Tag: women’s ice hockey
Former Friars Ready to Go Pro
by The Cowl Editor on August 29, 2019
Friar Sports
Six Players Sign Entry-Level Contracts
By Cam Smith ’21
Sports Assistant Editor
The success of the Providence College hockey programs continued over the offseason as six former Friars signed professional hockey deals. Four of these came from former men’s squad members, as Josh Wilkins, Brandon Duhaime, Kasper Björkqvist, and Jacob Bryson who secured entry-level deals with National Hockey League clubs.
Two contracts went to former women’s team players Christina Putigna and Cassidy MacPherson; both reached terms to join teams in the National Women’s Hockey League.
Wilkins will make his way down to Tennessee, joining the Nashville Predators’ program on a two-year, entry-level contract. The silky-smooth forward is coming off an absolutely dominant year for the Friars, posting the best offensive season by a PC skater in over 15 seasons. Wilkins put up 46 points last season, good enough for ninth in the entire country, on 20 goals and 26 assists. He also owned the nation’s longest point streak last season, putting together a stretch of 13 straight games.
Duhaime agreed to his two-year, entry-level contract with the Minnesota Wild. The crafty forward joins a Minnesota program that selected him with the 106th pick of the 2016 NHL Draft. Duhaime had a strong final season in Friartown, tallying a career-high 34 points with 11 goals and 23 assists. As a result, he was named to the Team Hockey East All-Star Third team. He then proceeded to play a pivotal role in the Friars’ postseason run, tallying five points in PC’s three tournament games.
The Pittsburgh Penguins will see Björkqvist join the organization, as he too agreed to a two-year, entry level deal. The forward finished his illustrious PC career with 36 total goals and 26 assists. Pittsburgh assistant general manager Bill Guerin had high praise when asked about the signee, saying, “Kasper was able to produce in big games throughout his college career… playing for an outstanding program in Providence allowed him to go far in the NCAA Tournament each season, so he received a lot of great experience.”
The 99th pick of the 2017 NHL Draft, Bryson signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Buffalo Sabres. The sure-footed defenseman amassed an astonishing 73 points over his career at PC, recording 11 goals and 62 assists. In his final year with the Friars, Bryson dished out 24 assists on his way to Second Team Hockey East All-Star honors.
His dominance on the ice also translated over to the classroom, as the defenseman was a Chi Alpha Sigma inductee, an honor given to student-athletes who maintain at least a 3.40 grade point average though their first five semesters.
Putigna will be staying in New England, as she agreed to a contract with the Boston Pride. The Pride will be picking up a prolific scorer in Putigna, the star forward accumulated a whopping 110 points in her collegiate career. As a senior assistant captain last season, Putigna registered 15 goals and 15 assists while leading the Friars to the Hockey East semi-finals.
“It’s exciting and humbling to have this opportunity to sign with the Pride,” said Putigna. “It means a lot to me to get the chance to remain in New England and pursue my hockey career.”
The final Friar to sign, MacPherson, signed her deal with the Buffalo Beauts. The forward recorded 78 points in her college career, netting 25 goals and 53 assists.
Beauts head coach Pete Perram lauded MacPherson’s skill with the puck, saying “[MacPherson] is a smooth and speedy skater with exceptional hands.”
MacPherson expressed her excitement with her signing, saying, “It has been a dream of mine to play in the NWHL, and I’m looking forward to a great season ahead in Buffalo.”
Women’s Hockey Falls to Northeastern
by The Cowl Editor on March 21, 2019
Friar Sports
Matt Kelly’s First Season as Head Coach Ends in Semifinals
By Sam Scanlon ’19
Sports Staff
As the final buzzer sounded and the Northeastern University Huskies flooded the ice in celebration, the Providence College Women’s Ice Hockey Team’s incredibly successful season came to a disheartening end in the Women’s Hockey East Semifinals.
The #3 Huskies defeated the Friars by a score of 3-2 and eventually went on to take the Hockey East Championship. This was the first time since 2013 that Providence College was represented in the Women’s Hockey East Championship weekend.
A brand new coaching staff this season led the squad to a 24-11-2 record, an incredible feat given that the program has not had a 20-win season since 2010-2011. Unfortunately, the Friars fell just short of reaching the NCAA Tournament and their historic run came to an end.
This season was pivotal for the future success of the program. Under new leadership the bar has been set higher than ever for this talented group. Christina Putigna ’19 is certainly leaving her mark on Friartown as she became the 27th player in program history to eclipse the 100-point milestone in her career as of Feb. 8. The senior was a critical player this season as she registered a career high of 30 points on 15 goals and 15 assists.
Although this season was the program’s best in over a decade, the future is incredibly bright for this young group. Star forward Maureen Murphy ’21 has two more seasons to skate for the Friars at her already incredible rate. The Buffalo, New York native, who was invited to the U.S. Women’s National Team Winter Camp earlier this season, led the Friars in both goals (22) and points (43). She was named to the Hockey East All-Star Second Team.
Other accolades for this group included another young-gun, Sara Hjalmarsson ’22, who was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team. The freshman from Sweden tallied 11 goals and 12 assists this season.
Goaltender Maddie Myers ’19 and defenseman Avery Fransoo ’20 also had fantastic seasons, good enough to earn Hockey East All-Star Honorable Mentions. Myers finished the season with a 1.72 Goals Against Average and a .929 Save Percentage. Fransoo tallied her career high in points with 18, while also being one of the Friars’ best defensemen as she recorded an impressive +10 on the season.
Although the hopes of reaching the NCAA Tournament fell just short, there were many highlights for this squad over the season. The Friars recorded wins over the #3 Northeastern Huskies, #5 Boston College Eagles, and #8 Boston University Terriers, proving that their program has become a top team in the country. A 24-win season has not been accomplished since 2002, so this season will be marked as a historic one even though no championships were won.
This year proved to be a massive turning point and stepping stone for the Friars who are loaded with young talent and a bright future. Matt Kelly and his coaching staff have now laid the groundwork and set the bar high for Friars women’s hockey going forward, so it will be no surprise if a Hockey East Championship is captured soon.
Women’s Hockey Heads to Semifinals
by The Cowl Editor on March 7, 2019
Friar Sports
Friars Advance Beyond the Quarterfinals for the First Time Since 2013
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
Last weekend, the Providence College Women’s Hockey Team hosted the Merrimack College Warriors in a best two-out-of-three games series at Schneider Arena for the Women’s Hockey East Quarterfinals. On Friday, March 1 the Friars skated to a 2-0 win against the Warriors.
The team found the back of the net late into the game with Meaghan Rickard ’20 notching the first goal of the series almost halfway through the third period. Rickard was able to easily put the puck in the net after passes from Chloe Gonsalves ’21 and Maureen Murphy ’21.
“Meg has been very effective this year due to her skating ability and puck movement,” said Head Coach Matt Kelly on Rickard’s game-winner. “She’s been a player that we’ve been able to use in all situations. She also has the ability to play with many different players which was a huge asset early in the year.”
Following Rickard’s goal, Christina Putigna ’19 buried an unassisted empty-netter goal to close out the game and give the Friars the series lead. Goalie Maddie Myers ’19 grabbed her sixth shutout of the season after making 17 saves. Their first win in the series improved the Friars’ overall season record at the time to 23-10-2, which is their most wins since the 2002-2003 season.
The following day, the Friars were able to sweep the series with a 2-1 win. Neve Van Pelt ’20 put the Friars on the scoreboard first after snagging a rebound off of Emily Landry’s ’19 shot in the final five minutes of the first period. Midway through a physical second period, Murphy tapped in a pass from Sara Hjalmarsson ’22 for a power play goal to give the Friars a 2-0 lead. It was Murphy’s 22nd goal of the season.
Reducing the Warriors to just three shots on the net the entire third period, Myers was unable to control the puck during a scrum in front of the net and Merrimack was able to grab their only goal of the series in the final 30 seconds of play.
Despite letting up a goal in the last few seconds of the game, Myers was just named Women’s Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week due to her 40 saves over the course of the two games. Myers is also the only active goaltender with more than one perfect sheet in the Women’s Hockey East Association (WHEA)Tournament. Along with Myers, Murphy also gained Hockey East recognition as a Top Performer due to her recorded goal and assist.
With their sweep against Merrimack, for the first time since 2013, the Friars will be advancing to the Hockey East Championship weekend.
PC will face-off against #1 Northeastern University in the Semifinal round this Saturday at Schneider. Northeastern will be looking to go back to the championship game for their third time. As mentioned, this will be PC’s first time making it to the semifinals since 2013 and while they won the tournament’s first three titles in WHEA history, they have not made it to the championship round since 2005.
Northeastern University, who finished their season 25-5-5, have defeated the Friars two out of the three times they met this season. Going into the tournament, PC will need to keep up their solid defensive play from the quarterfinals series and find the net quickly and often. The game against the Huskies will truly be a battle of the goalies as both Myers and Northeastern’s Aerin Frankel are top two goalies in terms of winning percentages (Frankel’s is .820 percent and Myers’s is .706 percent).
Maureen Murphy will also be looked upon to get the Friars into the championship game as she not only leads the Friars in goal-scoring, but is also third in Hockey East with 22 goals overall. She edges out Northeastern’s top-scorer by two goals. However, Northeastern is the leading scoring offensive team in Hockey East (PC is fourth) and PC is the leading defensive scoring team (Northeastern is third).
If the Friars are able to skate to a win against the Huskies, they will be set to play in the championship game Sunday, March 10 against the winner of the Boston College vs. Boston University game at Schneider Arena.
Women’s Hockey Playoff Bound
by The Cowl Editor on February 28, 2019
Friar Sports
Ice Hockey Set to Face Merrimack in Quarterfinals
By Eileen Flynn ’20
Sports Staff
The Providence College Women’s Ice Hockey Team wrapped up their regular season on Feb. 23 when they defeated the #8 Boston University Terriers on the road. The team finished with an impressive 22-10-2 overall record and as the no. 4 seed in the Hockey East. The team’s win against Boston University puts them in the perfect position heading into the Hockey East Tournament in March.
Christina Putigna ’19, one of the captains of the Friars, led the team to a 2-1 victory despite first trailing 1-0. Putigna sniped the top corner on BU’s goaltender during a power play at the beginning of the second period to change the momentum of the game. Putigna was on the ice for the second goal as well. She passed it off to Meaghan Rickard ’20, who left it for Whitney Dove ’20 to finish the job. Putigna has been a key player for the Friars this year and will definitely play an important role in the upcoming tournament.
When asked about her last regular season run as a Lady Friar, Putigna said, “This has been, and still is something so special to me because this group has accomplished so many great things, considering the coaching change that happened this summer.” Matt Kelly spent his first season with the Friars this year as head coach. As a former head scout for the USA Hockey and Women’s National Team, as well as an assistant coach to the women’s ice hockey team at Clarkson University, Kelly was a perfect fit for the job.
Although it was hard for Putigna to pick her favorite game this year, the victory that she and her team had over Northeastern two weeks ago stuck out in her mind. “Our team brought so much energy, we played with a lot of heart, and it felt like everyone was at the top of their game. There was a lot of good bench and locker room encouragement and support even when we were trailing.” The game went back and forth for the first two periods, forcing both teams to battle for control. Since Providence fell to Northeastern the day before, the team came with renewed energy, wanting to split the weekend with the Huskies. Putigna helped advance the score for the Friars and ultimately clinch the win, 5-2.
Looking forward, the Friars have a tough week of practice before they begin their run in the Hockey East tournament. The team has faced the ladies on the Merrimack College team three times so far this season with a record of 2-0-1. The latest puck-drop against the Warriors took place on Feb. 1 at Merrimack. The Friars took an early and quick 2-0 lead, but could not hold on to it for the rest of the game. Merrimack came back and tied Providence, causing the teams to advance to overtime.
Although both teams had a power play opportunity, the score remained the same at the sound of the final buzzer. Putigna is excited about facing the team again next week. “Merrimack is a great opponent for us to face.” When asked what her team learned from playing Merrimack in the regular season, she responded, “I think previous success stemmed from our defensive play. When our team is playing really great defense, we have a lot of confidence in the corners of our defensive zone and along the walls in the offensive zone and are able to sustain pressure.”
Putigna and the rest of the senior class are looking forward to leading their team to victory one last time. “The older group brings and sets the tone for the game. When the tone is set, it is a lot easier for the team as a whole to buy in.” Putigna and the Friars have already had a successful season, having reached the 20-win mark for the first time since the 2010-11 season.
However, the team is not done and is expected to face Merrimack head-on. Putigna is playing her last games in a Friars jersey with her teammates and now friends that she has made along the way, and she is ready to make her team proud one last time.
PC Player’s Retirement Sheds Light on a Larger Issue
by The Cowl Editor on January 17, 2019
Friar Sports
Is Lack of Research the Culprit Behind Female Athlete Concussions?
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
On October 1, 2018, Jessica “Jessie” Spontak ’20, publicly announced her decision to retire from volleyball. Her reason for walking away from the sport that brought her to Providence College? Too many concussions.
Concussions have been a hot topic in the sports world over the past decade and while most conversations about them is in conjunction with men’s football, hockey, and soccer, female athlete concussions of all sports have been spiking higher numbers than male athletes. Recent research has shown that female athletes are 50 percent more likely to be diagnosed with a concussion than male athletes.
Yet, despite this statistic, concussion research has primarily been contained to male athletes. As Marjorie Snyder of the Washington Post writes, there is “painfully little research” conducted on concussions in female athletes. With the majority of existing research consisting of studying male athletes and how to prevent concussions in men’s sports, female athletes are being put at a greater risk as little is being done to make them less susceptible to concussions. Synder’s research for her article, “Girls suffer sports concussions at a higher rate than boys. Why is that overlooked?” makes the claim that the lack of knowledge (stemming from the lack of research being done) makes it difficult to know the best way to prevent concussions in female athletes.
Concussions in female athletes have been written off as nothing more than the result of sex differences, in particular, the differing structures of the neck. Almost all research has concluded that the structure of the female body makes them more predisposed to concussions and that is the farthest most research goes.
However, it is proving to not be enough as women are suffering symptoms that take extended amounts of time to recover from and their quality of life is being altered due to excess concussions.
Spontak, when asked about what ultimately led her to calling it quits on her volleyball career after she sustained her fourth concussion from a seemingly contact-free sport, admitted that the main factor was her “quality of life post volleyball.” To her, completing four years on the team was “not worth it” to her when all of the health problems she could face as a result of four severe concussions were laid out in front of her.
Shannon Bauman, a sports physician who began to study brain injuries after she suffered her own concussion and received insufficient care, noted in her study that 35 percent of female athletes will still show concussion symptoms up to more than six months after their initial diagnosis. Spontak, when discussing her concussion history, said that with her first concussion, she missed four months of school and with her least severe concussion, she missed just over a month.
Prolonged short-term symptoms faced not only by Spontak during all of her concussions, but by both male and female athletes, include sensitivity to sound, light, pressure headaches, and trouble focusing. However, research is beginning to come out with what long-term, life-altering symptoms can result from multiple concussions.
“There is a lot of research that shows that I could be at high risks for depression and anxiety…and mood disorders,” said Spontak. Doctors informed her that, as a result of sustaining four severe concussions, she would “have a really hard time focusing and moving on with school.”
With a majority of research now taking a look at how female athletes will be affected by concussions, the fact still remains that there is little to no research on how to prevent them in the first place.
David Milzman, MD, stated at the Georgetown University Medical Center Summit on Concussions in Females, “There is very little solid data now about sex in concussion presentation or outcomes. It is not clear…and that is why we need to investigate it.”
In men’s sports, a majority of the concussions sustained are contact-based. However, because women’s sports are not supposed to have as much contact, it becomes assumed that they are not at risk for concussions. However, in the case of women’s hockey, for example, the players will be diagnosed with concussions at nearly three times the rate of college football players. Similarly, in sports such as baseball and softball, softball players experience concussions at double the rate of baseball players.
As Spontak points out, the games themselves cannot be changed: player-to-player contact, falling to the ground, and being hit in the head are all risks that are a part of any sport. Therefore, research needs to be altered to fit these unpreventable factors. In terms of female athletes, rather than focusing on how life will be impacted post-concussion, there needs to be a switch to how to prevent them in the first place, like the research with men’s sports-related concussions is.
There is a problem with studies in preventing concussions altogether though. Spontak acknowledges the problem as being the fact that how games are played is personal. Players contort and push their bodies to the max and reach limits that others may not be able to make. PC assistant athletic trainer Jessie Fong reinforces this statement, describing concussions to be a “unique injury.”
“Concussions can fall under such a wide spectrum,” Fong states. “They can present differently between two individuals, they could present differently between two separate episodes within one individual.”
So what should the research focus on?
Spontak believes researching improvements on equipment worn is the key to battling the concussion epidemic. At the moment, only a handful of women’s sports require headgear to be worn at all times. With more protective equipment, there could be a reduction in concussions sustained by female athletes.
And while some take more extreme measures in calling for the federal government to step in and make a change, the simple solution is to just dedicate as much research time received by men’s sports to female sports.
Concussions are not just a problem male athletes face, and prevention techniques must be researched and learned by all to make not just sports, but the quality of life beyond the game better for all athletes, men and women alike.
Women’s Hockey Clinches Mayor’s Cup
by The Cowl Editor on December 6, 2018
Friar Sports
By Gavin Woods ’22
Sports Staff
On Dec. 4, the Providence College Women’s Hockey Team added to their already impressive record with a staggering 8-0 road win over the Brown University Bears at the 24th Mayor’s Cup. The Friars are now 14-3 and hold the eighth position in the top 10 Division I women’s team standings.
Providence bounced back in a big way, following their disappointing 1-2 loss to the University of Connecticut Huskies. The Friars first found the back of the net with an unassisted goal with 10:53 to go in the first period by Emily Landry ’19. Providence then followed up with a beautiful assist from Sara Hjalmarsson ’22 to Cassidy MacPherson ’19 before the end of the period.
The Friars continued to push the puck early in the second period, resulting in Hayley Lunny’s ’21 rebound goal from Annelise Rice ’21. Roughly four minutes later, PC capitalized on a powerplay when Meaghan Rickard ’20 found Kate Friesen ’19 to extend their lead to 4-0 with 12:21 left in the period.
The Friars showed no signs of slowing as the final period began. MacPherson secured another goal, this time unassisted, just 1:59 into the third period. Maureen Murphy ’21 was next with a goal, assisted by Christina Putigna ’19 with 9:25 left in the game. In the final five minutes, Ciara Barone ’22 scored, and Caroline Peterson ’22 scored her first career goal for PC off an assist from Murphy.
For the Friars, the story of the game was possession. Head Coach Matthew Kelly emphasized, “Moving our feet and moving the puck–that was the biggest thing. We were working the puck low to high.” When asked how the team was able to shut out Brown’s leading scorer, forward Sena Hanson, Kelly responded, “We were definitely playing more offense than defense, and I think that helps. It also limits the chances that a player like that can get.” Even when PC was on defense, they remained composed and dominant throughout the game. Obviously, the shutout points to an impressive display by both the defense and goalkeepers Madison Myers ’19, with 12 saves in the first two periods, and Clare Minnerath ’20 with three saves in the third.
Despite the contradictory final score, Kelly did have praise for the Bears of Brown, saying, “They’ve had some big wins this year. Look at some of the teams they beat: Cornell University, Colgate University, and the University of Connecticut. They are a team that, if you give them time and space, will be opportunistic with their chances.”
This was no ordinary game, however. The Friars faced off with the Bears for the 24th installment of the annual Mayor’s Cup. The Mayor’s Cup was created to celebrate the exciting rivalry between two talented teams in Providence. Brown took the first Mayor’s Cup in 1966, with a 4-3 win. The Friars, however, have now won the last five meetings, and lead the Bears 11-10 in the series. Kelly seems to think the trophy on the line may have contributed to success for the Friars, “Definitely different when you’re playing for a trophy. It always amps everybody’s focus and attention to detail. It’s fun. We had one of these opportunities back in the Nutmeg Classic, and we won that. So, we had some experience, going for a trophy. ”
The Friars look forward to the Crusaders of the College of Holy Cross, facing off with on Friday, Dec. 7 at Schneider Arena.
Women’s Ice Hockey Wins Nutmeg Classic
by The Cowl Editor on November 29, 2018
Friar Sports
By Sam Scanlon ’19
Sports Staff
As Providence College students traveled their separate ways for Thanksgiving with their families, the Women’s Ice Hockey Team traveled to compete in this year’s Nutmeg Classic in New Haven, Connecticut. The Lady Friars joined Yale University, Quinnipiac University, and the University of Connecticut in this tournament.
The 8th ranked Friars were slated to faceoff against Yale in game one of the Nutmeg Classic. In a tight back and forth contest that included a scoreless first period, the Friars struck first courtesy of alternate captain Christina Putigna ’19. Putigna jammed in her seventh goal in just 10 games to put PC up 1-0 midway through the second frame.
As Yale evened up the score in the third period, Sara Hjalmarsson ’22 buried her sixth notch of the season to break the tie late in the third period. Maddie Myers ’19 would stop all remaining Bulldog opportunities and the Friars were able to hold on 2-1. PC outshot Yale 33-15 in this contest as they advanced to the Nutmeg Classic Championship Game.
The Championship game, came against the Quinnipiac University Bobcats as they ousted the UCONN Huskies in their first game. The stakes were higher in this contest as each team was battling for a chance to bring home a mid-season trophy, which is critical for momentum at this point of the season.
However, another tight matchup saw the Bobcats take a 1-0 lead in the final minute of the opening period. The Friars desperately began to claw their way back into the game, but to no avail as the second period came to a close with the score remaining 1-0 Quinnipiac.
It took until the midway point of the third period to finally break the ice as Hayley Lunny ’21 provided the equalizer on the Power Play from Maureen Murphy ’21. It was Lunny’s second strike of the season. The assist was good enough for Murphy’s team leading 24th point (12G, 12A) of the year. She extended her point streak to eight games and pushed herself into fifth in the NCAA in points.
Both teams traded chances as the clock wound down, but it was Lunny who struck again with just over five minutes remaining in the game. Her second tally of the period stood as the game winner as the Friars took down the Bobcats 2-1 to capture the 2018 Nutmeg Classic.
Myers finished the tournament by allowing just two goals and making 34 saves. She joined the tournament hero, Lunny, on the All-Tournament team, as they represented PC for their fantastic efforts in bringing home the Nutmeg Classic Championship.
Lunny’s two goal effort that lifted the Friars to their 2-1 Championship victory earned her Hockey East Player of the Week for the first time in her career. With the two wins during the weekend, the Lady Friars extended their win streak to eight straight games and brought their overall record to 12-2. They jumped up a spot in the national rankings to number eight and are set to face off against UCONN for a home-and-home series this weekend.
Putigna ’19 and Murphy ’21 Lead Upset Over BC
by The Cowl Editor on November 8, 2018
Friar Sports
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
When the final buzzer went off on Nov. 3, the Providence College’s Women’s Ice Hockey Team had more than just a 4-2 win to celebrate; they had defeated the no. 5 nationally-ranked Boston College team for the first time since their 2016-17 season. The team’s win last Saturday was only the second time PC has been able to beat BC in the past four years.
Boston College, which is ranked first in Hockey East and known for their quick, high-scoring games, has previously beaten the Friars in lopsided games with scores such as 8-0 and 9-1. However, in the most recent contest between the two teams, there was no mismatch between them.
The first period was completely scoreless, with the shots on net evenly matched for both teams. BC closed out the period with two penalties that would give the Friars a 5-on-3 Powerplay for the first 42 seconds of the second period.
Maureen Murphy ’21 capitalized on the odd-man advantage and was able to snipe one past BC’s goalie from the slot just 18 seconds into the period, giving the Friars a 1-0 lead. The second period saw two more goals; another Powerplay goal from Christina Putigna ’19 and one from BC player Daryl Watts.
Murphy answered the call again not even five minutes into the third period. Later on, Putigna closed out the game with an empty-netter with only 10 seconds remaining in the third period.
Captain Kate Friesen ’19, who notched an assist on one of Putigna’s goals, said, “We knew BC was going to be a tough opponent, but we had a great week of practice so we were prepared with our game plan.”
The preparation definitely paid off, because when asked about what was different with this game compared to previous games against BC, Friesen commented that the team went into the game with much more confidence and discipline.
“The mood and energy of our team on Saturday night was great. I believe [our mood] was a big contributor to us being able to sustain pressure all game,” she said. “We kept our foot on the gas all night long and stuck to our game plan, which translated into chances that we were able to capitalize on.”
The win over BC shows great promise for the team this season and as Friesen stated, “We showed a level of play we are capable of so now it’s a matter of working hard to continue to improve as the season continues.”
In terms of improvement, Friesen acknowledges that the team needs to work on their puck possession both offensively and defensively to generate more scoring chances for the team and eliminate the chances for opponents.
Friesen stated that the team’s win was exciting, “I think that it shows growth within our program so it excites me to see where we’re headed moving forward this season.”
This weekend, PC will face off against the University of Maine at Schneider Arena before hitting the road for a Sunday game against the University of Vermont.
Undefeated Start For Women’s Ice Hockey
by The Cowl Editor on October 18, 2018
Friar Sports
Team Looks to Carry Success into the Rest of the Season
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
Hockey season has arrived in Friartown and the Providence College Women’s Ice Hockey Team is taking the right steps towards a successful season. They started off their season undefeated in their first three games and have provided a glimpse as to just how victorious their upcoming season can be.
Under the supervision of new Head Coach and former USA Hockey head scout, Matt Kelly, the team has been given a new perspective on the game and thus far it has made all the difference.
“Being at that level [Kelly] was given a different perspective…because he was looking at players and what they have and what they might be willing to offer…I think that his coaching ability will really show because he has been able to take that ability and apply it to the game and show how they can work that ability to the best [that they can],” commented assistant captain, Avery Fransoo ’20, on coach Kelly.
Along with a brand new coaching staff, the team welcomed three new freshmen: Ciara Barone ’22, Sara Hjalmarsson ’22, and Caroline Peterson ’22. Fransoo commented that the freshmen are a great addition to the team as they have proven their preparation for games. She added that the freshmen will be a “huge part in creating a winning environment for our team.”
The freshmen have certainly proven themselves as key players, as it was Hjalmarsson who stepped up to capture her first college career hat trick against College of the Holy Cross. Hjalmarsson helped lead the Friars to a 5-0 win. In just three games, Hjalmarsson has tallied an impressive five points overall with four goals and an assist.
“[Sara’s] really good. She’s got lots of speed and great hands,” Fransoo said of her new teammate. “And a wicked hard shot,” she adds. Her comment, of course, refers to the bullet Hjalmarsson sent sailing from just inside the blue line and right over Holy Cross goalie’s shoulder that would give Hjalmarsson not only her first Power Play goal, but also the team’s.
A native of Bankeryd, Sweden, Hjalmarsson’s first games as a Friar have earned her the name of Hockey East Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week.
Barone is also making a statement on the ice. In her first game as a Friar, Barone had an impressive two-point game, notching both her first career assist and goal.
However, it is not just the freshmen that are standing out early in the season. Goaltender Maddie Myers ’19 has made her mark in the net, starting all five games this season. She has let in four goals so far, all against Bemidji State University.
“She’s been great back in net,” Fransoo stated. “Maddie has been a rock. I think all of the goalies continuously push each other to fight for that [starting] spot.” Myers is joined by two other goalies, Clare Minnerath ’20 and Sandra Abstreiter ’21.
Of course, it helps that Myers has a “solid D-group” and “strong forward group” aiding her both defensively and offensively.
Team veterans Kate Friesen ’19 and Maureen Murphy ’21 are two players who stand out among the forwards and defense. Friesen, who is the team captain, is coming off a season where she finished second best on the team in terms of +/- ratings (18+). A Hockey East All-Star Honorable Mention, Friesen has played in every game this season as well.
The same goes for Murphy. Beginning her second season with the Friars just after coming back from the 2018 U.S. Women’s National Team Evaluation camp, Murphy already has three goals and three assists.
With a makeup of 12 forwards and seven defensemen, the 19-player roster is really working on earning everything they get this season.
“Our perspective is going into each game thinking that you have to earn it. That is one of our major points that we’re following—earning each game and each shift,” Fransoo explains. “Determination, hard work, and everything you’ve prepared for in that moment: that will be the difference in not only our upcoming games but the games the rest of this season and going into playoffs.”
Aside from the “earning it” mentality that the team is focusing on this year, Fransoo nods to the team’s strengths, which she believes will set them up to go deep into the playoffs.
“I think our team has a lot of speed and I think that’s one of our attributes that really set the team apart. I think when we really use it we really dominate teams,” Fransoo acknowledged.
However, Fransoo points out that with their greatest strength comes a weakness that she admits needs to be worked on as a whole team: passing. With the overall high-intensity speed of the game, the team needs to focus on working on “keeping up” their passing with that speed.
“We have been preparing and working hard to get…wins,” says Fransoo on the team. “We have a lot of drive this year.”
The Lady Friars will look to continue their winning-streak this upcoming weekend at Pennsylvania State University in a two game series on Friday, October 19 and Saturday, October 20.
Skating Her Way to Success
by The Cowl Editor on September 20, 2018
Friar Sports
Maureen Murphy ’21 Invited to National Team Evaluation Camp
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
Providence College’s standout women’s hockey player, Maureen Murphy ’21, was one of the select few hockey players throughout the country to be invited to participate in the 2018 U.S. Women’s National Team Evaluation Camp.
“It was a lot of fun, but I think I was most excited to go and learn from everyone that was there,” Murphy commented on her most recent trip to Biddeford, Maine, where the elite camp was held.
The camp, which took place from Sept. 13-17, was set up to evaluate the top-tier talent in the current Women’s National Team player pool. The camp splits players into two teams and the teams participate in three intrasquad scrimmages along with going to practices.
“They were evaluating on three different standards,” Murphy explained. “There is a tournament in a month and a half in Saskatchewan, Canada and they will pick a roster from people at this camp. They were also evaluating for post-grads and the third was just your overall standing in the national player pool. They have all of these players…and they are ranking and restarting for this quad. It resets every four years for the Olympics.”
Murphy, who is still an eligible U-22 player, was one of the 37 players from around the country to be invited to attend the camp. Of the 37 players invited, 17 of them were members of the Olympic team that just won gold in PyeongChang, South Korea.
“I was most excited to go and learn from everyone that was there just because that was my first experience with the national team and obviously I was pretty nervous,” Murphy commented on playing with these elite players.
“I think everyone there understood…where we were coming from so [the players] were super helpful. It was also really intense because I’m not going to outwork or out-skill these Olympian players any time soon. You just had to really work hard and grind it out.”
Murphy said her favorite part of the camp was “getting to play with people that I had always looked up to as a kid…it was super cool for me.”
Murphy commented “maybe” with a laugh when asked about being picked to play with the team heading to Saskatchewan in the upcoming months, after having played with the USA U-22 Women’s Select Team in a three-game series against Canada in early August.
Her August trip to Canada was not the first time USA Hockey has called upon her to represent them. Prior to starting at PC, Murphy was invited to play for Team USA at the 2017 Under-18 World Championships in the Czech Republic. The team went on to bring home the gold medal.
Murphy, who is heading into her second season with the Lady Friars starting on Sept. 28 against Concordia University, finished her inaugural season with a team-leading 28 points, which consisted of 19 goals (the most on the team) and nine assists. Of her 19 goals, five were game-winners and four were short-handed; she tied first nationally in short-handed goals. Appearing in 36 games last season, Murphy also put up seven multi-point games.
Her success last season landed her the title of Hockey East Rookie of the Week three times, Hockey East Top Performer six times, and Hockey East Rookie of the Month in December. Murphy was also named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team and was a Second Team All-Star. She was deemed a New England Hockey Writers All-Star and was awarded PC’s hockey team Seventh Player Award.
On her success last season, Murphy humbly commented, “Players can’t have success without the team. It’s a collective unit kind of thing.”
Looking at the upcoming season, Murphy believes the team will find success in the “amount of work that we put in as a team over the summer” and the “really good people” that were brought onto the team.
“I think we’re all really excited as a team,” Murphy added about newly assigned Head Coach Matt Kelly. Kelly was also asked to attend the Evaluation Camp as both a coach and an evaluator. While Murphy did not see him at the camp, she thinks his National Team experience, which she describes as the “highest level of women’s hockey” will be “helpful for the team on a variety of different levels.”
“We have pretty intense practices now,” Murphy comments on how the team is getting ready for their upcoming season. “I think just like bringing a whole new level of speed and [the] mentality that we’re gonna move forward and have a great year.”
And in terms of last year, which ended in a Hockey East first round knock-out by the number six ranked University of Connecticut, all Murphy had to say was, “We’re not looking back.”