SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Thanks to a four-goal outburst in the second period, the No. 3 Wisconsin women's hockey team opened their 2015-16 season in decisive fashion with a 5-1 win over Providence College at Sharks Ice. 

"Being the first game of the year, obviously there are some jitters and nervousness," UW head coach Mark Johnson said. "It looked like both teams were working hard but not very smart in the first period. Overall, we're at the starting gates and now we got a chance to look like what we look like against an opponent.

"It was a good game, we killed some penalties in the third period and got some production in the second period and now the nice thing is we can look at ourselves and try to make strides of improvement."

UW netminder Ann-Renee Desbiens recorded 18 saves on the night, and the Badgers saw ten different players tally a point in the matchup.

Providence struck first, as Kate Friesen took a quick shot from the circle that slipped past Desbiens to give the Friars a 1-0 lead over the Badgers. 

Late in the first period during 4-on-4 action, Jenny Ryan slapped a bullet from the blue line that Annie Pankowski redirected for the Badgers' first score of the season, tying the match back up at 1-1. 

Wisconsin followed up its late first-period strike with four goals in the second.

Junior Sarah Nurse lit the lamp just 87 seconds in to the second period, scoring on a one-on-one. Channell recorded her second assist of the night, along with an assist from Sydney McKibbon. 

Just over a minute later, Mikayla Johnson notched the Badgers' third goal with assists from Kim Drake and Lauren Williams to give UW a two-goal advantage.

After nearly 14 minutes of scoreless action, Molly Doner's slap shot from the blue line was initially saved by PC goaltender Sarah Bryant, but dropped onto the goal line and popped into the net for a 4-1 lead.

With only nine seconds left in the second period, Katy Harding scored a goal of her own, a snipe from the circle that ricocheted off the pipe and in to give the Badgers a 5-1 lead heading into the second intermission. Both Johnson and UW captain Courtney Burke were credited with the assists. 

Through a scoreless third period, the Badgers held the Friars to just two shots on net. Providence had five power-play opportunities within the last frame of play, but the Friars were unable to capitalize against a dominant Badger penalty kill.

The Badgers outshot Providence 38-19 on the night, including 31 shots on net during the first two periods. 

The two teams wrap up their California series on Saturday with a 5 p.m. (CT) tilt at Sharks Ice
.