O'Livia Lopes '26

by O'Livia Lopes '26 on November 12, 2023
Sports Staff

The Providence College men’s soccer team currently has an  overall record of  2–4–2. After some movement with players, Providence did not fall short in forming a solid team. This season came with new, well-fitting players for the Friars. Pearse O’Brien ’27 has proven to be one of these newly fitted players early in the season, making him this week’s Athlete of the Week. O’Brien has contributed points to five games out of the seven played so far. Being a first year, it’s pivotal how Pearse remains a game leader week after week. 

After the Friars lost to Syracuse in their first match, they had their home-opener versus Merrimack College, where Providence took the 2–0 win. In the third minute, Brendan McSorley ’24 struck a goal, and later on, another goal was scored by Bruno Rosa ’26 with an assist by O’Brien. This marked midfielder Pearse’s first collegiate point of the season. 

Providence’s next match was a 2–4 defeat by Hofstra; however, this game showed resilience from the Friars after going into the second half down 0–2. Pearse scored his first collegiate goal, sparking a shift in momentum for Providence as more shots on goal were recorded. Nathan Messer GS ’23 then scored an equalizer. This, however, was overcome by two more goals from Hofstra.

Three days later, Providence was able to gain the edge over URI in a 2–1 victory. After Cole Dewhurst ’25 opened the scoring for the Friars, URI made a comeback. This was until O’Brien, with just a little over a minute, sent a corner kick that McSorley was able to head in. This win broke the Rams’ six-game shutout streak and named Pearse Big East Freshman of the Week on Sept. 5. 

Providence then fell to UMass in a 3–2 defeat. After UMass’ early lead, Providence sought an opportunity with a free kick sent in by O’Brien that was finished by a header from Dewhurst. This goal brought up energy for the Friars, allowing them to score a second goal to tie the game. However, only temporarily given UMass’ win.

In a first matchup against Akron University, O’Brien’s presence on the field remained consistent. Providence opened the scoring early on in the game, and with a second goal by Gevork Diarbian ’24, this was made possible by a cross from O’Brien. The remainder of the game was a back and forth scoring that ended in a 3–3 tie. Providence then faced cross-city opponents Brown University. This match was a moment for Connecticut native O’Brien. Pearse led this game with five shots, recorded his third consecutive assist and 4th overall. Pearse started this season strong with the Friars as his naming of Big East Freshman of the Week was Providence’s first weekly recognition of the season. The rest of this season looks promising for Pearse, as his playmaking, finishing, and game leading have allowed him to be tied for first in points on the team and become a leader for the Friars.