Upcoming Event: Women's Ice Hockey versus Sacred Heart University (Exhibition) on September 27, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Women's Ice Hockey
vs Sacred Heart University (Exhibition)
3:00 PM
Providence College Athletics
Photo by: Stew Milne
Women’s Hockey Holds End of Year Banquet
4/25/2020 3:42:00 PM | Women's Ice Hockey
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Providence College women's hockey team held its annual awards banquet virtually on Saturday, April 25. Six seniors and six different award winners were recognized.
The Friars finished the season with a 18-14-4 overall record and 15-10-2 mark in Hockey East. Head Coach Matt Kelly reached his second-consecutive Hockey East Tournament with the team as the Friars secured the No. 3 seed.
Graduating seniors Whitney Dove (Port Moody, British Columbia), Kathleen McHugh (Billerica, Mass.), Meaghan Rickard (Coventry, R.I.), Neve Van Pelt (Mitchell, Ontario), Avery Fransoo (North Battleford, Saskatchewan) and Clare Minnerath (Sartell, Minn.) were honored at the banquet for their contributions to the program over the past four years.
In addition to senior presentations, the coaching staff presented the six team awards: Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, the Unsung Hero Award, the Coaches Award and the Academic Award.
Sara Hjalmarsson (Bankeryd, Sweden) was named the team's Offensive Player of the year after earning the team's Rookie of the Year award last season. She played in all 36 games leading the team in goals (17), shots (128), power play goals (six) and tied for the team lead in points with Dove (28). She posted five multi-point games and tallied a career-high six points against Brown on Nov. 30 with three goals and three assists. The forward tied for sixth in Hockey East in goals (17) and game-winners (four) while finishing tied for third in power play goals (six). She was named Hockey East Player of the Week on Dec. 2.
Whitney Dove was tabbed the team's Defensive Player of the Year after a standout senior campaign. She led the team in assists (19), plus-minus (+18) and blocked shots (55). Her 55 blocked shots proved to be 10th-best in Hockey East. Dove registered six multi-point games on the season with a season-high three points at Vermont (Jan. 4) on one goal and two assists, she added two game-winning goals to her record. The senior was named a Hockey East Second Team All-Star for the first time in her career.
Lauren DeBlois (Lewiston, Maine) took home the Rookie of the Year award. DeBlois played in all 36 games, tallying six goals and 17 assists in her inaugural campaign. She ranked third on the team in points (23) after scoring six goals and adding 17 assists. Additionally, she recorded 67 shots, 36 blocked shots and three game-winning goals. Her most notable performance came at No. 3 Northeastern where the freshman scored both of the team's goals as her only multi-goal performance of the season to down the Huskies on the road, 2-1. DeBlois was named the Hockey East Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week on Feb. 14 and Feb. 24 before being named to the Hockey East Pro Ambitions All-Rookie Team.
The Unsung Hero Award was presented to Hayley Lunny (Bedford, N.Y.). She played in all 36 games, registering 18 points on eight goals and 10 assists. It marked her second-consecutive season with 15 points or more points for the Friars. Lunny totaled 114 shots on the season and tallied three multi-point games.
Avery Fransoo earned the Coaches Award after captaining the team in the 2019-20 season. She played in all but two games this season, registering two goals and 12 assists. She finished the season with a +8 plus-minus and recorded her fourth-consecutive season with double digit points (14). She ranked second on the team in blocked shots with 45.
The Academic Award was presented to the player with the highest cumulative grade point average from the spring semester of 2019 through the fall semester of this current season. Junior defenseman Chloe Gonsalves (Toronto, Ontario) earned the award with a perfect 4.0 GPA in the Biology program. Chloe is now a two-time member of the Hockey East All-Academic Team as well as a two-time American Hockey Coaches Association All-American Scholar.
-GO FRIARS!-
The Friars finished the season with a 18-14-4 overall record and 15-10-2 mark in Hockey East. Head Coach Matt Kelly reached his second-consecutive Hockey East Tournament with the team as the Friars secured the No. 3 seed.
Graduating seniors Whitney Dove (Port Moody, British Columbia), Kathleen McHugh (Billerica, Mass.), Meaghan Rickard (Coventry, R.I.), Neve Van Pelt (Mitchell, Ontario), Avery Fransoo (North Battleford, Saskatchewan) and Clare Minnerath (Sartell, Minn.) were honored at the banquet for their contributions to the program over the past four years.
In addition to senior presentations, the coaching staff presented the six team awards: Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, the Unsung Hero Award, the Coaches Award and the Academic Award.
Sara Hjalmarsson (Bankeryd, Sweden) was named the team's Offensive Player of the year after earning the team's Rookie of the Year award last season. She played in all 36 games leading the team in goals (17), shots (128), power play goals (six) and tied for the team lead in points with Dove (28). She posted five multi-point games and tallied a career-high six points against Brown on Nov. 30 with three goals and three assists. The forward tied for sixth in Hockey East in goals (17) and game-winners (four) while finishing tied for third in power play goals (six). She was named Hockey East Player of the Week on Dec. 2.
Whitney Dove was tabbed the team's Defensive Player of the Year after a standout senior campaign. She led the team in assists (19), plus-minus (+18) and blocked shots (55). Her 55 blocked shots proved to be 10th-best in Hockey East. Dove registered six multi-point games on the season with a season-high three points at Vermont (Jan. 4) on one goal and two assists, she added two game-winning goals to her record. The senior was named a Hockey East Second Team All-Star for the first time in her career.
Lauren DeBlois (Lewiston, Maine) took home the Rookie of the Year award. DeBlois played in all 36 games, tallying six goals and 17 assists in her inaugural campaign. She ranked third on the team in points (23) after scoring six goals and adding 17 assists. Additionally, she recorded 67 shots, 36 blocked shots and three game-winning goals. Her most notable performance came at No. 3 Northeastern where the freshman scored both of the team's goals as her only multi-goal performance of the season to down the Huskies on the road, 2-1. DeBlois was named the Hockey East Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week on Feb. 14 and Feb. 24 before being named to the Hockey East Pro Ambitions All-Rookie Team.
The Unsung Hero Award was presented to Hayley Lunny (Bedford, N.Y.). She played in all 36 games, registering 18 points on eight goals and 10 assists. It marked her second-consecutive season with 15 points or more points for the Friars. Lunny totaled 114 shots on the season and tallied three multi-point games.
Avery Fransoo earned the Coaches Award after captaining the team in the 2019-20 season. She played in all but two games this season, registering two goals and 12 assists. She finished the season with a +8 plus-minus and recorded her fourth-consecutive season with double digit points (14). She ranked second on the team in blocked shots with 45.
The Academic Award was presented to the player with the highest cumulative grade point average from the spring semester of 2019 through the fall semester of this current season. Junior defenseman Chloe Gonsalves (Toronto, Ontario) earned the award with a perfect 4.0 GPA in the Biology program. Chloe is now a two-time member of the Hockey East All-Academic Team as well as a two-time American Hockey Coaches Association All-American Scholar.
-GO FRIARS!-
Players Mentioned
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