Tag: athlete of the week
College Hockey’s Hobey Baker Award Nominees Announced
by The Cowl Editor on February 6, 2020
Athlete of the Week
Two Friars Nominated for Prestigious Award
by Meaghan Cahill
Sports Co-Editor
In the final stretch of their sophomore season, Providence College Men’s Hockey Team players Jack Dugan ’22 and Tyce Thompson ’22 were announced as nominees for the prestigious Hobey Baker Award, which is given to the top player in college hockey. They were joined by 76 other Division I college hockey players throughout the country.
The Hobey Baker Award follows four criteria when considering the nominees: strength and character, on and off the ice; contribution to the integrity of the team and outstanding skills in all phases of the game; scholastic achievement and sportsmanship; and compliance with all NCAA rules, including being a full-time student in an accredited college or university and completing 50 percent or more of the season.
All 78 players who were nominated will go through a three-part selection process. First, NCAA head coaches nominate players from the league in addition to the top three players in the nation. Then, fans have the chance to vote online to narrow down the top 10 candidates. Lastly the Hobey Baker Memorial Award Selection Committee that consists of 29 individuals representing print and electronic sports media, college hockey coaches and officials, and NHL scouts, will vote on their top three candidates and, ultimately, who they think should win the award. Fans are also allowed to provide input by voting during this stage as well. Notable players that have won the Award in recent years include NHL players Johnny Gaudreau, Jack Eichel, Jimmy Vesey, Will Butcher, Adam Gaudette, and Cale Makar.
Dugan, whose goal is to be “the best player in college hockey,” currently leads the NCAA in assists (34), points per game (1.78), power-play points (17), and even strength points (24). He also currently leads the league with 41 points over the course of 23 games. In addition, Dugan has an impressive presence on the ice and has been a key player for the Friars all season long, especially since he has spent time transitioning into a more defensive style of play.
On his way to becoming a well-rounded two-way player, the Las Vegas Golden Knights draft pick said, “I’ve become more of a 200-foot player. Coming in, I was pretty offensive, and now I can play in the last few minutes of a game and be trusted defensively.”
Thus far, the numbers have backed his improvement and the efforts he has put into being recognized as the top player in the NCAA. Described as a “dominant player,” throughout the course of the season, there have been 14 games where he notched at least two points, five games of at least three points, and three games of four points—the most in the nation.
Despite the fact that he has yet to complete two full seasons of play, head coach Nate Leaman believes that Dugan has a lot going for him, saying, “He’s strong on pucks, he’s got a good stick, he’s got very good vision.”
Ranked the best forward in college hockey by the NHL, as well as being listed in their top three for this year’s most valuable player, Dugan is believed to be the frontrunner for the Hobey Baker Award. Should he win, he would be the first player in PC history to win, something that he finds to be “very cool.”
However, Dugan is not letting his explosive second season cloud his judgement as he looks to what he hopes to be a future in the NHL. And similarly, neither is Thompson, who is listed as the NHL’s top breakout player.
After a relatively quiet freshman year due to Leaman’s stacked “older team” and desire to allow him to develop and grow, Thompson is experiencing a breakout sophomore season that has led to him being nominated for the Hobey Baker Award.
Currently sitting on 38 points overall, Thompson’s 17 goals have him tied for top goalscorer in the country. In the 23 games already played this season, he has scored at least one goal in 15 of them, which leads all NCAA players, and has 13 multi-point games.
Like Dugan, Thompson also is a dominant player on the ice who brings “the energy and the smarts” to the game, according to Leaman. Furthermore, from last season to this season, Leaman also acknowledges that Thompson’s overall strength buildup has significantly helped him with having such a great season with the Friars.
In addition to the Hobey Baker nomination, the 2019 New Jersey Devil’s draft pick is joined by Dugan and co-captain Michael Callahan ’22 in being nominated for the Walter Brown Award, which recognizes the best American-born Division I college hockey players in New England.
The winners of both awards will not be announced until the end of the season during the NCAA tournament.
The New Man in the Net
by The Cowl Editor on October 3, 2019
Athlete of the Week
Grad Transfer Aviza Finds New Home with Friars
by Jack Belanger ’21
As faces came and went on the Providence College Men’s Soccer Team, one remained constant: Colin Miller ’18RS in net. After receiving numerous awards and accolades, such as the 2018 Big East Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year and 2018 All-Big East Second Team, Miller graduated and signed with Loudoun United FC in the United Soccer League Championship. That left the Friars with one important question for the upcoming 2019 season: Who would take over the goalkeeping duties?
That question was answered quickly as transfer student Austin Aviza ’19 GS has followed in Miller’s footsteps and has given the Friars another solid season from their goalkeeper so far.
Aviza graduated early from the University of Connecticut after a successful 2018 season where he went 9-3-2 as the starting goalie while also posting a 1.03 goals against average. He was granted a fifth year of eligibility as a graduate transfer by the NCAA and did not wait long to land a new home.
“Providence was really the only team on my radar,” Aviza said. “As soon as the NCAA called me to tell me I was eligible for another season, I got into contact with Coach Stewart right away.”
After finishing up school in Connecticut, Aviza came to the College for the spring semester and got the chance to practice with his new teammates. Although he was not able to play in games during the spring season due to NCAA eligibility rules regarding transfers, the semester gave Aviza the chance to get acclimated to the campus and his new teammates.
The results for Aviza have been spectacular this season. Through September he has already had six shutouts while posting a 0.70 GAA. After posting back-to-back 1-0 shutouts against Harvard University and Seton Hall University, Aviza was named to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll on Sept. 23, though he was quick to give his teammates credit.
“It is great to be named to the honor roll, but I think it’s more of a team award,” Aviza clarified. “We have a really good defense and the guys have been playing well.”
When it comes to the differences in his experience from UConn, the goalkeeper focused in on two things: the style of play and home games. Aviza noted how PC’s play style focuses more on possession and ball control to limit the opponent’s opportunities.
As for the home games, Aviza explained how great the atmosphere has been playing at Chapey Field.
“It’s really nice to see how many fans come out to support us. They really make it exciting to be playing here.”
If there was any pressure to fill the big shoes left in goal, Aviza has certainly shown both on the field that he is ready for the challenge, and off the field he has made it a point to focus on his own game.
“Colin Miller was obviously really good, and it is not the easiest thing to follow up a guy like that. All I can do is focus on myself and do my best,” said Aviza.
Aviza’s path to PC has not been like that of his teammates. While the majority of the team has spent the entirety of their careers in Providence, the Friars will be Aviza’s third team as he spent his first two collegiate seasons at Syracuse University before he went on to play for the Huskies. Joining his third team within four years has given him a chance to look at how unique his college career has been.
“I used to have a coach that told us everyone has their own paths in life. It didn’t really hit me how different my journey has been until I came to Providence.”
As their record stands at 6-3-0, PC is once again in the hunt to grab one of the top spots in the Big East. With the talent that is in front of him, Aviza believes the team has a chance to compete for a conference title and even make it back into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016. The team has shown they can compete with some of the best teams in the country, such as tough one goal losses to No. 5 Georgetown University and No. 15 University of New Hampshire.
It may be his only season in Friartown, but Aviza has shown that he wants to finish his college career out strong by bringing this team deep into the playoffs and maybe even a championship.
Millie Paladino ’19 Races to Success
by The Cowl Editor on March 21, 2019
Athlete of the Week
Paladino has Highest Finish for PC Since 1994
by Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Coeditor
For the first time since 1994, Millie Paladino ’19RS became the highest mile finisher from Providence College to place at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. Placing third in the nation in an event that only 16 people nationwide qualified for, Paladino ran a 4:38.44 mile, a time that also earned her First Team All-America Honors.
Having been told by Head Coach Ray Treacy that she could finish anywhere from eighth to first, Paladino says that she was “really happy and proud” of her accomplishment.
“It means a lot for me to do it for the school because it’s one of our highest places in the last couple of years so I think it really puts the team and the program on the map in the NCAA, which is always really good to do,” Paladino commented.
Her third place finish concluded a very tactical race in which Paladino reserved her energy by maintaining a solid seventh place position and then pulling ahead to third in the final 100 meters. To Paladino, the race was more mind over matter as she felt she had to prepare for it more mentally than physically.
“For prep…your physical prep is done [during the season]. You have to really work on telling yourself that you’re good enough to do this and that you’re prepared for this. The whole season has led up to this…I just have to tell myself that it’s not worth it to step on the line if you’re not confident in what you can do. Otherwise, why do it at all?” said Paladino.
Having transferred to PC from West Virginia University after her sophomore year because she felt that she would not get to be the best runner that she could be if she remained there, Paladino primarily chose to join the Friar family due to the success of Coach Treacy.
“He’s the best in the biz!” praised Paladino when talking about Treacy’s influence to come to PC. “I never looked back.”
In her time with the Friars, Paladino has a number of top-three regular season finishes and has consistently been recognized by earning NCAA First Team All-America Honors. At the Big East level, Paladino recently won her third career Big East title when she was crowned 3,000-meter champion—the first Friar to win the event since 2015. She also set a school record for the 1,000-meter race this season with a time that is also the 12th fastest mark in collegiate history.
Paladino’s continued success, especially within this current season, in what she describes as a “day-to-day” sport, has all added up to the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association naming Paladino the 2019 Northeast Region Female Track Athlete of the Year.
And while Paladino recognizes that running is very much an individual sport, she does not believe she could have had any of her success without her team.
“I can only do so much on my own…I owe the whole world to [the team] honestly,” says Paladino. “I think people really underestimate the people you are surrounded by and if I didn’t have my teammates to train with throughout the season…I would never have gotten this far.”
On the topic of her teammates, Paladino admitted that the cross country team’s Big East Championship win her junior year is her favorite memory.
“I still wear my ring,” she proudly admitted.
With the winter track season coming to a close, Paladino and the rest of the track teams are gearing up and heading outdoors with the start of the spring season, a season in which Paladino says the only main difference is that things are done outside.
“Mileages stay the same and your focus has to stay the same so your focus does not look that different even though it might,” she comments on going from one season to the other.
With a goal of finishing out her career at PC with an outdoor track Big East Championship title, Paladino also hopes to make it to Nationals again and just “make the most [of her final season].” And with the end in sight, she hopes to keep running and as she gets more “mature” in her running, she plans to up her distance, hoping to eventually run a marathon.
“But, I think that’s so far in the future,” she concludes.
Paladino will continue her distance running into the spring season, running both the 1,500 meter race as well as the mile as that is where her “strengths” are.
“Never give in,” is how she would encapsulate her running career. “If it’s really what you love and it’s your dream, keep chasing it because you’ll really surprise yourself.”
Athlete of the Week: Catarina Rocha
by The Cowl Editor on November 9, 2017
Athlete of the Week
Athlete of the Week: Catarina Rocha
By: Joe Myko ’19
Sports Staff
On Oct. 28, on a brisk day in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Providence College’s Men and Women’s Cross Country teams were involved in the Big East Cross Country Championships with the men’s team finishing in fourth as a collective, while the women’s team finished second.
Catarina Rocha ‘17G has been competing for Providence College’s track and field team since the beginning of her freshman year in 2013. Rocha became the ninth woman in the college’s history to obtain the individual Big East title, something the athlete herself confirmed to be her “biggest sporting achievement to date.” A gradual improvement, having finished seventh in 2013, second in 2014, and sixth in 2015.
Rocha said modestly that this win came as a “surprise” to her. The win was all the more impressive because she was unable to compete in the 2016 competition, as she was sidelined with an injury.
Rocha’s achievement was particularly noteworthy as it also had sentimental value, as she is now the second in her family to have won a Big East cross country title, following her father’s success for Boston College in 1987. Both of Rocha’s parents ran competitively for Boston College, so it is unsurprising to learn that they had a large impact upon her interest and success in running.
Her brother is also on Providence College’s track and field team. Somewhat surprisingly, Rocha admitted that it was only after sophomore year of high school, when she had to sacrifice playing soccer to pursue running, in which it became a huge part of her life.
In terms of pivotal changes to her day-to-day life which may have contributed to her success, Rocha cites the added focus to enjoy her running which she has been gifted since becoming a graduate student as something which helped her to be perfectly prepared for the Big East Cross Country Championships.
Rocha was also keen to identify the help of her teammates and coaches in giving her a great platform for her recent title win, highlighting the team spirit, particularythe way in which they will “push each other along when someone’s having a bad day” as being a key ingredient to success.
Cross country Head Coach, Ray Treacy, was eager to voice his congratulations for Rocha, whose individual title had a large part to play in the college’s success: “I am especially proud of Catarina for winning the individual title, she has been a standout runner for us.”
Looking forward to the next generation, Rocha was happy to offer some advice to the current and future runners of Providence College. Firstly, Rocha recommended that they stay “patient” in successfully balancing academics and training, as she freely admitted she found the step-up between high school and college to be a major one.
Secondly, she was keen to emphasize to upcoming athletes to enjoy their undergraduate years and to savor the key moments, as the reality is, “You’re never going to be able to be on a team with ten of your best friends again after you leave.”
In terms of her own future, Rocha is waiting to see what the future holds in terms of competitive running, as she will undoubtedly have a lot of exciting opportunities inside and outside the world of athletics. However, she is confident that running will “always be part of her life” in some regard, as will Providence College, going on to emphasize that “There’s no place like Friartown!”
Athlete of the Week: Kyron Cartwright
by The Cowl Editor on March 2, 2017
Sports
by Jeff Williams ’17
After a tough overtime loss to Seton Hall on Feb. 8, the Providence College Men’s Basketball Team had lost four of their last five games and were 4-9 after a great 10-2 start to the season. At 14-11 overall and 4-8 in the Big East, the future looked bleak for the Friar men. Since then however, PC has gone on an absolute tear, winning their last five games versus Butler, Xavier, Creighton, Marquette, and DePaul.
Kyron Cartwright ’18 and his teammates have risen to the occasion as the Friar engine roared to life. As the straw that stirs the drink, the floor general is a no-brainer for “Athlete of the Week.” He has done an exceptional job of stepping up as a leader after the departures of Kris Dunn ’16 and Ben Bentil ’18 to the NBA, an accomplishment he credits to having “confidence, [and] getting other people to believe in you.”
Cartwright is the school’s first ever sports media major, a discipline he is very enthusiastic about. “Hopefully, one day I can be a sports broadcaster. These are great people to be around.” While he enjoys being here in Providence, the proud California native does not enjoy Rhode Island drivers, whom he describes as “crazy.”
Despite the seemingly daunting odds, Cartwright and the team never gave up. As he reiterates, “We just had to focus and bounce back.” On Alumni & Family Weekend, Providence knocked off No. 22 Butler at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, 71-65. Cartwright played 37 minutes, scoring 14 points (including two for four from behind the arc) and dishing out seven assists. Four days later, playing host to Xavier, Cartwright led the way with 17 points and five assists to help mow down the Musketeers, 75-63.
The Friars traveled to Omaha on Feb. 22 to visit the No. 23 Creighton Blue Jays, who beat Providence earlier this year by double digits. The hosts used a 21-1 run to build a steady, consistent lead in the first half, but PC burst out in the second half to get back in the game. Down one point with only a few seconds left, the final play was chaotic. Rodney Bullock ’18 and Isaiah Jackson ’19RS were both heavily covered underneath. Somehow, Jackson managed to spot Cartwright. “Everybody but one got the ball, and Isaiah did a nice job of finding me…I hoped it would go in, and it did.” Cartwright proceeded to knock down a very long three pointer to nab a 68-66 victory.
On Saturday, unseasonably warm temperatures caused the Dunk floor to be dangerously wet and slippery for the game against Marquette. Nonetheless, Cartwright steadily directed his team to a key 73-69 victory, notching 16 points and eight assists. Despite the difficulty that he and his teammates had in staying upright, he aptly points out that, “Both teams had to play with that situation.” Three nights later, he recorded 14 and six on senior night for Casey Woodring ’17. “It was nice to get the win for him,” Cartwright added. The Friars proceeded to cruise by DePaul, 73-64 on Tuesday night.
It’s safe to say that Cartwright has had a breakout year, averaging 11.4 points per game, knocking down nearly 40 percent of his attempts from three point land, and doling out 6.8 assists a night, which is good for first in the Big East and fourth in the country. When pressed about his play, Cartwright is humble, “It’s an honor to be recognized as one of the best.” The Friars next play at St. John’s on Saturday, March 4, and will hope to make a run in the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden, which is March 8-11. Cartwright readily acknowledged that Saturday’s game will be a “classic Big East battle,” and will not think past them; “We’re just focused on St. John’s right now,” said Cartwright. With a five game winning streak and the play of Cartwright, the sky is the limit for the Friars.
Athlete of the Week: Anthony Florentino ’17
by The Cowl Editor on February 16, 2017
Sports
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Last weekend was a weekend of firsts for Providence College Men’s Ice Hockey player Anthony Florentino ’17. He scored his first ever career hat trick during the Friar’s 5-3 win over Univeristy of Maine. When asked what that feeling must have been like, Florentino stated, “It’s cool to say I’ve finally scored a hat trick in my hockey career…15-17 years of playing and it’s my first one.”
It was this that earned him his first Hockey East weekly nod as he was named Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week. Florentino is only the second Friar defenseman to score a hat trick throughout Hockey East this season and the seventh to do so in the past three seasons. Before the UMaine game, the last Friar to score a hat trick was Jake Walman ’18 on October 30, 2015 against Colgate.
He was very humbled when speaking about this honor, giving all of the credit to his teammates. “Realistically, that wouldn’t have happened without my teammates. It came from the game I had a hat trick in, but if you look at the three goals it was all generated by forwards…they made everything happen.”
As a senior on the team, Florentino has quite the career under his belt, including a National Championship win and two appearances in Fenway Park’s “Frozen Fenway.” As a Boston native, Florentino said the past experience of playing in America’s beloved ballpark, even though the game resulted in a loss, was “awesome.” It was also a game that held meaning for him as a player, “My brother’s boot camp went out for the Coast Guard, and it was the last game he saw me play, as a Friar, so it was a pretty special experience being at Fenway.”
With this being his last season as a Friar, Florentino is setting his goals high and expecting nothing less than perfection as the season enters its final four games before the Hockey East tournament. When questioned about his goals for his final season, there was no hesitation in his voice, as he quickly stated, “I want another National Championship.” He went on to say, “Obviously that’s the ultimate goal. Gotta win Hockey East first though. End result for my senior year: going out on top.” He does not want the Championship just for himself but “for the school, the team, the city even.” Florentino was on the team that won that National Championship in 2015 against Boston University, a memory that he says is his favorite as a Friar. Reflecting back on the game, Florentino says, “That team was pretty special…[winning] was an amazing experience.”
Florentino, who was drafted during the fifth round of the NHL Draft by the Buffalo Sabres in 2013, has no regrets when it comes to his career at Providence College. “Not a thing,” was his answer when asked if there was anything he would have done differently, “Best three years of my life so far.”
However, the season is not over yet. Ranked fifth overall in Hockey East and 10th overall in the country with a nine game win streak, the men’s hockey team will have back-to-back away games against Notre Dame (ranked third in Hockey East and 15th in the country) Feb. 17-18 before they come back to Massachusetts to face off with UMass Amherst at Amherst on Feb. 24. The Friars will conclude their regular season in Schneider Arena on Feb. 25 against UMass Amherst.
“Focus on the games we have to play,” Florentino states, regarding what needs to be worked on going into the final few games and the tournament. “We started off pretty slow, a little up and down, but lately we’ve been putting it all together, a five-man effort out there. The younger guys are stepping up and everyone is coming together as one and playing a complete game.”
When asked if he had any last words he would like to say before the interview concluded, Florentino acknowledged the fans who have always supported the team and with a big smile said, “Go Friars!”