Completed Event: Women's Ice Hockey versus #6/7 University of Connecticut on January 2, 2026 , Loss , 1, to, 4
Women's Ice Hockey
vs #6/7 University of Connecticut
Final
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Providence College Athletics
Friday, January 23
Worcester, Mass.
6:00 PM
Providence College
at
Holy Cross
Women’s Hockey Set For Home-And-Home Series With No. 14/RV Holy Cross
1/22/2026 9:19:00 AM | Women's Ice Hockey
The Friars are currently 7-15-2 overall and 4-8-2 in Hockey East play.
GAME INFORMATION VS. NO. 14/RV HOLY CROSS
JANUARY 23 | HART CENTER RINK | WORCESTER, MASS. | 6:00 PM
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JANUARY 24 | SCHNEIDER ARENA | PROVIDENCE, R.I. | 3:00 PM
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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Providence College women's hockey team is set for a home-and-home matchup against No. 14/RV Holy Cross. The Friars will travel to Worcester, Mass. on Friday, Jan. 23 to face the Crusaders at 6 p.m. Providence will then host Holy Cross on Saturday, Jan. 24 at Schneider Arena in Providence, R.I. Puck drop is set for 3 p.m. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+ while Friday's game will also be streamed on TSN+.
Scouting the Friars
Providence enters the weekend with a 7-15-2 overall record and a 4-8-2 mark in Hockey East play. The Friars sit ninth in the Hockey East standings with 13 points and are currently on a five-game losing streak. Last weekend in Hockey East play, Providence traveled to Chestnut Hill, Mass. to take on the Boston College Eagles. The Eagles defeated the Friars, 8-2. Senior Sarah Davies (Mississauga, Ontario) and sophomore Jessie Pellerin (Bowmanville, Ontario) scored for the Friars while freshman Mallory Hartl (Askov, Minn.) made her second appearance of the season. The Friars then traveled to New Haven, Conn. on Monday, Jan. 19 to face No. 10/11 Yale University. After heading to the third period tied 1-1, Providence fell to the Bulldogs, 4-2. Davies scored a goal for the third consecutive game in the loss.
Hitting The Road
The Friars will play three of their next four games and five of their next seven away from home. Providence is 3-10-0 on the road this season. The Friars have just four home games remaining in the regular season and are 4-5-2 at Schneider Arena this year.
Pellerin In The Dots
After moving to center this season, sophomore Jessie Pellerin (Bowmanville, Ontario) has won 230 faceoffs at a team-high 57.2 percent. Her faceoff wins rank fifth in Hockey East and 30th nationally.
Walinski Making Saves
Graduate student goaltender Hope Walinski has started all 24 games for the Friars this season. She has posted a 3.18 goals-against average, a .901 save percentage and 663 saves. Her 663 saves rank third in Hockey East and fifth nationally.
Future Friar Wins Gold
Incoming goaltender Bianca Birrittieri won gold with the United States national team at the U18 Women's World Championship in Cape Breton, Canada on Sunday, Jan. 18. Birrittieri played in four games for the United States and posted a 0.50 goals-against average, a .975 save percentage, two shutouts and a 4-0-0 record. In the gold medal game against Canada, Birrittieri recorded a shutout with 38 saves and was named Player of the Game. Birrittieri, originally from Flower Mound, Texas, will join the Friars next season.
Kirchmair-Knapp Duo
The duo of former Hockey East First Team All-Stars senior Reichen Kirchmair (Oakville, Ontario) and junior Audrey Knapp (Stevens Point, Wis.) lead the Friars in points this season. Kirchmair has 19 points in 24 games (nine goals and 10 assists) while Knapp has 18 points on six goals and 12 assists. Kirchmair, Knapp and senior Cristina Cavaliere (Mississauga, Ontario) are the only Friars with double-digit assists this season. Kirchmair is six points away from reaching 100 career points, aiming to become one of 29 players in program history to reach the mark.
Former Friars Headed To The Olympics
Former Providence College women's ice hockey players Sandra Abstreiter (Germany) '22, '23G, Sara Hjalmarsson (Sweden) '22, '23G and Noemi Neubauerová (Czechia) '23G have been selected to their respective national team rosters for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, scheduled for Feb. 5–19 in Italy. Abstreiter will be making her first Olympic appearance, Hjalmarsson her third and Neubauerová her second.
Finishing First Half Strong
The Friars won their final three games and were undefeated in their last four contests before the winter break. Following a 2-2 tie with Boston University on Nov. 22, Providence won the Mayor's Cup in a 3-2 overtime victory. The Friars closed the 2025 calendar year with a sweep of Merrimack College, earning a 3-2 overtime win at Schneider Arena and a 3-2 road victory.
Taking The Mayor's Cup
The Friars captured the 30th Mayor's Cup with a 3-2 overtime victory over No. 11/11 Brown University on Saturday, Nov. 29 at Meehan Auditorium in Providence, R.I. After falling behind 1-0 early in the first period, Providence tied the game in the third period on a goal from junior Kiara Kraft (Churchville, N.Y.) before junior Audrey Knapp (Stevens Point, Wis.) gave the Friars the lead. Brown later tied the game to force overtime, where Knapp scored the game-winning goal to secure the Mayor's Cup. Head Coach Matt Kelly is now 6-1-0 all-time against the Bears.
Ranked Start
The Friars opened the season playing seven of their first eight games against ranked opponents. Providence is 3-9-0 this season against ranked foes. Last year, the Friars went 7-5-0, their most ranked wins in a season under Head Coach Matt Kelly and the most since 2009-10. Including the 2025-26 season, Kelly holds a 24-49-6 record against ranked opponents at Providence.
Overtimes
Providence headed to overtime for the sixth time this season on Friday, Dec. 5 in a 3-2 victory over Merrimack College. Prior to the final game of 2025, the Friars' previous three games went to overtime. Providence holds a 4-0-2 record in overtime this season after going 4-1-3 in extra time last year. Under Head Coach Matt Kelly, the Friars are 18-10-22 all-time in overtime.
Power Play Opportunities
The Friars have had only 50 power play opportunities this season, the fewest in the country. Providence has scored eight goals on those 50 opportunities for a 15.7 percent success rate, which ranks 30th nationally and seventh in Hockey East. The Friars have had seven games this season with just one power play opportunity and three games with none.
Kirchmair Reaches 50 Career Goals
In the Friars' game against Boston University on Saturday, Nov. 22, senior Reichen Kirchmair (Oakville, Ontario) scored her 50th career goal. The last Friar to reach 50 career goals was Sara Hjalmarsson (2018-23), who finished with 62 and sits 20th all-time in program history. Cammi Granato (1989-93) tops the career goals list with 139.
Reichen Kirchmair Named Hockey East Player Of The Week
Senior Reichen Kirchmair (Oakville, Ontario) was named Hockey East Player of the Week on Monday, Oct. 27, marking her first weekly honor of the season. Kirchmair led the Friars with four goals in Friday's 7-6 overtime victory over No. 13/13 St. Thomas. She recorded a second-period hat trick in just 4:41 before netting the game-winner in overtime. The four-goal outing marked Kirchmair's second career hat trick, seventh three-point game, and second four-point game. It was also her 22nd career multi-point effort and 12th game-winning goal. Kirchmair is the first Friar to score four goals in a game since Sara Hjalmarsson did so against Maine on Nov. 19, 2022, and the first to record multiple hat tricks since Hjalmarsson, who tallied three in her career.
Returning for the Friars
Providence returns senior forward Reichen Kirchmair (Oakville, Ontario), the 2024-25 Cammi Granato Award winner as Hockey East Player of the Year and the league's scoring champion. She became the first Friar to earn Player of the Year honors since 2004-05 and the first to claim the scoring title since 2002-03. Kirchmair was the only unanimous selection to the Hockey East First Team after leading the league with 15 goals and 15 assists in conference play. The senior paced all league players with 19 goals and 18 assists for 37 points in 34 games.
Junior forward Audrey Knapp (Stevens Point, Wis.) also returns for the Friars after being named a Hockey East First Team All-Star last season. Knapp tied for the conference lead in goals with 15, alongside Kirchmair, making them the only Friars to achieve the feat in the Hockey East era with Sara Hjalmarsson in 2022-23. The junior finished the season with 19 goals and 16 assists for 35 points.
In net, graduate student Hope Walinski (Lincoln, R.I.) returns for Providence. Walinski started 33 games for the Friars, posting a 1.87 goals against average, a .922 save percentage, four shutouts and a 19-11-3 record. Walinski was awarded as a Hockey East Third Team All-Star and named to the "Watch List" for the National Goalie of the Year Award last season.
Largest Freshman Class Since 2008-09
Providence welcomes nine freshmen to the 2025-26 roster, the most in a single class since 2008-09.
Audrey Knapp Invited to USA Hockey Women's National Festival
Junior Audrey Knapp (Stevens Point, Wis.) was invited to the 2025 USA Hockey Women's National Festival on Aug. 3-9 at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid, N.Y. The group is made up of 76 college and professional players, along with 46 players under the age of 18. The Festival assisted in the evaluation process for the 2026 U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team.
Former Friars Selected in 2025 PWHL Draft
Former Friars Sara Hjalmarsson (Bankeryd, Sweden) '22, '23G and Brooke Becker (Orchard Park, N.Y.) '24, '25G were selected in the 2025 PWHL Draft. Hjalmarsson was chosen in the fifth round (35th overall) by the Toronto Sceptres, while Becker was taken in the sixth round (46th overall) by the Minnesota Frost. The duo becomes the third and fourth Friars in program history to be selected in the PWHL Draft, joining Sandra Abstreiter '22, '23G (2023) and Noemi Neubauerová '23G (2024).
Last Season's Second Half Climb
The Friars opened the second half of the 2024-25 season with an 8-1-0 record in January, their most wins in the month since 1998-99. Providence started the second half of the season in eighth place with 11 points through 11 games. From January through the end of the regular season, Providence earned points in 17 of its final 20 conference games, posting a 13-3-0 record in the second half, the best mark in Hockey East after the new year.
Hats Flying
Providence recorded four hat tricks in 2024-25, its most in a single season since 2004-05. Three of those came from current returners: Reichen Kirchmair, Audrey Knapp and Kiara Kraft.
Hockey East Preseason Poll
The Friars were picked to finish fifth in the Hockey East Preseason Poll, which was released on Monday, Sept. 16. Providence received 61 points and were picked to finish behind UConn (86), Boston University (82), Northeastern University (76) and Boston College (64). The Huskies and Terriers each received five first place votes.
Fresh Friar Faces
Providence welcomes 10 new players (one transfer and nine freshmen) to the roster for the 2025-26 season. Taylor Porthan (Edina, Minn.) is a sophomore from UConn. The nine freshmen are Molly Farace (Otonabee, Ontario), Sophie Harold (Cobourg, Ontario), Mallory Hartl (Askov, Minn.), Izzy King (Bedford, Mass.), Taylor Leemrijse (Toronto, Ontario), Lauren Mack (Excelsior, Minn.), Brenna O'Reilly (Burlington, Mass.), Bella Paolucci (Groose Pointe Woods, Mich.) and Sami Snyder (Waterloo, Ontario).
Friars Under Head Coach Matt Kelly
Including the 2025-26 campaign, Matt Kelly has posted an overall record of 132-102-27 (.557) and 100-72-21 (.573) in Hockey East play. Last season's 20 wins marked the third time during Kelly's tenure the Friars have reached the 20-win mark. In his inaugural season, the 2018-19 Friars tied the school-record with 24 wins.
In 2020-21, Kelly led the Friars to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005, marking the program's second appearance in school history. The Friars have reached the Hockey East Championship twice under Kelly, in 2020-21 and 2022-23.
Kelly Reaches 100 Hockey East Wins
Providence Head Coach Matt Kelly won his 100th Hockey East game in the 3-2 victory over Merrimack College on Dec. 6. With the win, Kelly become the second coach in program history to reach 100 Hockey East wins since the league's inception in 2002-03, joining Bob Deraney. He currently ranks third all-time in program history with 132 overall wins, trailing Deraney (319) and John Marchetti (264).
Through 40
In the Kelly era, the Friars are 89-8-6 when taking the lead into the third period. They are 28-21-14 when tied after two periods and 15-73-7 when trailing.
Three is the Number
Under Kelly, Providence is 100-7-3 all-time when scoring three or more goals. The Friars are 6-0-0 this season when scoring three goals. Last season, Providence went 18-1-0 when scoring three or more, including a perfect 10-0-0 mark when scoring four and 5-0-0 when scoring five.
Scouting the Crusaders
The No. 14/RV Holy Cross Crusaders enter the weekend ranked for the first time in program history. Holy Cross sits third in the Hockey East standings with 27 points through 15 games. The Crusaders have won their last two games, earning a 3-1 home victory against Boston College and a 4-2 road win over Boston University. Holy Cross is 8-6-1 in conference play, 9-3-1 at home this season and 7-4-0 on the road. The Crusaders have the top penalty kill unit in the country at 92.5 percent and rank fifth in the country in goals against at 1.5 per game.
Who to Watch for Holy Cross
Freshman forward Violet Carroll leads the Crusaders with 21 points on eight goals and 13 assists through 24 games. Carroll is tied for sixth among Hockey East scoring leaders and has earned Hockey East Rookie of the Week honors twice this season. Freshman forward Naemi Herzig ranks second on the team with 20 points on seven goals and 13 assists in 22 games.
In goal, senior Abby Hornung has started 16 games for the Crusaders this season. She has posted a 1.51 goals-against average, a .940 save percentage, two shutouts and a 10-5-1 record. Senior Brooke Loranger has also seen time in net, starting against Boston University last weekend and appearing in eight games this season. Loranger has recorded a 1.51 goals-against average, a .934 save percentage, two shutouts and a 6-2-0 record.
All-Time Series with the Crusaders
The Friars lead the all-time series, 21-0-1. Providence swept the season series last year with two wins at Schneider Arena and a 3-2 victory at the Hart Center. The first meeting between the two programs came during Head Coach Matt Kelly's inaugural season in 2018, when the Friars earned a 5-0 victory at Schneider Arena.
-GO FRIARS!-
JANUARY 23 | HART CENTER RINK | WORCESTER, MASS. | 6:00 PM
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JANUARY 24 | SCHNEIDER ARENA | PROVIDENCE, R.I. | 3:00 PM
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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Providence College women's hockey team is set for a home-and-home matchup against No. 14/RV Holy Cross. The Friars will travel to Worcester, Mass. on Friday, Jan. 23 to face the Crusaders at 6 p.m. Providence will then host Holy Cross on Saturday, Jan. 24 at Schneider Arena in Providence, R.I. Puck drop is set for 3 p.m. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+ while Friday's game will also be streamed on TSN+.
Scouting the Friars
Providence enters the weekend with a 7-15-2 overall record and a 4-8-2 mark in Hockey East play. The Friars sit ninth in the Hockey East standings with 13 points and are currently on a five-game losing streak. Last weekend in Hockey East play, Providence traveled to Chestnut Hill, Mass. to take on the Boston College Eagles. The Eagles defeated the Friars, 8-2. Senior Sarah Davies (Mississauga, Ontario) and sophomore Jessie Pellerin (Bowmanville, Ontario) scored for the Friars while freshman Mallory Hartl (Askov, Minn.) made her second appearance of the season. The Friars then traveled to New Haven, Conn. on Monday, Jan. 19 to face No. 10/11 Yale University. After heading to the third period tied 1-1, Providence fell to the Bulldogs, 4-2. Davies scored a goal for the third consecutive game in the loss.
Hitting The Road
The Friars will play three of their next four games and five of their next seven away from home. Providence is 3-10-0 on the road this season. The Friars have just four home games remaining in the regular season and are 4-5-2 at Schneider Arena this year.
Pellerin In The Dots
After moving to center this season, sophomore Jessie Pellerin (Bowmanville, Ontario) has won 230 faceoffs at a team-high 57.2 percent. Her faceoff wins rank fifth in Hockey East and 30th nationally.
Walinski Making Saves
Graduate student goaltender Hope Walinski has started all 24 games for the Friars this season. She has posted a 3.18 goals-against average, a .901 save percentage and 663 saves. Her 663 saves rank third in Hockey East and fifth nationally.
Future Friar Wins Gold
Incoming goaltender Bianca Birrittieri won gold with the United States national team at the U18 Women's World Championship in Cape Breton, Canada on Sunday, Jan. 18. Birrittieri played in four games for the United States and posted a 0.50 goals-against average, a .975 save percentage, two shutouts and a 4-0-0 record. In the gold medal game against Canada, Birrittieri recorded a shutout with 38 saves and was named Player of the Game. Birrittieri, originally from Flower Mound, Texas, will join the Friars next season.
Kirchmair-Knapp Duo
The duo of former Hockey East First Team All-Stars senior Reichen Kirchmair (Oakville, Ontario) and junior Audrey Knapp (Stevens Point, Wis.) lead the Friars in points this season. Kirchmair has 19 points in 24 games (nine goals and 10 assists) while Knapp has 18 points on six goals and 12 assists. Kirchmair, Knapp and senior Cristina Cavaliere (Mississauga, Ontario) are the only Friars with double-digit assists this season. Kirchmair is six points away from reaching 100 career points, aiming to become one of 29 players in program history to reach the mark.
Former Friars Headed To The Olympics
Former Providence College women's ice hockey players Sandra Abstreiter (Germany) '22, '23G, Sara Hjalmarsson (Sweden) '22, '23G and Noemi Neubauerová (Czechia) '23G have been selected to their respective national team rosters for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, scheduled for Feb. 5–19 in Italy. Abstreiter will be making her first Olympic appearance, Hjalmarsson her third and Neubauerová her second.
Finishing First Half Strong
The Friars won their final three games and were undefeated in their last four contests before the winter break. Following a 2-2 tie with Boston University on Nov. 22, Providence won the Mayor's Cup in a 3-2 overtime victory. The Friars closed the 2025 calendar year with a sweep of Merrimack College, earning a 3-2 overtime win at Schneider Arena and a 3-2 road victory.
Taking The Mayor's Cup
The Friars captured the 30th Mayor's Cup with a 3-2 overtime victory over No. 11/11 Brown University on Saturday, Nov. 29 at Meehan Auditorium in Providence, R.I. After falling behind 1-0 early in the first period, Providence tied the game in the third period on a goal from junior Kiara Kraft (Churchville, N.Y.) before junior Audrey Knapp (Stevens Point, Wis.) gave the Friars the lead. Brown later tied the game to force overtime, where Knapp scored the game-winning goal to secure the Mayor's Cup. Head Coach Matt Kelly is now 6-1-0 all-time against the Bears.
Ranked Start
The Friars opened the season playing seven of their first eight games against ranked opponents. Providence is 3-9-0 this season against ranked foes. Last year, the Friars went 7-5-0, their most ranked wins in a season under Head Coach Matt Kelly and the most since 2009-10. Including the 2025-26 season, Kelly holds a 24-49-6 record against ranked opponents at Providence.
Overtimes
Providence headed to overtime for the sixth time this season on Friday, Dec. 5 in a 3-2 victory over Merrimack College. Prior to the final game of 2025, the Friars' previous three games went to overtime. Providence holds a 4-0-2 record in overtime this season after going 4-1-3 in extra time last year. Under Head Coach Matt Kelly, the Friars are 18-10-22 all-time in overtime.
Power Play Opportunities
The Friars have had only 50 power play opportunities this season, the fewest in the country. Providence has scored eight goals on those 50 opportunities for a 15.7 percent success rate, which ranks 30th nationally and seventh in Hockey East. The Friars have had seven games this season with just one power play opportunity and three games with none.
Kirchmair Reaches 50 Career Goals
In the Friars' game against Boston University on Saturday, Nov. 22, senior Reichen Kirchmair (Oakville, Ontario) scored her 50th career goal. The last Friar to reach 50 career goals was Sara Hjalmarsson (2018-23), who finished with 62 and sits 20th all-time in program history. Cammi Granato (1989-93) tops the career goals list with 139.
Reichen Kirchmair Named Hockey East Player Of The Week
Senior Reichen Kirchmair (Oakville, Ontario) was named Hockey East Player of the Week on Monday, Oct. 27, marking her first weekly honor of the season. Kirchmair led the Friars with four goals in Friday's 7-6 overtime victory over No. 13/13 St. Thomas. She recorded a second-period hat trick in just 4:41 before netting the game-winner in overtime. The four-goal outing marked Kirchmair's second career hat trick, seventh three-point game, and second four-point game. It was also her 22nd career multi-point effort and 12th game-winning goal. Kirchmair is the first Friar to score four goals in a game since Sara Hjalmarsson did so against Maine on Nov. 19, 2022, and the first to record multiple hat tricks since Hjalmarsson, who tallied three in her career.
Returning for the Friars
Providence returns senior forward Reichen Kirchmair (Oakville, Ontario), the 2024-25 Cammi Granato Award winner as Hockey East Player of the Year and the league's scoring champion. She became the first Friar to earn Player of the Year honors since 2004-05 and the first to claim the scoring title since 2002-03. Kirchmair was the only unanimous selection to the Hockey East First Team after leading the league with 15 goals and 15 assists in conference play. The senior paced all league players with 19 goals and 18 assists for 37 points in 34 games.
Junior forward Audrey Knapp (Stevens Point, Wis.) also returns for the Friars after being named a Hockey East First Team All-Star last season. Knapp tied for the conference lead in goals with 15, alongside Kirchmair, making them the only Friars to achieve the feat in the Hockey East era with Sara Hjalmarsson in 2022-23. The junior finished the season with 19 goals and 16 assists for 35 points.
In net, graduate student Hope Walinski (Lincoln, R.I.) returns for Providence. Walinski started 33 games for the Friars, posting a 1.87 goals against average, a .922 save percentage, four shutouts and a 19-11-3 record. Walinski was awarded as a Hockey East Third Team All-Star and named to the "Watch List" for the National Goalie of the Year Award last season.
Largest Freshman Class Since 2008-09
Providence welcomes nine freshmen to the 2025-26 roster, the most in a single class since 2008-09.
Audrey Knapp Invited to USA Hockey Women's National Festival
Junior Audrey Knapp (Stevens Point, Wis.) was invited to the 2025 USA Hockey Women's National Festival on Aug. 3-9 at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid, N.Y. The group is made up of 76 college and professional players, along with 46 players under the age of 18. The Festival assisted in the evaluation process for the 2026 U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team.
Former Friars Selected in 2025 PWHL Draft
Former Friars Sara Hjalmarsson (Bankeryd, Sweden) '22, '23G and Brooke Becker (Orchard Park, N.Y.) '24, '25G were selected in the 2025 PWHL Draft. Hjalmarsson was chosen in the fifth round (35th overall) by the Toronto Sceptres, while Becker was taken in the sixth round (46th overall) by the Minnesota Frost. The duo becomes the third and fourth Friars in program history to be selected in the PWHL Draft, joining Sandra Abstreiter '22, '23G (2023) and Noemi Neubauerová '23G (2024).
Last Season's Second Half Climb
The Friars opened the second half of the 2024-25 season with an 8-1-0 record in January, their most wins in the month since 1998-99. Providence started the second half of the season in eighth place with 11 points through 11 games. From January through the end of the regular season, Providence earned points in 17 of its final 20 conference games, posting a 13-3-0 record in the second half, the best mark in Hockey East after the new year.
Hats Flying
Providence recorded four hat tricks in 2024-25, its most in a single season since 2004-05. Three of those came from current returners: Reichen Kirchmair, Audrey Knapp and Kiara Kraft.
Hockey East Preseason Poll
The Friars were picked to finish fifth in the Hockey East Preseason Poll, which was released on Monday, Sept. 16. Providence received 61 points and were picked to finish behind UConn (86), Boston University (82), Northeastern University (76) and Boston College (64). The Huskies and Terriers each received five first place votes.
Fresh Friar Faces
Providence welcomes 10 new players (one transfer and nine freshmen) to the roster for the 2025-26 season. Taylor Porthan (Edina, Minn.) is a sophomore from UConn. The nine freshmen are Molly Farace (Otonabee, Ontario), Sophie Harold (Cobourg, Ontario), Mallory Hartl (Askov, Minn.), Izzy King (Bedford, Mass.), Taylor Leemrijse (Toronto, Ontario), Lauren Mack (Excelsior, Minn.), Brenna O'Reilly (Burlington, Mass.), Bella Paolucci (Groose Pointe Woods, Mich.) and Sami Snyder (Waterloo, Ontario).
Friars Under Head Coach Matt Kelly
Including the 2025-26 campaign, Matt Kelly has posted an overall record of 132-102-27 (.557) and 100-72-21 (.573) in Hockey East play. Last season's 20 wins marked the third time during Kelly's tenure the Friars have reached the 20-win mark. In his inaugural season, the 2018-19 Friars tied the school-record with 24 wins.
In 2020-21, Kelly led the Friars to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005, marking the program's second appearance in school history. The Friars have reached the Hockey East Championship twice under Kelly, in 2020-21 and 2022-23.
Kelly Reaches 100 Hockey East Wins
Providence Head Coach Matt Kelly won his 100th Hockey East game in the 3-2 victory over Merrimack College on Dec. 6. With the win, Kelly become the second coach in program history to reach 100 Hockey East wins since the league's inception in 2002-03, joining Bob Deraney. He currently ranks third all-time in program history with 132 overall wins, trailing Deraney (319) and John Marchetti (264).
Through 40
In the Kelly era, the Friars are 89-8-6 when taking the lead into the third period. They are 28-21-14 when tied after two periods and 15-73-7 when trailing.
Three is the Number
Under Kelly, Providence is 100-7-3 all-time when scoring three or more goals. The Friars are 6-0-0 this season when scoring three goals. Last season, Providence went 18-1-0 when scoring three or more, including a perfect 10-0-0 mark when scoring four and 5-0-0 when scoring five.
Scouting the Crusaders
The No. 14/RV Holy Cross Crusaders enter the weekend ranked for the first time in program history. Holy Cross sits third in the Hockey East standings with 27 points through 15 games. The Crusaders have won their last two games, earning a 3-1 home victory against Boston College and a 4-2 road win over Boston University. Holy Cross is 8-6-1 in conference play, 9-3-1 at home this season and 7-4-0 on the road. The Crusaders have the top penalty kill unit in the country at 92.5 percent and rank fifth in the country in goals against at 1.5 per game.
Who to Watch for Holy Cross
Freshman forward Violet Carroll leads the Crusaders with 21 points on eight goals and 13 assists through 24 games. Carroll is tied for sixth among Hockey East scoring leaders and has earned Hockey East Rookie of the Week honors twice this season. Freshman forward Naemi Herzig ranks second on the team with 20 points on seven goals and 13 assists in 22 games.
In goal, senior Abby Hornung has started 16 games for the Crusaders this season. She has posted a 1.51 goals-against average, a .940 save percentage, two shutouts and a 10-5-1 record. Senior Brooke Loranger has also seen time in net, starting against Boston University last weekend and appearing in eight games this season. Loranger has recorded a 1.51 goals-against average, a .934 save percentage, two shutouts and a 6-2-0 record.
All-Time Series with the Crusaders
The Friars lead the all-time series, 21-0-1. Providence swept the season series last year with two wins at Schneider Arena and a 3-2 victory at the Hart Center. The first meeting between the two programs came during Head Coach Matt Kelly's inaugural season in 2018, when the Friars earned a 5-0 victory at Schneider Arena.
-GO FRIARS!-
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/ Women's Ice HockeyWomen's Ice Hockey vs. Northeastern
Saturday, February 16
Women's Ice Hockey vs. UConn
Saturday, February 02
Women's Ice Hockey vs. Boston College
Saturday, January 26
Women's Ice Hockey vs. New Hampshire
Saturday, January 19
