Tag: Friar Sports
Track Team Finds Success at Big East Championship
by The Cowl Editor on March 7, 2019
Friar Sports
By Christian Rada ’22
Sports Staff
This past week, the Big East Conference announced the All-Big East Conference squad; which is comprised of competitors who finished in the top three of any individual or relay event in the championships. Fifty-nine women and 61 men complete the list. A total of 31 student-athletes—17 women, 18 men—earned all-conference for multiple events. This year many Friars qualified for the Big East team including Jack Carleo ’21, Nick Carleo ’20, Trevor Crawley ’19, Ryan Jendzejec ’21, Michael O’Leary ’19, Daniel Rooney ’21, Maria Coffin ’21, Alex DeCicco ’20, Mariah O’Gara ’20, Millie Paladino ’19, Catarina Rocha ’19RS, and Abbey Wheeler ’20.
On Feb. 23, the Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track Teams competed in the Big East Tournament with the women’s team finishing seventh overall with 51 points and the men’s team finishing sixth with 33 points. Paladino blew the crowd away making huge strides from the beginning. She and her fellow teammate Briana Ilarda ’19 were in the leading front three bombing for the finish line. By the last 200 meters, it was a race for first between the two Friars and a Villanova athlete. Paladino would finish first overall in a time of 9:24.29. This resulted in back-to-back 3,000-meter titles for Paladino. Ilarda would finish second overall with a time of 9:26.34, and Regan Rome ’GS would come in fourth securing points for the Friars.
For the men’s indoor team, Rooney had a strong showing for the Friars in the 60 meter hurdle finals and would place eighth overall in a time of 8.68 which was .02 seconds less than his previous record making a new personal record. Rooney’s time is now the second all-time fastest in the school’s history. Michael Bittner ’20 took eighth place in the high jump with a height of 1.85 meters. The men’s 4×800 meter relay team of Carleo, Jendzejec, Carleo, and Michael Wyman ’GS took the lead for the first two legs of the relay. On the third leg it was a battle between the Friars and the Wildcats. The team finished with a silver medal with a time of 7:32.54, only four seconds off the school record.
This past weekend both the PC Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track Teams competed in the IC4A Championships at Boston University. The Friars excelled in many races in just the first two days, some even breaking their own personal records. For the men’s indoor track team, Jendzejec started his race in the 1,000 meter finals. Jendzejec placed eighth overall and ran a PR of 2:27.33, which is almost seven seconds faster than his previous race. Veteran runners, Marcus Karamanolis ’19 and Marcelo Rocha ’21, both competed in the 3,000 meter finals. Karamanolis ran his heart out as he finished ninth in the seeded heat in a time of 8:19.55. For the women’s indoor track team, six Friars competed in the preliminary heats. DeCicco raced the preliminaries of the 1,000 meters and finished eighth in her heat with a time of 3:02.55.
Women’s Hockey Playoff Bound
by The Cowl Editor on February 28, 2019
Friar Sports
Ice Hockey Set to Face Merrimack in Quarterfinals
By Eileen Flynn ’20
Sports Staff
The Providence College Women’s Ice Hockey Team wrapped up their regular season on Feb. 23 when they defeated the #8 Boston University Terriers on the road. The team finished with an impressive 22-10-2 overall record and as the no. 4 seed in the Hockey East. The team’s win against Boston University puts them in the perfect position heading into the Hockey East Tournament in March.
Christina Putigna ’19, one of the captains of the Friars, led the team to a 2-1 victory despite first trailing 1-0. Putigna sniped the top corner on BU’s goaltender during a power play at the beginning of the second period to change the momentum of the game. Putigna was on the ice for the second goal as well. She passed it off to Meaghan Rickard ’20, who left it for Whitney Dove ’20 to finish the job. Putigna has been a key player for the Friars this year and will definitely play an important role in the upcoming tournament.
When asked about her last regular season run as a Lady Friar, Putigna said, “This has been, and still is something so special to me because this group has accomplished so many great things, considering the coaching change that happened this summer.” Matt Kelly spent his first season with the Friars this year as head coach. As a former head scout for the USA Hockey and Women’s National Team, as well as an assistant coach to the women’s ice hockey team at Clarkson University, Kelly was a perfect fit for the job.
Although it was hard for Putigna to pick her favorite game this year, the victory that she and her team had over Northeastern two weeks ago stuck out in her mind. “Our team brought so much energy, we played with a lot of heart, and it felt like everyone was at the top of their game. There was a lot of good bench and locker room encouragement and support even when we were trailing.” The game went back and forth for the first two periods, forcing both teams to battle for control. Since Providence fell to Northeastern the day before, the team came with renewed energy, wanting to split the weekend with the Huskies. Putigna helped advance the score for the Friars and ultimately clinch the win, 5-2.
Looking forward, the Friars have a tough week of practice before they begin their run in the Hockey East tournament. The team has faced the ladies on the Merrimack College team three times so far this season with a record of 2-0-1. The latest puck-drop against the Warriors took place on Feb. 1 at Merrimack. The Friars took an early and quick 2-0 lead, but could not hold on to it for the rest of the game. Merrimack came back and tied Providence, causing the teams to advance to overtime.
Although both teams had a power play opportunity, the score remained the same at the sound of the final buzzer. Putigna is excited about facing the team again next week. “Merrimack is a great opponent for us to face.” When asked what her team learned from playing Merrimack in the regular season, she responded, “I think previous success stemmed from our defensive play. When our team is playing really great defense, we have a lot of confidence in the corners of our defensive zone and along the walls in the offensive zone and are able to sustain pressure.”
Putigna and the rest of the senior class are looking forward to leading their team to victory one last time. “The older group brings and sets the tone for the game. When the tone is set, it is a lot easier for the team as a whole to buy in.” Putigna and the Friars have already had a successful season, having reached the 20-win mark for the first time since the 2010-11 season.
However, the team is not done and is expected to face Merrimack head-on. Putigna is playing her last games in a Friars jersey with her teammates and now friends that she has made along the way, and she is ready to make her team proud one last time.
PC Honors Multiple Record Holders
by The Cowl Editor on February 28, 2019
Friar Sports
Twelve Friar Alumni Inducted into Hall of Fame
By Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Co-Editor
On Friday, February 22, friends, family, teammates, and coaches gathered at the Biltmore Hotel to celebrate the 2019 Providence College Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. There were 12 inductees this year, 11 in attendance, that included athletes from several sports and one lifetime achievement award.
The inductees were Amy Kvilhaug ’96 (softball), Dr. Al Puerini ’74 (lifetime achievement award), Paul Kostacopoulos ’87 (baseball coach), Mary Cullen ’06 (women’s cross country/track), Mario Proulx ’84 (men’s hockey), Jamel Thomas ’99 (men’s basketball), Frank Conway ’90 (men’s cross country/track), Jessica Tabb ’01 (women’s hockey), Sandra O’Gorman ’89 (field hockey), Kevin Jones ’01 (men’s soccer), Kevin Sheehan ’73 (baseball) and Michele Tamburo ’95 (women’s swimming/diving) who were all announced back in November. Kostacopoulos was the only inductee not in attendance due to his current job as the head baseball coach at the United States Naval Academy.
Kvilhaug is one of the best pitchers in Friars history as she holds multiple team career records such as wins (72), complete games (84) and earned run average (1.02). She helped lead PC to three consecutive 30-win seasons. In 1994 she was named to the First Team All-Big East and Second Team All-Northeast Region.
Dr. Puerini, who has been working for PC as the Head Team Physician since 1988, was awarded with this year’s lifetime achievement awarded for his commitment and work in the athletics department. Throughout his career he has been awarded multiple honors from his peers. Most recently, he was given the Outstanding Achievement Award in Sports Medicine by the Rhode Island Interscholastic League in 2015, and Physician of the Year by the Rhode Island Academy of Family Physicians in 2017.
During the ceremony, Puerini reflected upon his time at the College. “Providence College has given me so much. An education, a career, a life’s philosophy, good friends, and an invitation to be part of the Friar Family.”
Cullen and Conway were both top runners during their time at Providence College. Cullen became the fifth woman at PC to win an individual track title when she won the 5,000 meter race at the NCAA Championships in 2006. Conway made history when he became the first New England collegiate runner to run a sub four-minute mile indoors in 1988.
Proulx is one of the best goaltenders in PC Men’s Ice Hockey history. He is second all-time in wins (64) and fourth all-time in shutouts (five). In 1984 he was the recipient of the College’s Mal Brown Award.
Tabb played for the Women’s Ice Hockey team during the late 90s and early 2000s. She was named to the Eastern College Athletic Conference All-Star Team twice during her career. She is eighth all-time in career goals (86) and was named PC Athlete of the Year in 2001.
Thomas is one of the best scorers to put on a uniform for the PC Men’s Basketball Team. He ranks sixth all-time in points with 1,971. He was one of the key members of the 1996-97 team that made it to the Elite Eight. He made it to the Second Team All-Big East and First Team his junior and senior years, respectively.
Sheehan might be the best pitcher in Friars history. The lefty holds the school record for strikeouts in a career with 151 and third for a single season with 68. He was named the team MVP in 1973 and received the Father Krieger Award for outstanding achievement in the PC baseball program in 1972.
O’Gorman helped make PC field hockey history as the goalie for the 1987 team who achieved the #1 overall ranking in the country and made the program’s first NCAA tournament appearance. She is one of five field hockey players to be named First Team All-American. O’Gorman holds the team record for career saves with 685.
Jones was one of the best offensive players to suit up for the PC Men’s Soccer Team. He is ninth all-time in goals with 21 and sixth all-time in points with 59. After the 1999 season, Jones was named to Second Team All-Big East and awarded Providence College Athlete of the Year.
Tamburo is one of the most decorated swimmers in PC history. She set five school records during her career, one of which, the 200-yard backstroke, still stands today. In 1993 she was named the team MVP. She won Big East titles in the 100-yard butterfly and the 200-yard backstroke while swimming for the Friars. She finished her speech with some words of wisdom to future athletes.
“To all the young athletes out there,” said Tamburo, “push yourself outside of your comfort zone, in your sports… and someday in your career.”
Men’s Hockey Wins Four Straight
by The Cowl Editor on February 28, 2019
Friar Sports
Friars Heating Up In Time for Playoffs
By Sam Scanlon ’19
Sports Staff
A sold out Schneider Arena welcomed the second ranked University of Massachusetts Minutemen last Saturday night, a game that has surely been marked on the calendar in the Friars’ locker room since their last meeting on Nov. 10. Chances were traded back and forth throughout the entire contest as shots on net stood at 36 for UMass and 30 for Providence.
The Minutemen made it a point to silence the booming Schneider Arena crowd as they struck first and took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. However, early in the second period, Jason O’Neill ’21 ripped a shot into the back of the net for the equalizer. O’Neill’s timely tally was good enough for his fourth of the season.
Not long after, Josh Wilkins ’20 buried a centering feed from Davis Bunz ’21. Lately, Wilkins has been a huge part of the Friars offense, as the Hobey Baker Award nominee leads the team with 33 points. With his goal on Saturday, he became the first Friar in 16 years to have three straight 30-point seasons. His playmaking ability, coupled with scoring touch, is pivotal for the Friars’ offensive production.
As the third period opened up with a 2-2 scoreboard, Hayden Hawkey ’19 battled to keep it tied up. The goaltender made several sprawling saves to keep the Friars’ hopes of an upset intact.
It took under three minutes of play for the score to break a tie as Scott Conway ’19 shoveled in his 13th goal of the season that sent Schneider Arena into a frenzy. Desperately trying to survive the late UMass onslaught, the clock hit 00.0 and the Friars bench stormed onto the ice to congratulate Hawkey on a crucial victory.
Although beating UMass was a huge feat, the Friars needed to turn right around and travel to the University of Connecticut for another important Hockey East matchup on Tuesday night.
Another early opposition goal struck the back of the net in this contest as well, as the Huskies took the lead. However, Wilkins once again proved why he is the team’s leading scorer as he evened the score less than a minute later.
An incredible passing play by Conway, Jack Dugan ’22 and Kasper Björkqvist ’20 gave the Friars their first lead of the contest. Dugan has impressed with his vision and precise passing ability all season long, as he was able to find Björkqvist on the door step for an easy tap in goal for Björkqvist’s team-leading 14th of the year.
The teams skated into the locker room tied at two following the second period for the second game in a row, but Wilkins and the Friars were surely going to come out firing in the third. Wilkins tallied two more goals in the period to complete the first Friars’ hat-trick since Björkqvist did it in 2017. In order for this team to have a successful playoff run, Wilkins is going to need to stay hot.
Brandon Duhaime ’20 got in on the action as well, as he fired his ninth goal of the year past the UConn goaltender to complete the 5-2 win over the Huskies.
The Friars are playing their best hockey at the perfect time heading down the stretch into Hockey East Tournament play. They are absolutely going to need to continue their production and ability to win games in these final two Thursday night games against Boston University and Boston College. Two wins against these tough opponents will put the Friars in the best possible position to grab the second seed in the Hockey East Tournament.
Unfortunately, seeds two through eight will not be decided until the final whistle blows and the final buzzer sounds. All seeds are still up for grabs within the top eight as the teams are so close in points. In order for the Friars to lock in second place, games against BU and BC need to be wins, and there needs to be some Hockey East upsets in the coming weeks.
Men’s Basketball Sweeps St. John’s
by The Cowl Editor on February 28, 2019
Uncategorized
By Gavin Woods ’22
Sports Staff
It has been a busy week for the Men’s Basketball Team. In the span of six days, Providence College played two home games versus St. John’s University and Marquette University, before their matchup at Butler University.
The Friars started the week with a home game against St. John’s, who is currently third in the Big East. To say that St. John’s had the momentum going into the game would be an understatement, especially coming off staggering wins against Marquette, Butler, and most recently, Villanova. However, the Friars had won their last matchup just two weeks prior, and they showed no signs of backing down.
PC came out hot at the start of the game, scoring an early three from Makai Ashton-Langford ’21. The name of the game for Providence, however, was defense. The Friars did not give up a single point until 7:49 into the game, with a lead of 9-2. Perhaps even more impressive, PC was able to almost completely shut down Shamorie Ponds, the leading scorer for St. John’s, who averages 19.7 points per game. Ponds finished the night with two points, well below his season average.
The Friars were able to hold on to their decisive lead, finishing with a final score of 78-59. There was not a single lead change throughout the game.
Next, PC faced the Golden Eagles of Marquette, who are currently at the top of the Big East standings. Marquette boasts a win percentage of .85 and a conference record of 12-2. Marquette certainly came into the game with confidence, as they won their last matchup against Providence.
The Golden Eagles began the game scoring early and often. They led at the half by 11 with a score of 31-20. Providence seemed to be containing Marquette’s star guard, Markus Howard, who averages 25 PPG, holding him to only 14 points. However, this enabled Marquette to adapt, using their other weapons including Sakar Anim and brothers Sam and Joey Hauser. Marquette had a total of five double-digit scorers, compared to Providence’s three.
The biggest difference between PC and Marquette was shooting accuracy. The Golden Eagles sank 54.9 percent of their field goals, 47.6 percent from three and 76.9 percent of free throws. This is compared to the Friars’ percentages of 28.6 from the field, 30 from three, and just 50 from the free throw line.
The game’s lead scorer was Alpha Diallo ’20 who dropped 19 with six rebounds. However, it was Marquette’s Sam Houser who stole the show with an impressive 18-point 13-rebound double-double.
Their next game proved to be the closest for Providence, as they traveled to face off with Butler. Of the three games, this was the closest matchup, with both Providence and Butler having an overall record of 15-13. This was the first meeting between the two teams during the 2018-2019 season, and both teams were desperate to improve their conference record.
Though the game was tight throughout, Providence seemed to have the slight edge. The Friars’ largest lead was 14 points with 7:15 left in the first half. However, a rapid comeback from the Bulldogs resulted in a Providence lead by just five points at the half. The battle continued through the second half, with a total of four lead changes. Providence continued their offensive game plan, facilitating the ball through Nate Watson ’21. Watson led the Friars in scoring with 21 points.
Towards the end of the second half, PC began to build their lead over Butler. The Friars were up by seven points with less than a minute left to play. However, Cooley elected to continue his strategy to not foul the other team until the end of the game. This enabled Butler to come back from their deficit and tie the game, due to several Providence turnovers. This gave PC one last chance to end the game, with 10 seconds left in the second half. A failed open three point shot from David Duke ’22 sent the game to overtime, where the Friars outscored Butler 11-5.
Though the Friars seem to have found themselves in a late season slump, with a record of 6-10 in the Big East conference, these two conference wins will certainly help PC in their placement for the Big East tournament.
Swim Season Comes to an End
by The Cowl Editor on February 28, 2019
Friar Sports
Men’s and Women’s Teams Break Many School Records
By Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports Staff
Last weekend, the Providence College Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Teams competed in the 2019 Big East Swimming and Diving Championships held in East Meadow, New York. The four-day event provided the Friars with the opportunity to set over 12 new program records.
Beginning on the first day, four students raced in the men’s 800-yard freestyle relay, which held a previous record time of 6:49.12 set in 2014. Justin Viotto ’22, John Freeman ’21, Andrew Ferrell ’21, and Liam Straker ’19 finished the race with a time of 6:46.69, putting the Providence men in fifth with 28 points.
For the women, the top finishers came from two events of the day—the 800-yard and 200-yard freestyle relays. In the 800-yard relay, the Friars placed fifth at 7:41.17, led by Jennifer Bankes ’22, Lauren Zawacki ’21, Margie Keenan ’21, and Madeline Snow ’19. For the 200-yard relay, however, the Friars were able to beat their time from 2017, 1:47.12, by nearly two seconds, coming in at 1:45.63 and ending in fifth place. The event was raced by by Juliet McGlaughlin ’19, Abigail Czernieki ’19, Katie Thornton ’21, and Zawacki. This tied the Friars for fourth with Butler at 56 points after day one.
On the second day of the championships, Zawacki set another program record in the 50-yard freestyle when she touched the wall at 23.88 seconds. Ferrell also set a new program record with a time of 1:51.28 in the 200-yard IM. Additionally, the team of Bankes, Thornton, Keenan, and Zawacki set a school record in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:35.92. At the end of the second day, the men were still in fifth place at 88 points, and the women dropped to fifth at 93 points.
On the third day of the championship, the Friars were able to set four more program records, beginning with Zawacki’s improved time of 57.20 seconds in the 50-yard freestyle. Viotto bested the program’s 400-yard IM record with a 3:58.09 mark. The team of McGlaughlin, Czerniecki, Thornton, and Bankes was also able to set a new record in the 400-yard medley relay at 3:53.16. Lastly, Ferrell was able to touch the wall in his race at 50.25, which was not only allowed for a fourth-place finish, but also a new school record.
In the fourth and final day of the championships, the Friars set three new program bests. The first record was set by Amanda Gaccione ’20 by finishing the 200-yard breaststroke with a time 2:22.78. Viotto set a best time of 1:50.12 in the 200-yard fly, and senior Ryan Trammell ’19 bested his own mark in the 200-yard breaststroke, finishing at 2:03.17.
Despite breaking 12 records, the men and women were unable to place due to stiff competition. The men came in last with 227 points and the women placed last with 220 points. Xavier University won the men’s competition with 779.5 points, while Villanova University won the women’s side with 1007.5 points.
After a back and forth season with most Big East competitors, the Friars were happy to set these 12 new program records and improve on their times. They are looking forward to what the future has in store for them.
Tennis Kicks Off Season With Home Opener
by The Cowl Editor on February 28, 2019
Friar Sports
By Cam Smith ’21
Sports Staff
The Providence College Women’s Tennis Team came into last week looking for their first victory of the spring season. Unfortunately, they will have to wait a little longer for a win.
The University of Rhode Island stopped by the Centre Court Tennis Club on Wednesday, February 20 to face off against PC. Although the Rams would go on to defeat the Friars by a score of 6-1, there were still some exciting moments out on the clay.
Namely, the Friars came up just short of claiming the doubles point, obtained by winning a majority of the three doubles matches. Haley Gurski ’22 and Aidan Epstein ’20 were felled by the Rams in the number two doubles slot, but PC’s number three doubles duo of Grace Goyette ’21 and Natalie Pitocco ’20 picked up a well-deserved 6-4 win. It all came down to savvy veteran Risa Takenaka ’19 and her partner Sera Satowski ’21, who were playing out of the number one slot, but the duo were unable to pull out a back and forth match against the top seeded Ram twosome.
Over on the singles side, Takenaka again engaged in a tight battle against Rams number one Erin Chratian, but fell in the match 6-4, 7-5. Gurski also played a tremendous game out of the four spot. After falling 6-1 in the first set, she stormed back with a 6-3 set win, before finally coming up just short in a wild third set, 10-8. The lone Friar point of the day would come from Mimi Dailey ’22 in the six slot, as the freshman played two close sets before dominating the third set, 10-3.
Two days after their bout with URI, the Friars welcomed Hofstra University to Providence for a match. PC went winless as the Herd swept both the doubles and singles matches. Takenaka faced stiff competition out of the first slot, but played a solid first set against Hofstra’s Alejandra Ruffini before losing steam in her second set. Dailey was back at it again with a very competitive match in the number six singles spot and was the sole Friar on the day to force a third set. Sadly, like her teammates before her, she would end up on the losing end of the match, with a score of 6-2, 7-6, 10-3.
PC will now set their sights on the Bryant University Bulldogs as a March 2 clash between the Rhode Island colleges looms large on the calendar.
Friars Get Nominated for Multiple Awards
by The Cowl Editor on February 14, 2019
Friar Sports
Hockey Players Amongst Nominees for the Walter Brown and Hobey Baker Awards
By Sam Scanlon ’19
Sports Staff
The Providence College Men’s Ice Hockey program has had some extremely talented players in its ranks. At this point, it is no surprise that four different Friars have been nominated for some of college hockey’s most prestigious awards.
Jacob Bryson ’20, Scott Conway ’19, and Josh Wilkins ’20 have been nominated for the Hobey Baker Award, which is awarded to the best player in Division I hockey. Wilkins and Hayden Hawkey ’19 have been named semifinalists for the Walter Brown Award. This award celebrates the best American-born college hockey player who plays in New England.
Bryson is an obvious nomination for the Hobey Baker Award thus far. As a sophomore, he was given All-American honors, and has now developed into one of the top players in the country. The Buffalo Sabres’ prospect hails from London, Ontario and ranks sixth on the team in points with 20 (4 goals, 16 assists). Bryson’s speed and skill are just one part of his game, as the defenseman boasts a +15 +/- rating, meaning offenses have difficulty putting the puck in the back of the net when he is on the ice.
Conway has had a successful second half of the season so far, posting eight of his 12 goals since winter break. Conway holds the team lead in goals with 12, and in power play goals with five. Conway is no stranger to goal scoring, as he has 37 career goals throughout his three-year tenure with the Friars. Conway earned MVP honors in the Ledyard Classic Tournament to kick off the second half of the season, as he tallied three goals in two games. Conway’s clutch goal-scoring ability has been a major part of the Friars’ success, and has earned him a Hobey Baker Award nomination.
Wilkins’ impressive junior stint has earned him both Hobey Baker and Walter Brown Award nominations. The Raleigh, North Carolina native leads the team in both assists (19) and points (28). Already with 90 career points, Wilkins is constantly finding ways to get on the scoresheet as he tallied 31 points in each of his two previous seasons. He also held a 13-game point streak throughout this season, posting seven goals and 12 assists during that span. Wilkins is a dynamic player with the puck. His playmaking ability and vision allow linemates Jack Dugan ’22 and Kasper Björkqvist ’20 plenty of opportunities to get shots on net and score goals. Also, Wilkins’ quick release and accurate shot enables him to make goalies miss and get on the board himself. Wilkins has proven to be an essential part of the Friars offense throughout his career in Friartown.
Hawkey joins Wilkins as a semifinalist for the Walter Brown Award. They join 18 other nominees from 12 other schools in the New England area. Hawkey continues to be the backbone for the Friars. The senior has blanked six teams so far this season, which earned him the all-time school record for career shutouts last weekend in Maine with 14. He needs just one more win to hold the all-time school record for wins as well. This season, Hawkey holds a 1.90 Goals Against Average (GAA), as well as a .917 Save Percentage. His six shutouts put him second in the country and his GAA is good enough for ninth. He joins four other goalies in the semifinalist pool.
These four Friars have been pivotal this season and have each made immense contributions to the team. Voting for the Hobey Baker nominees will continue through March 10 and the top 10 nominees will be announced on March 20. The hat trick finalists will be named on April 4, with the ceremony crowning the winner on April 12 as a part of the Frozen Four festivities in Buffalo, New York. Finalists for the Walter Brown Award, college hockey’s oldest nationally recognized honor, will be announced in March.
Women’s Basketball Splits Weekend Series
by The Cowl Editor on February 14, 2019
Friar Sports
By Thomas Zinzarella ’21
Sports Staff
This past weekend, the Providence College Women’s Basketball Team returned home, where they had a two game homestand against the Seton Hall University Pirates and the St. John’s University Red Storm. The Friars had previously played both of these teams on the road earlier in the year, falling to the Pirates back on Jan. 13, 79-73. The Friars hosted Seton Hall on Friday, February 8, defeating them 82-75 in Alumni Hall.
Both teams started the game off hot by shooting over 50 percent from the floor before Seton Hall took a nine-point lead heading into halftime. The Friars were able to keep it close thanks to Kyra Spiwak ’22, who scored 11 points in 12 minutes off the bench in the first half of the game. It was all Friars in the second half, led by Maddie Jolin ’19 who scored 21 of her 25 total points in the second half. Jolin finished the game three for five from behind the arc and a perfect 10 for 10 from the charity stripe. Mary Baskerville ’22 also pulled in a strong performance for the Friars, notching her 4th career double-double, scoring 14 points, 14 rebounds, and adding three blocks. Baskerville now has 41 blocks, tying the freshman program record, with five more Big East regular season contests to come.
The Friars continued the charge with their defensive presence by holding the Big East leading scorer Shaheen Samuels to just three points in the second half after her 14-point burst in the first half. The Friars came back from a 13-point deficit to split the season series.
After the game, Head Coach Jim Crowley believed that his team was outhustled in the first half, “The last three minutes of the 3rd quarter got us believing…a couple of shots dropped, and it just got us going.” Coach Crowley emphasized his team “being able to get to the foul line” was key in the second half. The Friars shot 18 for 19 from the free throw line in the game while going 17 for 17 from the line in the second half.
On Sunday, the Friars took on St. John’s University. The Friars defeated the Red Storm in overtime back on Jan. 11 with a score of 67-66. The Friars started the game hot with a 9-0 run before St. John’s was forced to call a timeout.
The Friars continued to surge in the second quarter, when an 8-2 run put them ahead 23-12 before St. John’s closed the half on a 15-4 run. The Friars once again tried to get to the free throw line in the second half as they did on Friday night. The Friars were a perfect 10 for 10 but were unable to lift the lid off the basket. Friars shot just 1-14 from downtown in the game. The Friars were defeated in the end by a final score of 60-57. They were once again led by Jolin, who scored 14 points while Baskerville followed suit with another double-double, scoring 11 points and snatching 11 rebounds. The Friars are now 14-11 ooveralland 6-7 in the Big East.
The Friars will head out to play the Xavier University Musketeers and the Butler University Bulldogs on the road before heading back to Providence to finish their regular season with a three game homestand. You can watch the Friars take on Xavier this Friday on Fox Sports 2 at 7 p.m.
Friars Fall to Villanova
by The Cowl Editor on February 14, 2019
Friar Sports
Friars Go Into “Do or Die” Mode as They Get Ready for Playoffs
By Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports Staff
The last week has been difficult and disappointing for the Providence College Men’s Basketball Team, but nevertheless an improvement from what the season has provided, helping fans and students keep a positive mindset moving forward as the season progresses towards its finale at Madison Square Garden for the Big East Tournament.
The week began with the Friars headlining a home game against the 15-9 Georgetown University Hoyas. After a stunning defeat in overtime at Georgetown, the Friars looked to bounce back and secure a win. Unfortunately, while keeping a close game throughout the first half, the second half of the game belonged to Georgetown as they went on a scoring tear, defeating the Friars 76-67.
This put the Hoyas in fourth place in the Big East standings; while the Friars have jumped back and forth in the standings, currently they are in ninth place.
After the game, Head Coach Ed Cooley stated, “It has just been one of those years. You just have to hang in there and get onto the next game…I never want to get used to losing…and we have to get our team into a good space.”
On a side note, during the game forward/guard Alpha Diallo ’20 became one of only 50 Friars to join the 1,000-point club.
Later that week, the Friars traveled down to the city that never sleeps and took on St. John’s University with a record of 18-7. This was the first matchup of the two teams this season, and all eyes have been on St. John’s point guard Shamorie Ponds, who led his team to victory against Marquette University.
However, the Friars managed to turn things around and handed St. John’s a loss at their home court—Madison Square Garden—with a final score of 70-56. The game was led by center Nate Watson ’21 who scored 18 points and had five rebounds. There was also a notable double-double from Diallo, who had 10 points and 15 rebounds.
This spark was needed as the Friars traveled down to play against the always red-hot Villanova University. While the Friars bounced back and forth for the lead against the Wildcats, the last few minutes of the second half belonged to the Villanova as they went on a scoring tear to end the game at 85-67. Watson lead in scoring again with another 18 point game and six rebounds, however, it was not enough to stop Eric Paschall and Phil Booth’s 25 and 22 point game, respectively.
This now puts Providence at one of their lowest records at 14-11 overall, and 4-8 in the entire conference. The Friars now need to figure out a gameplay strategy that works for them for the remaining six games of the season.
The next game brings the team back home to the Dunk against Xavier University for the two teams’ second matchup of the season. The last time these two met up in Cincinnati, the Friars found themselves a 64-62 victory, and will look to reignite that spark to avoid another losing streak.
While so far the road has seemed tough, the road ahead does show some light. It may look as if the Friars are knocked out right now with no chance of a March Madness appearance this season, but fans and critics will continue to show support for their hometown Friars.