Final Score: Vermont 4, Providence 3
BURLINGTON, Vt. – Taylor Willard scored the game-winning goal for Vermont with four seconds left in regulation as the Catamounts capped their third period comeback to defeat Providence 4-3 Saturday night in Hockey East action from Gutterson Fieldhouse.
 
RELATED LINKS
Box Score
CatamounTV Highlights
 
The Friars opened the scoring with 2:26 left in the opening frame. In transition Cassidy Carels fed a cross-ice pass to Christina Putigna. Putigna one-touched the puck to Brooke Boquist in the slot and Boquist beat Vermont's Molly Depew with a quick wrist shot for her fifth goal of the season.
 
Shortly after the Friars go-ahead goal the Catamounts earned their first power play opportunity of the game. Vermont took advantage with 47 seconds left in the first period. Willard fired a shot from the point that hit Dayna Colang in front of the net. Colang gathered the puck and fired it towards Providence's Alanna Serviss. Serviss made the initial save but Alyssa Gorecki was able to fight through traffic to poke it in for her second goal of the season.
 
Madison Sansone continued her goal-scoring streak midway through the second period to give the Friars a one-goal lead. On the power play she one-timed a pass from Boquist past Depew for her fifth goal in the last three games. Putigna was credited with the secondary assist on the tally, which came at the 9:34 mark.
 
Sansone struck again 41 seconds into the third period to give the Friars what appeared to be a commanding lead. Danielle Hardy found Sansone alone by the far post with a no-look pass and she tapped it in for her fourth goal of the weekend.
 
The Catamounts quickly responded with their own goal 42 seconds later. Katherine Pate and Sarah Kelly were cycling the puck down low before Bridget Baker skated out from behind the net and fired a quick shot that found the back of the net through traffic. The goal was the sixth of Baker's career in nine career games against Providence.
 
Vermont equalized with 11:25 left in regulation on Bella Webster's first goal of the season. A loose puck in the slot was batted forward by Daria O'Neill and Webster calmly gathered the puck and fired a wrist shot in the top corner past Serviss. Colang earned her second assist of the night on the Webster tally.
 
With 3:51 left in regulation the Catamounts received a bench minor for too many players on the ice. 1:10 into the Friars pivotal power play the Catamounts took another penalty for checking. In the ensuing five-on-three opportunity for the Friars Vermont didn't give up a single shot.
 
With six seconds left in regulation the Catamounts had an offensive zone faceoff. Colang won the puck back to Willard and as Victoria Andreakos crashed the net Willard fired a shot along the ice that Serviss never saw to register her first career game-winning goal.
 
"I'm very proud of the heart our team showed today," said head coach Jim Plumer. "We came out determined to win battles and control the play and it resulted in a win that was hard fought, and well-earned. I hope we can play with that kind of intensity throughout the rest of the season."
 
The Catamounts return to action next weekend as they hit the road and continue Hockey East play. On Friday Vermont will face Connecticut at 7 p.m. in Storrs before traveling to No. 7 Northeastern for a 2:30 p.m. faceoff Saturday afternoon. Vermont's matchup with the Huskies on Saturday will be its sixth this season against a ranked opponent.
 
NOTES: Vermont is now 8-1-1 in its last 10 games against Providence … Dayna Colang has six points in Vermont's last three games, and she continues to lead the team in scoring with nine points … Casey Leveillee won 70% of the faceoffs she took to lead both teams … Taylor Willard was named the game's first star.