Tag: Eileen Flynn ’20
Softball Finishes D.C. Trip Strong
by The Cowl Editor on April 6, 2017
Sports
by Eileen Flynn ’20
Sports Staff
The Providence College Softball Team spent their weekend in Washington, D.C. visiting the Georgetown Hoyas. With a recent victory against Fairfield under their belt, the Friars hoped to continue their success in our nation’s capital.
Saturday, April 1, was the first match of the three game weekend. The first two innings passed, both teams itching to get the first run but neither could finalize their opportunities. The Hoyas crossed home plate first in the bottom of the third and took a 1-0 lead over the Friars. Emma Lee ’19, sparked a movement for the Friars in the 5th inning. Capitalizing on a Georgetown error, Lee advanced on the diamond, paving the way for Nicole Lundstromn ’17, and Vanesa Portillo ’19, who both walked, to load the bases. Brittney Veler ’18 did not leave her teammates stranded. The junior made contact and sent the ball into the outfield. Her double put the Friars on the board and ahead of the Hoyas by two.
The sixth inning brought another run for the Friars. Paige Mulry ’18 hit a single that drove Mackensie Compton ’20 home. Georgetown responded to the Friars fourth consecutive run by making the score 4-4 in the bottom of the sixth, and eventually concluded the game, 6-4.
The Friars did not have a lot of time to reflect on the loss against the Hoyas. Less than 24 hours later, the two teams were swinging their bats and warming up their arms again in preparation for not one, but two more games.
PC got the first run of the day in the first inning. The Friars and Hoyas fought back and forth for several innings; after the top of the third, the score was 8-4 with the Hoyas in the lead.
Providence struggled to stop Georgetown and the Hoyas continued to accumulate runs. The Friars came up dry the rest of the game, ultimately losing 13-5.
Providence did not let these two losses negatively affect their final game played on Georgetown’s field. Instead, the Friars learned from their mistakes and were able to respond to Georgetown’s early offensive success. Although the Hoyas were leading 3-1 after the fourth inning, there was an important difference in how the Friars played the next couple of innings. Providence was able to hold Georgetown off with Christina Ramirez ’18, who pitched a complete game. With Ramirez’s steady performance on the mound, the Friars were able to concentrate on their offense. Compton’s single opened the flood gates for Providence in the top of the seventh. Veler brought Compton around and Portillo’s single sent Rurka home. Megan McCune ’19, was able to capitalize on her teammates’ momentum and greeted the fresh Hoya pitcher with a grand slam. Tallying eight runs in one inning, the Friars finished the game on top 9-3.
Providence’s record, after a long weekend away from home, is 9-18. The Friars will play a closer rival, the Brown Bears, this Wednesday, April 5.
Women’s Basketball Improves Under Crowley
by The Cowl Editor on March 16, 2017
Sports
by Eileen Flynn ’20
With a score of 73-60 left on the scoreboard as the final buzzer echoed in the gym, the Providence College Women’s Basketball Team was forced to end their season. The Lady Friars faced the Seton Hall Pirates for the third time this year, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on March 4, for the first round of the Big East Tournament. Splitting the regular season face-off, the Friars were hoping to defeat Seton Hall for the second time. The sense of urgency the Friars fought with until the end is not something that surprised the familiar fans in the crowd.
The season was filled with comebacks for the Lady Friars. Twelve out of the 18 losses ended with a close 10-point margin. In their final matchup, Providence brought the score to 64-58 with two minutes to play. Their relentless effort is one of the reasons for their improvement from the previous seasons. The Friars tallied more than double the amount of wins in the 2016-2017 season than they had in the 2015-2016 season.
Sadly, the Providence basketball team is forced to let Sarah Beal ’17 and Aliyah Miller ’17 graduate in the spring. Both players had a strong influence on and off the court for the team. Miller averaged 6.3 points a game in her career and was a four-year player for the Friars. Beal averaged 11.6 points a game and was also a four-year member of the team.
Beal had an exceptional season as her name was added to the list of few Friars to join the 1,000-point club. She was also named Big East Player of the Week for the first time. Beal finished her last season by accomplishing her career goals, is the perfect example of relentless effort for her teammates.
Beal uses the word “challenging” to describe her last year wearing black and white. She mentions the adjustment she and her teammates had to make with the new coaching staff. “Some days would be harder than others, but he really demanded that we work hard and play to our strengths. It really helped the team as a whole.” Jim Crowley was named the 10th head coach in Providence College women’s basketball history in May 2016. A previous coach to St. Bonaventure University, Crowley helped the friars to a 12-18 record in his first year.
The biggest tally in the win column for Beal her senior year was when she helped the team beat Marquette on home ground. “It was a great feeling knowing we had just beat a top team in the conference, and the atmosphere that night was awesome!”
Although it is Beal’s turn to receive her diploma, she will never be able to forget Providence College and the basketball program. When asked what advice she would give an incoming freshman recruit, Beal says, “Don’t wait until your last years to give it your all. You should work hard and give it your all each year and every day because it will eventually pay off. Never have any regrets!”
With a year under his belt, and a similar team returning, Crowley is predicted to work hard in the off season with his team, and prepare for an even better season next year.
Friars Track Competes for Big East Championship
by The Cowl Editor on March 2, 2017
Sports
by Eileen Flynn ’20
In Staten Island, New York, the Friars laced up their sneakers in the midst of other Big East rivals: Marquette, St. John’s, Villanova, Georgetown, Butler, and DePaul. The Providence College Men’s and Women’s Track Teams participated in the two-day Big East Championship on Feb. 24-25.
The Friars have shown promise in their distance races throughout the season and looked to continue their success in this tournament.
The team aspect in track involves more than just the handoff of the baton in the relay; each individual performance is rewarded with points, which are then combined with all of the teammates’ performances to make the team’s score. The Friars work their hardest in each race in efforts to help their team’s score rise.
On day one of the 2017 Big East Tournament at the Ocean Breeze Track and Field Complex, Katie Lembo ’18 finished in fifth place in the 5,000 meter race. In the men’s division for the 5,000 meter race, Hugh Armstrong ’17 raced to third place as Aaron Hanlon ’18 followed him and two other runners across the finish line to come in sixth.
The final race on the first day was the distance medley relay. The women’s team was carefully crafted with four of Providence’s top runners, Abbey Wheeler ’20, Molly Keating ’17G, Alexandra DeCicco ’20, and Brianna Ilarda ’18. In one of their strongest races, the Friars were neck in neck with Georgetown and Marquette runners. With the importance of the gain of team points in her head, Ilarda finished the relay in second place.
The men participating in the distance medley relay were Nick Carleo ’19, Jared Grossi ’20, James Campbell ’17, and Trevor Crawley ’17. In a tough race, Crawley finished strong to grasp fourth place for his team.
Millie Paladino ’18 and Michael O’Leary ’19 both qualified in the mile race to insure their lane in the final mile race that would take place on day two.
Day two began at 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 25. The Friar women acquired a total of 12 points on the first day, putting them in sixth place. The men started their day in fifth place with 14 points.
Paladino helped boost her team’s placement and spirits by being the fourth Providence female athlete to win the mile race. Paladino was grouped with three runners until the last 400 meters, where she moved herself into second position. In the final 50 meters, Paladino squeezed by her final competitor, making her the first to cross the finish line. In the 3,000 meter race, Ilarda slightly trailed the victor, coming in second place. Crawley raced his personal best and finished eighth for the men’s 3,000 meter race. In the 4×800 meter relay, both the men’s and women’s team of four placed fifth. In the 4×400, the men finished in sixth and the women came in eighth.
The second and final day of the Big East Tournament concluded with the tallying of points for both teams. The women ended the day with 38 points and the men left with 22 points. Both teams finished the 2016 Big East Tournament in seventh place. The Friars illustrated a team effort that will surely be present in their upcoming ECAC/IC4A Championship Race at Boston University on March 4-5.