Completed Event: Women's Ice Hockey at #10/11 Clarkson University on October 24, 2026 , Loss , 1, to, 6
Women's Ice Hockey
at #10/11 Clarkson University
Final
1
-
6
Friday, November 13
Storrs, Conn.
2:00 PM
Providence College
at
University of Connecticut
Photo by: Jay Ruzicka
11/12/2026 11:30:00 AM | Women's Ice Hockey
The Friars will compete in a weekend series against the Huskies beginning Friday, Nov. 13 on the road in Storrs, Conn. They will then return to Providence, R.I. to face off at Schneider Arena on Saturday, Nov. 14.
GAME INFORMATION VS. CONNECTICUT
NOVEMBER 13 | TOSCANO FAMILY ICE FORUM | STORRS, CONN. | 2:00 PM
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NOVEMBER 14 | SCHNEIDER ARENA | PROVIDENCE, R.I. | 2:00 PM
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Game Program
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Providence College women's hockey team will face off in a Hockey East matchup against No. 11/10 University of Connecticut in a home-and-home series on Friday, Nov. 13 and Saturday, Nov. 14. The Friars will start the series on the road at the Toscano Family Ice Forum in Storrs, Conn. for a 2:00 p.m. puck drop on Friday, followed by a 2:00 p.m. start time at home in Schneider Arena on Saturday.
SCOUTING THE FRIARS
Providence enters the weekend series 5-7-0 overall and 3-3-0 in conference after splitting their weekend series against New Hampshire. On Friday, Nov. 6 the Friars were defeated, 3-1, on the road. Sophomore Taylor Leemrijse (Toronto, Ontario) scored the lone goal for the Friars and her first of the season, while freshman Cameryn Shiels (Surrey, British Columbia) recorded her first career assist. The following day, the Friars bounced back for a 4-2 victory on Saturday, Nov. 7 for their first Hockey East win at Schneider Arena this season. Three different Friars scored in the victory, as sophomore Reese Strauts (Brandon, Wis.) recorded her first goal of the season and senior Audrey Knapp (Stevens Point, Wis.), sophomore Bella Paolucci (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.) and junior Josie Lang (Stillwater, Minn.) all recorded multi-point games. The two points marked the first multi-point game for both Paolucci and Lang, and Knapp's marked the 21st of her career and fourth of the season. Freshman goaltender Bianca Birrittieri (Flower Mound, Texas) returned to the ice on Saturday and recorded 32 saves.
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.
BIANACA 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 HUSKIES
Connecticut enters the weekend series as No. 11/10 in the polls. In their most recent matchup, the Huskies swept No. 15 Boston College to improve to 6-4-2 overall and 3-0-1 in conference to stay undefeated in Hockey East play. Across the series, the Huskies allowed just two goals across the two games. On Friday, Nov. 6, Connecticut netted four straight goals in a 4-1 victory against the Eagles to open the series at home. On Saturday, UConn finished the sweep in a 2-1 victory, with a last-minute game-winning goal from the Huskies. Connecticut is currently on a three-game win streak and are undefeated at home this season (5-0-1). The Huskies rank first in conference in faceoff win percentage at 0.562 and second in team shutouts with three.
WHO TO WATCH FOR CONNECTICUT
Freshman forward Caileigh Tiller leads Connecticut in two major categories with her seven goals and 14 points on the season. In the weekend matchup, she recorded one goal and two assists across two games, grabbing her fourth multi-point game with the Huskies. She leads the team with a +8 plus/minus rank. Tiller ranks first in conference in two categories, totaling 144 face-offs wins to put her seventh nationally and her seven goals ranks first among all freshman in conference. The freshman has been named Rookie of the Week three times this season.
Junior forward Claire Murdoch returns for her junior year after being named the Unanimous Hockey East Rookie of the Year and a Hockey East Second Team member in her past two seasons. She currently leads Connecticut in assists, totaling 10 so far on 12 points for the Huskies. Against BC, Murdoch recorded her fourth multi-point game this season with two assists in the 4-1 victory. In her sophomore campaign, she posted nine goals and 23 assists for 32 points.
ALL-TIME SERIES WITH THE HUSKIES
Providence leads the all-time series, 42-30-12. Providence's last victory against Connecticut came during the 2024-25 season on Feb. 15 in a 4-2 win at home. The last time they won in Storrs, Conn. was Feb. 11, 2022 when the Friars beat the Huskies in a 2-1 victory on the road. The Huskies currently have a three-game win streak against the Friars, with UConn most recently defeating the Friars, 2-1, in overtime on Feb. 6, 2026.
-GO FRIARS!-
NOVEMBER 13 | TOSCANO FAMILY ICE FORUM | STORRS, CONN. | 2:00 PM
Watch Live on ESPN+
Live Stats
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NOVEMBER 14 | SCHNEIDER ARENA | PROVIDENCE, R.I. | 2:00 PM
Watch Live on ESPN+
Live Stats
X (@PCWHockey)
Instagram (@PCWHockey)
Game Program
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Providence College women's hockey team will face off in a Hockey East matchup against No. 11/10 University of Connecticut in a home-and-home series on Friday, Nov. 13 and Saturday, Nov. 14. The Friars will start the series on the road at the Toscano Family Ice Forum in Storrs, Conn. for a 2:00 p.m. puck drop on Friday, followed by a 2:00 p.m. start time at home in Schneider Arena on Saturday.
SCOUTING THE FRIARS
Providence enters the weekend series 5-7-0 overall and 3-3-0 in conference after splitting their weekend series against New Hampshire. On Friday, Nov. 6 the Friars were defeated, 3-1, on the road. Sophomore Taylor Leemrijse (Toronto, Ontario) scored the lone goal for the Friars and her first of the season, while freshman Cameryn Shiels (Surrey, British Columbia) recorded her first career assist. The following day, the Friars bounced back for a 4-2 victory on Saturday, Nov. 7 for their first Hockey East win at Schneider Arena this season. Three different Friars scored in the victory, as sophomore Reese Strauts (Brandon, Wis.) recorded her first goal of the season and senior Audrey Knapp (Stevens Point, Wis.), sophomore Bella Paolucci (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.) and junior Josie Lang (Stillwater, Minn.) all recorded multi-point games. The two points marked the first multi-point game for both Paolucci and Lang, and Knapp's marked the 21st of her career and fourth of the season. Freshman goaltender Bianca Birrittieri (Flower Mound, Texas) returned to the ice on Saturday and recorded 32 saves.
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.
BIANACA 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 HUSKIES
Connecticut enters the weekend series as No. 11/10 in the polls. In their most recent matchup, the Huskies swept No. 15 Boston College to improve to 6-4-2 overall and 3-0-1 in conference to stay undefeated in Hockey East play. Across the series, the Huskies allowed just two goals across the two games. On Friday, Nov. 6, Connecticut netted four straight goals in a 4-1 victory against the Eagles to open the series at home. On Saturday, UConn finished the sweep in a 2-1 victory, with a last-minute game-winning goal from the Huskies. Connecticut is currently on a three-game win streak and are undefeated at home this season (5-0-1). The Huskies rank first in conference in faceoff win percentage at 0.562 and second in team shutouts with three.
WHO TO WATCH FOR CONNECTICUT
Freshman forward Caileigh Tiller leads Connecticut in two major categories with her seven goals and 14 points on the season. In the weekend matchup, she recorded one goal and two assists across two games, grabbing her fourth multi-point game with the Huskies. She leads the team with a +8 plus/minus rank. Tiller ranks first in conference in two categories, totaling 144 face-offs wins to put her seventh nationally and her seven goals ranks first among all freshman in conference. The freshman has been named Rookie of the Week three times this season.
Junior forward Claire Murdoch returns for her junior year after being named the Unanimous Hockey East Rookie of the Year and a Hockey East Second Team member in her past two seasons. She currently leads Connecticut in assists, totaling 10 so far on 12 points for the Huskies. Against BC, Murdoch recorded her fourth multi-point game this season with two assists in the 4-1 victory. In her sophomore campaign, she posted nine goals and 23 assists for 32 points.
ALL-TIME SERIES WITH THE HUSKIES
Providence leads the all-time series, 42-30-12. Providence's last victory against Connecticut came during the 2024-25 season on Feb. 15 in a 4-2 win at home. The last time they won in Storrs, Conn. was Feb. 11, 2022 when the Friars beat the Huskies in a 2-1 victory on the road. The Huskies currently have a three-game win streak against the Friars, with UConn most recently defeating the Friars, 2-1, in overtime on Feb. 6, 2026.
-GO FRIARS!-
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