Field Hockey Set To Compete In BIG EAST Semifinal Against No. 3 Connecticut

PROVIDENCE COLLEGE SET TO COMPETE AT 2019 BIG EAST TOURNAMENT... The Providence College Friars will enter the 2019 BIG EAST Tournament as the No. 4 seed and will face top-seeded and No. 3 ranked Connecticut in the semifinals on Friday, Nov. 8 at 11:00 in Hamden, Conn.

BIG EAST DIGITAL NETWORK... Each game of the 2019 BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship will be broadcast live on the BIG EAST Digital Network. To watch BIG EAST Digital Network (BEDN) content, download the Caffeine app for your mobile device. Content is supported via a desktop computers/laptops using Chrome and Firefox, by navigating to http://www.Caffeine.tv/BEDN. The games also will be streamed live on http://www.youtube.com/BigEastConference.

ALL-TIME AT THE BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP... The Friars are making their 20th appearance all-time at the BIG EAST Championship. The Friars' 20 appearances are third-most by an institution (accounting for current and past membership). The program has posted a 9-17 all-time record at the championship, winning the tournament title in 1989 and 1991, and finishing runner-up five times (1990, 1996, 2000, 2006, 2007).

BIG EAST TOURNAMENT QUALIFICATION... The Friars have qualified for the BIG EAST Tournament in 10 of the last 14 seasons, including four-straight appearances from 2016 to 2019. The last time Providence made a stretch of four-straight appearances in the BIG EAST Tournament dates back to 2006-2009.

USUAL SUSPECTS... Only Providence, Connecticut and Liberty have qualifed for each of the last four BIG EAST Field Hockey Tournaments. The fourth team in the tournament during the four-year stretch has been a mix of Old Dominion (2017, 2019), Villanova (2018) and Temple (2016).

VETERAN PRESENCE... The Friars boast an experienced roster, bolstered by seven seniors and two graduate students. Seven of the nine veterans have been fixtures in the starting line-up.

FRIARS IN OVERTIME... The Friars have posted a 3-1 record in overtime games this season, including a 2-1 mark in games decided by a penalty shootout. Over the last five years, Providence has earned a 12-5 record in overtime games, including a 9-1 mark vs. BIG EAST Conference opponents. The lone blemish in OT during that span came against No. 22 Old Dominion (4-3; 2OT/SO) earlier this season on Sept. 20.

THE FRIARS VS. NATIONALLY-RANKED OPPONENTS... Providence is 1-5 vs. nationally ranked opponents this season. The Friars defeated 24th-ranked Maine, 5-4, in overtime, but have fallen to No. 13 Boston College (2-1), No. 22 Old Dominion (4-3, 2OT/SO), No. 6 Louisville (2-0), No. 3 Connecticut (3-0) and No. 18 Liberty (2-0). Additionally, the Friars suffered a 2-1 setback at Fairfield on Sept. 22 and the Stags entered the national poll the following week.

FRIARS VS. UNRANKED TEAMS... The Friars have played 12 unranked opponents this season and have held a 30-8 advantage in goals during those matches, including six shut-out victories. Providence posted an 11-1 record vs. unranked teams, with the one loss coming against Fairfield (2-1), who entered the national poll on Sept. 24.

PROVIDENCE VS. THE TOURNAMENT FIELD... The Providence College field hockey team is 0-3 vs. the 2019 BIG EAST Tournament field. The Friars fell to top-seeded Connecticut, 3-0, on Oct. 11. Providence fell to Old Dominion in a penalty shootout, 4-3, on Sept. 20 and recently closed the regular-season schedule with a 2-0 loss at Liberty.

BALANCED ATTACK... Fourteen of the 16 field players who have seen game action on the roster have scored at least one point, including 12 different goal scorers. Four Friars have reached double figures in the points column, including seniors Izzy Mendez (20 points) and Mary O'Reilly (16 points), junior Olivia Ward (10 points) and sophomore Niamh Gowing (10 points).

IZZY MENDEZ PACES THE FRIAR OFFENSE... Senior Izzy Mendez leads the Friars in scoring with 20 points on nine goals and two assists. Each of her offensive totals are single-season career highs. Mendez is the first player to score 20+ points in a season since Adrienne Houle '17 tallied 21 points during the 2016 campaign.

LYDIA RICE PROVIDES SOLID PRESENCE IN THE CAGE... Graduate student Lydia Rice has logged 1139 minutes in the cage this season and has posted a 12-6 overall record, which includes six shut-out victories it marks the most shutouts by the team since 2009 (six) and the most shutouts by an individual goalkeeper in a single-season since 2007. That year, Rachel Chamberlain '10 registered seven clean sheets.

PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST SELECTIONS... Graduate student Corinne Kenney and senior Mary O'Reilly entered the 2019 campaign as Preseason All-BIG EAST selections. O'Reilly was an All-BIG EAST Second-Team selection in 2018 and also earned a spot on the BIG EAST All-Tournament Team. Kenney, who missed the 2016 season with an injury, returned for her final season of eligibility in 2019. She is a two-time All-BIG EAST selection, having earned Second-Team accolades in 2017 and First-Team recognition in 2018.

MARY O'REILLY SELECTED TO PLAY IN NFHCA SENIOR GAME... Mary O'Reilly has been selected to play in the Victory Sports Tours/NFHCA Division I Senior Game to be held in conjunction with the NCAA Field Hockey Championship weekend in Winston-Salem, N.C. The game is scheduled for Nov. 22 following completion of the NCAA Semifinals.

FRIARS LOOKING TO SNAP 17-GAME WINLESS STREAK TO THE HUSKIES... Providence College last defeated Connecticut during the 2006 campaign with a 2-1 win in the regular-season finale at Lennon Family Field in Providence, R.I. The victory gave the Friars a share of the BIG EAST regular-season title. The two teams met again that year in the Championship Game. The game was tied, 3-3, as regulation was winding down. The Huskies won the game with 39-seconds left as Lizzy Peijs converted a penalty stroke. Providence has lost 17-straight games to the Huskies heading into this year's BIG EAST Tournament.

CONNECTICUT TIES... Providence College Head Coach Diane Madl is a 1989 graduate of Connecticut, where she was a two-time All-American and helped the Huskies capture the NCAA title in 1985. In 1989, Madl was the recipient of the Honda Broderick Award as the nation's top field hockey player.

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Players Mentioned

Niamh Gowing

Corinne Kenney

Izzy Mendez

Mary O'Reilly

Lydia Rice

Olivia Ward