Completed Event: Men's Ice Hockey at New Hampshire on February 6, 2026 , Win , 6, to, 1
Men's Ice Hockey
at New Hampshire
Final
6
-
1
Providence College Athletics
Saturday, March 14
Providence, RI
7:00 P.M.
Providence College
vs
Merrimack
Photo by: Foley Photography
No. 5 Men's Hockey Quarterfinal Game Notes Vs. Merrimack
3/13/2026 2:33:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
The top-seeded Friars will host Merrimack on Saturday night at Schneider Arena in the Hockey East Quarterfinals
GAME COVERAGE
Matchup: #1 seed Providence (23-9-2, 18-5-1 HEA) vs. #8 seed Merrimack (18-15-2, 10-12-2 HEA)
Faceoff: 7:00 PM (Sat.) – Schneider Arena – Providence, R.I.
TV: NESN+
U.S. Stream: ESPN+ | Play-by-play: Bridgette Proulx, Color: Bob Deraney
International Stream: Stretch Internet
Radio: 790 The Score | Varsity Network | Play-by-play: Mike Logan, Color: Mike Mancuso
Live Stats: Friars.com
X:Â @Friarshockey
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Last Game
- Logan Sawyer scored the game-winning goal early in the third period and Jack Parsons made 37 saves as the No. 5 Providence College men's hockey team concluded the regular season with a 3-1 win over No. 14/15 UConn on Saturday (March 7) at Schneider Arena.
- Alexei Kivioja opened the scoring 7:18 into the first. Clint Levens shot from the left point hit a pair of bodies in the slot and Kivioja collected the puck and tucked in his eighth of the season.
- The Huskies answered the bell in the second, outshooting the home team 22-12 and pulling even at one at 3:20 on a goal from Ryan Tattle.
- Logan Sawyer potted his 13th goal of the season early in the third on a breakaway as Providence regained the lead at 2-1. John Mustard flipped the puck from his own end through the neutral zone and onto the stick of Sawyer, who pulled the puck to his forehand, waited for Muszelik to go down, and slid the puck around his right pad and into the net.
- Graham Gamache sealed the 10th home win for the Friars with an empty-netter at 19:58 of the third.
- The Friars 23 wins thus far in 2025-26 is the fifth-highest total in program history, tying them with the 1984-85 squad which advanced to the Frozen Four. Their next win will tie them with the 2017-18 and 2018-19 teams, the latter of which also advanced to the Frozen Four.
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Playoff Fast Facts
- Entering this year's postseason, Providence has advanced to the Hockey East conference playoffs 37 times, with the most recent trip coming in the 2024-25 season. 2026 marks the first time the Friars have been seeded No. 1 in tournament.
- The Friars have appeared in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs 37 times, with the most previous appearance being a 3-1 loss at UConn on March 14, 2025. In total, the Friars have posted a 33-39-1 record in quarterfinal round games.
- Providence has been to the semifinal round of the playoffs 17 times, with the most recent result being a 2-1 overtime loss to Boston University on March 17, 2023. The Friars hold a 5-13 record all-time in semifinal round games.
- Providence has advanced to the Hockey East championship game five times, with their most recent visit being a 2-0 loss to Boston University on March 17, 2018. The Friars have a 2-3 all-time record in the conference championship, with their most recent championship coming in a 3-2 win over Maine on March 16, 1996.
- Under Nate Leaman, the Friars are 14-11 on in quarterfinal round games including a 10-6 mark at Schneider Arena.
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Scouting the Warriors:
- Merrimack enters Saturday's quarterfinal coming off a 5-3 win at home over UMass Lowell in the Opening Round on Wednesday. The Warriors finished the regular season eighth place in the Hockey East standings.
- Freshman Justin Gill (16-18-34) leads the Warriors in scoring, followed by Trevor Hoskin (12-21-33) and Parker Lalonde (13-20-33). The Warriors enter the weekend with the top power-play unit in Hockey East at 26.0%.
- In goal, sophomore Max Lundgren has logged all minutes in net for the Warriors this season with a 18-15-2 record, 2.70 GAA and .914 save percentage in 35 games.
- Former Friar Associate Head Coach Scott Borek enters his eighth season at the helm of the Warriors and has appeared in one NCAA Tournament (2022-23) with a record of 183-237-29.
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Series History vs. Merrimack (98-41-12, .689)
- Providence and Merrimack meet for the third time this season after splitting a home-and-home series back in November with each home team on the winning end.
- The schools have only met once in the postseason as the Friars swept a best-of-three Hockey East Quarterfinal series back in 2016.
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Five Friars Earn Season-Long Hockey East Recognition
Freshmen Quinn Mantei, Roger McQueen and Jack Parsons were named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team while teammates Tanner Adams and Logan Sawyer earned Hockey East Third-Team All-Star recognition. Parsons was the lone unanimous choice on the All-Rookie Team.
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Leaman Records 300th Win At Providence
Head Coach Nate Leaman recorded his 300th win at Providence after the Friars' 5-2 win at Vermont on Feb. 20. The winningest coach all-time in program history, Leaman has now totaled 441 career victories at the Division I level between Union and Providence.
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Friars Clinch First-Ever Outright Hockey East Regular Season Title
The Friars clinched the program's first-ever outright Hockey East Regular Season crown with a 3-2 win at New Hampshire on Feb. 28. Providence earns its first No. 1 seed in the upcoming Hockey East Tournment and will host a quarterfinal game at Schneider Arena on March 14.
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Jack Parsons Earns National and Hockey East Goaltender of the Month Honors
Providence College freshman goaltender Jack Parsons (Cortland, N.Y.) was named HCA National Rookie of the Month and Stop It Goaltending Hockey East Goaltender of the Month for January. Parsons went a perfect 7-0-0, tied for the most wins of among all NCAA goaltenders in January, after stepping in the Friars net due to injury to Philip Svedebäck. He posted two shutouts and has Providence riding a nine-game winning streak, the current longest streak in the nation. Parsons registered a 1.87 GAA and .931 save percentage in eight games during the month of January. He is the first Friar rookie to earn National Monthly honors since Jon Gillies in 2013.
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Former Friar Nick Saracino '16 Named To Italy's Roster For 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics
Former Providence College men's hockey national champion Nick Saracino '16 (St. Louis, Mo.) was named to Italy's roster for the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Games set to run from Feb. 5-19. Saracino becomes the second men's hockey player to participate in the Olympics for Italy, joining Gates Orlando (1992, 1994, 1998). Saracino appeared in three games for Italy, including the Qualification Round against Switzerland.
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Goaltender Michael Simpson Added To The Roster; Earns First NCAA Win
Michael Simpson joins the Friars after spending this season with the Savannah Ghost Pirates of the ECHL. With Savannah, Simpson recorded a 2.63 GAA and .909 save percentage in 10 games played. He participated in training camp with the Florida Panthers prior to the start of this season. In 2024-25, he appeared in a total of 16 games split between Belleville (AHL) and Orlando (ECHL). Simpson stopped 17-of-18 shots to earn his first NCAA win against Northeastern on Feb. 14.
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The two-time OHL Champion won titles with the Peterborough Petes in 2022-23, alongside current Friar Donovan McCoy, and a championship the following season with the London Knights in 2023-24. He earned the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as OHL Playoff MVP with Peterborough in 2023 after turning in a pair of 50-save performances during the OHL Championship Series. He guided London to an OHL title and a runner-up finish in the Memorial Cup in 2024, winning the Happ Emms Memorial Trophy as the Most Outstanding Goaltender of the Memorial Cup. Simpson was a two-time OHL All-Star Team selection in 2023 (Third Team) and 2024 (Second Team).
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Friars By The Numbers
The Friars are the ninth tallest roster in the NCAA (6'1"), seventh youngest (21.1 years). Providence is just one of only three programs to have one senior on their roster. The Friars boasted the sixth-most NHL players that appeared in games during the 2024-25 season with 14 total.
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The Saskatchewan Connection
Three members of this year's roster hail from Saskatchewan - Hudson Malinoski, Roger McQueen and Quinn Mantei. Malinoski and McQueen are childhood friends and played together with the Saskatoon Blazers AAA squad in 2021-22. Mantei and McQueen were teammates with the Brandon Wheat Kings from 2022-25.
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Drafted Friars
Providence boasts seven drafted players on the 2025-26 roster: Tomas Machu (NYI - 2021), Hudson Malinoski (TOR - 2023), John Mustard (CHI - 2024), Julius Sumpf (CHI - 2025), Roger McQueen (ANA - 2025), Logan Sawyer (MTL - 2024) and Philip Svedeback (BOS - 2021). McQueen became the highest draft pick in program history after being selected 10th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in 2025. Friar commit Everett Baldwin was also selected in the 2025 NHL Draft, going to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the fifth round.
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Three is the Magic Number
The Friars are 257-24-28 all-time under Nate Leaman when scoring three or more goals in a game.
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After 40
The Friars are 225-13-23 all-time under Nate Leaman when holding a lead after two periods.
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For more updates on the Providence College men's hockey program, follow the team on X & Instagram @FriarsHockey.
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Matchup: #1 seed Providence (23-9-2, 18-5-1 HEA) vs. #8 seed Merrimack (18-15-2, 10-12-2 HEA)
Faceoff: 7:00 PM (Sat.) – Schneider Arena – Providence, R.I.
TV: NESN+
U.S. Stream: ESPN+ | Play-by-play: Bridgette Proulx, Color: Bob Deraney
International Stream: Stretch Internet
Radio: 790 The Score | Varsity Network | Play-by-play: Mike Logan, Color: Mike Mancuso
Live Stats: Friars.com
X:Â @Friarshockey
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Last Game
- Logan Sawyer scored the game-winning goal early in the third period and Jack Parsons made 37 saves as the No. 5 Providence College men's hockey team concluded the regular season with a 3-1 win over No. 14/15 UConn on Saturday (March 7) at Schneider Arena.
- Alexei Kivioja opened the scoring 7:18 into the first. Clint Levens shot from the left point hit a pair of bodies in the slot and Kivioja collected the puck and tucked in his eighth of the season.
- The Huskies answered the bell in the second, outshooting the home team 22-12 and pulling even at one at 3:20 on a goal from Ryan Tattle.
- Logan Sawyer potted his 13th goal of the season early in the third on a breakaway as Providence regained the lead at 2-1. John Mustard flipped the puck from his own end through the neutral zone and onto the stick of Sawyer, who pulled the puck to his forehand, waited for Muszelik to go down, and slid the puck around his right pad and into the net.
- Graham Gamache sealed the 10th home win for the Friars with an empty-netter at 19:58 of the third.
- The Friars 23 wins thus far in 2025-26 is the fifth-highest total in program history, tying them with the 1984-85 squad which advanced to the Frozen Four. Their next win will tie them with the 2017-18 and 2018-19 teams, the latter of which also advanced to the Frozen Four.
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Playoff Fast Facts
- Entering this year's postseason, Providence has advanced to the Hockey East conference playoffs 37 times, with the most recent trip coming in the 2024-25 season. 2026 marks the first time the Friars have been seeded No. 1 in tournament.
- The Friars have appeared in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs 37 times, with the most previous appearance being a 3-1 loss at UConn on March 14, 2025. In total, the Friars have posted a 33-39-1 record in quarterfinal round games.
- Providence has been to the semifinal round of the playoffs 17 times, with the most recent result being a 2-1 overtime loss to Boston University on March 17, 2023. The Friars hold a 5-13 record all-time in semifinal round games.
- Providence has advanced to the Hockey East championship game five times, with their most recent visit being a 2-0 loss to Boston University on March 17, 2018. The Friars have a 2-3 all-time record in the conference championship, with their most recent championship coming in a 3-2 win over Maine on March 16, 1996.
- Under Nate Leaman, the Friars are 14-11 on in quarterfinal round games including a 10-6 mark at Schneider Arena.
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Scouting the Warriors:
- Merrimack enters Saturday's quarterfinal coming off a 5-3 win at home over UMass Lowell in the Opening Round on Wednesday. The Warriors finished the regular season eighth place in the Hockey East standings.
- Freshman Justin Gill (16-18-34) leads the Warriors in scoring, followed by Trevor Hoskin (12-21-33) and Parker Lalonde (13-20-33). The Warriors enter the weekend with the top power-play unit in Hockey East at 26.0%.
- In goal, sophomore Max Lundgren has logged all minutes in net for the Warriors this season with a 18-15-2 record, 2.70 GAA and .914 save percentage in 35 games.
- Former Friar Associate Head Coach Scott Borek enters his eighth season at the helm of the Warriors and has appeared in one NCAA Tournament (2022-23) with a record of 183-237-29.
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Series History vs. Merrimack (98-41-12, .689)
- Providence and Merrimack meet for the third time this season after splitting a home-and-home series back in November with each home team on the winning end.
- The schools have only met once in the postseason as the Friars swept a best-of-three Hockey East Quarterfinal series back in 2016.
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Five Friars Earn Season-Long Hockey East Recognition
Freshmen Quinn Mantei, Roger McQueen and Jack Parsons were named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team while teammates Tanner Adams and Logan Sawyer earned Hockey East Third-Team All-Star recognition. Parsons was the lone unanimous choice on the All-Rookie Team.
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Leaman Records 300th Win At Providence
Head Coach Nate Leaman recorded his 300th win at Providence after the Friars' 5-2 win at Vermont on Feb. 20. The winningest coach all-time in program history, Leaman has now totaled 441 career victories at the Division I level between Union and Providence.
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Friars Clinch First-Ever Outright Hockey East Regular Season Title
The Friars clinched the program's first-ever outright Hockey East Regular Season crown with a 3-2 win at New Hampshire on Feb. 28. Providence earns its first No. 1 seed in the upcoming Hockey East Tournment and will host a quarterfinal game at Schneider Arena on March 14.
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Jack Parsons Earns National and Hockey East Goaltender of the Month Honors
Providence College freshman goaltender Jack Parsons (Cortland, N.Y.) was named HCA National Rookie of the Month and Stop It Goaltending Hockey East Goaltender of the Month for January. Parsons went a perfect 7-0-0, tied for the most wins of among all NCAA goaltenders in January, after stepping in the Friars net due to injury to Philip Svedebäck. He posted two shutouts and has Providence riding a nine-game winning streak, the current longest streak in the nation. Parsons registered a 1.87 GAA and .931 save percentage in eight games during the month of January. He is the first Friar rookie to earn National Monthly honors since Jon Gillies in 2013.
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Former Friar Nick Saracino '16 Named To Italy's Roster For 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics
Former Providence College men's hockey national champion Nick Saracino '16 (St. Louis, Mo.) was named to Italy's roster for the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Games set to run from Feb. 5-19. Saracino becomes the second men's hockey player to participate in the Olympics for Italy, joining Gates Orlando (1992, 1994, 1998). Saracino appeared in three games for Italy, including the Qualification Round against Switzerland.
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Goaltender Michael Simpson Added To The Roster; Earns First NCAA Win
Michael Simpson joins the Friars after spending this season with the Savannah Ghost Pirates of the ECHL. With Savannah, Simpson recorded a 2.63 GAA and .909 save percentage in 10 games played. He participated in training camp with the Florida Panthers prior to the start of this season. In 2024-25, he appeared in a total of 16 games split between Belleville (AHL) and Orlando (ECHL). Simpson stopped 17-of-18 shots to earn his first NCAA win against Northeastern on Feb. 14.
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The two-time OHL Champion won titles with the Peterborough Petes in 2022-23, alongside current Friar Donovan McCoy, and a championship the following season with the London Knights in 2023-24. He earned the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as OHL Playoff MVP with Peterborough in 2023 after turning in a pair of 50-save performances during the OHL Championship Series. He guided London to an OHL title and a runner-up finish in the Memorial Cup in 2024, winning the Happ Emms Memorial Trophy as the Most Outstanding Goaltender of the Memorial Cup. Simpson was a two-time OHL All-Star Team selection in 2023 (Third Team) and 2024 (Second Team).
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Friars By The Numbers
The Friars are the ninth tallest roster in the NCAA (6'1"), seventh youngest (21.1 years). Providence is just one of only three programs to have one senior on their roster. The Friars boasted the sixth-most NHL players that appeared in games during the 2024-25 season with 14 total.
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The Saskatchewan Connection
Three members of this year's roster hail from Saskatchewan - Hudson Malinoski, Roger McQueen and Quinn Mantei. Malinoski and McQueen are childhood friends and played together with the Saskatoon Blazers AAA squad in 2021-22. Mantei and McQueen were teammates with the Brandon Wheat Kings from 2022-25.
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Drafted Friars
Providence boasts seven drafted players on the 2025-26 roster: Tomas Machu (NYI - 2021), Hudson Malinoski (TOR - 2023), John Mustard (CHI - 2024), Julius Sumpf (CHI - 2025), Roger McQueen (ANA - 2025), Logan Sawyer (MTL - 2024) and Philip Svedeback (BOS - 2021). McQueen became the highest draft pick in program history after being selected 10th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in 2025. Friar commit Everett Baldwin was also selected in the 2025 NHL Draft, going to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the fifth round.
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Three is the Magic Number
The Friars are 257-24-28 all-time under Nate Leaman when scoring three or more goals in a game.
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After 40
The Friars are 225-13-23 all-time under Nate Leaman when holding a lead after two periods.
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For more updates on the Providence College men's hockey program, follow the team on X & Instagram @FriarsHockey.
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/ Men's Ice HockeyMen's Ice Hockey vs. Boston College
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