FINAL SCORE: Providence 4, Vermont 1
BURLINGTON, Vt. – Kaylee Lewis found a second period equalizer for the Catamounts on Friday evening from Gutterson Fieldhouse, but in the end Vermont's (12-13-4, 6-8-3 HEA) eight game unbeaten run came to an end against Providence (8-17-2, 5-10-2 HEA) as the Friars secured the 4-1 victory from Gutterson Fieldhouse during Vermont Day presented by Vermont Federal Credit Union.
 
RELATED LINKS
Box Score
CatamounTV Highlights
 
COACH'S QUOTE
"I am not one to sugarcoat things and we got beat fair and square in this game," said Head Coach Jim Plumer. "Providence simply executed better than we did and we didn't play to the identity we have built this season, especially lately. It's a great reminder that no matter where you are in the standings we have to show up and play our best every single game. We have a lot of work to do to prepare for tomorrow."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• A little over halfway through the first period, it was Providence that scored first when Jessie Pellerin and Kiara Kraft executed a pair of passes that set up Molly Farace with a wide-open net, scoring her first career goal, earning the Friars a 1-0 advantage.
• The Catamounts responded 6:46 into the second period, seeing Lauren O'Hara initiate a Vermont offensive rush that caught the Friar defense off guard, finding Stella Retrum who dished the puck to Lewis flying down the middle of the ice. Upon reaching the hashmarks, Lewis ripped a snapshot past the glove side of Hope Walinski, tallying her eighth goal on the campaign and knotting the score at 1-1.  
• Providence bounced back 10:46 into the middle frame, regaining the lead 2-1 when a shot from the point by Hannah Clarke found its way to the back of the net, scoring her first career goal, earning the Friars a one goal lead a little over halfway through the contest.
• The Friars scored two goals early in the third period, 20 seconds apart from each other, to gain a three-goal advantage with over 15 minutes of regulation remaining. Kiara Kraft notched Providence's third goal while Megane Quirion secured the fourth.
• Vermont battled to find the back of the net one more time before the final buzzer rang, firing off nine shots on Walinski throughout the third period, but the Providence netminder stood her ground, making every save she had to, earning the Friars the 4-1 victory from Gutterson Fieldhouse.

 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Lewis recorded her eighth goal of the season while tying a game-high four shots on goal.
• Retrum notched at least one point for the fourth consecutive game on Friday, tallying one assist, becoming the first Catamount this season to reach 20 total points (10g, 10a).
• O'Hara registered one assist against Providence, extending her point streak to three games, while adding a tied game-high four shots on goal on Friday.
• Josie Hemp and Darci Matson each earned a game-high five blocked shots on Friday, a season high for Matson and a tied season high for Hemp.
• With tonight's 4-1 decision, Community Bank N.A. will donate $50 to Special Olympics Vermont. Community Bank, N.A. donates $50 per goal to Special Olympics Vermont for every goal the men's and women's team scores this season.

 
UP NEXT
The Catamounts will look to close out their weekend series with the Friars, returning to action tomorrow afternoon, Saturday (Jan. 31), for a 1 p.m. puck drop from Gutterson Fieldhoise. Saturday's contest will be Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day. Free admission will be granted to UVM employees with a valid CATCard. Fans can also catch Saturday's contest live on ESPN+ with Rob Ryan on the call.
 
For news and updates about the Vermont women's hockey program, follow @UVMwhockey on Instagram, X, and Facebook, and visit UVMathletics.com.
 
The Windjammer Inn and Conference Center is the presenting sponsor of the UVM women's hockey program