FINAL SCORE: Providence 5, Vermont 2
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Saana Valkama brought Vermont within one of Providence but the Catamounts could not overcome four goals in the third period as UVM fell by a 5-2 score on Saturday afternoon at Schneider Arena.
 
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Providence is now 6-7-0 and 3-3-0 in Hockey East action, while the Catamounts fall to 3-5-1 and 2-2-0 league contests.
 
"We don't have any excuses," said head coach Jim Plumer. "Clearly we have to be better on special teams and that starts with me. It's disappointing to not take advantage of our chances and not give ourselves the opportunity to get momentum."
 
The Friars struck first in the second period, grabbing a 1-0 advantage on a power play goal by Whitney Dove. Cassidy MacPherson sent a pass back to Rachel Rockwell at the point, where the latter dished to Dove for a one-time opportunity through traffic.
 
UVM responded later in the stanza, ultimately sending the teams into the second intermission knotted at one-apiece. As Providence attempted to clear its own defensive zone, Amanda Drobot broke up the attempt along the left wing boards, skated into the left circle and found Bridget Baker in the slot for a glove-side wrist shot at 15:45.
 
After the Friars went ahead 3-1 in the middle stages of the third, Valkama narrowed the deficit back to 3-2 with 2:39 to play. The sequence began at the other end of the ice when Baker won a defensive zone faceoff to the right of Melissa Black. Valkama chased the puck in the neutral zone with Rockwell, ultimately winning the toe-to-toe battle and creating a 2-on-1 with Alyssa Gorecki. She then wristed the puck past goaltender Alanna Serviss from the right circle.
 
The Friars countered with a power play goal off the stick of Brooke Boquist at 19:02 and sealed the win with Kate Friesen's empty netter in the closing stages of the contest.
 
Black made 36 saves for Vermont, while Serviss made 24 stops of her own in the win. A total of 17 penalties for 34 minutes were assessed between both teams.
 
Both teams meet again on Sunday at 2 p.m. at Schneider Arena to wrap up the weekend.
 
The Windjammer and Upper Deck Pub is the presenting sponsor of the 2016-17 women's hockey season