We at WRBB are thrilled to offer you the next installment of our Hockey East team previews, the Providence College Friars.

Last Year: 10-20-4 (5-18-4), last in Hockey East, fourth straight year with a losing record.

What Happened: Providence opened their 2009-2010 season fairly well, posting a 5-2 record in October, including a win over Notre Dame. However, the wheels started to fall off as the season progressed into the teeth of the conference schedule, and Providence quickly fell to the back of the pack. In fact, from January through the end of the season, the Friars won only three times over the span of their final 17 games. The end result was a below-.500 record and a spot on the bottom of the standings.

Key Losses:

• Mark Fayne: As one of only four seniors on the team last year, Fayne played in all of Providence’s 34 games. He only notched 22 points (5 G, 17 A) which is not impossible to replace, but with a team like PC, you have to wonder who is going to pick up the slack?

Key Returners:

• Alex Beaudry: Now a junior, Beaudry has been a saving grace for the Friars (and Tim Army) over the last couple of seasons. Beaudry had the second best save percentage in the conference last year, and has proved himself a very capable netminder over the last year and a half. He’ll definitely steal a game or two for Providence this season.
• Kyle MacKinnon: MacKinnon has played at least 30 games a year during his first three seasons, so barring injury, the senior will be clocking a lot of ice time. Over those three years he has also steadily increased his scoring, something he will certainly be looking to do again this year. His 12 goals and 13 assists in 09-10 led the Friar attack, but he will undoubtedly have to step up those numbers if Providence is to go anywhere this year.
• Matt Bergland: The only other returning player with over 20 points last year (23 to be exact), Bergland is another player who will really have to take his game to another level if the Friars are going to climb out of the basement of the standings. Whether or not he will be able to is another on a long list of questions for Tim Army’s team.

The Outlook: Any time a team can return its two leading scorers it makes a head coach happy. The worry for PC Coach Tim Army will be whether or not MacKinnon and Bergland return with enough offense to help a team that was dead last in scoring last year. The Friars will certainly be hoping for a big contribution from newcomer Damian Cross, who lit up the Canadian Junior Hockey League with 53 G and 87 A this past season. However, even if he proves to be this year’s Stephane Da Costa, it’s hard to see him carrying Providence to any sort of success, so it might be a case of “baby-steps” in Providence, as the rebuild continues. Despite their apparent shortcomings on offense, look for PC to scratch and claw at the seventh and eighth spots in the league, as a return to the playoffs might not be out of the question.

Ben Horner The Dog Pound Hockey East, Providence