHugh (Billerica, Mass.) picked off a pass at the blue line before dishing the puck to Avery Fransoo (North Battleford, Saskatchewan) at the top of the crease, Fransoo's shot ricocheted to Barone on the left post to finish.
- Abstreiter tallied 27 saves on the afternoon to improve to 6-5-0 on the season.
HOW THEY SCORED
1-0 (BC) - 3:49/1st - EV - Delaney Belinskas (Guary, Bilka) - Stuffed home a rebound
1-1 (PC) - 4:15/1st - EV - Sara Hjalmarsson (Rickard) - Wrist shot from the left wing2-1 (BC) - 11:12/1st - EV - Kelly Browne (Bilka, Guay) - Shot from behind the blue line
2-2 (PC) - 11:32/1st - EV - Neve Van Pelt (DeBlois) - Deflection in front of the crease
3-2 (PC) - 1:05/2nd - EV - Sara Hjalmarsson (Dove) - Deked the goaltender after grabbing the rebound, finished backhand
4-2 (PC) - 19:36/2nd - EV - Meaghan Rickard (Hardy) - Backhanded flick over the goaltender's right shoulder
5-2 (PC) - 15:35/3rd - EV - Ciara Barone (McHugh, Fransoo) - Wrist shot lifted over the rotating goaltender
GOALTENDERS
Sandra Abstreiter (Providence) - 27 saves, 2 goals against
Maddy McArthur (BC) - 29 saves, 5 goal against
STAT COMPARISON
Providence -
Shots: 34
Face-offs: 28-50
Power plays: 0-3
Penalty kill: 3-3
Boston College -
Shots: 29
Face-offs: 22-50
Power plays: 0-3
Penalty kill: 3-3
PC GAME HIGHS
Goals: Hjalmarsson (2)
Assists: Six players (1)
Points: Hjalmarsson, Rickard (2)
Shots: Dove, Rickard (5)
UP NEXT
Providence will host Merrimack next Friday, Jan. 31 at 6:00 p.m. before going on the road to matchup with the UConn Huskies on Saturday, Feb. 1 with a puck drop scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
