O’Livia Lopes ’26

by O’Livia Lopes ’26 on November 12, 2023

The Providence College women’s soccer team has had an exceptional start to their season with five consecutive wins against Iona, Quinnipiac, University of Rhode Island, Brown, and Temple University. Not to mention, all wins for Providence resulted in clean sheets for goalkeepers Emma Bodmer ’24, Katherine McElroy GS’22 and Ava Ripanti ’27.

The first match versus Iona University was one for the books, where the Friars struck two goals in the first half within the first 46 seconds of each other. Goals scored by Kyla Gallagher ’24 and Meg Hughes ’24 would secure their lead for the rest of the game. In an after game report, head coach Sam Lopes said, “The effort was fantastic. We scored two great goals, earned a hard-fought shutout and both keepers played well. We created a lot of opportunities so hopefully those opportunities will lead to more goals.” In this match, Kayla Briggs ’27 also recorded her first two assists in her collegiate debut.

The Friars definitely kept the momentum head coach Lopes was hoping to see continue heading into their second match against Quinnipiac University. In the first half, Gillian Kenney ’25 was able to score two goals within the first half, both off of assists from Briggs. So early into the season, the Friars  seem to be forming strong connections and dynamics on the field, allowing the team to find the net early on in matches. In a post game quote-up with the head coach, Lopes said, “I feel great. Any time you can get three points and go 2–0 on the week it’s great. I’m really proud of the performance from our team.”

Facing the University of Rhode Island, the Friars netted their third straight shut-out victory. The first half of the game almost went scoreless until Meg Hughes ’24 was able to find the right bottom of the net off a pass from Corinne Dente GS’22. Hughes’ lone goal gave the Friars a 1–-0 win over the Rams. This game was important for senior forward Meg Hughes, as her goal allowed her to move into ninth place on the Friars all-time scoring list with 47 points. “It was a difficult road game,” said head coach Lopes. “URI started off very well with tons of energy. We grew into the game and scored a great goal. Our second half was very good as we created many chances and defended well in transition. I’m proud of the resilience and character of the group in earning a tough road win.”

In another game against in-state opponents, the Friars faced cross-city rivals Brown University. Through another tough and scoreless first half, in the 67th minute, Kayla Briggs ’27 finished an opportunity off a cross pass from Maria Paveglio ’25 where she scored a header past Brown’s goalkeeper. So early into Briggs first season and collegiate career, she proves herself to be a key player on the field with playmaking and executing for the Friars. This match was also a redemption win for the Friars, as last year Providence suffered a 0–3 loss on Brown’s turf. Providence’s next match, where they faced Temple University, was their fifth win, with a final box score of 5–0. Goal scorers were Meg Hughes ’24 , who opened up the scoring for the Friars, Colleen Casey ’26 and Thaea Mouratidis ’26, each recording their first goals of the season, Corinne Dente off a pass from Kyla Gallagher ’24, and Marryn Gruhn ’27, scoring her first collegiate goal with help from Alanna Coffie ’26, who recorded her first assist of the season in the 74th minute. This victory for Providence marked the best start to a season in their program history, hinting at the future success this team will see throughout this 2023 season.

On Sept. 7, the Friars suffered a 1–0 loss versus Rutgers University. Impressively, this was their first loss of the season. The first half was yet again scoreless, where goalkeeper Emma Bodmer contributed two saves and Providence outshot Rutgers 14–12. It wasn’t until the last 10 minutes that Rutgers were able to get one in the net, allowing them to take away Providence’s undefeated reign.

This past Saturday, the Friars hosted Columbia University where they again fell short 0–1. Despite this loss, Providence outshot Columbia in both shots 18–10 and shots on goal 8–5. Providence also held a 7–1 advantage in corner kicks over the Lions. It wasn’t until the 60th minute where Columbia was able to finish off an opportunity on net. Moving forward from this defeat, the Friars are now preparing to begin the BIG EAST Conference in their next match where they will host Seton Hall University on Thursday, Sept. 21. Currently, the Providence Women’s Soccer overall record currently stands at 5–2. This record shows how this team has gained players who build strong dynamics on the field. These dynamics also contribute to Providence’s well playmaking and finishing. In comparison to last season, this dominating start is promising for the Friars and we hope to see Providence continue this momentum through late fall.