No. 12 Princeton Roars Past Providence in Friendship Series Opener

Friday, January 5

Belfast, Northern Ireland (Friendship Series)

7:00 AM ET / 12:00 PM local

Princeton University

10-5-2

Providence

6-13-1

Providence

Princeton

Gabby Kim (2) had her first career goal and Issy Wunder (right) had two in the win.

Photo by: Shelley M. Szwast

No. 12 Princeton Roars Past Providence in Friendship Series Opener

January 05, 2024 | Women's Ice Hockey

Box Score

Putting the game away early against Providence, the No. 12-ranked Princeton women's hockey team was a 6-1 winner over the Friars in the first of two games between the teams in the Friendship Series on Friday afternoon at SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Emerson O'Leary flipped a long pass ahead for Issy Wunder on a breakway for a goal just more than four minutes into the game, and Fillier found rookie blueliner Gabby Kim at the top of the right circle for a blast and Kim's first career goal. With just a half a minute to go in the first period, Wunder made it 3-0 after Fillier found her going to goal in the right circle. The goal gave Wunder, who was selected as Player of the Game, her second two-goal game of the season along with Nov. 11 against Mercyhurst.

Princeton got right back at it in the second period with Fillier scoring off a draw O'Leary won to start a power play, blasting a shot from deep in the slot to make it 4-0 less than six minutes in. Teja Gatfield denied a Providence clearing attempt in the neutral zone with just less than seven minutes gone in the second period and gave it to Sarah Paul, whose shot through the slot found its way home for a 5-0 lead. Princeton's final goal also came from Paul, who blasted one home from the right faceoff dot with six-plus minutes left in the second.

O'Leary's three-assist game was her second in the team's last five contests, coming a little more than a month after her first such game, Dec. 1 vs. Rensselaer.

Uma Corniea turned in two shutout periods and made 15 saves before handing it off to Taylor Hyland, who stopped eight of nine shots.

All 6?? goals from today's win over Providence! Two each from Sarah Paul and Issy Wunder, one from Sarah Fillier, and the first career goal for Gabby Kim! pic.twitter.com/vgTIX0iAgw
— Princeton Women's Ice Hockey (@PWIH) January 5, 2024

Fillier's four-point game was a season high and made it 10 points in her last three games. Fillier last had four points against Quinnipiac on Jan. 29, 2023. The goal moved her into a tie for eighth on Princeton's all-time list with former teammate Maggie Connors '23 at 78 goals, and the three assists moved her up two spots to second place in program history alongside Mollie Marcoux '91 at 96. Fillier raised her career point total to 174, remaining fifth all-time but moving closer to Karen Chernisky '97 (176) in fourth.

Princeton and Providence will conclude the Friendship Series at 9 a.m. ET/2 p.m. local back at the SSE Arena.