Completed Event: Women's Ice Hockey versus #6/6 Quinnipiac University on October 3, 2026 , Loss , 1, to, 6
Women's Ice Hockey
vs #6/6 Quinnipiac University
Final
1
-
6
Friday, October 30
Orono, Maine
6:00 PM
Providence College
at
University of Maine
10/29/2026 10:45:00 AM | Women's Ice Hockey
The Friars will continue their six-game road trip with a weekend series against the Black Bears in Orono, Maine on Friday, Oct. 30 and Saturday, Oct. 31
GAME INFORMATION VS. MAINE
OCTOBER 30 | HAROLD ALFOND SPORTS ARENA | ORONO, MAINE | 6:00 PM
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OCTOBER 31 | HAROLD ALFOND SPORTS ARENA | ORONO, MAINE | 2:00 PM
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ORONO, Maine – The Providence College women's hockey team will face off against the University of Maine this weekend in a Hockey East matchup. Providence will head to Orono, Maine to kick off the weekend series against the Black Bears on Friday, Oct. 30 at 6:00 p.m., followed by a 2:00 p.m. start time on Saturday.
SCOUTING THE FRIARS
Providence enters the weekend series 3-5-0 overall and 1-1-0 in conference. On Friday, Oct. 23 the Friars were defeated, 5-1, by No. 10/11 Clarkson on Friday, Oct. 23 in Potsdam, N.Y. Senior Audrey Knapp (Stevens Point, Wis.) scored the lone goal for the Friars for her second of the season. The following day, the Friars were defeated, 6-1, on Saturday, Oct. 24. Knapp notched her second goal on the weekend and freshman goaltender Mallory Hartl (Askov, Minn.) recorded a career-high 43 saves. Freshman Mirella Martinelli (North Providence, R.I.) recorded her first career point with an assist.
NICOLE NORTON NAMED INTERIM HEAD COACH
It was announced on Aug. 16 that Providence College women's ice hockey Head Coach Matt Kelly stepped down. Assistant Coach Nicole Norton will take over the program as interim head coach, while Assistant Coach Katie Burt will be elevated to interim associate head coach.
HITTING THE ROAD
The Friars began their first of six straight road games against Boston College on Oct. 10. Providence defeated the Eagles 3-2 in overtime to start the consecutive road games before falling at No. 10/11 Clarkson twice last weekend.
FOUR FRIARS HEADED TO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Three Friar alumni (Sandra Abstreiter '22, '23G with Germany, Sara Hjalmarsson '22, '23G with Sweden and Noemi Neubauerová '23G with Czechia) and one current Friar (Emma Hofbauer with Austria) have been named to their respective nations for the 2026 IIHF World Championships in Denmark from Nov. 6-16. It will mark Neubauerová's eighth, Hjalmarsson's seventh, Abstreiter's sixth and Hofbauer's first World Championships.
DANIELLE SLOMINSKI JOINS STAFF AS ASSISTANT COACH
Head Coach Nicole Norton announced on Sept. 21 that Danielle Slominski has joined her staff as an assistant coach. Slominski spent the last two seasons at the University of Vermont, where she served as an assistant coach and director of hockey operations.
RETURNING FOR THE FRIARS
Providence returns senior forward Audrey Knapp (Stevens Point, Wis.), who reached 20-plus points for the second consecutive season last year. The rising senior posted seven goals and 16 assists for 23 points and was one of four Friars to reach the 20-point mark. In the 2024-25 season, Knapp was named a Hockey East First Team All-Star, tied for the conference lead in goals with 15 and finished the season with 35 points.
Senior forward Kiara Kraft (Churchville, N.Y.) and junior forward Emma Hofbauer (Vomperbach, Austria) also return for the Friars. Both players recorded 10-plus points with Kraft recording five goals and seven assists for 12 points while Hofbauer posted five goals and five assists for 10 points.
On defense, junior Hannah Clarke (Richmond Hill, Ont.) led the returning defenseman last season in points with one goal and seven assists for eight points.
FRESH FRIAR FACES
Providence welcomes 10 new players (two transfers and eight freshmen) to the roster for the 2026-27 season. Reese Strauts (Brandon, Wis.) and Hanna Olson (Andover, Minn.) are two sophomore transfers from St. Cloud State University and St. Lawrence University, respectively. The eight freshmen are Bianca Birrittieri (Flower Mound, Texas), Avery Ide (Skaneateles, N.Y.), Elizabeth Janovski (Stouffville, Ontario), Reese Kletke (Oakville, Ontario), Mirella Martinelli (North Providence, R.I.), Mackenzie Riches (Pickering, Ontario), Cameryn Shiels (Surrey, British Columbia) and Grace Van Volsen (Whitby, Ontario).
SANDRA ABSTREITER WINS WALTER CUP
Former Friar goaltender Sandra Abstreiter was a member of the Montréal Victoire PWHL team that won the Walter Cup in the 2025-26 season. Abstreiter became the first Friar to win the Walter Cup.
CINDY CURLEY TO THE HOCKEY HALL OF FAME
Cindy Curley '85 will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026 as announced on June 22, 2026. Curley ranks third all-time in Providence history with 225 career points and helped lead the Friars to their first two ECAC Championship titles in 1984 and 1985. She will join Cammi Granato '93 as the only Friar women's hockey alumni inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. The induction will be held on November 9 in Toronto, Ontario.
BIANCA BIRRITTIERI WINS GOLD
Freshman 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.
BIANCA BIRRITTIERI AND MIRELLA MARTINELLI INVITED TO USA HOCKEY WOMEN'S NATIONAL FESTIVAL
Freshman goaltender Bianca Birrittieri (Flower Mound, Texas) and freshman defenseman Mirella Martinelli (North Providence, R.I.) were invited to the 2026 USA Hockey Women's National Festival on Aug. 2-9 at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid, N.Y. The group was comprised of 46 collegiate players and 46 players under the age of 18. The festival marked Birrittieri's third appearance and Martinelli's second at the Festival.
REICHEN KIRCHMAIR SELECTED IN 2026 PWHL DRAFT
Former Friars Reichen Kirchmair (Oakville, Ontario) '26 was selected in the 2026 PWHL Draft. Kirchmair was chosen in the sixth round (64th overall) by PWHL San Jose. Kirchmair becomes the fifth Friar in program history to be selected in the PWHL Draft, joining Sandra Abstreiter '22, '23G (2023), Noemi Neubauerová '23G (2024), Sara Hjalmarsson '22, '23G (2025) and Brooke Becker '24, '25G (2025).
FORMER FRIARS AT 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.
HOCKEY EAST PRESEASON POLL
The Friars were picked to finish ninth in the Hockey East Preseason Poll, which was released on Wednesday, Sept. 16. Northeastern was picked first with 89 points overall and eight first place votes.
CAPTAINS NAMED
Hannah Clarke (Richmond Hill, Ont.) and Audrey Knapp were named captains for the 2026-27 season. Emma Hofbauer (Vomperbach, Austria) was named an alternate captain.
SCOUTING THE BLACK BEARS
Maine enters the weekend series coming off of a bye week and a 3-5-0 overall record, as the Black Bears begin Hockey East play this weekend. In their most recent matchup, Maine swept RPI as the Black Bears grabbed their second and third win of the season. On Friday, Oct. 16, the Black Bears netted a season-high five goals to win, 5-3, in their first road victory this year. Maine kept momentum going into the next day as they finished the sweep with a 3-1 victory against the Engineers. Maine was picked to finish above the Friars at eight in the Hockey East Preseason Poll, after receiving 33 points.
WHO TO WATCH FOR MAINE
Sophomore forward Mackenzie Podewell was recently named the Hockey East Player of the Week on Monday, Oct. 19. Against RPI, Podewell recorded four points on three goals and one assist, including both game-winning goals. Podewell is tied for first on the team in goals (3) and tied for second in points (5). In her freshman campaign, Podewell recorded six goals and 10 assists for 16 points across 31 games.
Junior defender Kendall Sundby recently was named the conference's Defender of the Week on Oct. 19 after recording two points on one goal and one assist against RPI. As a defender, she is one of two players on the team to have recorded a PP goal this season. Sundby ranks third on the team in points with four.
ALL-TIME SERIES WITH THE BLACK BEARS
Providence leads the all-time series, 55-17-15. Providence's last victory against Maine came on Oct. 31, 2025 in a 3-2 overtime win in Providence, R.I. The Friars ended the series with a tie, as the following day the Friars and Black Bears drew, 1-1, at Schneider Arena. Five of the last six matchups between the two programs have gone into overtime.
-GO FRIARS!-
OCTOBER 30 | HAROLD ALFOND SPORTS ARENA | ORONO, MAINE | 6:00 PM
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Live Stats
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OCTOBER 31 | HAROLD ALFOND SPORTS ARENA | ORONO, MAINE | 2:00 PM
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Live Stats
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ORONO, Maine – The Providence College women's hockey team will face off against the University of Maine this weekend in a Hockey East matchup. Providence will head to Orono, Maine to kick off the weekend series against the Black Bears on Friday, Oct. 30 at 6:00 p.m., followed by a 2:00 p.m. start time on Saturday.
SCOUTING THE FRIARS
Providence enters the weekend series 3-5-0 overall and 1-1-0 in conference. On Friday, Oct. 23 the Friars were defeated, 5-1, by No. 10/11 Clarkson on Friday, Oct. 23 in Potsdam, N.Y. Senior Audrey Knapp (Stevens Point, Wis.) scored the lone goal for the Friars for her second of the season. The following day, the Friars were defeated, 6-1, on Saturday, Oct. 24. Knapp notched her second goal on the weekend and freshman goaltender Mallory Hartl (Askov, Minn.) recorded a career-high 43 saves. Freshman Mirella Martinelli (North Providence, R.I.) recorded her first career point with an assist.
NICOLE NORTON NAMED INTERIM HEAD COACH
It was announced on Aug. 16 that Providence College women's ice hockey Head Coach Matt Kelly stepped down. Assistant Coach Nicole Norton will take over the program as interim head coach, while Assistant Coach Katie Burt will be elevated to interim associate head coach.
HITTING THE ROAD
The Friars began their first of six straight road games against Boston College on Oct. 10. Providence defeated the Eagles 3-2 in overtime to start the consecutive road games before falling at No. 10/11 Clarkson twice last weekend.
FOUR FRIARS HEADED TO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Three Friar alumni (Sandra Abstreiter '22, '23G with Germany, Sara Hjalmarsson '22, '23G with Sweden and Noemi Neubauerová '23G with Czechia) and one current Friar (Emma Hofbauer with Austria) have been named to their respective nations for the 2026 IIHF World Championships in Denmark from Nov. 6-16. It will mark Neubauerová's eighth, Hjalmarsson's seventh, Abstreiter's sixth and Hofbauer's first World Championships.
DANIELLE SLOMINSKI JOINS STAFF AS ASSISTANT COACH
Head Coach Nicole Norton announced on Sept. 21 that Danielle Slominski has joined her staff as an assistant coach. Slominski spent the last two seasons at the University of Vermont, where she served as an assistant coach and director of hockey operations.
RETURNING FOR THE FRIARS
Providence returns senior forward Audrey Knapp (Stevens Point, Wis.), who reached 20-plus points for the second consecutive season last year. The rising senior posted seven goals and 16 assists for 23 points and was one of four Friars to reach the 20-point mark. In the 2024-25 season, Knapp was named a Hockey East First Team All-Star, tied for the conference lead in goals with 15 and finished the season with 35 points.
Senior forward Kiara Kraft (Churchville, N.Y.) and junior forward Emma Hofbauer (Vomperbach, Austria) also return for the Friars. Both players recorded 10-plus points with Kraft recording five goals and seven assists for 12 points while Hofbauer posted five goals and five assists for 10 points.
On defense, junior Hannah Clarke (Richmond Hill, Ont.) led the returning defenseman last season in points with one goal and seven assists for eight points.
FRESH FRIAR FACES
Providence welcomes 10 new players (two transfers and eight freshmen) to the roster for the 2026-27 season. Reese Strauts (Brandon, Wis.) and Hanna Olson (Andover, Minn.) are two sophomore transfers from St. Cloud State University and St. Lawrence University, respectively. The eight freshmen are Bianca Birrittieri (Flower Mound, Texas), Avery Ide (Skaneateles, N.Y.), Elizabeth Janovski (Stouffville, Ontario), Reese Kletke (Oakville, Ontario), Mirella Martinelli (North Providence, R.I.), Mackenzie Riches (Pickering, Ontario), Cameryn Shiels (Surrey, British Columbia) and Grace Van Volsen (Whitby, Ontario).
SANDRA ABSTREITER WINS WALTER CUP
Former Friar goaltender Sandra Abstreiter was a member of the Montréal Victoire PWHL team that won the Walter Cup in the 2025-26 season. Abstreiter became the first Friar to win the Walter Cup.
CINDY CURLEY TO THE HOCKEY HALL OF FAME
Cindy Curley '85 will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026 as announced on June 22, 2026. Curley ranks third all-time in Providence history with 225 career points and helped lead the Friars to their first two ECAC Championship titles in 1984 and 1985. She will join Cammi Granato '93 as the only Friar women's hockey alumni inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. The induction will be held on November 9 in Toronto, Ontario.
BIANCA BIRRITTIERI WINS GOLD
Freshman 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.
BIANCA BIRRITTIERI AND MIRELLA MARTINELLI INVITED TO USA HOCKEY WOMEN'S NATIONAL FESTIVAL
Freshman goaltender Bianca Birrittieri (Flower Mound, Texas) and freshman defenseman Mirella Martinelli (North Providence, R.I.) were invited to the 2026 USA Hockey Women's National Festival on Aug. 2-9 at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid, N.Y. The group was comprised of 46 collegiate players and 46 players under the age of 18. The festival marked Birrittieri's third appearance and Martinelli's second at the Festival.
REICHEN KIRCHMAIR SELECTED IN 2026 PWHL DRAFT
Former Friars Reichen Kirchmair (Oakville, Ontario) '26 was selected in the 2026 PWHL Draft. Kirchmair was chosen in the sixth round (64th overall) by PWHL San Jose. Kirchmair becomes the fifth Friar in program history to be selected in the PWHL Draft, joining Sandra Abstreiter '22, '23G (2023), Noemi Neubauerová '23G (2024), Sara Hjalmarsson '22, '23G (2025) and Brooke Becker '24, '25G (2025).
FORMER FRIARS AT 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.
HOCKEY EAST PRESEASON POLL
The Friars were picked to finish ninth in the Hockey East Preseason Poll, which was released on Wednesday, Sept. 16. Northeastern was picked first with 89 points overall and eight first place votes.
CAPTAINS NAMED
Hannah Clarke (Richmond Hill, Ont.) and Audrey Knapp were named captains for the 2026-27 season. Emma Hofbauer (Vomperbach, Austria) was named an alternate captain.
SCOUTING THE BLACK BEARS
Maine enters the weekend series coming off of a bye week and a 3-5-0 overall record, as the Black Bears begin Hockey East play this weekend. In their most recent matchup, Maine swept RPI as the Black Bears grabbed their second and third win of the season. On Friday, Oct. 16, the Black Bears netted a season-high five goals to win, 5-3, in their first road victory this year. Maine kept momentum going into the next day as they finished the sweep with a 3-1 victory against the Engineers. Maine was picked to finish above the Friars at eight in the Hockey East Preseason Poll, after receiving 33 points.
WHO TO WATCH FOR MAINE
Sophomore forward Mackenzie Podewell was recently named the Hockey East Player of the Week on Monday, Oct. 19. Against RPI, Podewell recorded four points on three goals and one assist, including both game-winning goals. Podewell is tied for first on the team in goals (3) and tied for second in points (5). In her freshman campaign, Podewell recorded six goals and 10 assists for 16 points across 31 games.
Junior defender Kendall Sundby recently was named the conference's Defender of the Week on Oct. 19 after recording two points on one goal and one assist against RPI. As a defender, she is one of two players on the team to have recorded a PP goal this season. Sundby ranks third on the team in points with four.
ALL-TIME SERIES WITH THE BLACK BEARS
Providence leads the all-time series, 55-17-15. Providence's last victory against Maine came on Oct. 31, 2025 in a 3-2 overtime win in Providence, R.I. The Friars ended the series with a tie, as the following day the Friars and Black Bears drew, 1-1, at Schneider Arena. Five of the last six matchups between the two programs have gone into overtime.
-GO FRIARS!-
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