After two sluggish outings last weekend to start the season, the Clarkson University Women’s Hockey team put together a solid 60-minute effort on Saturday afternoon to earn its first victory of the season with a 3-0 blanking of Providence College at Cheel Arena.

The Golden Knights, who stand at 1-1-1 overall, host the University of Connecticut on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. to close out the non-league weekend in Potsdam.

Three different Knights recorded goals and sophomore Erica Howe (Ottawa, ONT) posted 18 stops to record the shutout against Providence (0-2-1).

Clarkson, which was outscored 5-0 combined in the two first periods last weekend, came out strong in the opening 20 minutes against the Friars to grab a 2-0 lead. Sophomore Shelby Nisbet (Wiseton, SASK) started the scoring with her first career goal, connecting on a quick shot from the bottom of the right circle at 3:56 off a pass from classmate Jamie Lee Rattray (Kanata, ONT). Senior defenseman Danielle Boudreau (Whitby, ONT) also set up the goal.

At 10:55, just 33 seconds into the first power play of the game, junior Danielle Skirrow (Trenton, ONT) tipped in defenseman Hailey Wood's (Lethbridge, ALB) shot from the point and into the back of the Friars’ net for a 2-0 Clarkson lead. Rattray earned her second assist of the game on the goal.

After a scoreless second period, the Green and Gold added another goal in the final frame when Mercer took a pass in front Skirrow and fired in her second goal of the season, a power-play marker at 2:12. Boudreau also assisted for her second helper of the game.

Clarkson outshot Providence 31-18. Howe made seven first-period saves, posted three stops in the second and closed out the game by turning aside eight shots in the third to post her third career shutout.

The Knights were 2-of-6 on the power play and killed off all four Providence extra-man opportunities.