Field Hockey Opens 2019 Season Against A Pair Of Nationally-Ranked Opponents

PROVIDENCE, R.I.– The Providence College field hockey team will open the 2019 season against two nationally-ranked opponents. The Friars host No. 13 Boston College on Friday, Aug. 30 at Lennon Family Field in Providence, R.I., before traveling to No. 24 Maine on Sunday, Sept. 1 in Orono, Maine.

SCOUTING PROVIDENCE COLLEGE:
• The Friars were picked to finish third in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll, released on Aug. 23.

• Providence finished the 2018 campaign with an 11-8 overall record, including a 4-3 mark in the BIG EAST, which was good for third place.

• In 2019, Providence returns 14 letter winners from last year's team, including nine members of the starting line-up and five players who earned All-BIG EAST First or Second-Team recognition.

• The Friars have added six newcomers to the roster.

• Graduate student Corinne Kenney (Warrington, Pa.) and senior Mary O'Reilly (Longmeadow, Mass.) were named to the 2019 Preseason All-BIG EAST Team. The duo earned All-BIG EAST First and Second-Team honors, respectively, in 2018. Also earning All-BIG EAST honors last season were current graduate student Lydia Rice (Carle Place, N.Y.), junior Maddie Babineau (Milton, Ontario) and Izzy Mendez (Cedar Grove, N.J.). All three were selected to the Second Team.

• The Friars return their top-five scorers from a season ago and eight of their top-nine scoring threats overall. Allyson Parker is the squad's leading returning scorer, having tallied 17 points on six goals and five assists. Four of her six goals were game winners. Mendez led Providence in goals (seven), while Babineau paced the Friars with six assists.

• Rice returns the cage after spending the 2018 season as the team's full-time starter. She posted a 1.66 goals against average, .754 save percentage and five shut-out victories.

• Last season, Providence compiled a 3-0 record in overtime games, with all three victories coming during BIG EAST regular-season action.  The Friars have posted an 8-3 record in overtime games since 2016, including a perfect 7-0 record in BIG EAST play.

SCOUTING #13 BOSTON COLLEGE:
• Opens the season ranked 13th in the Penn Monto/NFHCA Preseason Coaches' Poll,

• The Eagles are coming off of a 10-9 season in 2018 and lost seven seniors to graduation along with freshman Eva Van de Mierop.  Each of the eight players played significant minutes on the field, as each started 12 or more games last season.

• Offensively, the Eagles lost their top three scorers from 2018 in Frederique Haverhals (22 points), Brooke Matherson (17 points) and Lucy Lytle (13 points).

• Elizabeth Warner is Boston College's top-returning scorer, having recorded 12 points on five goals and two assists.

• Fusine Govaert, who earned 2019 Preseason All-ACC honors, has played 38 games in her first two years at BC and has tallied 24 points on 11 goals and two assists.  She notched 11 points a year ago on five goals and one assist.

• The Eagles have two experienced goalkeepers in Jonna Kennedy and Sarah Dwyer. Kennedy played 11 games, and posted a 1.17 goals against average and a .787 save percentage. Dwyer started 12 games and registered a 1.54 goals against average, .653 save percentage and a 7-4 record.

• Boston College has won each of the last nine meetings between the two teams, including a 4-0 victory in the most recent game on Sept. 10, 2017 in Newton, Mass.  Providence last defeated Boston College on Oct. 1, 2008 in double-overtime, 2-1.

SCOUTING #24 MAINE:
• The Black Bears open the 2019 schedule at No. 19 Rutgers on Friday, Aug. 30 in Piscataway, N.J. before returning home to Orono, Maine to host the Friars.

• Maine is ranked 24^thin the Penn Monto/NFHCA Preseason Coaches' Poll and has been picked to finish second in the East Division of the America East Conference.

• The Black Bears finished the 2018 season with a 16-5 overall record and earned the No. 2 seed in the East Division of the America East Tournament.

• Maine lost its top-three scoring threats from the 2018 season, including Casey Crowley (28 points), Libby Riedl (26 points) and Samantha Wagg (24 points).

• Maine top returning scorers from a year ago are Brianna Ricker (21 points), Nina Keur (20 points) and Riley Field (18 points).  Ricker and Keur each tallied nine goals on the year, while Field contributed five goals and a team-best eight assists.

• Keur earned a spot on the America East All-Rookie Team last season.

• Mia Borley returns to the field for her sophomore season, having started 20 of Maine's 21 games. She posted a 1.36 goals against average and a .725 save percentage.

• Providence defeated Maine, 1-0, in the most recent meeting between the two teams on Aug. 25, 2017 in Providence, R.I.  The last time the two teams played in Orono, Maine was on Aug. 26, 2016. On that day, the Black Bears posted a 7-1 victory in the season opener for both teams.

WHAT'S NEXT:
• The Friars will host intra-state rivals Bryant (Sept. 6) and Brown (Sept. 8) at Lennon Family Field in Providence, R.I. The match against Bryant is scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m. and the Friars will close the weekend with a 4:00 p.m. match against the Bears.

2019 Providence College Field Hockey Honors & Awards

Corinne Kenney
Preseason All-BIG EAST

Mary O'Reilly
Preseason All-BIG EAST

- GO FRIARS! -

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Maddie Babineau

Corinne Kenney

Izzy Mendez

Mary O'Reilly

Allyson Parker

Lydia Rice