March 21, 2004

Box Score

Senior defenseman Kelli Halcisak (Grosse Ile, Mich.) scored the game-winning goal in the third period as the Providence College women's hockey team defeated No. 8 New Hampshire, 3-0, on Sunday, March 21 at Matthews Arena in the finals of the Hockey East Tournament. It marked the second consecutive Hockey East Tournament title for the Friars and the third straight league crown as PC won the ECAC Eastern League title in 2002.

Neither team could score in the first two periods, as both goaltenders played strong. The Wildcats created several chances in the first period on two power-play opportunities, but sophomore Jana Bugden (Corner Brook, Newfoundland) was up to the task. At the other end, Melissa Bourdon held PC scoreless for the first two periods. With 13:10 remaining in the second period Providence nearly took the lead. Halcisak made a short-handed rush and fired a wrist shot from inside the right face off circle that was saved by Bourdon. The rebound came out to sophomore Karen Thatcher (Douglass, Mass.), but Bourdon came up big as she made a sprawling save on Thatcher's shot to keep the game scoreless.

However, in the third period the Friars took the lead for good. Senior Darlene Stephenson's (Virden, Manitoba) shot from the slot was saved by Bourdon, but Halcisak took advantage of the rebound and poked the puck into the back of the net at 11:17. Thatcher gave the Friars a 2-0 lead with 1:30 remaining. Junior Rush Zimmerman (Grosse Pointe, Mich.) played the puck off the right boards to a streaking Thatcher, who skated in on a breakaway and beat Bourdon. With 41 seconds left, Zimmerman scored an empty-net goal to seal the win for the Friars, who went 17-5 in their last 22 games. Bugden finished with 24 saves to earn the shutout, while Bourdon stopped 30 shots.

Halcisak was named the Tournament's Most Valauble Player for the second consecutive season. Joining Halcisak on the All-Tournament Team is Thatcher, Bugden and freshman Sonny Watrous (Albuquerque, N.M.) as well as New Hampshire's Allison Edgar and Nicole Hekle.

The Friars finished the season with a 21-13-2 overall record, while UNH finished 23-9-4.

Saturday, March 21, 2004
Providence (21-13-2)	0	0	3	--	3
New Hampshire (23-9-4)	0	0	0	--	0

Per	Time	Team	Goal Scorer (Assists)
3	11:17	PC	Kelli Halcisak (Darlene Stephenson)
3	18:30	PC	Karen Thatcher (Rush Zimmerman)
3	19:19	PC	Rush Zimmerman (unassisted) EN


Saves:
Jana Bugden (PC)	11	9	4	--	20	(60:00)
Melissa Bourdon (UNH)	7	13	10	--	30	(59:15)
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