Tag: Men’s ice hockey
Men’s Ice Hockey Season Comes to an End
by npatano on March 24, 2022
Friar Sports
Michael Callahan Signs Entry Deal with Boston Bruins
Justin Bishop ’24
Sports Staff
The Providence College Men’s Hockey team fell 4-2 against No. 11 University of Massachusetts Amherst on Saturday, March 12 in the Hockey East Tournament Quarterfinal after beating the University of Vermont 2-1 on Wednesday, March 9. The team entered the third period down 3-1 after Riley Duran ’25 scored his 10th goal of the year late in the second, but UMass put one in the empty net before Matt Koopman ‘21 potted his fifth of the year to cut the deficit to two with only 1:30 left. The Friars’ season comes to a disappointing end, and it seems they will just miss out on the NCAA Tournament again. Last year they were a COVID-19 bubble team but ended up not playing despite two teams dropping out due to positive tests. The team ended this season with a respectable record of 22-14-2 but finished 12-11-1 in conference play, putting them in seventh out of eleven in the Hockey East Conference. The Friars finished with the second most wins (22) in the conference next to Northeastern University which finished with 25 and were ranked first in the conference and No. 10 in the country. To put it simply, the Friars did not have a bad season; other teams in conference play just did better.
Bright spots this season for the team included winning 22 games. The Friars finished the season with both a top-10 Power-Play Percentage (PP%) and top 15 Penalty-Kill Percentage (PK%). Sophomore Brett Berard ’24 led the team in Goals (18), Points (38), and Penalty Minutes (37). Five Friars scored at least 10 goals this year, and 13 Friars had points in double digits. Jaxson Stauber ’23 had a stellar year and posted a 21-14-2 record while having a 2.10 Goals Against Average (GAA) along with a .921 Save Percentage (SV%) and put up four shutouts. The team defended Schneider Arena well with a 14-4-1 at home record.
However, the biggest news came out on Sunday, March 13, night as the Boston Bruins signed the captain of the Friars, Michael Callahan ’22, to a two-year entry-level contract. Callahan, who grew up in Franklin, MA, was a three-year captain of Providence and finished his college career with 73 points in 138 games. He was selected back in the 2018 Entry Draft where the Arizona Coyotes originally drafted him in the fifth round. The local kid will spend time in the Bruins American Hockey League affiliate, the Providence Bruins, so he does not have to get acclimated to a new city just yet.
This team has a bright future with a young core in Berard, Duran, Nick Poisson ‘24, Cody Monds ’25, Guillaume Richard ’25, and Chase Yoder ’24, who all were major pieces this past season. They will look to veteran leadership in Patrick Moynihan ’23, Jaxson Stauber, and Parker Ford ’23. The Friars will have at least eight drafted players on the team next year, and possibly more with the NHL Entry Draft occurring this summer. The Cowl will highlight the newcomers for next year’s season next fall, but names to keep an eye on this summer are Brady Berard, brother of current Friar Brett Berard from East Greenwich, RI; Chase DaFoe from Beverley, MA; and Cole Pelc out of Buffalo, NY. With a mix of experience from the current players along with the incoming talent, the team is preparing for a deep run next year to establish themselves as not only a Hockey East powerhouse, but also have a national presence.
Sports Shorts
by npatano on March 24, 2022
Sports Shorts
Sports Shorts
Margaret Maloney ’23
Sports Staff
Men’s Basketball
The Friars men’s basketball team began the NCAA Tournament in brilliant fashion starting Thursday, March 17 against the number 13 seed, South Dakota State University. The Friars came out victorious 66-57 with Al Durham ’22GS and Noah Horchler ’22GS scoring 13 points each. In the Round of 32, the Friars faced the number 12 seed, Richmond University. Ed Cooley’s team dominated, winning 79-51 with 16 points from Horchler. On Friday, March 25, the Friars will play Kansas University in the Sweet 16.
Women’s Basketball
The Friars’ women’s basketball team competed well in the first round of the Big East tournament, where they fell short to Georgetown University in the first round. An important highlight to note from this game is Emily Archibald ’25 hit her career high 21 points in the game. The team has a lot to be proud of this season, especially two players who earned All Big East recognition, Janai Crooms ’23 and Kylee Sheppard ’25. The Friars conclude their season with an 11-19 record.
Men’s Ice Hockey
The No. 20 Providence College men’s hockey team landed 47 shots on goal but came up short in a 4-2 Hockey East Quarterfinal loss to No. 12 ranked University of Massachusetts Amherst on Saturday, March 12 at the Mullins Center. The Friars had a great season and should be proud. They finished the 2021-22 year at 22-14-2 overall. Moreso, Brett Berard ’24 and Max Crozier ’23, who were named to the Hockey East third team.
Women’s Ice Hockey
The No. 7-seeded Providence College women’s hockey team was defeated by the No. 2 seeded University of Vermont, 4-1, in the quarterfinal round of the Hockey East Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 26. An important shoutout goes to the goaltender Sandra Abstreiter ‘22GS, who was named to the All-Hockey East Second Team as announced by the Hockey East on Friday, Feb. 25. Abstreiter has made 779 total saves and had three shutouts this season. She was recently announced as a semifinalist for the Women’s Hockey Goalie of the Year Award. The Friars conclude the 2021-22 season at 16-14-6 overall.
Sports Shorts
by npatano on March 3, 2022
Sports Shorts
Sports Shorts
Stephen Foster ’22
Sports Staff
Men’s Basketball
The Providence College Men’s Basketball Team won three games last week, bringing their record to 24-3 overall and 14-2 in Big East Conference play. They defeated Butler University 71-70 in overtime on Sunday, Feb. 20 and were victorious over Xavier University with a score of 99-92 in triple overtime on Wednesday, Feb. 23. The Friars clinched the Big East Regular Season Championship on Saturday, Feb. 26 for the first time in history with a dominating 72-51 win over Creighton University. Fans young and old stormed the court to celebrate the victory and stayed to watch players and coaches cut down the net in celebration. The Friars wrapped up conference play at Villanova University where the Wildcats came away with a victory in a tight contest 76-74. The final record for the Friars in conference play was 14-3.
Women’s Basketball
The Providence College Women’s Basketball Team went 0-3 in three games this week, bringing their record to 11-18 overall and 6-14 in Big East conference play. They were defeated 62-68 in overtime by St. John’s University on Sunday, Feb. 20, lost 51-57 to Marquette University on Friday, Feb. 25, and struggled against No. 7 University of Connecticut on Sunday, Feb. 27, losing 31-88. The Friars begin the Big East Tournament on Friday, March 4 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.
Men’s Ice Hockey
The Providence College Men’s Ice Hockey Team won two games this week, bringing their record to 21-13-2 overall and 12-11-1 in conference play. They defeated University of Maine in both home games, winning 4-2 on Friday, Feb. 25 and 3-2 in overtime on Saturday, Feb. 26. The Friars play their last game of the regular season and host their senior night on Friday, March 4 in an exhibition match against the U.S. NTDP Under-18 (USA Hockey National Team Development Program). Their run in the Hockey East Championship begins soon after.
Women’s Ice Hockey
The Providence College Women’s Ice Hockey Team went 1-1 in the Hockey East Tournament last week, bringing their season to a close. They defeated the College of the Holy Cross 3-1 on Wednesday, Feb. 23 at home. However, they could not overcome the strength of No. 2 University of Vermont on the road, losing 4-1 on Saturday, Feb. 26 in the quarterfinals. Lily Hendrikson ’25 scored the lone goal for Providence. The Friars end their season with a record of 16-14-6 overall and 12-12-3 in the Hockey East conference.
Sports Shorts
by npatano on February 7, 2022
Sports Shorts
Sports Shorts
Stephen Foster ‘2
Men’s Basketball
The Providence College Men’s Basketball Team won their two games this week, bringing their record to 16-2 overall and 6-1 in Big East conference play. They defeated Georgetown University 83-75 on Thursday, Jan. 20 and were victorious over Butler University with a score of 69-62 on Sunday, Jan. 23. Coach Ed Cooley recorded his 210th victory as the Friars head coach and moved into second place on the PC All-Time Win List with the win over Butler. As of Monday, Jan. 17, the men’s basketball team is ranked No. 21 in the Associated Press Poll and No. 21 in the Coaches Poll. They have been nationally ranked for five consecutive weeks.
Women’s Basketball
The Providence College Women’s Basketball Team went 1-2 in their three games this week, bringing their record to 9-9 this season. They were defeated 62-42 by Seton Hall University on Sunday, Jan. 16 and 71-56 by Villanova University on Friday, Jan. 21. Providence rebounded on Sunday, Jan. 23 as they traveled to Washington, D.C. to take on Georgetown University, who they beat 66-58 in overtime. The Friars previously beat the Hoyas on Dec. 5 at Alumni Hall. The women’s basketball team is currently leading the Big East in field-goal percentage defense (.351), blocked shots (119), and blocks per game (6.6 bpg).
Men’s Ice Hockey
The Providence College Men’s Ice Hockey won their two games this week, bringing their record to 16-9-2 overall and 7-7-1 in conference play. They defeated Boston College in both games, winning 7-0 on the road on Friday, Jan. 21, and 2-1 by a shootout at home on Saturday, Jan. 22. Providence is now fourth place in the Hockey East and trails first-place University of Massachusetts Lowell by seven points in the standings. Next week, the men’s hockey team travels to play UMass on Friday, Jan. 28 and Boston University on Sunday, Jan. 30.
Women’s Ice Hockey
The Providence College Women’s Ice Hockey Team lost their two games this week, bringing their record to 8-9-5 overall and 5-8-2 in conference play. They were defeated by the University of Vermont in both games, losing 1-3 on Friday, Jan. 21 and 1-4 on Saturday, Jan. 22. Providence is now eighth place in the Hockey East and trails first-place Northeastern University by 31 points in the standings. Next week, the women’s hockey team hopes to turn their streak around as they travel to Chestnut Hill, MA to play Boston College.
Sports Shorts
by The Cowl Editor on October 7, 2021
Sports
Sports Shorts
Joseph Quirk ’22
Sports Shorts
Field Hockey:
The Providence College Field Hockey team had a rough week, dropping a Big East game at the University of Connecticut this past Friday before losing a home game to Virginia Commonwealth University on Sunday Oct. 3. The Friars were shutout in both games, meaning they have now been shutout in three straight games. After the two losses, the Friars dropped their record to 5-7 overall and 1-2 in conference play. They lost the game Friday in Storrs, CT by a score of 3-0 and the home tilt Sunday 1-0. The Friars next play Friday, Oct. 8 at home vs. Temple University.
Men’s Ice Hockey:
The Providence College Men’s Ice Hockey team kicked off their season at Schneider Arena this past Saturday, Oct. 2 against the United States Marine Academy, also known as Army West Point. The Friars won their home opener in routing fashion, beating the Black Knights by a score of 7-0. Goals were scored as soon as a minute into play and six different Friars put the puck into the net. Sophomore Brett Berard ’24, a New York Rangers draft pick, led the scoring notching two goals himself. The Friars next take on Merrimack College to open their Hockey East play at home Thursday, Oct. 7.
Women’s Ice Hockey:
The Providence College Women’s Ice Hockey Team also began play this weekend with an exhibition this past Friday, Oct. 1 at home against the Boston Pride. The Boston Pride is an LGBTQ+ hockey organization that creates a supportive environment for people of different sexual/gender orientations to have fun and play hockey. The Friars won the game 3-2, when Hunter Barnett ’22 scored the game winner with only 13 seconds remaining in regulation. The Friars were out-shot 23 shots to 31 in favor of the Pride. The Friars open Hockey East play this Friday, Oct. 8 at home against the University of New Hampshire.
Men’s Soccer:
The Providence College Men’s Soccer team tied a Big East game against Marquette University this past Saturday, Oct. 2 in Milwaukee. The score ended tied at two goals apiece and sent the Friars record to 6-1-2 overall and 2-0-1 in conference play. Both teams scored their two goals in the second half of regulation play and would remain scoreless throughout the overtime period. Providence held the edge in shots and corner kicks while Marquette fared better in the saves and fouls categories. The Friars’ next game is Wednesday, Oct. 6 in Queens, NY to face St. John’s University.
March Sport Shorts
by Joshua Lopes on March 18, 2021
Sports
Week of 3/11-3/17
By Ben Bilotti ’23
Sports Staff
Women’s Volleyball
The Providence College Women’s Volleyball Team played a two-game series against the University of Connecticut Women’s Volleyball Team on March 12 and March 13. PC won both games three sets to one and improved their record to 5-1. In game one, Emma Nelson ’23 stood out with 14 kills, including a go-ahead kill in the first set. Jennifer Leitman ’23 and Elena Leontaridou ’23 both had 12 kills. Allison Barber ’21 also impressed, accumulating 45 assists and 16 digs. In game two, Barber continued her success with 39 assists and 10 digs. PC looks to continue their hot start to the year against St. John’s University on March 19 and 20.
Women’s Soccer
The Providence College Women’s Soccer Team hosted Villanova University on Sunday, March 14. The Friars dominated the match, beating the Wildcats 4-0. They improved their record to 5-1-0 on the season: the program’s best since 2010. Hannah McNulty ’21 shot and scored the first goal of the game. After that, Samantha Adams ’24 did not waste much time, scoring 14 minutes later for her second goal of the season. In the second half, Elayna Grillakis ’22 scored her first goal of the season before Meg Hughes ’24 added the final goal of the game. PC’s defense went to work in the match, only allowing two shots on target. The Friars will look to continue their winning ways at St. John’s University on March 18.
Men’s Hockey
The Providence College Men’s Ice Hockey Team faced the University of Connecticut on March 14 in hopes of advancing to the Hockey East Semifinals. The Friars bested the Huskies, beating them 6-1 in dominant fashion. Six different Friars shot and scored. Parker Ford ’23 scored first early into the first period. In the second, Uula Ruikka ’24 and Nick Poisson ’24 scored within 60 seconds of each other to put the Friars up 3-1. Tyce Thompson ’22, Brett Berard ’24, and Max Crozier ’23 each added a goal later in the game to solidify the impressive 6-1 win.
Women’s Hockey
The Providence College Women’s Ice Hockey Team fell 3-0 to the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the first round of the NCAA tournament on March 16. This was the second-ever NCAA tournament appearance for the No. 7 Friars, the only other time being in 2005. Goalie Sandra Abstreiter ’21 did all she could to will the Friars to a victory, tying her season-high with 41 saves, but the Friars could not get anything going against the talented Wisconsin defense. The loss marked the end of a fantastic season for the Friars, one that also saw them make it all the way to the Hockey East finals.
Weekly Award Roundup: Four Friars Honored
by Joshua Lopes on February 25, 2021
Friar Sports
Awards Announced on February 15
By Scott Jarosz ’21
Sports Staff
Despite drastic changes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Providence College athletics are now in full swing. Teams that would normally play in the fall are now playing in the spring, adding to the teams that usually play their games in the current season. With athletic teams from all seasons playing simultaneously, a plethora of PC athletes recently earned awards. On Feb. 15, Mary Baskerville ’22, David Duke ’22, Emma Bodmer ’24, and Nick Poisson ’24 all received awards in women’s basketball, men’s basketball, women’s soccer, and men’s hockey, respectively.
Baskerville was a star for the PC Women’s Basketball Team during the week of Feb. 8, averaging 16.5 points, six rebounds, 4.5 steals, and three blocks over the course of two games. Baskerville’s impressive numbers earned her a spot on the Big East Weekly Honor Roll. In the first game of the week against Creighton University, Baskerville recorded her fourth double-double of the season, scoring 14 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. In the second contest of the week against Marquette University, Baskerville scored an impressive 19 points on nine of 13 shooting from the field. Baskerville will look to build off of this outstanding week as her and her team forge on through the remainder of the season.
David Duke, a guard for the men’s basketball team, also earned an award on Feb. 15 after putting on two impressive performances. Across two games, Duke averaged 17 points, 9.5 rebounds, three assists, and two steals. These averages secured Duke the Big East Player of the Week award. This marks the second time Duke has been named Big East Player of the Week this season. Duke and the Friars played two games over the course of his award-winning week, the first being at home against the University of Connecticut, and the second being away at DePaul University. He scored 17 points in each game and also led his team to victory in both games. Duke hopes to maintain his high level of performance moving forward as he and his team eye a run in the Big East Tournament.
Another PC athlete who received an award on Feb. 15 was Emma Bodmer, the goalkeeper for the women’s soccer team. Bodmer was named Big East Goalkeeper of the Week after her first collegiate appearance on Feb. 14 against the University of Rhode Island. Shw recorded three saves in her first game and did not allow a single goal. Thanks in part to her performance, PC came out victorious over URI by a score of 2-0. Bodmer’s outstanding debut bodes well for the Friars, as she has big shoes to fill following the departure of former standout goalie Shelby Hogan ’20RS after the COVID-19 pause. She has continued to fill in those shoes valiantly, as on Feb. 22, she was again named Big East Goalkeeper of the Week.
Nick Poisson of the men’s hockey team was named Hockey East Rookie of the Week on Feb. 15 thanks to his strong performance in PC’s game against UConn. He tallied two assists, guiding PC to a 4-0 victory over the visiting team. Poisson has recorded a total of four goals and six assists this season, and he will look to continue his strong rookie year play as the Friars wrap up their season.
Even though their seasons have been drastically impacted by COVID-19, PC athletes have adapted to the changes and have performed at an elite level. These four athletes in particular have proven that hard work pays off, especially during this unusual time in collegiate sports.
Sport Shorts
by Joshua Lopes on February 11, 2021
Sports
Week of 2/4-2/10
By Leo Hainline ’22
Sports Staff
Men’s Basketball:
The Friars suffered a third straight loss on Feb. 6, losing at home to St. John’s University, 92-81. The Red Storm’s dynamic duo of freshman point guard Posh Alexander and sophomore forward Julian Champagnie was simply too much for the Friars to handle. St. John’s seemed to hit every shot to start the game, especially from behind the arc. PC failed to make the necessary defensive adjustments to stop the Red Storm’s offense. Strong play from Nate Watson ’21 and Noah Horchler ’21RS kept the game competitive, but the Friars did not play with enough urgency down the stretch to prompt a comeback.
Women’s Basketball:
PC returned to action on Feb. 3 against Villanova University, after taking an almost month-long hiatus due to COVID-19 issues within the Friars and across the Big East. The Friars fell short to the Wildcats on the road, losing 67-53. PC’s Alyssa Geary ’22 led the way for the Friars with a team-high 22 points. Star point guard Chanel Williams ’21 also scored in double digits. Olivia Orlando ’21 was the team’s leading rebounder, compiling 10 boards.
Men’s Ice Hockey:
The PC Men’s Ice Hockey Team split their weekend series against Merrimack University. On Feb. 6, the Friars seized a 5-1 victory behind Tyce Thompson’s ’22 five assists. The victory was head coach Nate Leaman’s 200th win with PC, just another milestone to add to his renowned coaching career. The No. 16 Friars dropped their following game to Merrimack 3-2. The Warriors took a three-goal lead in the first period, and that deficit was too much for the Friars to overcome despite their best efforts. They nearly mounted a comeback with two third-period goals from Michael Callahan ’22 and Jason O’Neill ’21.
Women’s Ice Hockey:
The PC Women’s Ice Hockey Team split their recent back-to-back against the University of New Hampshire. The No. 10 Friars fell 1-0 on Feb. 5, but they followed up this low-scoring affair with an exciting 5-4 victory on Feb. 6 against the Wildcats. Caroline Peterson ’22 opened the scoring 1:40 into regulation, but UNH responded and tied the game 1-1. The game was 2-2 entering the second period, but the Wildcats would soon pull ahead. However, the Friars responded by scoring three unanswered in the third period thanks to a game-tying goal from Hayley Lunny ’21 and two goals by Lindsey Bochna ’24 to seal the victory.
Men’s Hockey Finds Their Stride
by Joshua Lopes on February 4, 2021
Friar Sports
Team Sweeps Weekend Series with UNH
By Thomas Zinzarella ’21
Sports Staff
After picking up a pair of ties last weekend against the No. 8 University of Massachusetts-Amherst, the Providence College Men’s Hockey Team matched up against the University of New Hampshire in a home-and-home series.
Coming into the game, the Friars had moved up a spot in the rankings from No. 18 to No. 17. The Friars’ weekend began in Durham, NH on Jan. 29. UNH led the visiting Friars 1-0 early in the second period. That would change dramatically, however, as PC would score five unanswered goals, including four in the third period
Friars’ forward Jamie Engelbert ’23 started off the scoring barrage to tie things up at one in the second period. The goal was his first of the season. Greg Printz ’21 and Nick Poisson ’24 then scored goals just 52 seconds apart to start the third period, followed by Davis Bunz’s ’21 first career goal to make it a 4-1 game. All three goals were scored in a span of three minutes and 18 seconds. The final goal was driven home by New Jersey Devils draft pick Patrick Moynihan ’23, who scored a power-play goal with just under two minutes left, sealing the 5-1 victory.
Both squads then matched up again on Jan. 31 in Providence at Schneider Arena. Once again, the Friars went down early to the Wildcats, via a goal in each of the first two periods by UNH. The Friars would have been trailing by a lot more if it was not for their defensive prowess on the penalty kill. PC warded off a five-on-three penalty and were a perfect seven-for-seven on the penalty kill in the game.
A five-minute major penalty towards the latter half of the second period against Kohei Sato of UNH allowed the Friars to crawl back into the game. PC would score two quick goals thanks to Brett Berard ’24 and Tyce Thompson ’22 in the first 3:32 of the third period off the penalty. Thompson continues to be the leading goal scorer for Nate Leaman’s squad, with this being his sixth goal of the season.
A few moments later, Engelbert struck again. His second goal of the weekend was in fact the game-clinching goal as the Friars held on for the rest of the period to sweep the weekend series.
“I like the belief in the locker room that we can do that…I like the fact that guys believe that they can come back and win games,” Leaman said after his team’s win on Sunday. “But I think our starts certainly need to get better…[and] us getting to our game quickly is something that we definitely need to work on,” he added. It has been a theme many Friar hockey fans have witnessed this year. Nevertheless, the Friars are still producing results. Currently, PC is tied for the second most points in the Hockey East, alongside the nation’s No. 1 team in Boston College.
Jaxson Stauber ’23 continues to produce strong results in between the pipes for the Friars. Stauber was recently named Hockey East Co-Defensive Player of the Week alongside Filip Linderg of UMass. Stauber stopped 26 of 27 shot attempts on Friday and followed that performance up with 29 saves on Sunday. He has allowed just four goals in the last four games.
The Friars are now 7-5-4 on the season and are unbeaten in their last four games. The Hockey East Conference is reverting to a week-by-week schedule, so their opponent for this upcoming weekend will be announced at a later time. Whoever their opponent is, the Friars will look to push their unbeaten streak to five.
Three Future Friars Taken in NHL Draft
by The Cowl Editor on October 29, 2020
Friar Sports
Two Freshman and One Future Friar Taken in Final Rounds
by Thomas Zinzarella ’21
Sports Staff
With the Tampa Bay Lightning still celebrating their recent Stanley Cup victory over the Dallas Stars, it is already time to look to the next generation of hockey players. Many potential stars were selected in the 2020 NHL Draft that took place on Oct. 6 and Oct. 7.
Two current Friars and one future Providence College player were selected on day two of the 2020 NHL draft. Brett Berard ’24, a native of East Greenwich, RI, was the first Friar off the board. Berard was drafted in the fifth round at the 134th overall position by the New York Rangers. He was ranked 45th by the NHL Central Scouting for North American Skaters going into the 2020 draft.
Prior to coming to Friartown, Berard spent two years playing for the U.S. National Team Development Program (USNTDP). For the U18 team last year, he scored 16 goals and recorded 18 assists while also recording the highest points per game average of any United States Hockey League skater to play in 10-plus games last year (1.38). He played in the exhibition game between the USNTDP and the Friars last year at Schneider Arena. PC won the game 2-1 in overtime.
Berard’s father, David Berard ’92, played for the Friars and is currently the head coach at The College of the Holy Cross. The Friars split a home and home series with the Crusaders the last two years. David also spent time behind the Friar bench over a period of three different stints with the program. He was an assistant coach from 1994-1996 before returning from 1998-2011, and then was the director of hockey operations for the 2013-2014 season.
The next Friar selected was Chase Yoder ’24, a forward from Fairview, TX. Yoder was selected in the sixth round with the 170th overall pick by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Yoder also hails from the U18 USNTDP along with Berard. He posted 10 goals and 10 assists in the 2019-2020 season. The shifty forward was ranked 92nd on the NHL Central North American Skaters ranking list coming into the draft. He has been compared to former Friar and current Penguins player Brandon Tanev ’16. Yoder may eventually join Tanev in Pittsburgh as the former Friar recently signed a six-year, $21 million deal.
The final Friar selected was Riley Duran, a future Friar to watch. Duran hails from Woburn, MA and was drafted by his hometown Boston Bruins with the 182nd overall pick in the sixth round. Duran compares his game to that of current Bruins center Charlie Coyle. In 27 games last year, Duran recorded 22 goals and 22 assists for Lawrence Academy in Groton, MA. Duran was ranked 95th on the NHL Central Scouting North American Skater list. He will join Friar head coach Nate Leaman’s squad in 2021 after he spends this upcoming year with the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL.
Under the tutelage of Nate Leaman, Friar fans have become accustomed to seeing NHL draft picks fill the line sheet. Since 2011, 28 players have been drafted under Leaman. Just two years ago, the Friars had nine NHL draft picks on their roster, one of the highest tallies in the country. When they made the Frozen Four in 2019, Providence held the most draft picks out of any of the other three teams in Buffalo.
The Friars will look to get back to the Frozen Four this year after their previous season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Hockey East is currently working on plans to start the season in late November, so hopefully Friar fans will soon get to catch a glimpse of these new and exciting NHL prospects.