The University of Rhode Island’s men’s hockey team played its final home games against George Mason University this weekend before beginning a two-month stretch on the road.
Rhody took care of business in the opener on Friday with a dominant 3-1 victory, then followed it up the next night with a 4-2 win on Saturday to complete the series sweep.
“I think we outplayed them at times, but the tide shifted in our favor, so it was a pretty even weekend,” URI Head Coach Joe Augustine said. “We outlasted them toward the end both nights, but whatever it takes.”
Nearing the halfway point of the season, Augustine reflected on how the team has performed to this point as they continue to progress through their schedule.
“I think we have too many ups and downs,” Augustine said. “We make some progress, and then all of a sudden we look like we haven’t learned anything, and then we come back. We have to get rid of those physical and mental lapses because we keep letting teams back into the game.”
Though the team has had its ups and downs, one player who has remained consistent is fourth-year Shane Mulhern. Mulhern has recorded eight goals, 22 assists and 30 points, which is the most on the team in 16 games. Despite his impressive numbers, Mulhern said the team is what he’s most focused on.
“Obviously, it’s great to have individual success, and I feel pretty happy with my production,” Mulhern said. “But I owe a lot of credit to the people I’m playing with, and obviously, team success is a lot more important.”
URI will not return to Boss Arena until Jan. 23, 2026, marking an extended stretch away from home that will test the team’s ability to stay steady in unfamiliar environments. While spending that much time on the road brings its own obstacles, Augustine’s focus remains on the opponents they’ll meet along the way.
“We have Chicago coming up, where we have three games that are huge,” Augustine said. “Look, it all evens out at the end, home games, road games; you just got to win them. These are huge games for us.”
Mulhern also carried a similar mindset, particularly in the way he approached the team’s preparation, viewing it as an important part of staying ready and maintaining the same mentality throughout the season.
“For me, especially going through this for the last three and a half to four years, road games are just another week,” Mulhern said. “They’re different from home stretches, obviously, but we prepare in a similar way. On the road, there’s a lot of relaxing, getting excited and just having a good mindset.”
Rhode Island will start this long stretch with a three-day trip to Romeoville, Illinois, where it will play Roosevelt University on Friday, the University of Illinois on Saturday and the University of Michigan-Dearborn on Sunday.
