Providence College Hockey: A Legacy of Friar Pride
The Providence Friars men's ice hockey team has a storied history, representing Providence College in NCAA Division I competition. As a member of Hockey East, the Friars have a tradition of excellence, marked by memorable moments, outstanding players, and dedicated coaches.
Early Years and Re-Emergence
Providence College's ice hockey program began in 1927 with a promising 6-4 victory over Springfield. However, the program faced challenges, including a lack of available ice, leading to its suspension after the inaugural season, which ended with seven straight losses and the use of three coaches. The team was shuttered until 1952. When Providence did return to the ice they did so in the Rhode Island Auditorium, and with Providence native Dick Rondeau behind the bench.
The program's revival was largely due to the efforts of Rev. Herman Schneider, O.P., who recognized the interest in hockey among students. He facilitated the formation of a club team, securing uniforms and equipment and even convincing Lou Cimini, a PC alum and Hall of Famer, to coach. The club team's success paved the way for the return of the varsity program in 1952.
Building a Foundation: The Rondeau and Eccleston Eras
Dick Rondeau laid the groundwork for future success, followed by Tom Eccleston, who continued to build the Friar's resume. In 8 seasons Eccleston only had one losing season and when ECAC Hockey was formed in 1961 he had the team well-positioned. Despite a 14th-place finish (out of 28) Providence was selected as one of the 8 teams to participate in the first conference tournament. The Friars shot up the standings the following year, finishing 5th before winning their first conference title in 1964 which they followed up with the Conference Championship.
The Lamoriello Era: From Recovery to National Prominence
Eccleston retired from coaching in 1964 and turned the team over to former NHLer Zellio Toppazzini but, after a good first season, the Friars plummeted to the bottom of the conference and remained their for three years before former Friar all-star Lou Lamoriello was installed as head coach. The team began to recover in Lamoriello's second season and made the conference tournament the following year.
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Lamoriello's tenure marked a turning point for the program. His ability to recruit talent, including future NHL star Ron Wilson, elevated the team's performance. Wilson's exceptional play, including a record-breaking sophomore season in 1974, brought national attention to Providence College hockey. Wilson won the ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Year in 1974 and then exploded for 87 points in just 27 games during his sophomore season. Wilson led the entire conference in scoring and finished second in the nation and set an all-time NCAA record for assists (61) and points (87) by a defenseman both overall and per game. While the overall totals have both been surpassed, Wilson still has the records for assists and points per game for a defenseman (as of 2019).
After Wilson graduated in 1977, Lamoriello was able to keep the team in the conference playoffs and win their first postseason game since Eccleston and then upset 26-1 Boston University in the semifinal to guarantee the Friars a trip to the 1978 NCAA tournament. When Boston College won the ECAC Championship Providence was given the second eastern seed, however, because BU had such a stellar season the NCAA selection committee gave them an at-large bid. Providence was forced to play the nation's top team a second time to earn a berth in the national semifinal and, with the Terriers looking for revenge, Providence couldn't pull off the upset a second time. Despite the setback success stayed with the Friars and PC made the conference tournament each of the following six seasons.
Lamoriello got the team to post its first 20-win season in 1979-80 and followed that up with a surprising tournament championship. Unfortunately the Friars still could not win a tournament game and were swept out by Michigan State in the quarterfinals. After a second 20-win season Lamoriello was promoted to Athletic director in 1982 but remained as coach for another season while he found a suitable replacement. In his final season the Friars demolished the previous program by posting 33 wins, albeit with 9 games more than they had ever played, and finished atop the conference for the second time. Lamoriello's team finished as the conference tournament runner-up and made the NCAA tournament where they finally managed to win a game, sweeping Minnesota-Duluth out of the quarterfinals.
The Stirling and McShane Years: A New Era in Hockey East
Steve Stirling was introduced as the new coach the following year and kept on rolling with another 20+ win season. In 1984 all 6 teams in the East Division and Lowell left the conference and formed Hockey East. While Providence was mostly a middling team that season, when the playoffs came around, junior goaltender Chris Terreri came into his own. After allowing 2 goals in the two quarterfinal games against Northeastern, Terreri shut down Boston University in the semifinal and led the Friars against Hockey East champion Boston College in the championship.
Terreri continued his MVP performance in the NCAA tournament when the Friars were pitted against Michigan State. The Spartans were the best team all season and entered the tournament having just tied the record for the most wins in a season. In the first game, despite the Spartans potent offense, they only managed to win the game by a single goal, leaving the door open for the Friars in the rematch. Terreri held Michigan State to 2 goals, making 83 saves in the two games, and allowing the 4 his team scored to earn them a trip into the semifinals as one of the biggest upsets in tournament history. In the semifinal Providence met Boston College once more and the two teams battled in a lopsided game. While Terreri was bombarded by shots, BC's Scott Gordon had a much easier time but the teams remained tied after regulation. This time it took three overtime periods and with the Terreri setting an NCAA record for saves in a Frozen Four game (stall a record as of 2019)[5] the Friars won the game and made their first championship appearance. Terreri was again stellar in the final game against Rensselaer, allowing 2 goals on 42 shots, but this time his team couldn't support him offensively and the Friars lost 1-2.
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After the spectacular finish the team suffered a blow when Stirling resigned to return to Division III Babson and he was replaced by Mike McShane. McShane's tenure was neither good nor bad for the Friars as the team finished with a ~.500 record in his nine seasons but early on Providence lost their leading figure when Lou Lamoriello became the team president for the New Jersey Devils. The Friars continued on with McShane leading them to four consecutive 20+ win seasons in the early 1990s but he was eventually replaced by Paul Pooley in 1994.
The Nate Leaman Era: A National Championship and Continued Success
In 2011 former Union bench boss Nate Leaman was brought in and the team responded by winning its first playoff round in over a decade. By year two the team had a winning record and in the third season Leaman had led Providence to its first 20+ win year since 2001. In 2015, led by junior goaltender Jon Gillies, Providence won 26 games (the most since 1983) and finished tied for second in Hockey East.
Despite this the team was upset in the quarterfinals by New Hampshire and had to wait to see if they could get in on the strength of their record. The Friars did manage to secure of the last at-large berths and opened the tournament against 4th overall seeded Miami. Providence posted an enormous 4-goal second period in their backyard to build a 6-2 lead but the RedHawks came storming back with three extra-attacker goals late in the third. Brandon Tanev ended the comeback bid with an empty-netter to advance Providence to the Regional Final. After the first game jitters Gillies appeared to find his game and limited Denver and Omaha to a single goal each in the next two contests to lead Providence back to the National Championship game.
Under Coach Nate Leaman, who has been with the Friars since 2011, the program reached new heights, including a national championship in 2015. Leaman continues to lead the Friars and had led the program to six consecutive tournament berths winning at least one game in four of those years.
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