The Providence College women’s hockey team is looking to score a big upset Saturday afternoon.
The fourth-seeded Friars will square off with top-seeded Northeastern in the Hockey East Tournament semifinals. The game can be watched on NESNplus at 7 p.m. ET.
Providence is coming off consecutive wins over Merrimack in the quarterfinal round. The Friars clearly were the superior hockey team, and head coach Matthew Kelly hopes his club plays the same way Saturday.
“We played a solid 60 minutes, both games,” Kelly told NESN.com on Wednesday. “I thought we controlled the puck really well, defense helped us a lot. Offensively, I thought we did a great job moving the puck, supporting the puck, and reading and anticipating off of each other.”
Facing Northeastern is a different story, though. The Huskies have been one of the top teams in the country all season, and have playmakers all over their roster.
“They have a ton of skill and a ton of talent, and they have really good depth,” Kelly said. “Their top line has been producing a lot, but their other two lines have been deadly as well. You can’t take any shift off against them. Every shift you have to be alert and aware … because they can make you pay if you give them a split second.”
So, what does Providence have to do to pull off the upset?
“Make sure we’re ready to go,” Kelly said. “Play every shift and a good, hard 60 minutes. Play hard, compete hard. I think it comes down to taking care of our own zone.”
Providence’s Schneider Arena will host both semifinal games, as well as Sunday’s championship game. A victory Saturday would put the Friars one win away from winning the Hockey East crown on their home ice.
“If we were to win at home ice, it would be pretty special,” Kelly said.
You can watch Providence take on Northeastern on Saturday, March 9 at 7 p.m. ET on NESNplus. Here is NESN’s complete college game schedule for the weekend of March 8-10.
Friday, March 8
11 a.m. ET — ACC women’s basketball tournament: Quarterfinals TBD (NESNplus)
2 p.m. — ACC women’s basketball tournament: Quarterfinals TBD (NESNplus)
6 p.m. — ACC women’s basketball tournament: Quarterfinals TBD (NESNplus)
7 p.m. — Hockey East: New Hampshire at Northeastern (NESN)
8 p.m. — ACC women’s basketball tournament: Quarterfinals TBD (NESNplus)
Saturday, March 9
2 p.m. — ACC men’s basketball: NC State at Boston College (NESNplus)
4:30 p.m. — Women’s Hockey East Semifinals: Boston University vs. Boston College (NESNplus)
7 p.m. — Women’s Hockey East Semifinals: Northeastern at Providence (NESNplus)
Sunday, March 10
1:30 p.m. — Women’s Hockey East Championship (NESNplus)
