by The Cowl Editor on March 16, 2017
Sports
by Lauren Altmeyer ’17
Cassidy Carels ’17 has been an asset to the Providence College Women’s Ice Hockey Team ever since she arrived in 2013. Captaining the team this year, the Bruxelles, Manitoba, Canada native lead the Friars to 17 wins, the most wins since the 2010-2011 season. Carels also collected a career-high 37 points, making her the leading scorer of the Friars for the second year in a row. With a +14 rating on the season, Carels collected 18 goals and 19 assists, including nine multi-point games. Carels completed her career as a Friar with 48 goals and 55 assists for a combined total of 131 points.
Prior to her arrival in Friartown, Carels led her Midget AAA team to a National Championship in 2012, earned a silver medal with Team Manitoba at the U18 Nationals in 2012, and brought home gold in at the World Championships with the U18 Canadian National Team in 2013.
Carels was recently presented the Hockey East Sportsmanship Award due to her attitude and integrity both on and off the ice. When asked about why she was so deserving of this award, Head Coach Bob Deraney, who won Coach of the Year, said, “First of all, I think Cassidy was deserving of being on one of the All Star teams, not just honorable mention. Cassidy has had a tremendous career, especially this year, and the league recognized the way she goes about playing the game. She was one of the least penalized players in the league and she had success playing that way. She plays the game so hard, in such a sportsmanlike way, and she was rewarded.”
Deraney has nothing but fond things to say about Carels, not only as one of his hockey players but also as a person. “Cassidy exemplifies what it means to be a Friar. You cannot find a better, more caring person than her. She was nominated by her peers and selected by the coaches to become a captain,” Deraney noted, “Her dedication to the sport of ice hockey and her teammates is evident. No one is more steady and dependable than her. She gives 110 percent on her shift and can go out and do it again and again if we needed her to. Cassidy is reliable, clutch, and even keeled—what more could you ask for? She excels in every aspect: on the ice, in the classroom, and in everyday life.”
The Friars finished up their season on Feb. 26 after losing a hard fought, best-of-three series against the University of Vermont Wildcats in the Hockey East Quarterfinals. The Friars ended with a 17-17-3 overall record and an 11-10-2 conference record. None of that would have been possible without the leadership and skill that Carels brought to the team.
“It has been a true privilege to coach Cassidy these past four years. Freshman and sophomore year I was her biggest critic, but junior and senior year I was one of her biggest fans, and that’s a testament to her growth over the years. No one player will be able to replace her,” said Deraney, “It will take a group of players to replace her on the ice, in the locker room, and in everyday life.”