Northeastern women’s hockey (16-5, 12-1 HE) fought off the Providence College Friars (7-13-2, 4-7-2 HE) in a victorious four-point second period that led to a 5-2 win Jan. 9. This was the second time the Huskies faced the Friars after winning 4-0 Oct. 10.
Cementing herself once again as Northeastern’s power house, freshman forward Stryker Zablocki earned the second hat trick of her collegiate career and an additional assist. Zablocki’s impact has been massive this season, scoring 11 goals.
A minute after killing a Providence power play, senior forward Sarah Davies found the net after a sharp assist from senior forward and captain Reichen Kirchmair 12 minutes into the opening period. By the end of the first period, the score was still 1-0, and the Huskies had taken just 11 shots to Providence’s 23. Northeastern looked like it could easily fall once again as it did at Yale University Jan. 6.
The second period turned everything around. The Huskies made more goals in a single period since Nov. 10, 2023, also against Providence. Just 13 seconds into a power play in the sixth minute, Zablocki took a shot from the faceoff circle to tie the game.
She was just getting started. Twenty seconds after a Providence power play just under 12 minutes in, senior forward Lily Shannon scrambled for the puck and passed it to Zablocki by the net, who slotted it in for a 2-1 game. Shannon is the first player in Hockey East to reach 30 points this season.
Three minutes later, in four-on-four play, Zablocki raced down the ice to find sophomore forward Éloïse Caron ready to take the final touch at the net. The Friars notched a second goal with two minutes to go in the second period, but it only fired up the Huskies. A minute later, sophomore forward Morgan Jackson won the puck behind the net and passed to junior forward Allie Lalonde by the net, who knocked it in for a 4-2 score.
In the final period, all it took was a power play for Zablocki to get her second hat trick of the season, mirroring her first goal with a strong wrist shot from the faceoff circle.
Sophomore goaltender Lisa Jönsson made a season-high 36 saves to keep the Huskies in the game. After a tough loss to Yale to start the new year, the Huskies showed their ability to turn a game around just in time for the Beanpot tournament to start Jan. 13 at 7:30 p.m. against the Boston University Terriers (5-11-3, 4-6-2 HE).
