DSC_7327DSC_7327
Mark Selders

Women's Hockey Powers Past Providence For 4-2 Win

Box Score 

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Penn State women's hockey team put together its best all-around performance of the season with a 4-2 win at Providence Friday evening at Schneider Arena.
 
The Nittany Lions (3-2-2) extended their win streak to three games with at least one goal scored in every period. Providence (2-2-1) dropped its first game since Oct. 4.
 
Rene Gangarosa had a career night with the games' first two goals. Brooke Madsen added a third in the second period and Katie Rankin put the game away with an empty netter.
 
Chantal Burke was solid once again with 31 saves on 33 shots. Kate McMillan recorded three assists while Rankin added a helper to go with her empty-net goal.
 
Penn State and Providence each had their share of scoring chances in the first period that led to a fast-paced opening frame. The Friars led in shots on goal by just one (10-9), but a couple of those chances were high quality stopped by Chantal Burke.
 
After the Nittany Lions fended off a power play late in the period, the Nittany Lions had a chance of their own on the advantage which eventually turned into a 5-on-3. With 1:18 left in the period, Gangarosa teed up a one-timer that she blasted into the cage to give Penn State the 1-0 edge.


 In the second period, Providence turned up the heat with a couple of good offensive shifts, one particularly that the Friars had three great tries on goal, but in highlight-reel fashion, Burke stopped all three shots.
 


Gangarosa ended up striking again for the Nittany Lions on the rush with a one-handed redirect into the cage at 12:18 in the second, giving PSU the 2-0 lead.
 


Providence's talented power-play unit had a chance to cut the lead to one early in the third period, but the Nittany Lions not only stopped the power play, but quickly turned the kill into a third goal courtesy of Brooke Madsen's bar-down shot at 7:37.
 


The Friars would not go away, however, scoring less than 90 seconds after Madsen's goal to cut Penn State's lead back to two. Maureen Murphy was the goal scorer.
 
Another penalty to Penn State finally proved costly for the Blue & White as Sara Hjalmarsson pulled Providence within one at 3-2 with 2:14 remaining.
 
The Friars pulled their goaltender, Clare Minnerath, for the extra attacker hoping to tie the game. After a bit of offensive zone time for Providence in the waning minutes, a big shot block by Rachel Weiss sprung Rankin towards the empty net and put the game away.
 
 
GAME NOTES

  • The three-game win streak marks Penn State's first since Dec. 1, 2017-Jan. 5, 2018.
  • Gangarosa's two-goal game was the first of her career. It was her first multi-point game since Jan. 29, 2019 at #4 Princeton when she posted two assists.
  • Katie McMillan tied the program single-game assist high with her three helpers, last accomplished by herself Feb. 24, 2018 against Lindenwood.
  • Providence outshot Penn State 33-26, but the Nittany Lions blocked more shots (16-14), won more face-offs (31-23), and killed two opposing power plays to Providence's one. PSU was 1-of-2 on the advantage and the Friars were 1-of-3.
  • Gangarosa and her defensive partner, Izzy Heminger, had five shots on goal each while combining for 19 total shots and a +5 rating. Heminger also matched Jessica Adolfsson with a team-best four blocked shots. Rankin won 10-of-15 faceoffs and was a +2.
  • The Nittany Lions take on the Friars again tomorrow starting at 3 p.m.