by The Cowl Editor on November 8, 2018
Friar Sports
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
When the final buzzer went off on Nov. 3, the Providence College’s Women’s Ice Hockey Team had more than just a 4-2 win to celebrate; they had defeated the no. 5 nationally-ranked Boston College team for the first time since their 2016-17 season. The team’s win last Saturday was only the second time PC has been able to beat BC in the past four years.
Boston College, which is ranked first in Hockey East and known for their quick, high-scoring games, has previously beaten the Friars in lopsided games with scores such as 8-0 and 9-1. However, in the most recent contest between the two teams, there was no mismatch between them.
The first period was completely scoreless, with the shots on net evenly matched for both teams. BC closed out the period with two penalties that would give the Friars a 5-on-3 Powerplay for the first 42 seconds of the second period.
Maureen Murphy ’21 capitalized on the odd-man advantage and was able to snipe one past BC’s goalie from the slot just 18 seconds into the period, giving the Friars a 1-0 lead. The second period saw two more goals; another Powerplay goal from Christina Putigna ’19 and one from BC player Daryl Watts.
Murphy answered the call again not even five minutes into the third period. Later on, Putigna closed out the game with an empty-netter with only 10 seconds remaining in the third period.
Captain Kate Friesen ’19, who notched an assist on one of Putigna’s goals, said, “We knew BC was going to be a tough opponent, but we had a great week of practice so we were prepared with our game plan.”
The preparation definitely paid off, because when asked about what was different with this game compared to previous games against BC, Friesen commented that the team went into the game with much more confidence and discipline.
“The mood and energy of our team on Saturday night was great. I believe [our mood] was a big contributor to us being able to sustain pressure all game,” she said. “We kept our foot on the gas all night long and stuck to our game plan, which translated into chances that we were able to capitalize on.”
The win over BC shows great promise for the team this season and as Friesen stated, “We showed a level of play we are capable of so now it’s a matter of working hard to continue to improve as the season continues.”
In terms of improvement, Friesen acknowledges that the team needs to work on their puck possession both offensively and defensively to generate more scoring chances for the team and eliminate the chances for opponents.
Friesen stated that the team’s win was exciting, “I think that it shows growth within our program so it excites me to see where we’re headed moving forward this season.”
This weekend, PC will face off against the University of Maine at Schneider Arena before hitting the road for a Sunday game against the University of Vermont.