Women’s Club Rugby

by The Cowl Editor on September 30, 2021


Friar Sports


A Game Worth Playing

Sports Staff

Luke Sweeney ’24

The game of rugby is growing fast here in America. While in the past it has been a game mostly dominated on the world stage by Australia, England, and New Zealand, young Americans continue to introduce rugby to their communities and find ways to enjoy the sport.

Providence College is home to a men’s and women’s club rugby team who are both extremely competitive in their regular season play.

Senior team captain, Anna LaFortune ’22, shared her feelings on the upcoming season. She said,  ​“It’s going to be a big learning curve for a lot of our newer players this year, but we have a lot of potential to compete and win matches.”

The team will have a deep bench to work with this season, as they have 35 players to field a 15-person lineup. In recent years, they have gone into the season with less than half the amount of players.

LaFortune also says that there are a good amount of freshman and first year players that will need to undergo a learning period .

“The best way to learn the game is to play the game” LaFortune claims. She believes that as the season goes on, the team will improve more and more as their newer players more experience on the field.

​With only six girls returning from the team last year, no one is complaining about the larger but younger roster. LaFortune told me that at one point during her sophomore season, they only had 13 players on the team, resorting to borrowing players from opposing teams to be able to field a full 15.

Rugby is not the best sport to have a short roster, “not having enough players can be dangerous because girls are tiring themselves out easier without substitutions and can get themselves hurt.”

Women's Club Rugby
Photo Courtesy of Anna LaFortune

Head Coach Mike Cox returns to lead the squad this year. Cox was a former rugby player at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island and coached the men’s rugby team here at PC for many years in the past.

In 2019, Coach Cox volunteered to sign on with the women’s team and has created a great program since then. The coaching staff includes two other assistant coaches who have experience playing the game.

LaFortune says that coach Cox will oftentimes have some of his friends from the rugby community drop by practices to run drills, give tips and advice, or practice strategy with the girls.

​The regular season for women’s club rugby runs from September to October with two home and three away matches scheduled against Bentley University, Stonehill College, Roger Williams University, and University of Massachusetts Lowell. They will play every Saturday during this season, and LaFortune says that their recent match against Bentley was the first time the team has gotten to play since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is a really hard game to learn for freshmen coming in, but everyone can tell that there is so much athleticism and potential on this year’s team.” PC lost in a close matchup to Bentley, but the match was a great experience for a young team. LaFortune let us know that this is going to be a great learning year for young players, and she expects the team to be extremely successful in the next few years.

​During a match there are 15 players on each team who are broken up between forwards and backs. The forwards do the brunt of the hitting and blocking, and the backs try to get themselves into position to run with the ball and score.

Anna’s position is “Number 8,” arguably the most important position on the field. The number eight position is the only forward who has the ability to pick the ball up out of the scrum and run with it. Hitting and running ability are crucial skills when playing this position.

​Practice for the women’s club rugby team takes place three to four times a week, depending on if there is a match that week or not.

Much like American football, LaFortune says it can be hard to simulate game-speed scenarios during a rugby practice because it could lead to unnecessary injury. Most of the time, practice is just touch, so you have to be able to turn on a new level of aggression during game day.

We wish the Women’s club rugby team best of luck as they embark on their 2021 fall season.

If you or anyone you know wants to get involved with the sport or learn more about it, make sure to drop by one of their home games on Oct. 2 verus Stonehill and Oct. 16 versus Roger Williams.

Bryn Reilly ’22 Secures Monthly Club Award

by The Cowl Editor on March 5, 2020


Athlete of the Week


Honored for Her “Dedication and Persistence”

by Meaghan Cahill ’20

Sports Coeditor

Every month, the Club Sports Council votes on who they believe should be recognized as player of the month. For the month of February, the council chose to recognize Bryn Reilly ’22, a member of Providence College’s Women’s Club Lacrosse Team.

According to the council, “The purpose of the player of the month is to recognize extraordinary athletes [that are] a part of the club sports community [and] are going above and beyond either on or off the field.”

Team photo of the girls club lacrosse team
Photo Courtesy of Bryn Reilly ’22

Ava Cicio ’20, president of the women’s club lacrosse team, believes that Reilly falls under this criteria, describing her as “an exemplary team player with a happy demeanor and overall positive attitude.”

Reilly, who is in the midst of her second year with the team, grew up playing lacrosse with her dad, Brendan Reilly ’88, who was a member of the Providence College Men’s Lacrosse Team. According to Reilly, lacrosse “has always been a part of [her] family,” and she chose to continue playing at PC because she just simply loves the sport.

“I think it is a lot of fun and I love being a part of a team. It was also a great way to meet new people as a freshman,” said Reilly.

Reilly was a practice player her freshman year, an experience that she describes as “extremely welcoming.” According to her, the only difference between being a practice player last year and a member of the travel team this year is that she “now dresses for games.” Cicio notes that “Bryn was the team’s number one supporter on the sidelines. This year as a travel player, [she] has maintained that support.”

In a season that Reilly says has been going “very well” for both her and the team, they have currently beaten Quinnipiac University, the College of the Holy Cross, the University of New Hampshire, and Tufts University. They have two games left in the season against the University of Massachusetts-Lowell and Central Connecticut State University.

Described as a “solid addition” to the team’s defense, Reilly has played a key role in the team’s current 4-0 record. However, she does not have any personal goals for the remainder of her sophomore season; instead, as any true team player, she simply has team goals in mind.

“I hope we are able to stay undefeated as long as possible and make it to nationals,” said Reilly. “We have a phenomenal team led by amazing captains and I cannot wait to see what the rest of the season holds for us!”

In regards to being accoladed as player of the month, Reilly said she was very shocked, but also very honored.

“I try to show up to all practices and games with a positive attitude and work hard while also having fun,” said Reilly. “It is very nice to know that others think that my attitude and dedication to the sport are worthy of an award.”

Due to her “dedication and persistence,” as the council said, over the course of Reilly’s two years with the team, she has proven herself to be an exemplary student-athlete worthy of this recognition.

 

Women’s Club Hockey on the Right Track

by The Cowl Editor on February 6, 2020


Friar Sports


Newly Founded Team Boasts Bright Future

by Eileen Flynn ’20

Sports Staff

Playing sports is sometimes taken for granted when growing up. We may resent the early morning hockey game, or the two-hour drive to an away basketball game. Yet, of course, it was always worth it in the end, even if the results of the game were not the best. Indeed, the actual game was only half of it: the memories, friendships, and lessons learned while playing lasted far beyond the final whistle.

For many, college marks the end of competitive sports. Flashback to the fall of 2016, however, there were about eight underclassmen at Providence College who were not ready to hang up their skates just yet. Instead, they recognized an opportunity to start the Providence College Women’s Club Ice Hockey Team. Jasmine Gaudreau ’20 and now graduated Avalon O’Shaughnessy ’19, along with fellow classmates, started doing research and setting up meetings with associate director of club sports, Chris Schmidtt.  

The college offers over 20 club sports to their student body, ranging from competitive teams like basketball and lacrosse to open roster teams like figure skating and scuba diving. Schmidtt is always open to new additions; however, he makes it clear that the students are in charge of running each club. Since there has been a successful men’s club ice hockey team at PC for many years, Gaudreau and O’Shaughnessy were determined to reach their goal of having a women’s club ice hockey team added to the list.

“I knew that if a club team did get started, it would attract incoming or prospective freshmen. Similar to the women now on the team, they would also feel like they belong in a new environment. PC had the resources to have a women’s club ice hockey, the program just needed someone to start it,” said Gaudreau. Luckily, she was ready to be that person.

Club hockey poses for team photo
Photo Courtesy of Jasmine Gaudreau ’20

The process is not meant to be easy; an important aspect Schmidtt looks for when approving a team is the level of commitment shown by the players. For three years, around 15 girls would wake up to their 6 a.m. alarm clocks, pick up their bag in the basement of their dorm, and travel across the snowy campus to Schnieder Arena for their 7 a.m. practice.

For two years there was not a coach budgeted for the group, but that did not stop them coming together and practicing. Taking attendance each morning, Schmidtt was impressed that after three years of an unofficial team, there were upwards of 20 girls still showing up in hopes to someday be a legitimate team.

Fast forward to fall 2020, Gaudreau’s senior year, PC held their first women’s club hockey tryouts. More than 25 girls in all different class years arrived with excitement, realizing they did not have to say goodbye to the sport they love just yet. The girls are coached by Frank Caparco and Tony DiLorenzo, two local retired high-school coaches looking to continue their career with the sport.

This past season, the Friars played Big East rivals like Boston University, University of New Hampshire, Boston College, and Northeastern University. This past weekend, the girls traveled to face the no. 1 ranked University of Vermont on Super Bowl Sunday nonetheless. Although testing the Catamount’s goalie early and often, UVM scored the first goal and held on to the momentum.  With two freshman goalies to play, the Friars were able to play both, giving them the experience they need for the upcoming years.

Perhaps the most promising part of this season is the amount of underclassmen on the team, with nine freshmen and eight sophomores. With two games left, the record for the team’s first year stands at 6-8. Learning from the five seniors, the underclassmen do not take this opportunity for granted. Thanks to Gaudreau and the other seniors, there will be a women’s club hockey team for years to come.

Club Golf Competes at National Level

by The Cowl Editor on November 21, 2019


Friar Sports


By Scott Jarosz ’21

Sports Staff

providence college club golf team nationals
Photo Courtesy of PC Club Golf

The Providence College club golf team recently journeyed southwest to WinStar World Casino & Resort in the small town of Thackerville, OK to take part in the National Collegiate Club Golf Association Fall 2019 National Championship. According to the NCCGA website, this marked the first time the tournament was held in Oklahoma. 

This fall’s national championship consisted of 28 club golf teams representing schools from across the entire country who had qualified to compete. The two teams that qualified automatically for the event were Clemson University and Xavier University, as they had won the Spring 2019 National Championship and National Invitational respectively. 

PC qualified for participation in the Fall 2019 National Championship by winning the NCCGA New England Regional back in October. PC beat out second place University of New Hampshire, who also qualified for the National Championship, by a whopping 39 strokes in the regional.

The Fall 2019 National Championship consisted of two rounds that were played over the course of two days for a total of 36 holes of stroke play. Team scores for each round were calculated as a sum of the five best scores out of the eight players who competed per team. The team with the lowest total score after the two rounds would be declared the winner. 

Players arrived in Oklahoma on Friday, November 15, and began play the next day. PC came out of the gates in round one playing excellent golf. In round one, the team posted a score of 372, which tied PC with the University of Florida at fourth place out of 27 competing teams. 

The low scorer for PC on day one was Dave Carey ’22 who shot an outstanding 72. Not only did Carey shoot the team’s lowest score for this round, but he also tied for third place out of 226 golfers in the individual leaderboard after round one.

PC held its own in round two of the championship, shooting a combined 378, which was just six shots higher than its previous round. The low scorer for PC in the second round was Rio Holzwarth ’22 who shot a 72, followed by Carey who shot a 75. PC ultimately finished in ninth place, 17 shots behind Clemson University, the champion of the NCCGA Fall 2019 National Championship. 

The low scorer of the tournament for the Friars was Carey, who posted rounds of 72 and 75 for a combined 147. With this score, Carey finished tied for 19th place out of 226 individual golfers. 

When asked what it was like to represent PC on a national level, Carey stated, “It was an honor to represent Providence College and play the game I love on a national level.” 

When asked what he focused on that allowed him to play so well in the tournament, Carey responded, “I really focused on staying strong mentally even after a bad shot. Coach Conley and my teammate Cole Manning ’20 helped me to stay positive and focused on the course, which greatly contributed to my success.”

Carey’s points of focus were clearly effective as he finished near the top of the leaderboard out of 226 golfers. Holzwarth followed Carey with a score of 149, and Alex Bassetto ’20 finished with a score of 151. 

Quality performances by all members of the PC club golf team led the team to finish ninth out of 27 competing schools in the National Championship.

Club Golf Competes at National Level

by The Cowl Editor on November 21, 2019


Friar Sports


By Scott Jarosz ’21

Sports Staff

providence college club golf team nationals
Photo Courtesy of PC Club Golf

The Providence College club golf team recently journeyed southwest to WinStar World Casino & Resort in the small town of Thackerville, OK to take part in the National Collegiate Club Golf Association Fall 2019 National Championship. According to the NCCGA website, this marked the first time the tournament was held in Oklahoma. 

This fall’s national championship consisted of 28 club golf teams representing schools from across the entire country who had qualified to compete. The two teams that qualified automatically for the event were Clemson University and Xavier University, as they had won the Spring 2019 National Championship and National Invitational respectively. 

PC qualified for participation in the Fall 2019 National Championship by winning the NCCGA New England Regional back in October. PC beat out second place University of New Hampshire, who also qualified for the National Championship, by a whopping 39 strokes in the regional.

The Fall 2019 National Championship consisted of two rounds that were played over the course of two days for a total of 36 holes of stroke play. Team scores for each round were calculated as a sum of the five best scores out of the eight players who competed per team. The team with the lowest total score after the two rounds would be declared the winner. 

Players arrived in Oklahoma on Friday, November 15, and began play the next day. PC came out of the gates in round one playing excellent golf. In round one, the team posted a score of 372, which tied PC with the University of Florida at fourth place out of 27 competing teams. 

The low scorer for PC on day one was Dave Carey ’22 who shot an outstanding 72. Not only did Carey shoot the team’s lowest score for this round, but he also tied for third place out of 226 golfers in the individual leaderboard after round one.

PC held its own in round two of the championship, shooting a combined 378, which was just six shots higher than its previous round. The low scorer for PC in the second round was Rio Holzwarth ’22 who shot a 72, followed by Carey who shot a 75. PC ultimately finished in ninth place, 17 shots behind Clemson University, the champion of the NCCGA Fall 2019 National Championship. 

The low scorer of the tournament for the Friars was Carey, who posted rounds of 72 and 75 for a combined 147. With this score, Carey finished tied for 19th place out of 226 individual golfers. 

When asked what it was like to represent PC on a national level, Carey stated, “It was an honor to represent Providence College and play the game I love on a national level.” 

When asked what he focused on that allowed him to play so well in the tournament, Carey responded, “I really focused on staying strong mentally even after a bad shot. Coach Conley and my teammate Cole Manning ’20 helped me to stay positive and focused on the course, which greatly contributed to my success.”

Carey’s points of focus were clearly effective as he finished near the top of the leaderboard out of 226 golfers. Holzwarth followed Carey with a score of 149, and Alex Bassetto ’20 finished with a score of 151. 

Quality performances by all members of the PC club golf team led the team to finish ninth out of 27 competing schools in the National Championship.

Club Sports Raise Money For Charity

by The Cowl Editor on November 14, 2019


Friar Sports


By Eileen Flynn ’20

Sports Staff

This is an important time of the year for raising awareness for different diseases. Like professionals have done in the past, using sports to promote donations and awareness can help each cause in a special way. In the past, role models in various sports have brought to light the effects certain diseases can have on a person’s life. 

In 1941, baseball lost  New York Yankees legend Lou Gehrig to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) disease. Gehrig’s speech announcing his diagnosis is remembered today due to his sincerity and compassion towards the sport he loves and the challenges he faced. 

Even in the last decade, ALS has gained attention due to yet another talented baseball player, this time at the collegiate level. Pete Frates captained the Boston College baseball team in 2007, and only five years later, he also was diagnoised with the disease.

Using sports to familiarize the disease to the public, Frates initiated the nationwide “Ice Bucket Challenge” to spark fundraising and awareness of the disease. Sports fans everywhere joined together to help fight what seemed like an impossible battle to overcome.

The value of sports goes way beyond just the joy that comes from playing. Relationships between the players grow so strong that they are able to help fight diseases such as ALS. The club sports players at Providence College recognized this opportunity and have made it a part of their efforts during their hectic seasons.

The men’s club ice hockey team recently hosted their annual “Pink the Rink” game in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Every year, the team designs pink shirts with their club team name, along with the appropriate pink ribbons for Breast Cancer Awareness month. 

The team sold the t-shirts for $20 in order to promote the awareness of the disease. On Oct. 27, friends and family came out to support the team and the important cause. The rink was full of pink pride, as players dressed in their pink socks and jerseys while fans wore their pink t-shirts. “We decided on a pink the rink game because it’s a fundraiser that brought together our fans and our team to fight against a disease that affects so many people’s lives,” said  CJ Joyce ’20. “We knew that it was important to have our fans support not only us, but a great cause by showing up and purchasing shirts.”

Another team at PC looking to use sports to raise awareness for an important cause is club rugby. This month the team is participating in “Movember” in efforts to raise awareness for men’s health. 

Friends and families are asked to donate money to their cause, and in return, the boys will grow, or try to grow, a mustache. Nate Jakatis ’20, the captain of the rugby team, explains why it is important for their team to draw attention to men’s health. 

“There’s a growing awareness around sports of all kinds about the effects that concussions can have on a person’s overall mental health, from short term to long term, and the damage that they can do if they don’t take care of the injury.” 

Since head injuries are common in this sport, Jakatis and the team hope to encourage men to “look out for each other and help those struggling with mental illness who might not feel comfortable asking for help—even if we all can’t grow legendary ’staches just yet.”

Club Volleyball Ready to Defend Title

by The Cowl Editor on November 7, 2019


Friar Sports


by Cam Smith ’21

Sports Assistant Coeditor

Often overlooked on a campus bursting with varsity sports is the presence of some very successful club sports teams. One of these teams, the Providence College Women’s Club Volleyball Team, just so happens to be a league champion.

Indeed, the team, which competes in the Northeast Women’s Volleyball Club League (NWVCL), secured its first-ever league championship last season with a win over Columbia University in the blue division finals. The championship capped off an absurdly successful season for the Friars, who won five out of the seven tournaments they competed in.

Photo Courtesy of Club Volleyball

The team has already started strong this year, securing a second-place tournament finish while competing against some of the best teams in the Northeast. The finish came at the Friars’ home tournament, as they fell in the third set to the University of Connecticut by a final tally of 13-15.

Despite all of their recent success, the team has their sights set on even loftier goals. Last season, the squad appeared in the National Collegiate Volleyball Federation’s Championships for the first time in program history. The tournament, which pulls the best teams from all the club leagues in the country, did not go the way the team intended it to, as they bowed out in the early rounds. However, this year, the Friars plan to make a deep run.

“Our end goal is to go to Nationals and advance further than last year,” said club co-president Elizabeth Donnellan ’20. “Last season we were not able to get past our pool. It was quite upsetting because we were a really strong team. We are looking foward to using that experience to grow and improve upon our result this year.”

That same strong team returns this season, as the Friars had no seniors last year. Returning veterans include co-president Charlotte Stivala ’21 and secretary Izzy Flaherty ’21. Both fill the roles of the outside hitters on the team and are dominant forces on offense. Joining them is, of course, Donnellan herself, who patrols the right side and is the de facto leader on the court with her ability to visualize the play and make adjustments on the fly.

Siobhan Tierney ’21 and Megan Borrell ’22 also return to the squad. Tierney, a setter, runs the team’s offense while controlling the pace of the game. Borrell, a libero, joins Tierney in the role of setter this year, filling a key void for the Friars.

Joining the returning veterans is Isabelle Heron ’23, a player who excels in her ability to block, often picking up “three or four power blocks in a set,” according to Donnellan.

Certainly, another successful season seems to be in the works for the Friars. However, it was not too long ago when Donnellan herself would have found it difficult to believe they could be playing at this high of a level.

“My freshman year we were good but just not that serious about it,” she said. “My next year we really got a lot more serious as a bunch of new juniors came in, in addition to a really good executive board and then also a new coach. It was a whole new mindset. We won our first tournament in the entire history of the club.”

The Friars have come a long way since winning their first tournament and will now look to continue their recent success as they make a push to return to Nationals. The road to get there continues on Nov. 9, as PC travels to the University of Massachusetts-Lowell to compete in their fourth tournament of the young season.

 

Club Basketball Ready for Redemption

by The Cowl Editor on October 10, 2019


Friar Sports


Friars Look to Continue Hot-Streak From Last Season

By Cam Smith ’21

Sports Assistant Editor

providence college club basketball team
Photo Courtesy of Club Basketball

Late Night Madness whipped up a fervor of excitement for the start of the varsity basketball season last Saturday night. Yet, the varsity teams will be far from the only squads gracing the Providence College basketball courts this fall.

The club basketball season started earlier this week on the men’s side as tryouts were held to fill out the roster for the 2019-2020 season. The Providence College Men’s Club Basketball Team is looking to build on a successful year last season that saw the squad go 12-6 in the National Club Basketball Association’s (NCBBA) New England South conference and 13-7 overall.

The Friars finished the season on a strong note, pulling off an incredible ten-game winning streak that saw them come up just short of the at-large bid for a berth in the Regional tournament. “It took a little while to get used to each other and mesh at the start of last year,” said club co-president Joe Gill ’21. “But, by the half-way point of the season we really knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and it showed in our record. We started winning more and more games.”

There is reason to be excited about this year as well, as the team lost only a couple players from last year’s squad that ended the season scorching hot.

Returning veterans include Nick Mahar ’22, a dominant post presence with a deadly right-shoulder hook shot from the block. He will be joined by the dynamic twin-brother duo of Matt and Chris Lautato ’21, who dictate the flow of the game from the point guard position.

Club co-president Cam Shelmire ’21 joins Gill in a leadership role and is a multi-talented wing presence with the ability to slash down low. The co-president’s skill sets complement each other well, as Gill himself is a mobile big man that can play out of the post or out behind the three-point line.

“We’re excited for this year because we only lost a few guys from last year, our core group is returning,” said Gill. “We should be pretty good. We’re hoping to make a run in regionals and then maybe even nationals.”

Two more players rejoining the team for their much-anticipated season are Spencer Butterfield ’20 and Will Martin ’22. Butterfield is another dynamic slasher who is a tremendous finisher around the rim. Martin, an all-around offensive threat, is a skilled isolation player that can easily slip by a defender off the dribble.

The team will begin practices next week and will then host a preseason tournament at PC on Sunday, October 20 where Brown University, Bryant University, and Merrimack College will get a tough early season test in the Friars.

“We ended the year really strong,” reflected Gill. “We played really well, and when everyone’s on their game we are really, really good. We’re excited for this season.”

The quest to Regionals begins in November for PC. On the weekend of Nov. 16 they travel to Worcester to take on the College of the Holy Cross in their first regular season matchup.

Club Lacrosse Ready to Defend Title

by The Cowl Editor on October 3, 2019


Friar Sports


Team Returns Strong Championship Core Capable of Repeating

by Marc DeMartis ’21

The Providence College Men’s Club Lacrosse team is entering their 2019 season as the defending champions of the National Collegiate Lacrosse League (NCLL). After defeating the Westchester

Photo Courtesy of Club Lacrosse Team

Golden Rams 12 – 9 in the National Championship last Spring, the Friars have set the bar high for their upcoming season. Returning junior Ryan Barrett ‘21 said, “As we head into this season, we are expecting to protect our title and continue our success. Last year’s graduating class left us with the right mindset and the boys came back from the off season feeling dangerous this year.”

Tryouts for the team this year were held on Sunday, September 29 from 7-9 p.m. As expected, there was a great turnout according to the Vice President of the club, Teddy Allen ’21. He was pumped to see all of the new faces looking to join the team on their quest for another championship this season. 

Allen said, “The first night of tryouts was absolutely phenomenal, it honestly could not have gone better. I saw no shortage of talent out on the field, I’m really looking forward to the season with the guys that we have.” With the talent the team currently has, any additions will only improve the success of the team in the coming year.

Another member of the team, Ryan Gayman ’21,  spoke on his thoughts regarding the team’s ability on the field. Gayman stated, “Coming back this season off of a championship, the offense is juiced up as were returning all and necessary firepower… shooters everywhere. Defense has also been buzzing around during the first couple of weeks of practice. Checks are flying hard enough to break sticks.” It seems the team has their heads held high and their goals set for the year ahead. They are entering their fall season with plenty of confidence in their fellow players and this chemistry seems to be extremely valuable to the team.

Although the seniors that started the team only four years ago graduated last year, President John Buckley ’20, Allen, Captain Connor Corrod ’20, Captain Dauzia Etete ’20, Treasurer Kevin Flaherty ’21, and Marketing Manager JohnPaul Adams ’20 have returned as a hardworking group of leaders to kick off the year with new energy. This group of leaders have led multiple practices with a mixture of organization and unmatched positivity. Considering that the club team was only founded in 2016, to already have a national championship under their belt is quite an achievement.

The Club Lacrosse Team’s home opener is against Fairfield University on Oct. 6 at 5:00 p.m. on Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium. The boys all seemed thrilled to kick off the season and get the ball rolling. 

 

PC Welcomes New Club Sports To Campus

by The Cowl Editor on September 19, 2019


Friar Sports


By Eileen Flynn ’20

Sports Staff

Providence College has been known for its Division I sports teams for the past several decades. Many students make their decisions to attend PC because they want to be a fan in the crowd cheering on the men’s basketball team or chanting “yes!” in the middle of the student section at a Friday night hockey game. There is something about competitive sports that brings people together and adds to the college experience.

For some, watching people play sports does not quite cut it. Those who were high school athletes may be itching to play the sport they love for just a while longer. PC’s club sports program invites students of all grades to competitively play a sport, representing the Friars on the field. 

A few club sports teams have grabbed the attention of the student body. Women’s club lacrosse was founded in 2015 and quickly became Division Champions of the East in 2016 and 2017. Men’s hockey is another veteran club, which has won the Governor Cup several times over the past couple of years. 

John Buckley ’20, president and captain of the defending Division II Men’s Club Lacrosse National Championship team, is a perfect example of how club sports can positively impact life at PC. Buckley says, “I am very grateful for the memories I made while playing lacrosse competitively with my teammates. As we get ready to start the new season, the team is excited for the new challenge of being defending champions.”

A championship title has to start somewhere and luckily at PC it is not difficult to start a new club team. A group of interested athletes who are willing to put in the work to start the process is enough. Once there is enough interest for a certain sport, PC club sports director Chris Schmidt will help you along the path towards creating an official team competing against other schools.

providence college club sports club hockey club softball
Photo Courtesy of PC Club Softball Team

 Over the past year, club sports have continued to grow; three new sports have been added to the list of teams: field hockey, women’s ice hockey, and women’s softball. “Expansion is important because it allows our program to serve more students. Overall, the club sports program has more than doubled in size over the last six years,” Schmidt says.

 Now there are over 20 club sports available, some more competitive than others. Men’s and women’s soccer are teams that call for tryouts, while racquetball, running, and sailing are open for beginners. 

When creating the team, Schmidt wants the students to become the leaders. He knows it takes a lot of work, but students are learning the behind-the-scenes finances, scheduling, and logistics of creating and maintaining a team.

Last year, field hockey became an official club sport and Julia Crowley ’20 said it was definitely worth the effort she and her teammates put in over the past couple of years. Crowley said, “The upperclassmen have been with this team since freshman year and we were so excited to greet the incoming freshmen this fall with an official club. The freshmen are so passionate about this sport, which makes all our hard work worth it.” Meeting other students who share the love of field hockey helps make not only freshman year better, but the whole college experience better.

Jasmine Gaudreau ’20 is familiar with the feeling of gratitude for a club sports team at PC. Ever since freshman year, Gaudreau has hoped that there would someday be a women’s club ice hockey team at PC. This upcoming season, Gaudreau is proud to say that she is the captain of a full team roster competing in a season of 15 games. She said, “This past week we had tryouts and I couldn’t be more excited about the season. I can’t wait to play my senior year with girls who enjoy hockey as much as I do.” The addition of a women’s club ice hockey team makes for a better year for not only Gaudreau, but for the three other seniors on the team as well.

Women’s softball was the third team this year to join the list of new club sports. They have successfully hosted tryouts and already have a fall schedule ahead of them. Mia Gheduzzi ’21 is excited to play her favorite sport in the middle of the campus at Glay Field, and thinks this new team will bring an opportunity for her classmates to not only participate, but also enjoy watching.

According to Schmidt, about 15 percent of the undergraduate population participates in club sports, and the numbers are only rising. In order to keep up with the increasing participants, the Club Sports Council has been created in order to assist teams with the ongoing process of maintaining a club sport. Matt Carlson ’20, a new member of the executive board, says, “It is great to see so many people still so eager to play the sport they loved in high school. I am glad I get to help improve the Club Sports Council and provide a good base for club sports for years to come.”