History of Friar Women’s Hockey

Important Names/Events 1974-75: The 1974-75 season was the inaugural campaign of women’s ice hockey at Providence. Under head coach Tom Palamara, the first-year team played opponents such as Boston College and Boston University, finishing its inaugural season with a 0-8-0 record.

2003-04 Hockey East Champions: The 2003-04 squad captured its second Hockey East tournament title and its third league title. It defeated New Hampshire, 3-0, to win the Women’s Hockey East Tournament title. They also posted a 21-13-2 mark overall for the season, their 13th 20-win campaign and their 27th with a winning record.

Championship Teams

2004-05 Hockey East Champions: The 2004-05 squad captured its third Hockey East tournament title and its fourth straight league title in as many years. The team also won the Hockey East regular season title and earned the program’s first NCAA Tournament bid.

1983-84 ECAC Champions: The 1983-84 Friars were the first women’s ice hockey team to win the ECAC Championship title. Entering the tournament as the No. 1 seed, the Friars dealt No. 4 Princeton a 4-0 loss in the semifinals. The Friars then defeated New Hampshire, 1-0, in overtime to finish the season with a 21-2-0 record. 1984-85 ECAC Champions: The 1984-85 squad captured the ECAC Championship title. It marked the second-consecutive season that the Friars won the league title. The team finished with an 18-2-1 record overall for the season. The Friars defeated Northeastern, 2-1, in the Semifinals, followed by a 4-2 victory over top-ranked New Hampshire in the Championship. 1991-92 ECAC Champions: The 1991-92 Friars defeated three-time defending champion New Hampshire, 2-1, at Schneider Arena to capture the ECAC title. The 1991-92 squad finished the year with an impressive 22-2-1 record. 1992-93 ECAC Champions: The 1992-93 team, which posted a 21-5-3 record overall, met New Hampshire once again in the ECAC Championships. The Friars, who defeated Dartmouth, 3-2, in the semifinals were victorious again, defeating New Hampshire, 3-0, for the ECAC Championship title. 1993-94 ECAC Champions: The 1993-94 Friars posted a 19-8-4 mark for the season and defeated Northeastern in the ECAC Championship game. PC’s third-consecutive ECAC Championship title came after the Friars defeated Dartmouth, 4-1, in the quarterfinals, New Hampshire, 3-2, in the semifinals and Northeastern, 5-2, in the Championship game. 1994-95 ECAC Champions: The 1994-95 team, which was ranked fourth in the ECAC, brought home the team’s sixth ECAC Championship title. The Friars skated to a 2-1 overtime decision over New Hampshire in the title game and finished the season with an 18-9-4 overall record. 2001-02 ECAC Eastern League Champions: For the first time in seven years, the Friars captured an ECAC title as the team won the ECAC Eastern League Championship. The Friars defeated Northeastern, 1-0. The 2001-02 Friars finished the season with an impressive 20-13-4 mark under coach Bob Deraney. 2002-03 Hockey East Champions: The 2002-03 squad captured the Hockey East regular season and tournament titles, winning the regular season with a 13-1-1 record and then defeating UNH, 1-0, to win the inaugural Women’s Hockey East Tournament title. They also won a school-record 24 games, posting a 24-6-6 mark overall for the season.

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Important Names in Providence Women’s Ice Hockey History

This list only includes those Friars who are in the PC Hall of Fame, earned AllAmerica accolades, were Olympians, rank in the top-10 in overall scoring, was a top goaltender, coached the team to a championship or were instrumental in the growth of the program. Chris Bailey ‘94 played for three consecutive ECAC Championship teams (‘92, ‘93, ‘94), capturing the championship title three of the four years she played at PC. In her senior year, Bailey was third on her team in goals scored (11), assists (17), and points (28). Bailey played at the World Championships in 1994, 1997, 1999 and 2000. She tallied six assists while playing for the US Women’s National Team. She also played on the Gold Medal US Olympic Team in 1998 as well as the Silver Medal Olympic Team in 2002. Bailey returned to Providence College after graduating in 1994 to serve as an assistant coach of the Friars for two seasons. She was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009 as a member of the 1998 Olympic Team. Laurie Baker ‘97 was one of the top all-around players ever at Providence College. She ranks third all-time in points scored in a single season with 71 during the 1996-97 season. That same season, Baker recorded the second-highest single-season goal total at PC with 43. Despite playing just two seasons at Providence, she ranks 11th all-time at PC for goals scored with 75. Baker’s final year as a Friar resulted in an incredible 43 goals, 28 assists and 71 points. Baker was an ECAC All-Star First Team Forward in 1997 and the ECAC Rookie of the Year in 1996. Among other accomplishments, she was named USA Hockey Player of the Year in 1997 and helped the 1998 US Olympic Team win the Gold Medal in Nagano, Japan, as well as the 2002 squad capture the silver medal in Salt Lake City. She also played in the World Championships in 1997 and 2000. Baker was named Providence College Athlete of the Year in 1997. She was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009 as a member of the 1998 Olympic Team. Jackie (Gladu) Barto ‘84 began appearing on the Friar records list her freshman year. As a rookie, she was the leading scorer on her team with 31 goals that first season (1980-81) and later went on to score 40 goals in a her senior year, making her the fourth leading goal scorer in a single season ever at PC. In her PC career as a hockey player, Gladu tallied 113 goals, 87 assists and 200 points, making her the No. 5 all-time leader in points. In 1981 and 1984, she was named Providence College Athlete of the Year, making her the second freshman to ever receive that title. In 1994, Jackie Barto (previously Gladu), became the head coach of the Friars. Her coaching career proved to be successful as well, as her 1994-95 squad won the ECAC Championships. In her five-year career as a coach, Barto posted a 70-53-10, mark giving her a .563 winning percentage. In 1994-95, Barto was named New England Hockey Writers Coach of the Year and also holds a place in Providence College’s Hall of Fame. In addition to hockey, she also played field hockey and softball as a Friar. She later served as a coach of both these teams. Currently, she is the head coach at Ohio State University.

Important Names/Events Beth Beagan ‘92 helped her team to the ECAC Championship title her senior year, but her hockey career didn’t end there. She went on to play at the World Championships in 1990, 1992 and 1994. Beagan was named to the ECAC All-Star Team her junior and senior years, as she tallied an impressive 174 points for the Friars in her career, which ranks her in PC’s top 10 in points scored. She also ranks fifth all-time with 105 assists. Bob Bellemore ‘66 was one of the top goaltenders to have ever played at The College. Bellemore ranks fifth all-time with a career goals against average of 3.12 for the men’s team. In his sophomore year (1964), he helped the Friars win their first ECAC title and gain their first berth in the NCAA Final Four. Bellemore also starred on the baseball team, captaining the squad in his senior year. Bellemore began his coaching career as the part-time assistant men’s ice hockey coach and in 1972, he joined Lou Lamoriello’s staff as a full-time assistant coach until 1986. In 1986-87, Bellemore held the title of Arena Director of Schneider Arena. Bellemore left PC in 1987 to become the goaltending coach for the New Jersey Devils. He returned to PC in 1991 to finish his master’s degree and to become the assistant women’s ice hockey coach, a position he still holds. In 1984, Bob was inducted into the Providence College Athletic Hall of Fame. Helen Bert was the pioneer of female athletics at Providence College. In 1971, she was appointed as the first woman in the PC athletics department as she became the Coordinator of Women’s Athletics and was promoted to Assistant Athletic Director, later emerging as Associate Athletic Director under Lou Lamoriello. Bert helped establish 12 Division I varsity women’s sports at Providence College and was recognized nationally for her programs. On February 24, 1984 Bert became the first woman inductee of the Providence College Athletic Hall of Fame. She also was inducted into the North Providence Sports Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame in 1996. Helen Bert opened up many doors for female athletes, and will be remembered and celebrated for her crusade. Alana Blahoski ‘96 played in an impressive 121 games for the Friars, registering 35 goals and 48 assists for 83 career points. She helped the Friars capture three ECAC Championship titles. As a defenseman, she was named ECAC Player of the Year, New England Hockey Writers Player of the Year and Providence College Athlete of the Year in 1996. Blahoski helped the US bring home a Gold Medal in the 1998 Olympics and played in the World Championships in 1997, 1999 and 2000, recording two goals and four assists for the US Women’s National Team. Blahoski also played softball for PC. She was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009 as a member of the 1998 Olympic Team. Lisa Brown-Miller ‘88 dominated during her four years playing for the Friars, registering 92 career goals. She registered 154 career points from 1984-88. In 1985, her freshman season, she scored the winning goal against New Hampshire as PC captured the ECAC Championship title. In 1988, she was the ECAC Division I Player of the Year. She also made the ECAC All-Star Team her sophomore and senior years. Brown-Miller played for the 1998 Gold Medalist US Olympic Team. She also played on six US Women’s National Teams (1990, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997), recording 13 goals and 25 assists in 30 games. She was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009 as a member of the 1998 Olympic Team. Cindy Curley ‘85 tallied an incredible 225 points in her career as a Friar between 1981 and 1985, ranking third on the College’s all-time scoring list. She scored more than 60 points in two different seasons for the Friars. She ranks fourth all-time on PC’s goal scoring list with 110 goals and third on the school’s all-time career assists list with 115. Curley played at the World Championships in 1987, 1990, 1992 and 1994 and she was selected to the All-Tournament Team in 1990. She led the Friars to their first two ECAC Championship titles, scoring the winning goal in the ECAC Championship in 1984, and was one of the first women’s hockey players to be named to the ECAC All-Star Team her senior year. Curley was also the first women’s hockey player to be awarded PC’s Paul Connolly Award, given to a senior female who is both a distinguished athlete and student. She was inducted into the Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Fame in 2002.

Sara DeCosta ‘00 was one of the greatest netminders in Friar history. She allowed just 177 goals and made an amazing 2,324 saves as a Friar. She finished her PC career with a .929 save percentage and a 2.15 goals against average. In her sophomore and junior years, she was named to the ECAC All-Star Team. She was named PC’s Athlete of the Year in 1998 and 1999. In 1999 and 2000, DeCosta was an All-American selection, making her the first women’s ice hockey player to earn All-American status. DeCosta was named to the US Olympic Team in both 1998 and 2002, helping the US to the Gold Medal in 1998. She also played in the 2000 World Championships. DeCosta earned USA Hockey Player of the Year honors in 2000 and 2002. She was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009 as a member of the 1998 Olympic Team. Bob Deraney will be entering his 11th season as head coach of the Friars. His last 10 seasons with the women’s ice hockey program have proven very successful. His 2001-02 squad skated to the ECAC Eastern League Championship title, and the next three teams (02-03, 03-04, 04-05) each captured Hockey East Championship titles. In his first year coaching at the college, Deraney guided the Friars to their 10th 20-win season. In 2005, the Friars finished first in their league and posted a 21-11-5 record overall. Prior to coaching at PC, Deraney was a goaltender at Boston University where he played on some of Head Coach Jack Parker’s most successful teams, winning the Hockey East Championship his junior year. He then went on to the NHL training camps with the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins. He later played minor league hockey, playing for the Johnstown Chiefs of the ECHL and the Flint Spirits of the IHL. He began his coaching career in 1989 where he spent one season at Northeastern followed by three seasons working on the Dartmouth staff. Deraney then spent five seasons as the top assistant coach at UMass-Amherst before coming to PC. Susan Duffy ‘82 was one of the first great female hockey players at Providence College, tallying 195 points in her hockey career. In her sophomore year, the team posted its first 20-win campaign. In 1982, she served as a co-captain and was instrumental in bringing her team to its first-ever appearance in the EAIAW Championships Cammi Granato ‘93 is one of the greatest women’s hockey players in the world. She was named ECAC Player of the Year three consecutive seasons at PC and made the ECAC All-Star team all four years. Granato led the Friars to two ECAC Championship titles and finished her career with an amazing 256 points, the most any women’s ice hockey player has recorded at the College. She is also the leader for single-season points with 84 (1992-93), goals with 48 (1991-92) and assists with 43 (1992-93). She is the all-time leading goal scorer at Providence College with an impressive 139 career tallies, and ranks second all-time in assists with 117. She played for Team USA after PC and posted 343 points from 1990-2005. Among numerous accomplishments, Granato played at the World Championships on nine occasions, as well as for the US Olympic teams in 1998 and 2002 where she was the team’s captain both years, capturing the gold medal in 1998. In 1992 and 1997, Granato made the World Championship All-Tournament Team and in 1996 she was named USA Hockey Player of the Year. In 2007, she became the first female to recieve the NHL’s Lester Patrick Award. In 2008, she was inducted into the Providence College Athletic Hall of Fame and the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. She is the first female to receive the prestigious honor. She was inducted into the Hall in 2009 as a member of the 1998 Olympic Team. Kristin Gigliotti ‘07 played in 140 games during her four-year span as a defenseman for PC. She finished her career with 103 points on 40 goals and 63 assists. She helped the Friars to the Hockey East Championship in 2004 and 2005. She was named a New England Hockey Writer’s All Star in 2006 and 2007 as well as a Second Team All-American in 2006. Gigliotti was also selected as a Hockey East First-Team All Star in 2006 and 2007. She finished her career ranked second all-time with 258 penalty minutes.

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Important Names/Events Kelli Halcisak ‘04 was one of the top defenders all-time at PC. After spending her freshman year at Ohio State, where she led the team in scoring with 40 points (13 goals, 27 assists), she transferred to PC. She tallied 119 points (43 goals, 76 assists) as a Friar. She helped the Friars win three-consecutive league championships (2002 ECAC Eastern League, 2003 and 2004 Hockey East). Halcisak was named an ECAC All-Star in 2002 and a Hockey East All-Star in 2003 and 2004. She was also a three-time New England Hockey Writers All-Star (2002-04). She was a member of the silver medal winning 2004 U.S. World Championship team. Halcisak was also the first Providence defender to be named an All-American (Second Team 2003, First Team 2004). She was also chosen represent team USA in the 2007 IIHF Women’s World Championships. Kathy Lenehan ‘81 paved the way for future Friar hockey greatness. She scored 154 points in three seasons with the Friars and broke records throughout her career when women’s hockey at PC was improving and gaining prominence. Lenahan notched 84 career assists. She ranks fourth all-time for assists in a singleseason with 35 during the 1979-80 season. Lenehan also starred for the field hockey and softball teams at Providence. Heather Linstad ‘89 was one of the first of a long line of high scoring forwards to lead the PC women’s hockey program to prominence. In her Friar career, she scored 76 goals and tallied 72 assists for 148 points. Her senior year, she registered the most goals (18), assists (30), and points (48) for her team. Linstad was named to the ECAC All-Star Team and received ECAC Player of the Year honors her senior year (1989). She served as the women’s ice hockey head coach at Northeastern, and she has held the same title at Connecticut for the last nine seasons. John Marchetti has the highest winning percentage of any women’s ice hockey coach at PC (.779 percent). From 198094, he coached the Friars to a 262-69-15 record. Marchetti led the Friars to all but two ECAC title games in his 14 years as a head coach. Under his coaching, the Friars brought home the championship title five times (1984, 1985, 1992, 1993, 1994). Marchetti, who also served as the women’s hockey head coach at Yale, stands at fourth all-time in the NCAA Division I record book for wins by a women’s hockey head coach with 292. Vicki Movsessian-Lamoriello ‘94 was one of the top defenders all-time at PC. From 1990-94, she played in 89 games, tallied 12 goals and 41 assists for 53 points. She helped the Friars capture the ECAC title in 1992, 1993 and 1994. Movsessian was named to the ECAC All-Star Team three times and was also a two-time New England Hockey Writers All-Star (1992-93, 1993-94). She played in the 1994 and 1997 World Championships as well as the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, Japan where she helped the US capture a Gold Medal. She was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009 as a member of the 1998 Olympic Team. Kelly O’Leary ‘90 was one of the toughest defensive competitors in the history of Friar hockey. From 1986-90 she played in 98 games, tallied an impressive 63 goals and 60 assists for 123 career points. She also recorded 108 penalty minutes. Her 108 penalty minutes rank 12th-most all-time at PC. O’Leary was named to the ECAC All-Star Team in both her junior and senior years as a Friar. She was also named ECAC Player of the Year for the 1989-90 season. In 1990, 1992, 1994 and 1997, O’Leary played in the World Championships for Team USA. She was named to the World Championship All-Tournament Team three times (1990, 1994, 1997).

Stephanie O’Sullivan ‘95 was one of the greatest forwards ever at Providence College, finishing her career with an incredible 126 goals, 127 assists, and 253 points. O’Sullivan dominates the Friar record book as she is second in career points, first in assists and second in goals scored. She also is ranked fifth in points, goals and assists in a single season. O’Sullivan was named the 1991-92 ECAC Rookie of the Year as a freshman and Player of the Year her senior season in 1994-95. She also was named an ECAC All-Star First Team forward three years in a row from 1992-1995 and played in the World Championships in 1994, ‘97, ‘99 and ‘00. She tallied 10 goals and 13 assists for the US Women’s National Team in just 20 games. In 2008, she was inducted into the Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Fame. Tom Palamara was the first head coach of the women’s hockey program at Providence College. Palamara, a sophomore at the College at the time, coached the team for the first six years of its existence. After finishing 0-8-0 in their inaugural season, the team turned things around and by its third season it posted its first of 21 straight winning seasons. Mary Ellen Riordan ‘82 scored an impressive 214 points with 106 goals and 108 assists for the Friars. She ranks fourth alltime at Providence for both points and assists. Her coach John Marchetti once said that she was, “A very solid player who can play both offense and defense.”

Jessica Tabb ‘01 was one of the most accomplished players ever for the Friars. She was the ECAC Rookie of the Year in the 1997-98 season, a 2001 All-American, a New England Hockey Writers All-Star her sophomore through senior years and was the Providence College Athlete of the Year in 2001. Tabb also was named to the ECAC All-Star Team her sophomore and senior years. She ranks ninth all-time in points with 170 and eighth in goals scored (86). Her 34 assists in a single season ranks seventh all-time. Tabb played for the 1996 Under-19 National Team and the 1999 and 2000 Under-21 National Teams as well. She was one of three Friars to be named to the 2003 World Championship team. Karen Thatcher ‘06 finished her career with 167 points in 132 games played, ranking her tied for 10th all-time. She had a hand in PC’s Hockey East Tournament titles in 2004 and 2005. A top10 Patty Kazmaier Finalist, Thatcher led the team in scoring for the second-straight time in 2005 with 47 points. She was named Hockey East Co-Player of the Year in 2005. She earned the Hockey East Sportsmanship Award three-consecutive seasons as well as All-Academic honors. Thatcher was named an AllAmerica Second Team selection, a Hockey East All-Star, New England Hockey Writers All-Star and Providence College Athlete of the Year in her final season with the Friars. Since graduating, Thatcher has played with the US National team, including the 2008 and 2009 IIHF Championships where she helped Team USA to back-to-back gold medals for the first time in USA Hockey history. Alison Wheeler ‘97 was a very talented all-around hockey player. Wheeler was second on her team in scoring (48 points) her rookie season at Providence College and scored the game-winning goal in the ECAC Championships against New Hampshire in 1994. She also went on to score yet another game-winning goal to take home the ECAC Championship title in 1995. Wheeler ranks seventh on PC’s all-time scoring list in points (184) and sixth in assists (103), as well as ninth on the school’s all-time goals list (81). As a sophomore, Wheeler was named to the New England Hockey Writer’s All-Star team. The Class of 2005 was one of the most celebrated classes in Friar history, as it captured four straight league titles in as many years and earned the program’s first NCAA tournament bid. Members include: Mara Amrhein, Danielle Bourgette, Hilary Greaves, Emily Gryp, Ashley Payton, Christina Redmond, Amy Thomas and Rush Zimmerman.

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All-Americans/Players of the Year

Sara DeCosta - All-American 1999 - Second Team 2000 - First Team

Jessica Tabb - All-American 2001 - Second Team

Kelli Halcisak - All-American 2003 - Second Team 2004 - First Team

Kristin Gigliotti - All-American 2006 - Second Team

ECAC Division I Players of the Year

Lisa Brown 1988

Karen Thatcher All-American 2006 - Second Team 2005- Hockey East Player of the Year

Heather Linstad 1989

Cammi Granato Stephanie O’Sullivan 1991, 1992 & 1993 1995

Kelly O’Leary 1990

Alana Blahoski 1996

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Providence College Hockey History The Beginnings

Providence College was founded by Bishop Matthew Harkins during the 700th anniversary of the Dominican Order. The doors were to open on September 22, 1918, but with World War I raging in Europe, it was decided to postpone the opening until the following fall. On September 17, 1919, 71 undergraduates registered. Women’s hockey became a varsity sport at Providence College during the 1974-75 season. It started as an intramural sport during the previous year at the College and was well received, so Helen Bert, who was in charge of women’s athletics at Providence, moved to have it become a varsity program. The Friars did not win a game that first season but saw much improvement over the next four seasons. By the 1979-80 season the Friars finished with one of the best records in college hockey at 20-2-0. It was the first of twelve, 20-win seasons for the program. Unfortunately, statistics were not diligently kept for several of the early seasons and only the team’s win-loss records are available. The first record of a Friars’ victory is during the 1976-77 season at Boston University. Providence defeated the Terriers, 9-1, as it registered the first winning season in the program’s history with a 9-4-0 record.



The Championships

Over the years, Providence College has been one of the top programs in college hockey. The Friars have won 10 tournament championships during their 31 seasons. Providence won back-to-back titles in 1983-84 and 1984-85, four in a row from 2001-02 to 2004-05 and four in a row from the 1991-92 season through the 1994-95 season. Three squads that earned unique distinction at Providence were the 1984 team, the 1992 team and the 2003 team. The 1983-84 Friars was the first women’s ice hockey team to win the ECAC Championship title. Entering the tournament as the No. 1 seed, the Friars dealt No. 4 Princeton a 4-0 loss in the semifinals. The Friars then defeated New Hampshire, 1-0, in overtime to finish the season with a 21-2-0 record. The 1991-92 Friars defeated three-time defending champion New Hampshire, 2-1, at Schneider Arena to capture the ECAC title. The 1991-92 squad finished the year with an impressive 22-2-1 record. The 2002-03 squad captured the inaugural Hockey East regular season and tournament titles. PC won the regular season with a 13-1-1 record and defeated New Hampshire, 1-0, to win the inaugural Women’s Hockey East Tournament title. They also won a school-record 24 games, posting a 24-6-6 mark overall for the season. By claiming the inaugural Hockey East title, Providence now can lay claim to having not only played a key role in founding both the men’s and women’s Hockey East leagues, but being its first champions.

The Coaches

A total of five people have held the honor of coaching the Providence College Friars. The inaugural 1974-75 season was rough for the Friars and the team’s head coach Tom Palamara. The squad, which started the year before as an intramural team, had to learn how to play the game of hockey as it practiced. Palamara, a sophomore at the College, coached the team for the first six years of its existence. After finishing 0-8-0 in its inaugural season the team turned things around and by its third season it posted its first of 21-straight winning seasons. After the 1979-80 season, the program’s first 20-win campaign, Palamara stepped aside and John Marchetti became the Friars’ second head coach. John Marchetti led Providence during its most successful era of hockey to date. From 1980-94, the Friars won five titles and posted an impressive record of 262-69-15. The team won the inaugural ECAC tournament in 1983-84 and only failed to reach the finals twice in the next 10 years. From 1991-92 through 1993-94, Providence won three-straight ECAC titles and went 62-15-8 overall. Jackie Barto, a 1984 graduate of the College, took over the reins of the program for the 1994-95 season. Barto, a former three-sport star while at Providence, led the squad to its fourth-straight and sixth title overall in her first season and was named the New England Hockey Writers Coach of the Year. Coach Barto, like the student-athlete Barto, was a three-sport coach for field hockey and softball as well as hockey. The Friars made a fifth straight appearance in the ECAC title game during the 1995-96 season but fell to New Hampshire in five overtimes, 3-2. Barto left after the 1997-98 season to become the head coach at Ohio State and was replaced by Tom Sheehan. Sheehan coached the Friars for one season and posted a 13-10-1 record. In 1999-2000, Providence hired current coach Bob Deraney, who had been the top assistant coach at UMass-Amherst for the previous five seasons. Deraney’s squads have posted 20-win seasons in five of his 10 campaigns and won titles four of those years. In 2001-02, their last year in the ECAC, the Friars defeated Northeastern, 1-0, at Storrs, Conn. to win the Eastern League title. After becoming a founding member of the new women’s Hockey East, Providence has earned two regular season and three tournament championships. By winning the Women’s Hockey East tournament, Providence College has the distinct honor of having been the inaugural champions for both men’s and women’s Hockey East tournaments.



The Players

Most importantly, the players have shaped the history of Friar hockey. Providence College has produced its share of incredible hockey players. However, there are some names that have become synonymous with Friar hockey. Granato, DeCosta, Baker, Bailey, Blahoski, Thatcher, BrownMiller, Movsessian-Lamoriello, Curley, Riordan, Barto, O’Sullivan, Tabb, Bugden, and Duffy have all placed their names at the top of the Friar record books. In the program’s history, there have been seven All-Americans, 33 ECAC All-Stars, six ECAC Players of the Year, two Hockey East Players of the Year, 18 Hockey East All-Stars, 24 New England All-Stars, three New England Players of the Year, four Patty Kazmaier nominees, 11 Olympians and four USA Hockey Players of the Year. Currently, Providence hockey alumni can be found throughout the hockey world in both the coaching and playing ranks. Some of the more prominent positions include Jackie Barto as the head coach at Ohio State and Heather Linstad as the head coach at Connecticut. Several former players play professionally in Canada, Europe and for USA Hockey. The 1998 U.S. Olympic Team was recently inducted into the Olympic Hall of Fame. PC holds the honor of sending seven players, the most of any college, to Nagano, Japan to help earn gold in the first ever women’s hockey event in the Olympics.

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