GAME INFORMATION VS. UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
 
NOVEMBER 7 | SCHNEIDER ARENA | DURHAM, N.H. | 6:00 PM
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NOVEMBER 8 | SCHNEIDER ARENA | PROVIDENCE, R.I. | 2:00 PM
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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Providence College women’s hockey team returns to action this weekend against the University of New Hampshire. The Friars will travel to Durham, N.H., on Friday, Nov. 7 for a 6 p.m. puck drop at the Whittemore Center before returning home on Saturday, Nov. 8 for a 2 p.m. game at Schneider Arena.
 
Scouting the Friars
Providence enters the weekend after earning four points against the University of Maine last weekend and securing its first Hockey East victory of the season. The Friars took the first game, 3-2, in overtime behind senior Sarah Davies’ (Mississauga, Ontario) game-winning goal. In the rematch on Saturday, the teams skated to a 1-1 tie. Providence claimed the second point in the shootout with goals from junior Audrey Knapp (Stevens Point, Wis.) and sophomore Jessie Pellerin (Bowmanville, Ontario). Graduate goaltender Hope Walinski (Lincoln, R.I.) made two saves in the shootout.
 
Ranked Start
Following the matchup against No. 13/13 St. Thomas, the Friars played seven of their first eight games against ranked opponents. Providence is 2-5-0 this season against ranked foes. Last year, the Friars went 7-5-0— their most ranked wins in a season under Head Coach Matt Kelly and the most since 2009-10. Including the 2025-26 season, Kelly holds a 23-45-6 record against ranked opponents at Providence. Based on opponents’ winning percentage, the Friars have faced the fourth-toughest schedule in the country (.719).
 
Overtimes
Three of the Friars’ last four games have gone to overtime. Providence is 2-0-1 in overtime this season. Last year, the Friars were 4-1-3 in extra time and are 16-10-21 all-time under Head Coach Matt Kelly. Their three overtime games are tied for the most in Hockey East this season alongside Vermont and Maine.
 
Kirchmair’s Fast Start
Senior Reichen Kirchmair (Oakville, Ontario) has produced 10 points in 10 games this season on eight goals and two assists. The reigning Hockey East Player of the Year ranks eighth nationally in game-winning goals (2), 13th in goals per game (0.75) and 10th in power-play goals (2). She leads all Hockey East skaters in goals per game. Kirchmair is also one of four players in the NCAA to score four goals in a game this season.
 
Reichen Kirchmair Named Hockey East Player Of The Week
Senior Reichen Kirchmair (Oakville, Ontario) was named Hockey East Player of the Week on Monday, Oct. 27, marking her first weekly honor of the season. Kirchmair led the Friars with four goals in Friday’s 7-6 overtime victory over No. 13/13 St. Thomas. She recorded a second-period hat trick in just 4:41 before netting the game-winner in overtime. The four-goal outing marked Kirchmair’s second career hat trick, seventh three-point game, and second four-point game. It was also her 22nd career multi-point effort and 12th game-winning goal. Kirchmair is the first Friar to score four goals in a game since Sara Hjalmarsson did so against Maine on Nov. 19, 2022, and the first to record multiple hat tricks since Hjalmarsson, who tallied three in her career.
 
Returning for the Friars
Providence returns senior forward Reichen Kirchmair (Oakville, Ontario), the 2024-25 Cammi Granato Award winner as Hockey East Player of the Year and the league’s scoring champion. She became the first Friar to earn Player of the Year honors since 2004-05 and the first to claim the scoring title since 2002-03. Kirchmair was the only unanimous selection to the Hockey East First Team after leading the league with 15 goals and 15 assists in conference play. The senior paced all league players with 19 goals and 18 assists for 37 points in 34 games.
 
Junior forward Audrey Knapp (Stevens Point, Wis.) also returns for the Friars after being named a Hockey East First Team All-Star last season. Knapp tied for the conference lead in goals with 15, alongside Kirchmair, making them the only Friars to achieve the feat in the Hockey East era with Sara Hjalmarsson in 2022-23. The junior finished the season with 19 goals and 16 assists for 35 points.
 
In net, graduate student Hope Walinski (Lincoln, R.I.) returns for Providence. Walinski started 33 games for the Friars, posting a 1.87 goals against average, a .922 save percentage, four shutouts and a 19-11-3 record. Walinski was awarded as a Hockey East Third Team All-Star and named to the “Watch List” for the National Goalie of the Year Award last season.
 
Audrey Knapp Invited to USA Hockey Women’s National Festival
Junior Audrey Knapp (Stevens Point, Wis.) was invited to the 2025 USA Hockey Women’s National Festival on Aug. 3-9 at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid, N.Y. The group is made up of 76 college and professional players, along with 46 players under the age of 18. The Festival assisted in the evaluation process for the 2026 U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team.
 
Climbing Up The Second Half
The Friars opened the second half of the 2024-25 season with an 8-1-0 record in January, their most wins in the month since 1998-99. From January through the end of the regular season, Providence earned points in 17 of its final 20 conference games, posting a 13-3-0 record in the second half, the best mark in Hockey East after the new year.
 
Hats Flying
Providence recorded four hat tricks in 2024-25, its most in a single season since 2004-05. Three of those came from current returners: Reichen Kirchmair, Audrey Knapp and Kiara Kraft.
 
Hockey East Preseason Poll
The Friars were picked to finish fifth in the Hockey East Preseason Poll, which was released on Monday, Sept. 16. Providence received 61 points and were picked to finish behind UConn (86), Boston University (82), Northeastern University (76) and Boston College (64). The Huskies and Terriers each received five first place votes.
 
Fresh Friar Faces
Providence welcomes 10 new players (one transfer and nine freshmen) to the roster for the 2025-26 season. Taylor Porthan (Edina, Minn.) is a sophomore from UConn. The nine freshmen are Molly Farace (Otonabee, Ontario), Sophie Harold (Cobourg, Ontario), Mallory Hartl (Askov, Minn.), Izzy King (Bedford, Mass.), Taylor Leemrijse (Toronto, Ontario), Lauren Mack (Excelsior, Minn.), Brenna O’Reilly (Burlington, Mass.), Bella Paolucci (Groose Pointe Woods, Mich.) and Sami Snyder (Waterloo, Ontario).
 
Friars Under Head Coach Matt Kelly
Including the 2025-26 campaign, Matt Kelly has posted an overall record of 128-93-26 (.571) and 97-66-20 (.585) in Hockey East play. Last season’s 20 wins marked the third time during Kelly’s tenure the Friars have reached the 20-win mark. In his inaugural season, the 2018-19 Friars tied the school-record with 24 wins.
 
In 2020-21, 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.
 
Closing In On 100 Hockey East Wins
Providence Head Coach Matt Kelly enters the weekend with 97 Hockey East victories, three shy of 100. Kelly would become the second coach in program history to reach 100 Hockey East wins since the league’s inception in 2002-03, joining Bob Deraney. He currently ranks third all-time in program history with 128 overall wins, trailing Deraney (319) and John Marchetti (264).
 
Through 40
In the Kelly era, the Friars are 87-8-5 when taking the lead into the third period. They are 27-20-14 when tied after two periods and 14-65-7 when trailing.
 
Three is the Number
Under Kelly, Providence is 96-7-3 all-time when scoring three or more goals. The Friars were 18-1-0 last season when scoring three or more goals. Providence was a perfect 10-0-0 when scoring four or more goals and 5-0-0 when netting five.
 
Scouting the Wildcats
The University of New Hampshire enters the weekend 5-4-1 overall and 2-1-0 in Hockey East play. The Wildcats are 1-3-0 at home and 4-1-1 on the road to start the season. In their last series, New Hampshire played a home-and-home set with Merrimack College and swept the weekend with an 8-2 win at Lawler Rink and a 5-2 victory at the Whittemore Center.
 
Who to Watch for New Hampshire
Senior forward Alyson Hush leads the Wildcats with 10 points on three goals and seven assists through 10 games. Behind Hush, freshman forward Nina Rossi and junior forward Danika Botterill each have eight points. Rossi has four goals and four assists while Botterill has two goals and six assists. Sophomore forward Addison Spitz was named Hockey East Player of the Week after recording five points against Merrimack and freshman Josie Linn earned Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week honors with four points against the Warriors.
 
In goal, juniors Noemi Martinez Sedona Blair have split time for the Wildcats. Blair has started six games, posting a 2.01 goals-against average, a .934 save percentage and a 2-3-1 record. Martinez has started four games with a 1.75 goals-against average, a .930 save percentage and a 3-1-0 record.
 
All-Time Series with the Wildcats
New Hampshire leads the all-time series 69-89-15. Last season, the Wildcats won the opening game in Durham, 7-3, before the Friars took the final two meetings at Schneider Arena, 6-3 and 4-3 in overtime. Providence’s last win at the Whittemore Center came on Dec. 8, 2023, in a 6-0 victory.
 
-GO FRIARS!-