Tag: Friar Sports
Which Fall Sports Team Will Have The Best Season?
by The Cowl Editor on August 29, 2019
PCI
Field Hockey
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
A week before their season kicks off, the Providence College Field Hockey Team is already proving that they are a force to be reckoned with.
In the Big East Preseason Coaches’ Poll, the team was picked to finish third overall in the Big East. On top of that, players Corinne Kenney ’19RS and Mary O’Reilly ’20 were selected to be a part of the 14-player Preseason All-Big East Team, a team put together by the eight league coaches which features standout players from each of the Big East teams.
Kenney, who started as a defender in all 19 games of the Friars’ 11-8 2018 season, finished out her senior year with a career high of five assists. She was also named to the All-Big East First Team and National Field Hockey Coaches Association Divisions I All-Northeast Region First Team and earned a spot in the Victory Sports Tours/NFHCA Senior Game.
Alongside Kenney, O’Reilly also started in all 19 games. The mid-fielder registered a career best of 10 points last season and was voted to join the roster of the Big East Field Hockey All-Tournament Team, the All-Big East, and NFHCA Division I All-Northeast Region Second Teams.
On top of having Kenney and O’Reilly returning to their roster, the field hockey team will be able to rely on many of their veteran players this upcoming season, with 14 returning players on the roster. Five players were recognized as All-Big East First or Second Team members, something that Allyson Parker ’20 claims is “crucial” to the team’s predicted success this season.
However, while a veteran roster will definitely help lead the team to a strong, standout season, Parker believes that the players’ overall determination will be the one thing that will set them apart from others in the Big East.
The Friars are using last season’s Big East semifinal knockout by Liberty University to fuel their desire to have a winning season this year. The Friars have not surpassed the semifinals in Big East Tournament play the past two seasons and did not even make the tournament during their 2016 run.
“We are sick of getting to the same place every year. We want to win the ring this year,” said Parker, who led the team in goals and game-winning goals last season.
With both a highly accomplished veteran roster and the determination to make it past the semifinal round of Big East play, the Providence College Field Hockey Team is poised to complete the best fall season on campus this year.
Which Fall Sports Team Will Have The Best Season?
by The Cowl Editor on August 29, 2019
PCI
Women’s Soccer
By Thomas Zinzarella ’21
Sports Staff
Under the helm of sixth year head coach Sam Lopes, the Providence College Women’s Soccer Team has enjoyed profound success, which is why they will document the best record this fall season.
The Friars finished last season with an 11-6-3 overall record and a 4-3-2 mark in Big East play. They started the year with a 3-0 record for the first time since the 2015 season and did not allow a single goal the opening 310 minutes of play.
The Friars have reached Big East postseason play every single season since Lopes has taken over the program. It is this consistency that will work in the team’s favor down the road. With plenty of players with postseason experience returning to the field, the Friars will be poised to make a deep playoff run.
The Friars bring back a lot of talent, including 88 percent of their scoring from last year. This includes Hannah McNulty ’21 who was tied for third in the Big East with 10 goals last season, and Amber Birchwell ’21, who scored six goals of her own.
Shelby Hogan’21RS returns in net for the Friars looking to follow up a record season where she tied the program record with ten shutouts and was the 12th in the country. She was awarded All-Big East First Team, Big East All-Tournament Team, and United Soccer Coaches All-East Region Third Team.
The Big East is never easy to win in any sport, but this is especially true for women’s soccer. With the likes of the Georgetown University Hoyas, who are projected to win the Big East once again, and the Butler University Bulldogs leading the charge, the Friars are projected for a third place finish according to the Big East coaches’ poll.
The Friars have already begun their regular season schedule with a 2-1 victory over rival University of Connecticut Huskies before falling to the University of Massachusetts-Amherst Minuteman 1-0. The Friars are back in action on Thursday, Aug. 29 as they take on the University of Hartford.
Saying Goodbye to Friartown
by The Cowl Editor on May 2, 2019
Friar Sports
Hockey and Basketball Players Sign Pro-Contracts
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
There will be noticeable absences on the rosters of both the men’s basketball and hockey teams next year. Asides from the six graduating seniors on the hockey team and two seniors on the basketball team, hockey players Josh Wilkins ’20, Brandon Duhaime ’20, Jacob Bryson ’20, and Jay O’Brien ’22 alongside basketball player Alpha Diallo ’20 have all decided to pursue a professional career in their respective sports.
Bryson was the first player to announce his decision to cut ties with his college eligibility when, on April 15 he signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Buffalo Sabres. Having completed three full seasons with the Friars, the tri-captain of the hockey team recently earned Second Team Hockey East All-Star honors after a successful junior season that consisted of four goals and 24 assists (28 points total) in 42 games.
A 2017 fourth round draft pick (99th overall), Bryson has completed 121 games total with the Friars and notched 73 points during that time. He also was a two-time recipient of Hockey East’s Len Ceglarski Sportsmanship Award.
In place of completing both his junior and senior years at Providence College, Bryson will compete at an amateur tryout with AHL Rochester before his contract kicks in at the start of the 2019-2020 season.
Duhaime, like Bryson, also finalized an entry-level contract that will conclude his college eligibility. The fourth round, 106th overall 2016 draft pick was selected by the Minnesota Wild and will be playing for their AHL team, the Iowa Wild, on an Amateur Tryout Agreement. He dressed in 117 games as a Friar and during the course of three years, he totaled 22 goals, 50 assists, and a plus-18 rating.
Along with the April 16 announcement that he would not be continuing his career as a Friar, Duhaime made sure to thank the entire PC community, especially his coaches and teammates, for an “incredible” three years saying, “The memories made at Providence College were some that I will never forget.”
The last Friar who has decided to pursue a professional career is Josh Wilkins ’20, who signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Nashville Predators.
“Been a crazy few days but I’m excited to sign my first NHL contract,” he announced on social media. “Thank you Friars hockey for an incredible three years.”
Wilkins posted 46 points (20 goals and 26 assists) this past season; this is the best offensive season a Friar has had in over 15 seasons. He is not just the only 20-goal scorer since 2002-2003, but Wilkins is also the 54th hockey player to reach the 100-point milestone (he totaled 108 points over the course of three seasons).
And finally, rounding out the members of the hockey team who will not be returning next year is O’Brien. The Philadelphia Flyers prospect has decided to leave the College after what he described as a “tough” year in terms of injuries and playing style. Wanting to “play more games” and “have fun playing hockey again,” O’Brien commented that he will be looking to play in either the United States Hockey League, the Canadian major junior level, or the British Columbia Hockey League to “get back on track.”
It may be the end of their career as Friars for Bryson, Duhaime, Wilkins, and O’Brien, but for basketball player Diallo, coming back for his senior season will still be an option if things do not pan out the way that he wants in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Diallo announced on April 16 that he will submit an application to be an early entrant, which means that he will have the opportunity to withdraw his name by May 29 and come back to PC for his senior year.
In an official statement announcing his intentions, Diallo said, “I am excited to go through the workout process. I believe this process will help me grow as a player. I enjoy being at Providence College and playing for the Friars. The Friars have a strong group of players returning next season, and I believe the team could compete for a conference championship.”
Named to the Second Team All-Big East, Diallo put up 1,155 career points in 99 games with the College; he ranks 33rd all-time in scoring for the College.
Head Coach Ed Cooley commented on Diallo’s decision saying that “this process will enable him to gain knowledge and experience about the potential for his future in professional basketball.”
With the exception of O’Brien, all four players will be joining a group of very successful Friars in the big leagues. Most noticeably, for hockey, is former Friar Noel Acciari ’15, who is currently playing with the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup Playoffs as a key part of their third line. A member of the 2015 National Championship Team, the style of play that Acciari developed at PC is what makes his NHL career so successful today.
According to Head Coach Nate Leaman, “[Acciari] takes the puck to the net hard, stays on the rebound and scores. That’s Friar hockey. That’s why Noelly’s out there.”
And while Acciari may be the most notable recent PC alum in the NHL, Bryson, Duhaime, and Wilkins can also be added to a list that contains some NHL greats such as Hal Gill, Fernando Pisani, and Chris Therien.
In Diallo’s case, should he chose to keep his name entered in the draft, he will be joining a long list of former Friar players who have gone pro, as well as current pro-player Kris Dunn, who graduated in 2016 and is now playing with the Chicago Bulls after being picked fifth overall in the 2016 NBA Draft. Dunn most notably scored a season-high 26 points—eight of which were in overtime—and had 13 assists in a 126-120 overtime win against the Washington Wizards on March 20.
On the former basketball player, PC Athletic Director Bob Driscoll said, “He plays both ends of the court at an elite level all the time. Usually people are good at one or two things. He can rebound, he can pass.” All of which are skills that he was able to develop and grow during his four years at PC.
In addition to former Friars making it big in both the NHL and NBA, PC can also boast that their athletes from all sports are having great success in their professional careers. Tate Boyce ’19 just signed with the Boston Cannons after they drafted him in the first ever Premier Lacrosse League Collegiate Draft. Also, former cross-country and track runner, Emily Sisson ’14 just became the sixth-fastest American in history on a record eligible course after finishing the London Marathon with a time of 2:23:08.
PC has a legacy of producing top-notch athletes who go on to have great careers in their chosen sport and while Wilkins, Duhaime, Bryson, and Diallo are only just taking the first steps to further their professional career, the College most certainly wishes them the best as they set out to make a name for themselves outside of a college setting.
PC Softball Still on the Hunt
by The Cowl Editor on May 2, 2019
Friar Sports
Breakout Season Gives Friars Postseason Hopes
By Eileen Flynn ’20
Sports Staff
As we take a look back on this year, it is hard not to talk about the Providence College Softball Team. The season started off with a doubleheader in the Sunshine State, the Friars faced University of Massachusetts-Lowell and Georgia Institute of Technology in the River City Leadoff Tournament in Jacksonville, Florida. While the rest of the school was in the middle of winter, the Lady Friars were warming up for an impressive season.
PC played their next tournament the following weekend and faced teams such as St. Joseph’s University, University of Kansas, and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Although the team did not leave Florida with a winning record, the team was finding their rhythm and working through the kinks. The next team trip came at the beginning of March during the College’s spring break.
Allison Abbatiello ’19, one of the seven seniors on the team, says her favorite team memory was when the girls went to a Yankees Spring Training game. She said that even though “there were only about five or six of us who are diehard Yankee fans, the game was a really special experience.” The team spent their spring break bonding and with the new coaching staff, there were a lot of new relationships that needed to be built.
Jill Karwoski was named the head coach of the Friar’s softball team at the beginning of this year. With past experience as an assistant coach for the Friars in 2013, Karwoski was welcomed with open arms along with Assistant Coach Bree Nasti.
Abbatiello is just one of the many seniors on the team who have helped with the transition of leadership. “Although there was an unexpected adjustment to our program, I remained calm and became supportive of my teammates and new coaches.”
The team chemistry was evident in their performance during the week in Florida, when they won four out of the five games. The College won close match-ups against Furman University, Central Michigan University, United State Military Academy, and Saint Francis University.
The momentum was not stopped with the change in weather, back in New England the Friars were continuing to play well against top teams like Boston College. Daniela Alvarez ’22, pitched her seventh complete game of the season and her third shutout.
Competition is always amped up a level when it is time to play the Big East teams. St. John’s University won two out of the three game series, however, the 10-6 victory for Friars was promising for their future.
The team went on to sweep two strong Big East teams, Creighton University, and Butler University. Their most recent win was extra special for Abbatiello because in the midst of a close game, she reached a milestone she has been working towards her whole career at Providence College.
On senior day nonetheless, Abbatiello made perfect contact with the ball and sent it over the fence for a three-run home run. Vanessa Portillo ’19 followed fellow senior Abbatiello’s lead and expanded the lead for the Friars to 4-0 after she hit a home run as well.
“During my last home game of my collegiate career, I hit my first home run which was shortly followed by another home run from Vanessa Portillo. It was so exciting and a great way to conclude the seniors’ final game in Friartown.”
Although there will be no more home games for the Friars, their season is all but over. Make sure to follow along as the team plays University of Massachusetts-Amherst and Georgetown University, and hopefully gets a chance to compete in the Big East championship.
Men’s Lacrosse Wins Regular Season Finale
by The Cowl Editor on May 2, 2019
Friar Sports
Friars Earn Three-Seed for Big East
By Gavin Woods ’22
Sports Staff
Thanks to a 9-8 overtime win over Villanova University last Saturday at Chapey Field, the Providence College Men’s Lacrosse Team is heading to the Big East tournament. Following two tough losses to University of Denver and Brown University, respectively, the Friars bounced back in a big way to become the third seed in the Big East standings. PC will now look forward to their first game of the Big East tournament against Georgetown University.
The name of Saturday’s game was offense. The first goal came less than five minutes into the opening quarter from Villanova. However, the Friars responded with two consecutive goals from Duncan McGinnis ‘19 and Evan McGreen ‘21 at 7:35 and 5:32, respectively. The Friars held their lead until 1:23 left in the quarter when Villanova’s Corey McManus scored an emphatic goal to tie the game at two goals apiece, assisted by Keegan Kahn. The Wildcats won the following faceoff, giving them just over a minute to attempt another goal. McManus fired Villanova’s last shot in the quarter, which was saved by PC keeper, Tate Boyce ‘19. With 14 seconds left on the clock, the Friars had one last chance to clear the ball to the Wildcats’ territory. Following the successful clear, the PC offense worked the ball around until McGreen was able to find David Procopio ‘19 for the buzzer-beater goal.
The Friars continued trading goals with the Wildcats throughout the second and third quarters, until Villanova extended their lead to two goals with 12:51 left in the fourth quarter. This began an eight-minute stalemate between the two teams.
With only 4:46 left in the game, it began to look bleak for the Friars until Dan Axelson ‘20 delivered a much needed, unassisted goal to reduce the deficit to one goal. Despite losing the following faceoff, PC was playing with all the momentum. Boyce produced a game-saving stop to give the Friars another chance. After successfully clearing the ball to the opposing side, PC’s Tim Hinrichs ‘21 hoped to tie the game with a side-arm shot that narrowly missed, hitting the crossbar.
Following this possession, Villanova recovered the ball and began an attempt to run out the clock. Yet another save from Boyce gave the Friars another chance at redemption.
After turning the ball over once again, a Villanova defender launched the ball to the opposing side with ten seconds remaining in the game. Miraculously, Boyce recovered the ball and sent it to the Villanova side, where the Friars recovered. In the dying seconds of the game, McGreen was able to feed Nick Hatzipetrakos ’19 for a diving goal to force overtime. This goal added tremendously to the Friars’ confidence which enabled Colin Keating ‘19 to score the game-winning unassisted goal just five seconds into OT.
This pivotal conference win gave PC a regular season record of 7-8, 3-2 within the Big East. This win was essential, as it secured their position to play Georgetown instead of the number one seed, Denver. Nonetheless, Georgetown will prove to be a true test for the Friars as the Bulldogs won the previous regular season matchup in a 15-17 shootout. Georgetown boasts an impressive regular season record of 11-4; however, they share the same conference record of 3-2 with PC.
Track and Field Head to Big East
by The Cowl Editor on May 2, 2019
Friar Sports
By Cam Smith ’21
Sports Staff
The Providence College Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Teams produced some magnificent results last week while participating in two meets. On Thursday, the teams traveled to the University of Pennsylvania to take part in the 125th running of the Penn Relays. The Relays are touted as the world’s first and most widely recognized annual relay event, each year bringing in crowds of up to 100,000 people. Top athletes from around the country and around the world compete in the event that pre-dates even the NCAA.
The highlight of the meet for the Friars was undoubtedly the performance of Brianna Ilarda ’19RS. Competing in the women’s 3,000 meter steeplechase, Ilarda jumped out to an early lead and simply refused to relinquish her top spot. With five laps to go, the redshirt senior pulled away even further, leaving her competition struggling to keep pace as she cruised to a record setting victory. Indeed, Ilarda’s time of 9:55.43 was not only a personal best, but also a Penn Relays record, as she surpassed the previous time by over a second. This was Ilarda’s third win in the event in the last four years.
Ilarda was not the only PC representative to impress on Thursday, as three other Friars finished in the top 15 in their respective events. In the women’s 5,000 meters, Abbey Wheeler ’20 and Regan Rome GR each ran fantastic races, proving they belonged alongside the top competition in the country. Wheeler and Rome ran most of the race in the lead pack, and as the race went on, both were part of the top five that began to pull away from the other runners.
Eventually, with one mile left, Wheeler and two other runners again pulled away and Wheeler was able to obtain sole possession of the lead. The three would remain neck and neck in the last mile, and Wheeler would end up finishing third with a remarkable time of 16:07.01, just seconds off the pace of the first-place finisher. Rome, too, would post a tremendous time of 16:33.97, good enough for the eighth overall spot in a race that consisted of 63 top-notch participants. In the past, Wheeler’s time has qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary Round, producing optimism that she’ll be able to represent the Friars on the biggest stage.
Running in the top heat of the men’s 5,000 meters, Marcelo Rocha ’21 finished 13th in a race that a whopping 102 participants competed in. Rocha ran a very steady event, and his impressive time of 14:17.19 was only a mere 15 seconds behind the winner. The time was also a personal record for Rocha, who has been a pivotal part of the men’s squad all year long.
Returning home to Providence, the Friars made a quick journey over to Brown University, where they competed in the Brown Springtime Invitational against several local institutions such as the University of Rhode Island, Northeastern University, and the University of Connecticut. Some notable results on the men’s side, include Jack Carleo ’21 taking home the top prize in the 800 meters with a time of 1.53.03 and Angus White ’21 finishing just a tenth of a second behind the winner of the 1,500 meters. Over on the women’s side Emma Fink ’22 placed second in the high jump with a mark of 1.55 meters while Megan Stenberg ’21 also secured a second-place finish in the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 15.76.
The Friars will now enjoy a well-deserved week off before turning their sights to the Big East Championships, set to take place on May 10 and 11 at Icahn Stadium in New York City.
Club Golf Competes at National Tournament
by The Cowl Editor on May 2, 2019
Friar Sports
By Scott Jarosz ’21
Sports Staff
To say that the Providence College club golf team has had a successful year would be an understatement. The team plays tournaments in both the fall and spring, and has consistently performed well as a group year-round.
The team asserted its presence right off the bat in the very first tournament. Towards the beginning of September 2018, the Friars participated in the NCAA Division III Bowdoin Invitational. In a field of 12 teams, the Friars placed at an impressive second place. In the first round of the tournament, the team shot a collective 309, with Rio Holzwarth ’22 leading the team with a low round of 76. The Friars had even more success in the second round, shooting 297 as a team, the lowest round for any team in the entire tournament. Captain Matt Carlson ’20 led the Friars with a 71, leading him to earn the #2 overall spot in the 62-player field.
The Bowdoin Invitational was far from the only highlight of the team’s fall season. Later in September, the team traveled to Agawam, Massachusetts to participate in the NCCGA New England Regional. The Friars brought both its “A” and “B” teams to the tournament and both performed exceptionally. The A team could not have performed much better, collectively shooting 748 over the course of two rounds, and beating second place University of Connecticut by 20 shots.
The Friars’ A team was led by Holzwarth who shot a 73 and 72 for a combined 145, good enough to earn the honor of being named medalist. The Friars’ B team also played well as a whole, scoring 782 over the course of two days, earning them the third-place spot. The low scorer for the B team was Alex Whitmore ’20, who shot a 75 and an 81 for a combined score of 156. The team’s performance at the New England Regional earned them the #5 spot in the NCCGA nationwide rankings.
The team’s quality golf carried over into the 2019 spring season as well. On April 7, the Friars shot a combined 755 over two rounds to win the spring New England Regional tournament and qualify for the National Championship. Leading the team was Ian Axford ’20, who shot two impressive rounds of 76 and 75 for an overall score of 151, earning him the title of medalist for the regional.
The National Championship took place at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex at Purdue University in Indiana. The tournament took place on April 27 and April 28, and the Friars placed third as a team in the entire nation. This top three finish in the tournament was a perfect finish for the team’s very successful season. When asked about how the team maintained its success throughout the year, Carlson said, “By having fun and constantly competing against each other and by holding everyone accountable.”
This mentality clearly paid off for the team as it had lots of success over the course of the year, winning multiple tournaments and consistently shooting well.
Editor’s Corner
by The Cowl Editor on May 2, 2019
Friar Sports
Year in Review of Sports
By Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Co-Editor
As the year comes to a close (though not for all spring sport athletes), I wanted to look back on the year for Providence College sports. This year, the sports section of The Cowl covered big moments and special people that deserved recognition from the Friar community. As a section, we made it a point to cover all sports across campus, get the inside scoop from athletes and coaches, and recognize students who competed away from campus.
In the fall, we covered the Providence College Men’s Soccer Team celebrating their 50th season as they made it to the Big East semifinals. Abbey Wheeler ’20 won NCAA Cross Country Division I National Athlete of the Week twice during the cross-country season, it seemed every week she was among the top racers as she won three races during in the fall and came in fourth during the Big East race.
Even though the PC Men’s Basketball Team did not perform to everyone’s expectations, the team still had a fairly successful season and the winter sports season remained the peak for PC athletics. The freshman class proved that the team will stay competitive for years to come. The PC Women’s Basketball Team had their most successful season in recent memory, posting a 19-16 overall record as well as earning their first Big East tournament win since 2001 and earning a spot in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament. Jovana Nogic ’19 broke the College record for three-pointers and Mary Baskerville ’22 had a stellar rookie season as she went on to win Big East Freshman of the Year.
The Women’s Ice Hockey Team brought in Matthew Kelly as their new head coach and found immediate success. The team had an outstanding season that saw them ranked in the top 10 for most of the season. Men’s ice hockey also had a historic season. After losing several stars from last season, the team retooled, filled the missing holes, and made their sixth straight national tournament. In the first round the Friars came back from a 3-0 to Minnesota State University by scoring six unanswered goals. They would ride that momentum all the way to their fifth Frozen Four appearance in College history. While the team fell short of making the finals, this was one of Nate Leaman’s finest seasons as a coach.
The PC Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Teams continued to have success during the indoor season. Millie Paladino ’19RS was named 2019 Northeast Region Female Track Athlete of the Year after she won the Big East title in the 3,000-meter race and came in third at the NCAA championship for the mile run.
This spring, the PC Women’s Softball Team is currently in a breakout season as they are 28-20 after a disappointing season last year. Outfielder Emma Lee ’19 set the school record for most career hits with 215. Former Friar Emily Sisson ’14 finished sixth in the London Marathon with a time of 2:23.08, which was sixth fastest for an American woman in history.
Outside of reporting on the games, The Cowl managed to get exclusive interviews with several athletes and coaches such as Track and Field Coach Ray Treacy, Paladino, Wheeler, and Vincent Desharnais ’19. Next year, we hope to give students, teachers, and alumni an even more in-depth look into what is happening for the Friars.
Mary Baskerville Reflects on Freshman Year
by The Cowl Editor on April 11, 2019
Friar Sports
High School Experience Paying Dividends in Freshman Year
“Take every day to become better as a whole.” That was one of the main goals that Providence College Women’s Basketball Head Coach Jim Crowley preached to his players throughout the 2018-2019 season. This season for the Providence College Women’s Basketball Team has been one filled with exceeding expectations.
Coming into this season, the Friars were tabbed to finish ninth in the Big East preseason poll. “We wanted to prove that we deserved higher than that,” Mary Baskerville ’22 stated. “We knew that this year we wanted to be the start of an era that would begin to do things that have not been done in a while.”
Baskerville was just one of the six players to join Crowley’s squad this year. However, the first sport the 6’3” forward came across was track and field. Baskerville ran for the Hershey Track and Field organization where she competed in the 100 and 200-meter dashes and the long jump event. Baskerville first picked up basketball from her older sister.
“Anything she did, I wanted to do too. Once we were able to play basketball together I would only play if she played with me.”
The Baskerville sisters would team up at Enfield High School where winning was not always a tradition. In 2010 and 2011, Enfield High School girls basketball did not win a game. In 2012, they picked up three wins. In the final three seasons of Baskerville’s high school career, they made the state tournament semifinals.
Throughout her high school career, Baskerville would go on to earn four All-Conference selections, two All-State selections, and holds the record for the most career points between both the boy’s and girl’s program with 1,870 points.
Baskerville was proud to leave such a significant footprint on the program and hopes that “somebody as passionate about this sport like I am will look at that as a challenge to one day want to try and beat my scoring record. For me to be able to leave such a tremendous impact on my high school basketball organization is something that I will never forget.”
In November 2017, Baskerville signed her letter of intent to play collegiate basketball at PC.
Baskerville’s impact was immediately felt when she pulled down 13 rebounds against Yale University in her fifth game of the season. Baskerville and the Friars enjoyed success from all over. The Friars finished their season 19-16 with an 8-10 record in Big East play. The Friars picked up their most Big East wins since the 1996-97 season and their first Big East tournament win since 2001. To top off the season, the Friars made their first postseason appearance since 2010 and advanced all way to the 16th round of the WNIT before falling to fellow Big East team, the University of Georgetown Hoyas.
Baskerville was grateful to play in the postseason during her freshman year and reminisced to her high school basketball days. “I feel that playing postseason in high school kind of set a standard for me as a player…Not only that I wanted to play as much as I could, but to also take every game as an opportunity to better myself and my teammates.”
Baskerville also enjoyed success throughout her first season in a Friars uniform. She led the Friars with six double-doubles including four during Big East play. Baskerville now holds the program record for blocks by a freshman and recorded the second highest field goal percentage in program history. Baskerville finished her freshman season with 9.5 points per game and 7.3 rebounds per game.
After her rookie season success, she became the second Friar ever to win the Big East Freshman of the Year award and was a unanimous selection to the Big East All-Freshman Team. Baskerville was joined by fellow Friar Kaela Webb ’22 on the All-Freshman Team.
Baskerville and the rest of the Friars squad have bigger aspirations over the next few seasons; “Getting the women’s basketball team more recognition for all of the hard work that we put in every day on and off the court… Another goal that my teammates and I hope to achieve is to be known as a team that works hard, sticks together through tough times, can bounce back from just about anything…a team that will never give up and fights to the very end.”
With the talent that this Friars team boasts, this program under control by Coach Crowley is sure to be on the rise and one that will be fun to watch in the future. “We want to take this program as far as we can every season,” Baskerville concluded. With the taste of postseason experience this year, the Friars can build off of this season and work to compete for a Big East Championship and a NCAA tournament bid next season.
Sports Business Organization’s First Semester Shows Promise
by The Cowl Editor on April 11, 2019
Friar Sports
By Christian Rada ’22
Sports Staff
At the start of this semester, the Sports Business Organization Club was formed for students interested in entering the sports industry. The club has already brought in five key sports leaders as guests to talk to students about their stories and how they entered the industry. When asking Graham Collopy ’21 about the goals and expectations for the club, he responded, “We want to be able to have a close-knit community of around 40 members who are actively trying to join the sports industry.”
As of right now, Providence College does not have many programs or majors dedicated to the sports industry. Many people believe that in order for someone to join the sports industry they must only take business courses; however, there are many other classes that are a part of the industry such as sports psychology and sports media. The club is open to anybody and welcomes all potential members. PC students have had some opportunities at the Career Expo but many want to take the next step to get more involved in the industry.
In the next few years, the club wants to start hosting special guests to come give speeches to the PC community. The club is deciding on which path to take; it is currently based more on professionals lecturing on their careers.
So far, the club has brought in four speakers to share their experiences in their respective fields.
The first speaker was Sean Holley ’84. After graduating from PC, Holley recieved a law degree from the Catholic University of America. He then went on to become a sports agent for several NBA players and worked for the Big East Conference. He is now a professor at PC, where he teaches the History of Sports Colloquium for the Development of Western Civilization Program.
Two of the more well-known speakers from around campus were Nick Rojas, who works with Providence College Athletic Director Bob Driscoll and friars.com. While Rojas talked about his career in media and his work with covering the athletic teams, he also had dialogue with students with aspirations in other sport fields such as marketing, event planning, or even those exploring their options.
There are plans to make the club receive college credit since it is similar to a lecture-based class environment. When asking about future goals for the club Collopy stated, “Next year, we are trying to contact the President of the Celtics, Rich Gotham ’86, in order for a group of students to visit his office for him to give a speech then plan to see a Celtics game.” The club is heading in the right direction, as it wants to expand students’ horizons and give them opportunities for the future. “The club wants to help students out and give them meaningful experiences before leaving for college,” said Collopy. Next year, the club will be a part of the Involvement Fair that happens every semester.