Providence Men's Hockey Coach Nate Leaman joined GoLocal News Editor Kate Nagle on GoLocal LIVE to talk about his third-seeded Friars facing the #6 Maine Bears at home for the Hockey East Quarterfinals starting Friday, after earning a bye.
The teams will meet in the postseason for the first time since the 2014 quarterfinals, when the Friars swept Maine in two games at Schneider Arena. Providence is 7-5 all-time against Maine in the postseason and is currently unbeaten in 16 games against the Black Bears (15-0-1).
Leaman spoke to how he thinks his young team -- with the smallest roster he has ever coached -- is peaking at the right time, as he ultimately eyes a return to the National Championship after winning the title in 2015, and is urging hockey fans in Rhode Island to come out and support the Friars at home with students being on spring break.
The Friars won their second NIT Championship two years after the first one. Led by Ray Flynn, John Thompson Jr. and Vinnie Ernst, the Friars won 15 straight games to claim the title.
Providence finished the season with a 24-4 record.
The Bears repeated their triple-crown performance from the season before, once again winning the Eastern Sprints, the IRA and the National Championship.
The 1995 Providence Friars won the programs first NCAA title. On the way, PC won their first BIG EAST and ECAC Championships.
Head Coach Ray Treacy was named NCAA Division I Women's National Coach of the Year, BIG EAST Men's and Women's Coach of the Year, Rhode Island Words Unlimited Women's Coach of the Year and NCAA District I Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year.
Brown women's crew won the first NCAA Division I Championship in Brown University History by defeating the University of Virginia by a three-second margin at lake Natoma in California.
Brown also won the Eastern Sprint Championship and the Ivy Championship, setting a new course record in the process.
The URI Women won the programs first National Championship in small boat sailing in the 79 year history of the program and hoisted the Gerald C. Miller Memorial Trophy at the Sperry Top-Sider/Intercollegiate Sailing Association Women’s National Championship.
The Rams won the title as a club team and were one of two club teams competing for the title. The other club team was Western Washington, who finished 17.