Women's hockey returns to road action in Vermont and Merrimack

GAME INFORMATION VS. VERMONT

JANUARY 3 | GUTTERSON VELDHUIS | BURLINTON, VT | 6:00 PM
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GAME INFORMATION VS. MERRIMACK

JANUARY 4 | LAWLER RINK | NORTH ANDOVER, MASS. | 6:00 PM
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PROVIDENCE, RI The Providence College women's hockey team returns in 2025 to play at the University of Vermont on Friday, January 3 at 6:00 PM and at Merrimack College on Saturday, January 4 at 6:00 PM.

Exploring the brothers

Providence has an overall record of 7-8-3 and is 3-6-2 in Hockey East through the first half of the season.

In the Friars' final game before winter break, they traveled to Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts to take on the No. 10/10 Boston College Eagles. After taking a 2-0 lead in the second period through goals from Mégane Quirion (Saint-Eustache, Quebec) and Rich Kirchmair (Oakville, Ontario), the Eagles scored four unanswered goals to win the match and collect three points in the standings. Quirion's goal was her first of the season and Kirchmair's was a ninth goal of the season. Providence defeated the Eagles 38-24 in the game.

Kirchmair named Hockey East Player of the Week
Rich Kirchmair was named Hockey East Player of the Week for the first time this season and the second time in her career on Monday, November 25. Kirchamir led the Friars on Friday, November 22 and Saturday, November 23 with two goals, including an overtime game winner and a shootout clincher against Harvard University. Her two-goal performance on Nov. 23 was the fourth of her collegiate career and her first since Jan. 20, 2024, against Holy Cross.

Brothers shine in the hockey east scoring race
Rich Kirchmair has been a major factor in the Friars' offense this season. She currently ranks second among Hockey East players in scoring with 17 total points (nine goals, eight assists) through 17 games, for an average of 0.94 points per game. Audrey Knappranked fourth in the conference with 14 points (eight goals, six assists). Hannah Johnsonranked 10th with 13 points (five goals, eight assists), andMillie from Syria rounds out the group just outside the top 10 and is twelfth with twelve points (six goals, six assists).

In conference play, Kirchmair has continued her success. She ranked fifth in Hockey East regular season scoring with 10 points (five goals, five assists). Sirum was also a standout, ranking seventh with nine points (five goals, four assists).

Goals to start the season

Providence scored six or more goals in both games against Saint Michael's to start the season. The last time the Friars scored six or more goals in consecutive games was September 29, 2017 (at Union, 7-3) and October 1, 2017 (vs. Vermont, 6-2).

Returning for the brethren

The brothers return to the front Audrey Knapp (Stevens Point, Wis.) who made the Hockey East Pro Ambitions All-Rookie Team after recording 14 goals and four assists for 18 points in her freshman season. Rich Kirchmair (Oakville, Ontario) also returns to the lineup. Kirchmair scored eleven goals and five assists last season, good for sixteen points.

Providence returns top defensemen Brooke Becker (Orchard Park, NY) and Cristina Cavaliere (Mississauga, Ontario). Becker totaled five goals, 11 assists and 25 blocks and was named All-Hockey East Third Team honors. Cavaliere recorded one goal, 11 assists and 30 blocked shots.

Net, Hope Walinski (Lincoln, RI) returns to Providence. Walinski started 26 games last season and posted a 2.04 goals against average, a .917 save percentage, four shutouts and an 11-11-4 record. Sophomore Taya Currie (Parkhill, Ontario) returns after missing the entire 2023-24 season due to injury. In 2021, Currie was selected in the 14th round of the 2021 OHL draft by the Sarnia Sting, marking the first time a female player was selected to one of the world's top junior hockey leagues.

Hockey East Preseason Poll

The Friars were picked to finish fifth in the Hockey East Preseason Poll, which was released on Monday, September 16. Providence received 55 points and was picked to finish behind UConn (88), Northeastern (81), Boston College (73) and New Hampshire (62). The Huskies, who won the 2024 Hockey East Tournament, received eight first-place votes.

Fresh brotherly faces

Providence welcomes eight new players (three transfers and five freshmen) to the roster for the 2024-2025 season. Millie from Syria (Oslo, Norway) is a graduate student of Holy Cross. Sarah Davis (Mississauga, Ont.) is a junior at Lindenwood University and Olivia Klunowski (Toronto, Ont.) is a junior at Franklin Pierce University. The five first-years are Cali Cerruti (Norwell, MA), Hannah Clarke (Richmond Hill, Ont.), Josie Long (Stillwater, Minnesota), Emma Hofbauer (Vomperbach, Austria) and Jessie Pellerin (Bowmanville, Ont.).

Called captains

Senior Hannah Johnson (Readfield, Maine) was named captain for the 2024-2025 season, along with alternate captains Brooke Becker (Orchard Park, NY) and Lily Hendrikson (Edina, Minnesota).

Brothers under head coach Matt Kelly

Including the 2024-2025 campaign, Matt Kelly has posted an overall record of 112-83-25 (.566) and 83-61-19 (.567) in Hockey East play. In his first season, the 2018-19 Friars tied the school record with 24 wins. In 2020-2021, Kelly led the Friars to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005, marking the program's second appearance in school history. The Friars have reached the Hockey East Championship twice under Kelly, in 2020-21 and 2022-23.

Following their 3-2 overtime victory against the University of Maine on Friday, October 11, the Friars are now 6-1-0 in Hockey East's opening games under Coach Kelly. In those matchups, Providence has outscored its opponents 25-9.

Via 40

In the Kelly era, the Friars are 77-6-5 when taking the lead in the third period. They are 23-19-13 when tied after two periods and 12-58-7 when trailing.

Exploring the Catamounts and Warriors

Vermont enters Friday's matchup with an overall record of 4-13-2 and a mark of 3-7-2 in Hockey East. The Catamounts are coming off a 2-1 win over Merrimack on December 6.

Merrimack is 6-12-1 overall and 3-8-1 in conference play and will face Northeastern on Jan. 3 before meeting the Friars on Saturday. In their last outing on December 14, the Warriors fell 3-2 to Maine. Merrimack tied the game with 57 seconds left in regulation before conceding the game winner just 26 seconds later.

Who to watch for Vermont?

Junior Lara Beecher leads Vermont in scoring with 10 points (three goals, seven assists). She scored two assists in the Catamounts' final game before halftime, marking the fourth two-assist game of her career. Senior Evelyne Blais-Savoie leads the team in goals (five) and has one assist. Blais-Savoie also ranks eighth in the nation in faceoffs won, with 231, for 58.0%.

In total, senior Jane Gervais has started 16 games and posted a 4-10-2 record with a 2.63 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage, including two shutouts – one of which came in the 0-0 draw against Providence on 1 November. 16.

All-Time Series with the Catamounts

Providence leads the all-time series against Vermont 40-23-7. The teams met twice this season at Schneider Arena, with both matches ending in a draw: a 1-1 draw on November 15 (Friars won the shootout) and a 0-0 draw on November 16 (Catamounts won the shootout) . The last two results marked the third consecutive draw in the series. The Friars' last win came on Jan. 13, 2024, with a 4-3 overtime win at Vermont.

Who should you pay attention to? Merrimack

Sophomore Maria Lindberg leads the Warriors in scoring with 15 points (eight goals, seven assists), ranking her fourth in overall Hockey East scoring. She was named Hockey East Player of the Week on October 28. Freshman Chloe Goofers follows closely behind with 13 points (six goals, seven assists), which ranks fifth in conference scoring.

In net, junior Calli Hogarth and freshman Margaux Favre have splits. Hogarth has a record of 2-8-1, a 2.83 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage, while Favre has a 4-4-0 record with a 2.92 goals-against average and a save percentage of .905.

All-Time Series with the Warriors

The Friars hold a 23-2-2 lead in the all-time series against Merrimack, which started in 2015 during Merrimack's first season. Last year, Providence posted a 2-1-0 record against the Warriors, with wins on February 23 and 24, 2024. Merrimack's lone win came on November 17, 2023 at Schneider Arena in a 1-0 decision. It was Merrimack's first win in the series since the 2017-18 season.

-GO FRIARS!-