Tag: Field Hockey
End of April Sports Shorts
by on April 22, 2021
Sports
Week of April 16-21
By Scott Jarosz ’21
Sports Staff
Men’s Lacrosse:
On April 17, The Providence College Men’s Lacrosse Team played a thrilling game against the Marquette University Golden Eagles. Unfortunately, it ended with a heartbreaking loss for PC. The game was back and forth throughout and featured an impressive fourth-quarter comeback from PC to send the match into overtime. After three scoreless overtime periods, MU finally recorded a goal in the fourth overtime period to win the game 7-6. The loss dropped PC’s record to 4-7 on the season. The team now looks ahead to its next contest at Georgetown University on April 24.
Women’s Field Hockey:
The field hockey team had a tough final week of the season, falling in each of its three games. On April 14, PC hosted Boston College. The visiting Eagles spoiled PC’s senior day, winning the game by a score of 2-0. Next, the Friars traveled to Old Dominion University for a two-game series. In the first game of the series on April 16, ODU shut out PC by a score of 3-0.
PC then went on to play ODU again on April 17 for its final game of the season. The visiting Friars put up a strong fight against No. 17 ODU, but ultimately fell by a score of 2-1. The loss ended the season for PC, who finished with a record of 2-9.
Women’s Softball:
The softball team traveled to play Villanova University this past weekend for a three-game series. The series opened with a doubleheader on April 17. Villanova came ready to play. The Wildcats struck for three runs in the first inning of game one and did not look back. Villanova beat PC by a score of 6-1 in the first game of the doubleheader.
In the second game of the doubleheader, PC held the home team to just two runs but were unable to put any runs on the board and lost 2-0. The final game of the series was a hard-fought, low-scoring battle. Jacque Harrington ’24 hit a home run for PC, but it was not enough to earn a victory, as the Wildcats would go on to win by a score of 2-1.
Despite the loss, Daniela Alvarez ’22 pitched a phenomenal game, allowing just three hits and striking out five batters. PC now looks ahead to its next series against Butler University, which is scheduled to start on April 24.
Fall Sports: Back in Action
by on February 25, 2021
Sports
Volleyball and Field Hockey Among Fall Sports Starting Back Up
By Joseph Quirk ’22
Sports Staff
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected millions of people worldwide and has made competing in sporting events especially difficult. At Providence College, fall sports managed to complete a full season in 2019 prior to the onset of the pandemic. However, with the pandemic continuing throughout the summer and into the fall of 2020, having a new season start on time was nearly impossible. This led sports like volleyball and field hockey to switch their seasons to the spring, beginning their games in the snowy month of February.
For Margot Royer-Johnson, the head coach of the PC Women’s Volleyball Team, the biggest challenge was making sure her team was in the right condition for the start of the abridged season. In an interview with The Cowl, coach Royer-Johnson said, “Not having access to outside gyms, that kind of thing because of COVID, our bodies just aren’t in competitive shape just yet. That’s been a challenge because we have had to slow practices down a little bit to avoid injuries, and not cover as much as we would normally because we have to stay healthy.”
Royer-Johnson also noted that starting the season in late winter as opposed to mid-fall is “surreal,” and that other unusual issues have come up, such as scheduling conflicts with the men’s and women’s basketball teams. These are just some of the challenges many teams are now facing as a result of the pandemic.
Much like coaches from other teams at PC, Royer-Johnson had to get creative over the past year, especially when her team was studying remotely last spring semester and was unable to have formal practices this fall. “Our strength and conditioning coaches gave them workouts that they tried to modify as best as they could to support them or use the equipment that they have at home,” said Royer-Johnson. “We did a lot of Zoom calls where we did a lot of ‘get to know you’ sort of things. We also did a lot of diversity and inclusion work that I think we all truly needed and continue to need.”
Royer-Johnson also noted that while this whole experience has been difficult, she does try to find the silver linings. She mentioned that the team was given time to “reflect” and to “get in touch with reality,” in addition to feeling a deeper appreciation for the way things were pre-pandemic.
All of this hard work seems to have paid off, however, as the Friars started their season off right with a 3-1 victory over Bryant University on Feb. 14 before posting another 3-1 victory over the University of Rhode Island on Feb. 22. When asked about how confident she is in her team heading into the rest of the season, coach Royer-Johnson said, “I feel really confident with the process and where we are right now.” She emphasized that the team is pleased with their progress this season, especially considering the significantly lesser amount of practice time than usual.
While volleyball deals with its challenges as an indoor sport, head field hockey coach Diane Madl expressed her concerns as an outdoor fall sport starting in what has been a very snowy winter. “I think there’s definitely that component of things that is out of our control, and we tried to acknowledge that from the get-go,” Madl said. “We knew there was going to be a need for adjustment, and we did our best to prepare the team.”
That sentiment of adjustment was something coach Madl mentioned several times in her interview, saying that one of the biggest challenges to a delayed start is adjusting the routine that she previously used during a normal season. Much like Royer-Johnson, Madl got creative to help her players during the offseason.
One of the ways she did so was by doing team building exercises over Zoom. “We do the best we can to have good video opportunities over Zoom, not just showing some hockey but also doing some team building stuff,” said Madl. “Everything from family feud to Jeopardy, to whatever we could come up with.”
In terms of any potential positives of a delayed season, coach Madl expressed the increased time frame to incorporate new additions into the team. “As a fall sport, a lot of times you’re coming in and you have a very short preseason for the newcomers to blend into the team in a way that takes time,” she said. “So, I think having that extended period of time, albeit very different and very unique, I think it did afford the opportunity for those newcomers to blend into the culture of our program and get to know everyone a little bit better.”
The field hockey team has their first game of the season on Feb. 28 against the University of Connecticut. Coach Madl feels confident heading into their season opener. “We feel good,” she said. “Again, it’s a unique year, and the one thing we learned is that we can accomplish a lot by sticking together and fighting for each other.” She believes her team has what it takes to push through any challenges the start of the season may throw at them.
For coach Hoyer-Johnson and coach Madl, the start of their respective seasons is a relief after a long and difficult wait. Despite the adversity caused by the pandemic, each has gotten creative, and their teams look ready to beat the odds in a very unique year.
14 Friars Named to All-Big East Teams
by The Cowl Editor on December 5, 2019
Sports
Hogan ’20RS, Leitman ’23, Serrano ’20RS Among Athletes Named
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
At the conclusion of each sports season, the Big East gives recognition to the top stand-out athletes of the season. Following the conclusion of the fall sports season, Providence College had a combined 14 athletes selected to the All-Big East First, Second, Third, and Freshmen Teams. Each athlete was voted onto the teams by coaches throughout the league. The men’s soccer team had the most athletes voted in with five players and women’s soccer and field hockey both had four apiece. The volleyball team had one player selected to an All-Big East Team.
Men’s Soccer
Tiago Mendonca ’20RS and Joao Serrano ’20RS were both selected to the All-Big East First Team. Both players started in all 18 games, and Mendonca finished the regular season with one goal and four assists whereas Serrano finished with four goals and seven assists. As a midfielder, Mendonca logged 1,459 playing minutes. Serrano, who was a defender, logged 1,601 playing minutes; with the exception of one game, he played for the entire duration of games this season. He also tied for first in the Big East conference in assists.
Paulo Lima ’22 received All-Big East Second Team recognition. While he did not log a single playing minute during his freshman season, Lima started every game this year and logged 1,543 minutes on the field. The midfielder is tied with Serrano for most points for the Friars; each player recorded 15. Lima also led the team with seven goals.
Austin Aviza ’20RS and Danny Griffin ’20 were both named to the All-Big East Third Team. In his first year with the Friars, Aviza started in net every game this season and recorded eight individual shutouts and two shared shutouts. He had a 0.85 goals against average and a .717 save percentage. Griffin, who was a midfielder, has started in every game for the Friars over his four years at the College. In his final season, he scored two goals and notched a single assist.
Women’s Soccer
Shelby Hogan ’20RS, who was acknowledged as the Big East’s Goalkeeper of the Year, was named to the All-Big East First Team. Leading the league with 52 saves, she recorded a .788 save percentage and finished the season with four individual shutouts and one combined shutout.
Named to the All-Big East Second Team, Hannah McNulty ’21 finished the season with a team-high nine goals. The forward started every game for the Friars this season and ranked third in the league in shots (66), eighth in the league in goals (eight), and third in the league in game-winning goals (four).
Both Lisa Verhoeven ’23 and Alexis Rothmann ’23 were named to the All-Big East Freshman Team. Verhoeven started every game this season for the Friars and recorded 1,752 total playing minutes. Likewise, Rothmann also started every game and she recorded 1,721 minutes on the field.
Field Hockey
Corinne Kenney ’19 and ’20G and Mary O’Reilly ’20 both were voted onto the All-Big East First Team. Kenney, a defender for the team, has started in each of the 74 games she has appeared in during her career. Throughout the course of the 2019 season, she notched three assists. O’Reilly finished her career as a midfielder with career highs in points (16), goals (five), and assists (six). Four of her five goals were game-winners.
Lydia Rice ’19 and ’20G and Izzy Mendez ’20 received All-Big East Second Team recognitions. A starting goaltender for the Friars, Rice totaled 1,139 minutes in net this season with a 1.26 goals against average and 0.739 save percentage. She registered six shutouts this season, the most in a single season since 2007. Mendez, a forward, was the lead scorer for the team this season with nine goals and notched 20 points total overall.
Volleyball
Jennifer Leitman ’23 was the lone Friar on the volleyball team to gain a spot on an All-Big East Team. Voted onto the All-Big East Freshman Team—the first Friar to be named to the team since 1998—Leitman ranked 10th overall in points per set (3.33), 11th overall in kills per set (2.78), and 11th overall in service aces per set (0.31) in the Big East. Over the course of her freshman season, she notched a total of 239 kills, 31 service aces, and 286.5 points.
14 Friars Named to All-Big East Teams
by The Cowl Editor on December 5, 2019
Sports
Hogan ’20RS, Leitman ’23, Serrano ’20RS Among Athletes Named
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
At the conclusion of each sports season, the Big East gives recognition to the top stand-out athletes of the season. Following the conclusion of the fall sports season, Providence College had a combined 14 athletes selected to the All-Big East First, Second, Third, and Freshmen Teams. Each athlete was voted onto the teams by coaches throughout the league. The men’s soccer team had the most athletes voted in with five players and women’s soccer and field hockey both had four apiece. The volleyball team had one player selected to an All-Big East Team.
Men’s Soccer
Tiago Mendonca ’20RS and Joao Serrano ’20RS were both selected to the All-Big East First Team. Both players started in all 18 games, and Mendonca finished the regular season with one goal and four assists whereas Serrano finished with four goals and seven assists. As a midfielder, Mendonca logged 1,459 playing minutes. Serrano, who was a defender, logged 1,601 playing minutes; with the exception of one game, he played for the entire duration of games this season. He also tied for first in the Big East conference in assists.
Paulo Lima ’22 received All-Big East Second Team recognition. While he did not log a single playing minute during his freshman season, Lima started every game this year and logged 1,543 minutes on the field. The midfielder is tied with Serrano for most points for the Friars; each player recorded 15. Lima also led the team with seven goals.
Austin Aviza ’20RS and Danny Griffin ’20 were both named to the All-Big East Third Team. In his first year with the Friars, Aviza started in net every game this season and recorded eight individual shutouts and two shared shutouts. He had a 0.85 goals against average and a .717 save percentage. Griffin, who was a midfielder, has started in every game for the Friars over his four years at the College. In his final season, he scored two goals and notched a single assist.
Women’s Soccer
Shelby Hogan ’20RS, who was acknowledged as the Big East’s Goalkeeper of the Year, was named to the All-Big East First Team. Leading the league with 52 saves, she recorded a .788 save percentage and finished the season with four individual shutouts and one combined shutout.
Named to the All-Big East Second Team, Hannah McNulty ’21 finished the season with a team-high nine goals. The forward started every game for the Friars this season and ranked third in the league in shots (66), eighth in the league in goals (eight), and third in the league in game-winning goals (four).
Both Lisa Verhoeven ’23 and Alexis Rothmann ’23 were named to the All-Big East Freshman Team. Verhoeven started every game this season for the Friars and recorded 1,752 total playing minutes. Likewise, Rothmann also started every game and she recorded 1,721 minutes on the field.
Field Hockey
Corinne Kenney ’19 and ’20G and Mary O’Reilly ’20 both were voted onto the All-Big East First Team. Kenney, a defender for the team, has started in each of the 74 games she has appeared in during her career. Throughout the course of the 2019 season, she notched three assists. O’Reilly finished her career as a midfielder with career highs in points (16), goals (five), and assists (six). Four of her five goals were game-winners.
Lydia Rice ’19 and ’20G and Izzy Mendez ’20 received All-Big East Second Team recognitions. A starting goaltender for the Friars, Rice totaled 1,139 minutes in net this season with a 1.26 goals against average and 0.739 save percentage. She registered six shutouts this season, the most in a single season since 2007. Mendez, a forward, was the lead scorer for the team this season with nine goals and notched 20 points total overall.
Volleyball
Jennifer Leitman ’23 was the lone Friar on the volleyball team to gain a spot on an All-Big East Team. Voted onto the All-Big East Freshman Team—the first Friar to be named to the team since 1998—Leitman ranked 10th overall in points per set (3.33), 11th overall in kills per set (2.78), and 11th overall in service aces per set (0.31) in the Big East. Over the course of her freshman season, she notched a total of 239 kills, 31 service aces, and 286.5 points.
Field Hockey Falls Short of Title
by The Cowl Editor on November 14, 2019
Sports
By Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Staff
For the fourth consecutive season, the Providence College Field Hockey Team earned a spot in the Big East Tournament to play for the league’s conference title. With a conference record of 4-3, the Friars were able to finish fourth in the conference and grab the final playoff spot.
Needing a win to get past the semifinals, PC was set to face-off against the top-seeded University of Connecticut Huskies, who were ranked No. 3 in the country according to the NFHCA Coaches Poll. The two teams met earlier this season with the Friars losing to the Huskies 0-3 down in Storrs, CT. Unfortunately for the Friars, they would suffer a similar outcome, seeing their season come to an end with a tough 0-2 loss against their Big East rival.
The Friars got off to a slow start in the first quarter, failing to register a shot on goal. Luckily the defense was able to keep the Huskies at bay and go into the second quarter tied at zero.
PC almost took the lead early in the second frame. Mary O’Reilly ’20 forced a turnover in Connecticut’s zone and manged to fire a shot that went just off the far post. Forward/Midfield Izzy Mendez ’20 got the rebound and deflected the ball back into the net. While for a moment it seemed like the Friars got the first lead of the game, the goal was soon waved off because a foul was called for the ball going off of Mendez’s foot. This would end up being the Friars best scoring opportunity, as the team manged only three shots on goal for the entire game.
After the teams went into halftime still tied 0-0, Connecticut struck with the first goal of the game on a rebound from Antonia Tiedtke. That goal was all the Huskies needed as they would tack another goal in the fourth and win 2-0.
Despite the early end to the season, it was another successful season for the Friars as they broke into the NFHCA rankings as the No. 25 team in the nation for three weeks before losing in the regular season finale. This was thanks to a tough schedule where PC played seven games against ranked opponents and played four teams that made it into the national tournament. One of the team’s biggest wins came early in the season when they upset no. 24 University of Maine 5-4 in overtime. That was the first time since August 25, 2017 that the team beat a ranked opponent.
The Friars were well represented in the end of season All-Big East Honors Teams. A total of four players from the team were selected, with two on the first team and two on the second team.
O’Reilly and Corinne Kenney ‘18GS represented the Friars on the All-Big East First Team. This is the third time Kenney has been selected to an All-Big East Team, and second time on the first team. She has been one of the Friars’ best defenders during her career and she has started in all 75 games since she came to PC.
O’Reilly has steadily improved every season since her freshman year and set career highs in several offensive categories including, points (16), and goals (five). She would also lead the team in assists with six. Last season she was selected for the All-Big East Second Team. In November she will head down to North Carolina to play in the NFHCA Division I Senior Game.
Mendez and Lydia Rice ‘19GS were selected for the All-Big East Second Team. Rice was one of the best goalies in all of the conference this season, posting a 1.26 goals against average, second best in the Big East, to go along with six shutouts. She was also named to the second team last year.
The team leader in points and goals, Mendez saved her best season for last, recording the team’s first 20 point season since 2016. Mendez’s nine goals were tied for fourth best in the conference. Her 21 career goals is the 26th highest all-time at PC. This is also her second time being selected to the second team.
Looking forward, PC hopes they can finally break into the Big East Finals. The team will return with Niamh Gowing ‘22, Olivia Ward ‘21, and Maddie Babineau ‘21, all of whom tallied eight or more points this season.
PC Athletes Earn Conference Honors
by The Cowl Editor on November 7, 2019
Sports
Four Friars Recognized for their Standout Performances
by Scott Jarosz ’21
Sports Staff
Athletes from multiple Providence College athletic teams received awards this past week for their athletic performances. The athletes that received awards were Jack Dugan ’22 of men’s hockey, Paulo Lima ‘22 of men’s soccer, Lydia Rice ’20GS of field hockey, and Clare Minnerath ’20 of women’s hockey.
Dugan started off the 2019-2020 season on the right foot to say the least. On Friday, November 1, Dugan was named the Hockey East Player of the Month for October by the Hockey East Association. Dugan currently leads NCAA Division I Men’s Hockey in points with 18 total on five goals and 13 assists. The player of the month honor is not the only award Dugan has won this season, as he was previously named Hockey East Player of the Week after totaling five points in just two games against the University of Massachusetts- Lowell and Boston College. Dugan’s consistently impressive numbers throughout the early stages of the 2019-2020 season show that he is deserving of the Hockey East Player of the Month award.
Another athlete who has put out a series of impressive performances as of late is Paulo Lima of the men’s soccer team. On Oct. 28, Lima was named to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll for the first time in his career. Lima had an outstanding week to earn the honors, as he totaled five points in just two games for PC that week. In the team’s first game of the week against Villanova University, Lima played a part in each of PC’s goals in a 2-0 victory over VU. Lima assisted the first goal and scored the second to secure the win for the Friars. Lima’s impressive week did not stop there, as he scored the golden goal game winner in overtime against Creighton University in the following game. Lima’s five-point week led him to receive the Weekly Honor Roll recognition from the Big East.
Another athlete who received an accolade this past week is Rice, a graduate student goalkeeper for the field hockey team. On Oct. 28, Rice was named the Big East Defensive Player of the Week. This marks the first time this season that Rice received the award and the third time in her career. The performances that led to Rice being named defensive player of the week were a five-save shutout against Georgetown University and a three-save shutout against Rider University. These back-to-back shutouts against Georgetown and Rider solidified Rice as the Big East Defensive Player of the Week.
The final Providence College athlete that earned an award this past week was Claire Minnerath, goaltender for the women’s hockey team. Minnerath was named the Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 28. In an upset 1-0 victory over Northeastern University, Minnerath recorded 33 saves, a career-high. Minnerath then recorded 20 saves on Oct. 26 in a game against the University of New Hampshire. Her impressive performances against both secured her the defensive player of the week honor.
Sports Shorts
by The Cowl Editor on October 31, 2019
Sports
By Scott Jarosz ’21
Sports Staff
Men’s Hockey Update:
On the weekend of Oct. 18, the Providence College Men’s Hockey Team traveled to New York to take on St. Lawrence University on Friday and Clarkson University on Saturday. PC started the weekend off strong with a 6-0 win over SLU. Parker Ford ‘23 led the way for PC with two goals in the blowout win.
PC carried their momentum into its contest at CU, beating the home team with a score of 4-2. Tyce Thompson ‘22 powered the Friars with two goals. On Oct. 25, PC traveled to Chestnut Hill to face Boston College and beat the Eagles 6-2. There were six different goal-scorers for PC in the game. PC returned home to play the University of Massachusetts-Lowell the following day and would ultimately lose to the visiting team 3-2 in overtime. Thompson and Patrick Moynihan ’23 scored the goals.
Men’s Soccer Update:
The Providence College Men’s Soccer Team kicked off a three-game week on Oct. 19 at DePaul University. The Friars fell to the Blue Demons 2-0, but would bounce back when they traveled to play Villanova University the following Wednesday. PC beat the home team 2-0 with goals by Danny Griffin ’20 and Paulo Lima ‘22.
Following their win on the road, PC returned home to host Creighton University. The Bluejays scored the first goal of the game early on, but PC answered with goals by Christopher Roman ’22 and Davis Smith ’21. CU equalized the game late in the second half to force overtime, but Lima scored a golden goal stunner to win the game for the Friars in overtime.
Field Hockey Update:
The Providence College Field Hockey Team recently earned the No. 25 spot in the NFHCA Division 1 Coaches’ Poll, and its recent performance proves it is deserving of this ranking. On Oct. 18, PC beat Quinnipiac University in a 3-2 shootout win. PC hosted Merrimack two days later and beat the visitors 5-1. Olivia Ward ’21 led the scoring for the team with two goals.
PC then hosted Georgetown University on Oct. 25 and beat the Hoyas 2-0. Goals were scored by Mary O’Reilly ’20 and Amanda Collins ’22. The Friars looked to carry this momentum into its Oct. 27 Senior Day game against Rider University. PC fought out a 1-0 victory in the game thanks to a goal by O’Reilly. The team now looks forward to its next game on Nov. 1 at No. 17 Liberty University.
Field Hockey Breaks into National Rankings
by The Cowl Editor on October 24, 2019
Sports
Friars Voted 25th on Latest Coaches’ Poll
By Joseph Quirk ’23
Sports Staff
Last Monday brought some good news for the Providence College Field Hockey Team. Fresh off a big 4-1 win over the University of New Hampshire, the Friars learned one of their own, Mary O’Reilly ’20, was named to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll.
The senior midfielder, who was also named to the All-Big East second team in 2018, is having a great season. She currently has 3 goals and 6 assists, and has been a big reason the team is having an incredibly successful 2019 campaign. However, this was not the biggest news for the Friars this past week.
The next day, it was announced that the PC field hockey team had broken into the national rankings for the first time this season, ranking 25th in the nation. This is an incredible accomplishment for the Friars, as they have put together an incredible season on the backs of Izzy Mendez ’20, Allyson Parker ’20, and Maddie Babineau ’21 just to name a few.
The team is in the midst of an incredible year in which they have demonstrated numerous times that they are capable of going toe-to-toe with some of the best programs in the country. Four of the Friar’s five losses this season were to ranked teams and the biggest margin of defeat was a three-goal deficit that came at the hands of no. 3 ranked University of Connecticut. Otherwise, PC has been winning pretty handily and even beat University of Maine, ranked no. 24 at the time.
The Friars, however, are not the only team representing the Big East in the national rankings. They are joined by Old Dominion University, Liberty University, and UConn. All three schools are currently ahead of the Friars in the Big East conference rankings as well.
While the team has struggled a bit against ranked competition this season, they have been dominant against everyone else they have played, including two recent wins against Quinnipiac University in a shootout and Merrimack College.
The Friars beat Quinnipiac in thrilling fashion at home last Friday. A goal was scored in the first quarter by Mendez and assisted by Niamh Gowing ’22, putting the Friars up early. However, Quinnipiac would rattle off two straight goals in the second and fourth quarters putting them up one. That was when Parker scored off a penalty stroke, sending the game to overtime. Parker would also score the game winning goal in the shootout.
The Friars followed that up with another home rout of Merrimack. The Friars scored goals in every quarter, including a two-goal third quarter. Merrimack only managed to score one goal in the third. Sydney Cramer ’21 opened scoring for the Friars, followed by Babineau, Lisa McNamara ’23 and two by Olivia Ward ’21.
The wins pushed the Friars record to 10-5 overall and 3-2 in the Big East. The Friars are also now 7-3 at home.
Next up for PC is a Big East matchup against Georgetown University at home this Friday. PC will look to not only better their conference record but also continue a three game win streak and stay ranked within the top 25.
Sport Shorts 9/22-9/29
by The Cowl Editor on October 3, 2019
Sports
Sports Shorts For Sept. 22-29
by Scott Jarosz ’21
Men’s Soccer:
The Providence College Men’s Soccer Team hosted Brown University on Sept. 25 in a crosstown battle. PC entered the game with a record of 5-2, having previously defeated Seton Hall University 1-0 in its Big East Opener. Brown and PC battled for the majority of the game with neither able to find the back of the net, until Ramzi Qawasmy ’22 finally broke the tie in the 77th minute with a volley from the top of the box. PC would hold on to win the game 1-0. PC looked to take the momentum from this win into its next game against Georgetown University, who is currently nationally ranked as the no. 2 team in Division I soccer. PC conceded goals in the 48th and 75th minutes, however Andualem Chisholm ’22 scored in the 80th minute on an assist from Tiago Mendonca ’20RS and Kevin Vang ’22 to cut the lead to 2-1. Unfortunately, this was not enough for PC, as it fell 2-1.
Women’s Soccer:
The Providence College Women’s Soccer Team has been off to a fast start in the 2019 season, racking up wins over talented opponents such as the University of Connecticut, the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, and the University of Texas at Austin. PC carried its fast start into this past week as it hosted Northeastern University on Sunday, September 22. Although NU scored the first goal of the game in the 45th minute, PC managed to tie it in the 52nd minute thanks to a penalty kick by Elayna Grillakis ’22. The game remained tied for the duration of regular time, but in the 96th minute, Hannah McNulty ’21 powered a low shot past the keeper from outside the box to win the game 2-1 in overtime. On Saturday, September 28, PC hosted St. John’s University in the first Big East matchup of the season, and the host team did not disappoint. PC shut out the visitors by a score of 4-0 to kickstart its Big East schedule. The team now looks ahead to playing at Marquette University on Thursday, October 3.
Field Hockey:
The Providence College Field Hockey Team entered the Sept. 22 contest at Fairfield University with a record of 4-2. PC started off on the right foot on the road, as Izzy Mendez ’20 scored just 6:55 into the game. However, the home side would go on to score the next two goals and beat PC 1-2. Despite the loss, PC moved on and prepared to host Temple University for its next contest. PC appeared prepared for this game as it beat TU by a score of 1-0, thanks again to Mendez, who scored in the second quarter, which was the only scoring of the game. However, PC was unable to begin a winning streak going, as it fell to the University of Louisville by a score of 0-2 on Sunday, September 29 at home. PC now looks forward to its next matchup, which is away against Villanova University on Oct. 4.
Field Hockey on an Early Season Roll
by The Cowl Editor on September 12, 2019
Sports
Friars Upset #24 University of Maine
By Eileen Flynn ’20
Sports Staff
As the field hockey season is finally underway, it is common to focus on the seniors of the team. Will they be able to step out of their underclassmen shoes and fill the leadership positions?
Not only are they the players the rest of the team looks up to, they also have to play knowing this will be their last season at Providence College.
In particular, Kara Sanford ’20 is working hard to make this season the best one yet.
“This year I believe we have a really strong team,” said Sanford. “From the very start of preseason the girls were working hard and treating every practice like it were a game. I think the reason we’ve been so successful thus far is because everyone is on the same page and we’re all doing whatever we can to be better than we were the day before.”
With a tough schedule ahead of them, the team knew they had to put in work during the preseason. Head Coach Diane Madl, who has 17 years of experience coaching the Providence College Field Hockey Team, helped train her team in the months before the start of the school year.
The first game of the season was hosted by PC and was a matchup between the Friars and the Eagles of Boston College. Although PC struck first, Boston College tied the game in the second quarter. After a competitive first half, the Eagles took the lead with a quick goal. The Friars had several chances, but the game ended as a 2-1 victory for the Eagles.
With the first game under their belt, PC was ready to take on their next opponent in Maine. 24th-ranked Maine made the Friars work for their first win of the season in an overtime 5-4 victory. This win gave the Friars an energy boost that would last all the way until the next weekend, where they faced two fellow Rhode Island rivals, Brown University and Bryant University.
Goalie Lydia Rice ‘19GS picked up two shutout wins on the weekend as the Friars beat Bryant 2-0. Sanford played an important role during the game versus Brown, scoring two back-to-back goals for the Friars in less than three minutes to give PC the 3-0 win.
Sanford admitted, “It felt great to score those two goals.” She was quick to recognize the work her teammates put in to help make it happen.
“I think those two goals got us all fired up to the point where we were ready to dominate the rest of the game, even more than we were before.” Sanford also acknowledged her team’s impressive performance and said she hopes they will carry it into the upcoming games as well.
Despite the long road ahead of them, the Friars have given us a sneak peek into a successful season. Sanford is already looking forward to facing teams they have lost to in past years, including the University of Connecticut and Liberty University. Their next home game will be on Sept. 20 at 6 p.m. against Old Dominion University.