PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Freshman Julia Shaunessy scored the first two goals of her collegiate career, but the Boston University women's ice hockey team's furious third-period rally fell short as No. 10 Providence escaped with a 4-3 victory in a Hockey East quarterfinal contest on Sunday afternoon at Schneider Arena.

BU (6-6-0) trailed Providence (11-6-1), 4-1, entering the third period, but senior Kristina Schuler scored just 1:49 into the frame to cut the Providence lead to 4-2. Shaunessy added an extra-attacker marker with 10.6 seconds to play in an effort to keep the Terriers' season going, but Providence won the ensuing faceoff to close out the contest.

Junior Alex Allan, freshman Catherine Foulem, junior Kaleigh Donnelly and freshman Clare O'Leary all added one assist apiece. Senior goaltender Corinne Schroeder started and made 17 saves through two periods before junior Kate Stuart stopped all 10 shots she faced in the final 20 minutes.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Providence struck first just 2:14 into the proceedings when Brooke Becker snuck a shot past Schroeder.
• BU had three power plays in the opening 20 minutes but were unable to even the score. Sophomore Nadia Mattivi came the closest to scoring when her shot rang the crossbar.
• The Terriers thought they evened the score early in the second stanza, but a referee's whistle blew before the puck crossed the goal line,
• That proved to be a huge play, as Providence quickly extended its lead to 2-0 at 4:39 of the frame. That goal was originally ruled to be no good, but after review the officials changed their call.
• Providence made it 3-0 with a power-play goal at 15:36 of the second.
• Shaunessy got the Terriers back within two with 2:16 to play in the stanza with a terrific individual effort. She picked up a loose puck at the PC blue line, dangled past a defender and then uncorked a wrist shot inside the left post.
• The Friars answered with another power-play striker to take a 4-1 lead into the intermission.
• Schuler gave BU life just 1:49 into the third period when she collected a puck in the left faceoff circle, stickhandled past a defender and beat Sandra Abstreiter (22 saves) for her first goal of the season.
• Stuart's first save of the game was a crucial one, as she denied a Providence breakaway bid to keep the Terriers within two.
• BU continued to press for another goal and nearly scored on a 5-on-3, but senior Jesse Compher's diving effort went just wide.
• The Terriers pulled Stuart in favor of an extra attacker in the final minute and got within a goal when a Shaunessy wrist shot from the point found the back of the net with 10.6 seconds remaining in regulation.
• Providence won the ensuing faceoff however, to end the Terriers' rally.

GAME NOTES

• This was Shaunessy's first multi-point game of her brief Terrier career.
• She became the fourth Terrier rookie to score their first collegiate goal this year, joining Foulem, O'Leary and Lacey Martin.
• Shaunessy was one of six BU skaters to score at least two goals this season.
• The Terriers' streak of 27 straight successful penalty kills came to a close on Sunday.
• They allowed just three power-play goals all season, finishing the year with a 92.1% success rate.
• Stuart posted a 0.91 goals-against average and a .967 save percentage over her final four appearances of the season.