Field Hockey Resumes Play Against BIG EAST Foe Quinnipiac

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Providence College field hockey team will host Quinnipiac in BIG EAST regular-season play on Sunday, March 21. The match will be played at Lennon Family Field in Providence, R.I. and is scheduled to begin at 12:00 p.m. It marks the second of four games between the two teams this spring. Quinnipiac claimed a 2-1 victory in the first meeting on March 5 in Hamden, Conn.

SCOUTING PROVIDENCE:
• The Friars enter the weekend with an 0-3 record, with two losses to No. 6 Connecticut on Feb. 28 (4-0) and March 7 (3-0) and one loss to Quinnipiac on March 5 (2-1).

• In the first meeting between against Quinnipiac, the Friars held a 9-6 advantage in shots, while penalty corners were even at four apiece (4-4).

• The Friars got their lone goal from junior Niamh Gowing (Dublin, Ireland) at 48:01, as she deflected an initial shot off the stick of Maddie Babineau (Grimsby, Ontario), who was credited with an assist on the play. Quinnipiac scored the game-winning goal at 54:39 as Julianna Cappello put home her own rebound.

• Junior Camryn Kelbaugh (Hampstead, Md.) has played 180 minutes in the cage for Providence this season. She enters the weekend with a 3.00 goals against average and a 0.571 save percentage.

• Providence did not play last week, as its scheduled games against Old Dominion were canceled due to COVID-related issues within the Monarchs' program.

• The Friars were picked to finish fourth in the 2020-21 Preseason BIG EAST Coaches' Poll.

• Babineau was named a unanimous selection to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team. Last season, she tallied eight points on two goals and four assists.

• The Friars' leading returning scorers are senior forward Olivia Ward (Havelock North, New Zealand) Gowing. Ward finished with 10 points on five goals, while Gowing notched 10 points on four goals and two assists.

• Providence lost its top two scorers from a season ago in All-BIG EAST selections Izzy Mendez (20 points) and Mary O'Reilly (16 points).

• The Friars also lost goalkeeper Lydia Rice, who now serves as a graduate assistant coach for the program. Rice spent the last two seasons as a starter for the Friars and is a two-time All-BIG EAST selection. She completed the 2019 campaign with a 1.30 goals against average, 0.748 save percentage and six shut-out victories. She also was named to the BIG EAST All-Tournament Team in 2019.

• Providence finished the 2019 campaign with a 12-7 overall record and a 4-3 mark in BIG EAST play (fourth place).

• Providence was ranked as high as No. 25 in the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I National Coaches' Poll, where it remained for four-straight weeks to end the regular-season.

• Providence qualified for the BIG EAST Tournament in 10 of the last 14 seasons, including an active streak of four-straight appearances from 2016-2019. Providence, Connecticut and Liberty are the only teams to have qualified for each of the last four BIG EAST Tournaments.

SCOUTING QUINNIPIAC:
• Quinnipiac enters the weekend with a 1-2 overall record. The Bobcats are coming off back-to-back losses against Villanova on March 13 (3-2) and March 14 (5-0).

• Olivia Howard leads Quinnipiac in scoring with five points on two goals and one assist. Cappello ranks second on the team with four points on two goals.

• Nina Santore has played 174 minutes in the cage and owns a 3.11 goals against average and a 0.640 save percentage.

• The Bobcats finished the 2019 season with a 5-13 overall record and a 2-5 mark in BIG EAST play.

• Quinnipiac was picked to finish sixth in the 2020-21 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll.

• Quinnipiac lost three of its top-four scorers from a season ago, including Bianka Strubbe's team-best 21 points (9 goals, 3 assists).

- GO FRIARS! -

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Players Mentioned

Maddie Babineau

Niamh Gowing

Camryn Kelbaugh

Izzy Mendez

Mary O'Reilly

Lydia Rice

Olivia Ward