Voight Posts First Two-Goal Game; Women's Ice Hockey Suffers 4-3 Loss at Providence
Links: Box Score
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Freshman Paige Voight (St. Michael, Minn.) recorded the first multi-goal game for the Merrimack College women's ice hockey program on Friday night, but it would not be enough as the Warriors suffered a hard-fought loss at Providence by a score of 4-3 in Hockey East action.
The Basics
Score: Providence 4, Merrimack 3
Records: Merrimack (2-17-0, 1-10-0 HEA) | Providence (6-11-0, 4-7-0 HEA)
Location: Schneider Arena | Providence, R.I.
How It Happened
The Warriors would find trouble creating offense in the opening period in Rhode Island, managing just four shots to Providence's 13. Those 13 shots would result in a goal for the Friars, as Lexi Romanchuk netted her first of two in the game at the 12:17 mark of the first period. Freshman goaltender Samntha Ridgewell (Outlook, Saskatchewan) made 12 saves in the first frame to keep the score at 1-0 at the first intermission.
Merrimack would respond with 12 shots in the second, as both of Voight's goals would come in the middle period, putting the first score home 8:45 into the second to tie the game at one apiece. Freshman Felila Manu (Anchorage, Alaska) picked up her first-career assist on the score with a feed to Voight. Brittney Thunstrom responded just under two minutes later for Providence to retake a 2-1 lead.
Voight's big second tally came on a shorthanded effort at the 16:23 mark of the middle period to once again tie the game up with the score at two all. Freshman assistant captain Dominique Kremer (West Fargo, N.D.) found Voight with a clean pass for her team-leading seventh goal of the season.
Thunstrom would again respond for the Friars 2:19 later, making for a back-and-forth of goal scoring between her and Voight in the second, giving Providence a one-goal lead once more with the score 3-2 at 18:42 in the second frame. The score would hold into the third period.
Romanchuk would tally her second of the game eight minutes into the final period, giving the Friars their first two-goal lead of the game. Less than 90 seconds later freshman Baye Flanagan (Billerica, Mass.) would net her second of the season to cut the deficit back to one and give Merrimack a late spark.
Merrimack would find itself still down 4-3 late in the game, and with a penalty called on Providence with 17 seconds left to play the Warriors would pull Ridgewell from the net and try to tie the game with a brief six-on-four opportunity. Freshman Madison Morey (Fairbanks, Alaska) would put a late shot on net for Merrimack, but it was turned away as the attempt would come up as short.
Inside The Numbers
- Voight's two goals improve her scoring line to an impressive 7-7-14 through 19 games, with all three totals leading the team.
- Her shorthanded tally was the third shorthanded goals for Merrimack this season, a total tied for fifth in the country.
- Ridgewell finished with 40 saves in the contest, making for her third 40-save outing this season in 11 starts.
- Merrimack finished 1-4 on the power play, with Flanagan's unassisted tally coming on the man-advantage, while Providence was 1-3 on special teams. Both power play goals came in the third period.
Up Next
The Warriors now have a three-week holiday break, and won't return to the ice until 2016 when Merrimack travels to Vermont for a 7:00 p.m. Hockey East matchup on Monday, Jan. 4.
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