Johnson & Wales University Providence

Ryan O’Donnell begins his fifth season as an assistant coach with the JWU (Providence) women’s ice hockey program in 2026-27.

The Wildcats won a program-record 14 games in 2025-26 to earn the No. 3 seed in the Conference of New England (CNE) playoffs. The season was highlighted by a 3-1 win in the quarterfinals over No. 6 Curry, marking the second playoff win in program history. Allyson Barry and Grace Adams were each named to the Conference of New England (CNE) Second Team.

The Wildcats have qualified for the playoffs in each of O’Donnell’s four seasons on staff. During that span, 57 student-athletes have received academic all-conference honors and, since the 2023-24 campaign, 40 have been named American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) All-American Scholars.