Tag: Friar Sports
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.
Editor’s Corner: Friar 5K
by The Cowl Editor on October 24, 2019
Sports
By Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Co-Editor
Back on Oct. 5, Providence College held its 10th annual Friar 5K as part of Homecoming Weekend. The race may have been a commercial success with over 900 runners registered, more than 800 who finished the race, and $15,000 raised towards the National Alumni Association Scholarship Fund. For some runners though, the race did not go as planned.
A group of at least 30 runners who led for most of the race unintentionally went off the course in front of the Slavin Center, shaving off anywhere between a tenth to a quarter of a mile. For those who were looking to finish in the top three of their age group, their times would be disqualified; for others looking to set new personal records, their times were no longer reflective of their performance that day. The question that floated through everyone’s mind was simple: how did so many runners manage to get off the course?
For those who were not at the event, the runners were supposed to run up the street behind Raymond Dining Hall and take a left towards Moore Hall and back to Eaton Street. The runners instead stayed straight, ran towards the Science Complex and back out the front gates where they would get back onto the course before they crossed the finish line.
While the gaffe may not be a huge deal for casual runners, the fact of the matter is the course should have been marked better for those who were competing for the top spots. Organizers should have had people at the turn directing people where to go, simple as that.
It can be argued that the runners should have taken responsibility and known how to stay on the course, but that is not the first thing that runners are thinking about in the moment. Runners are focused on trying to keep pace around those near them or catch up with the leaders of the group.
It is the responsibility of those organizing the race to make sure the race goes smoothly. Not only does that mean giving out water to make sure runners stay hydrated, but it also means marking the course clearly at any turn or spot that could potentially lead runners the wrong way. If anyone does get off course, action should be taken quickly to get people back onto the course and prevent more from getting off track.
Many people came from all around the country to celebrate Homecoming Weekend and race with their fellow Friars. Plenty trained for the race, and it is unfair to those who may not have taken a look at the map beforehand to lose the opportunity to finish the way they hoped for just because time was not taken to prevent this from happening.
The Friar 5K should be an event that is celebrated as something that brings the community together and allows runners to get a chance to do their best with their families and classmates watching. In order to make sure that controversy can be avoided going forward, the College should take the necessary steps to make sure something like this does not happen again.
Sports Shorts
by The Cowl Editor on October 24, 2019
Sports
By Eileen Flynn ’20
Sports Staff
Volleyball Update:
The volleyball team welcomed two Big East rivals, Butler University and Xavier University this past weekend. After two weekends on the road, the Friars faced Xavier on their home court. After losing the first set, the Friars fought back to win the second set 25-21. The Musketeers finished strong and took the next two sets to win the match. A similar pattern unfolded on Sunday for their next match-up against Butler. Despite battling to win the second set, the Friars fell 4-1. Addison Root ’20 fought hard against her opponents, hitting her 1000th career kill along with her seventh double-double of the season.
Men’s Soccer Update:
The Friars defeated Marquette University, 2-0, on Oct. 12. Esben Wolf ’23 scored his first career goal. His performance led him to be named Big East Freshman of the Week. The Friars traveled to DePaul University on Oct. 19. Despite outshooting the Blue Demons 15-7, the Friars fell 2-0. On Oct. 23, the Friars were victorious in Big East match-up against Villanova University with a score of 2-0. The Friars will head back home to welcome yet another Big East matchup against Creighton University.
Women’s Soccer Update:
Women’s soccer has an impressive current 8-5-2 record overall, 3-2-1 in the Big East. After drawing a tie against rival DePaul, the Friars faced Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. Xavier had possession for most of the game, testing goalkeeper Shelby Hogan ’20RS 22 times. Xavier finessed two goals to finish the game on top of the Friars 2-0. Turning it around in the next match-up, PC came back from a 1-0 deficit to beat Creighton 2-1. The Friars dominated the second half, starting from the back with Hogan all the way to the top with Hannah McNulty ’21 who scored both goals for the Friars.
Men’s Hockey Update:
The Friars ventured to Upstate New York for a weekend of hockey against St. Lawrence University and No. 10/9 Clarkson University. The Friars found the back of the net six different times in the first matchup against St. Lawrence. Parker Ford ’23 scored twice, while Patrick Moynihan ’23 got his first collegiate goal. The momentum continued into their second game against Clarkson, which ended in another victory for the Friars. Tyce Thompson ’22 scored twice for the Friars to make the score 2-1 before the end of the first period. Trailing the whole game, Clarkson made the score 3-2 in the third period, only for Ford to respond with a goal for the Friars. Providence left the weekend with two more wins as their season starts to pick up over the next couple of weeks.
Hockey Returns to the Rink
by The Cowl Editor on October 10, 2019
Sports
Friar’s Dominate Maine 7-0
By Scott Jarosz ’21
Sports Staff
The Providence College Men’s Hockey Team is ready to jump back into action for the 2019-2020 season after enjoying much success in its previous campaign. The 2018-2019 season was certainly one to remember for the Friars, as they made a deep playoff run which ultimately came to an end at the Frozen Four in Buffalo, NY. PC’s impressive playoff run was cut short in the semifinals of the Frozen Four with a 4-1 loss to no. 1-ranked University of Minnesota-Duluth, who would go on to win the 2019 National Championship over the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
Although a loss in the Frozen Four was certainly not the way the team and its fans would have liked the season to end, it was certainly not a reflection of the success that PC enjoyed throughout the entirety of the season.
PC finished with a record of 24-12-6, which consisted of wins over multiple ranked teams including an upset postseason wins over no. 3-ranked Minnesota State University, Mankato and no. 10-ranked Cornell University. These underdog wins are certainly something that PC will look back on and use to build momentum heading into the new season.
The Friars graduated six seniors last season, but are returning a core group of talented leaders that the younger players can look up to for guidance.
Key returning players for this year’s team include newly announced captains Michael Callahan ’22 and Spenser Young ’20, both of whom made significant contributions to the team’s success last season and showed promising leadership abilities. The presence of these experienced returning players helped PC get voted third-place in the Hockey East preseason coaches poll behind only Boston College and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
In addition to the core returning group that will look to guide this year’s team, PC also boasts an impressive freshman class of 11 players that look to fill the gaps left by the graduating class. Another addition to the team will look to fill the place of former goaltender Hayden Hawkey ’19.
Michael Lackey ’19 GS will take on the starting goalie position this season. Lackey played four years at Harvard University prior to joining the team at PC.
Lackey started six games his first year for the Crimson and earned accolades such as Eastern College Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week. Lackey was unable to play his second season due to an injury but returned for his third season and made 10 total appearances.
During this third season, Lackey had multiple memorable performances including 41 saves against Quinnipiac University and recording his first career shutout against Saint Lawrence University.
In his fourth and final season at Harvard University, Lackey stepped into the starting goaltender role and did not disappoint. In the 26 games that he started in net for the Crimson, he boasted a .918 save percentage, was recognized as the ECAC Hockey Goaltender of the Week for the week of Jan. 14, and was a semifinalist for the Walter Brown Award, which recognizes the best American-born Division I College Hockey Player in New England. Lackey also participated in the Buffalo Sabres Development Camp before making the move to PC. With a core group of returning players, a strong incoming class, and Lackey taking over as the starting goaltender for PC, the team took the ice on Oct. 5 for its opening game against the University of Maine with high expectations.
PC, sporting new gray uniforms, kicked off the 2019-2020 campaign and did not waste any time against the visiting Black Bears of the University of Maine.
After two early penalties against UM, PC had a five on three opportunity early on and took full advantage of it.
Just 2:23 into the opening period, Vimal Sukumaran ’20 notched the 25th goal of his college career as he knocked a rebounded puck into the back of the net to give PC the 1-0 lead.
PC did not slow down from this point, as just a few minutes later, Jack Dugan ’22 ripped a shot past UM’s goaltender on a swift assist from Greg Printz ’21 to double the lead to 2-0. Printz continued the scoring for PC into the second period as he tapped home an assist from Parker Ford ’23 and Dugan to make it 3-0. Tyce Thompson ’22 also got on the score sheet in the second period with a hard shot that slipped by UM’s goaltender. Printz would go on to score an additional three goals for PC in the third period for a total of four goals in the game, and the Friars would go on to win by a score of 7-0.
PC’s triumph over of a reputable University of Maine team provides a good indication of the level of talent that this year’s team possesses in all facets, and there is good reason to believe that PC will look to bring the positive takeaways from this game to its next contest against the College of the Holy Cross on Friday, October 11 and throughout the season.
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.
Women’s Hockey Ready for Next Step
by The Cowl Editor on October 3, 2019
Sports
Team Looks to Build off of Last Year’s Success
by Eileen Flynn ’20
As fall begins and schoolwork starts to pick up, everyone is excited for the upcoming hockey season. Recently, the Hockey East Preseason Poll predicted that the Providence College Women’s Hockey Team will finish fourth in the Hockey East standings. They were placed behind rivals Northeastern University, Boston University, and Boston College.
This year the Hockey East will be as competitive as always. Teams like University of New Hampshire, University of Connecticut, and Merrimack College will be looking to move up ahead of the Friars every chance they get.
Maureen Murphy ’21 is looking forward to the season ahead of her and her teammates. “I think our team needs to prepare for each game with the mentality that anyone can compete with anyone in our league. Each team has substantial talent, but hard work often means more than inherent skill and is something within our control.”
Two important aspects she wants her team to focus on this year are “positivity and persistence.”
There is a confidence coming from Murphy that is sure to help inspire her team throughout the season.
PC completed last year with a 24-11-2 record, and a 16-9-2 standing in the Hockey East. The team tied their record of 24 wins in a season; this year there is hope to add a new record for the books.
The Friars are welcoming a lot of new talent on their roster for the upcoming season. There are seven freshmen on the squad, creating a younger dynamic than the girls are used to from previous years. “While there is definitely a learning curve with such a young team, everyone is excited about the potential impact we could have in Hockey East,” says Murphy.
Murphy is coming off of an impressive previous season with the Lady Friars, and her leadership is going to be an important addition for the team. Last year Murphy played in all 37 games; she scored 22 goals and added 21 assists for a total of 43 points. These statistics listed her first on the team in points, goals, assists, shots, and plus-minus. Some would even call Murphy a “clutch-player,” scoring eight game-winning goals in just one season, the second-best in the nation.
She was named Hockey East Player of the Month and National Player of the Month in November of 2018 and was selected as Hockey East Top Performer four different times. The Friars named her the Offensive Player of the Year, but even after all of these accomplishments, Murphy places the spotlight on her teammates.
“While being named offensive player of the year is a great honor, the success I had as an individual is also the success of my teammates.”
Murphy added, “There are so many factors that go into a season beyond how many goals you score or how many assists you make. Multiple individuals impact every play and often don’t get the recognition they deserve, my teammates included. So I certainly can’t take all the credit!”
On Sept. 28, the Friars gave their fans a preview of what is to come. In an exhibition matchup against University of New Brunswick, PC finished on top with a 1-0 victory.
The game went back and forth, staying scoreless until the final minutes of the third period. With 1:53 remaining, Murphy found Lauren DeBlois ’23 stationed on top of the right circle, and, with a quick shot, DeBlois put her team on the board.
Sandra Abstreiter ’22 was in net for the Friars for the first half of the game, tallying two saves in the first 20 minutes. Clare Minnerath ’20 finished up the game for PC and sealed the shutout win.
This hard-fought battle is exactly what PC needed to propel them into their season. Their first official game will be played on Friday, October 4 at Schneider Arena. The Friars will be facing Quinnipiac University, a team looking for revenge after losing to PC in Providence last year just 2-1.
A little bit further into the season, the team will face Northeastern. After falling to the Huskies in a close Hockey East playoff game and watching them go on to win the league, the Friars look forward to facing their rivals at the end of October.
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.
Club Lacrosse Ready to Defend Title
by The Cowl Editor on October 3, 2019
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
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.
Cross Country Runs in Beantown
by The Cowl Editor on September 26, 2019
Sports
Wheeler ’20 Wins Women’s Race
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
Despite the high temperatures for running this past weekend, Abbey Wheeler ’20 was able to pull off a first-place finish at the seventh annual Coast-to-Coast Battle in Beantown cross country meet. Having won the race last year as well, Wheeler became the second runner to win back-to-back in the race’s history.
Wheeler, who likened Saturday’s temperatures to last year’s track nationals in Austin, Texas, definitely noticed the heat’s effect on her race.
“This year was a lot harder,” she said. “Last year, I had a big gap so that I could glide in.” The seven-second gap that Wheeler had on the other runners last year was not present in this year’s race. Instead, her win came down to the final 200 meters where she managed to out-sprint the two Syracuse University runners that would take second and third place, respectively. Wheeler’s 17:03 time was not only a personal best for the Franklin Park course where the meet was held, but also a seven second improvement on her time from last year.
“I’m happy for Abbey,” said Providence College Cross Country Head Coach, Ray Treacy. “She’s been running really well for us.”
Wheeler, whose goal for her final season at PC is to find the “perfect” race, said that the Battle in Beantown is the second biggest race of the season for both the Providence College Men’s and Women’s Cross Country teams before the Big East Championships and Nationals—the first being the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational meet.
“There is always good competition,” said Wheeler. “Schools come from far away. The bigger the meet is, the further people will come.”
However, despite the importance of the Battle in Beantown for both teams, Wheeler points out, “We don’t race that much, so every meet is important.”
After Wheeler finished, the next Friar for the women’s team to cross the finish line was Maria Coffin ’21. Coffin came in 12th place with a time of 17:40, a 12-second improvement on her 17:52 28th place finish last year.
Lily Tuck ’23, Orla O’Connor ’23, and Hannah McReavy ’22 completed the list of top-five finishers for PC and the women’s team finished eighth out of the 22 women’s teams present.
The men’s cross country team was also present at the meet and finished 12th out of the 21 men’s teams present.
David Rosas ’21 was the first to finish for the Friars. Coming in 24th place overall, Rosas improved upon his last year’s 32nd place finish. After Rosas, Sean Meehan ’22 was the 57th runner to cross the finish line. Peter Rindfuss ’20 and Ryan Gallagher ’21 rounded out the top five runners for the College.
Looking ahead, the Friars will be back at Franklin Park on Oct. 12 for the New England Championships before they head to Madison, Wisconsin for the Wisconsin Invitational on Oct. 18. Following these two big meets, they will head to New Britain, CT for the Central Connecticut State University Mini Meet at the end of October and then the first week of November will be when both teams compete at the Big East Championship meet.
“Big East is really bunched up this year,” said Wheeler. “Usually there is a front-running team but I think depth will play a big role in Big East this year. It is always quite competitive…and so hard to tell.”
With that in mind, the goal for both teams, according to Wheeler, is to continue to return to nationals year after year and put runners up on the podium.
“That is something that we try and build at Providence. That is what you strive to do,” said Wheeler.
Men’s Soccer Wins Two Games 1-0
by The Cowl Editor on September 26, 2019
Sports
By Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports Staff
Last Friday, the Providence College Men’s Soccer Team played its first Big East game against the Seton Hall University Pirates. The last time the two teams faced off against one another was last season, when the Friars defeated Seton Hall 1-0 in double overtime.
Heading into the game against Seton Hall, the team was looking to keep their win streak after a great week of wins against Sacred Heart University and Harvard University, winning 4-0 and 1-0 respectively, putting the Friars’ record at an overall 4-2, and making a name for themselves in Big East men’s soccer.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the pitch, Seton Hall came into the game still trying to find their footing, after a 1-3 record in the beginning of the season.
Throughout the first six games of the season, the Friars have been outshooting their opponents 111-32, even holding Harvard to five shots and Sacred Heart to only two shots.
In the first 26 minutes of the match, PC scored on a header from Paulo Lima ’22 to the top left frame of the goal right over Seton Hall’s goalkeeper. The goal came from an assist off a crossed ball corner kick from Joao Serrano ‘20RS, on the backside of the eighteen-yard box on the pitch. The corner kick came from Danny Griffin ’20, which Lima was able to head into the net for the Friars’ first and only goal of the match.
Within the first 45 minutes of the match, Seton Hall was not able to find a shot. Their chance came in the 63rd minute of the game off a free kick, which was tipped away by the Friars goalkeeper Austin Aviza ‘20RS. Aviza finished the game with four saves, and the Friars had 12 shots, including four on goal.
This win put the Friars at a 5-2 record, making them third in the Big East Conference, right behind St. John’s University and Georgetown University.
Immediately after the weekend, the Big East Weekly Honor Roll was announced. Both Aviza and Serrano were featured on the list. This was Serrano’s third time on the list this season, and Aviza’s first time this season. Aviza has so far recorded three straight shutouts for the season, on top of .61 goals against average, and .778 save percentage.
On Wednesday, PC faced off against their Rhode Island rival Brown University. After a tough defensive game, PC walked away from the match with a 1-0 victory, improving their record to 6-2, on a four-game win streak. The lone goal was scored by Ramzi Qawasmy ’22.
Coming off this match, the Friars look forward to continuing their Big East play with an away game in Washington, D.C. to face off against rival Georgetown.