Tag: Friar Sports
Editor’s Corner
by The Cowl Editor on January 24, 2019
Friar Sports
With a little luck (and help) the Friars can still go dancing
By Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Co-Editor
It has been a tale of two seasons for the Providence College Men’s Basketball Team. After a successful nonconference schedule in which the team got its 10 wins that they usually strive for and only had one bad loss to University of Massachusetts-Amherst (again), the team has struggled to put together a complete game against their Big East opponents. While many Friar fans are nervous that the team will miss their first NCAA Tournament in six years based on their start in the conference, there is still plenty of time for the team to turn their fortune around. With 12 games left, the Friars can still reach the 10 conference wins needed to put themselves in a position to be called on Selection Sunday. Here is what needs to happen:
1. A.J. Reeves ’22 returns to form quickly.
The offense just has not looked the same ever since Reeves went down with a foot injury in early December. While Alpha Diallo ’20 may be the team’s most versatile player on the offensive end, Reeves has simply been the best shooter on a team that has struggled to find success behind the arc. He leads the team in shooting from three with 45.3 percent and has made the second most threes on the team despite missing nine games. Until the star freshman makes his return, it will be hard to win a shootout versus teams like Marquette University.
2. Get one win between Marquette and Villanova University.
Even if the Friars reach 10 wins in the conference, the selection committee always will look at what teams you beat. Right now the team is missing that key signature win that will put them above other teams. While wins over Power-Five Conference teams like the University of South Carolina and the University of Texas are solid, neither team is a top team in their respective conference. Last season, the Friars got two big wins over ranked teams in Villanova and Xavier University. With a much tougher nonconference schedule this year than last, one win over the top of the Big East will go a long way for the Friars.
3. A team or two needs to falter down the stretch.
The yearly theme in the Big East is that every game will be a dogfight and there will be no easy wins to come by. That theme never has been truer than this season. After Marquette and Villanova, no team currently has a winning conference record. So while the Friars may only be less than two games behind third place, they need to jump above several teams to get back into the top half of the league. Having more than three teams finish at 10-8 might mean that one of those teams will be left out. Friars are going to need to sweep usual contenders such at Butler University and Xavier and hope those teams fall below .500 at the end of the season.
PC Player’s Retirement Sheds Light on a Larger Issue
by The Cowl Editor on January 17, 2019
Friar Sports
Is Lack of Research the Culprit Behind Female Athlete Concussions?
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
On October 1, 2018, Jessica “Jessie” Spontak ’20, publicly announced her decision to retire from volleyball. Her reason for walking away from the sport that brought her to Providence College? Too many concussions.
Concussions have been a hot topic in the sports world over the past decade and while most conversations about them is in conjunction with men’s football, hockey, and soccer, female athlete concussions of all sports have been spiking higher numbers than male athletes. Recent research has shown that female athletes are 50 percent more likely to be diagnosed with a concussion than male athletes.
Yet, despite this statistic, concussion research has primarily been contained to male athletes. As Marjorie Snyder of the Washington Post writes, there is “painfully little research” conducted on concussions in female athletes. With the majority of existing research consisting of studying male athletes and how to prevent concussions in men’s sports, female athletes are being put at a greater risk as little is being done to make them less susceptible to concussions. Synder’s research for her article, “Girls suffer sports concussions at a higher rate than boys. Why is that overlooked?” makes the claim that the lack of knowledge (stemming from the lack of research being done) makes it difficult to know the best way to prevent concussions in female athletes.
Concussions in female athletes have been written off as nothing more than the result of sex differences, in particular, the differing structures of the neck. Almost all research has concluded that the structure of the female body makes them more predisposed to concussions and that is the farthest most research goes.
However, it is proving to not be enough as women are suffering symptoms that take extended amounts of time to recover from and their quality of life is being altered due to excess concussions.
Spontak, when asked about what ultimately led her to calling it quits on her volleyball career after she sustained her fourth concussion from a seemingly contact-free sport, admitted that the main factor was her “quality of life post volleyball.” To her, completing four years on the team was “not worth it” to her when all of the health problems she could face as a result of four severe concussions were laid out in front of her.
Shannon Bauman, a sports physician who began to study brain injuries after she suffered her own concussion and received insufficient care, noted in her study that 35 percent of female athletes will still show concussion symptoms up to more than six months after their initial diagnosis. Spontak, when discussing her concussion history, said that with her first concussion, she missed four months of school and with her least severe concussion, she missed just over a month.
Prolonged short-term symptoms faced not only by Spontak during all of her concussions, but by both male and female athletes, include sensitivity to sound, light, pressure headaches, and trouble focusing. However, research is beginning to come out with what long-term, life-altering symptoms can result from multiple concussions.
“There is a lot of research that shows that I could be at high risks for depression and anxiety…and mood disorders,” said Spontak. Doctors informed her that, as a result of sustaining four severe concussions, she would “have a really hard time focusing and moving on with school.”
With a majority of research now taking a look at how female athletes will be affected by concussions, the fact still remains that there is little to no research on how to prevent them in the first place.
David Milzman, MD, stated at the Georgetown University Medical Center Summit on Concussions in Females, “There is very little solid data now about sex in concussion presentation or outcomes. It is not clear…and that is why we need to investigate it.”
In men’s sports, a majority of the concussions sustained are contact-based. However, because women’s sports are not supposed to have as much contact, it becomes assumed that they are not at risk for concussions. However, in the case of women’s hockey, for example, the players will be diagnosed with concussions at nearly three times the rate of college football players. Similarly, in sports such as baseball and softball, softball players experience concussions at double the rate of baseball players.
As Spontak points out, the games themselves cannot be changed: player-to-player contact, falling to the ground, and being hit in the head are all risks that are a part of any sport. Therefore, research needs to be altered to fit these unpreventable factors. In terms of female athletes, rather than focusing on how life will be impacted post-concussion, there needs to be a switch to how to prevent them in the first place, like the research with men’s sports-related concussions is.
There is a problem with studies in preventing concussions altogether though. Spontak acknowledges the problem as being the fact that how games are played is personal. Players contort and push their bodies to the max and reach limits that others may not be able to make. PC assistant athletic trainer Jessie Fong reinforces this statement, describing concussions to be a “unique injury.”
“Concussions can fall under such a wide spectrum,” Fong states. “They can present differently between two individuals, they could present differently between two separate episodes within one individual.”
So what should the research focus on?
Spontak believes researching improvements on equipment worn is the key to battling the concussion epidemic. At the moment, only a handful of women’s sports require headgear to be worn at all times. With more protective equipment, there could be a reduction in concussions sustained by female athletes.
And while some take more extreme measures in calling for the federal government to step in and make a change, the simple solution is to just dedicate as much research time received by men’s sports to female sports.
Concussions are not just a problem male athletes face, and prevention techniques must be researched and learned by all to make not just sports, but the quality of life beyond the game better for all athletes, men and women alike.
Twenty Friars Named to All-Big East Teams
by The Cowl Editor on December 6, 2018
Friar Sports
Soccer Teams and Field Hockey Each Send Five Players
By Cam Smith ’21
Sports Staff
The fall sports season has come to a close, meaning that the time to honor athletic accomplishments is now upon us. All six Providence College Division I teams, who finished their seasons by the end of November, saw players receive All-Big East honors. Three of these six teams saw a whopping five players receive conference accolades.
The PC Women’s Soccer Team was one of the teams to nab five All-Big East awards, marking the most in program history. Katie Day ’19 is the second PC women’s soccer player ever to earn back-to-back All-Big East First Team Honors. The dominant defender started every game for the Friars this season, including one in which she headed home the game-winning goal against Marquette University.
Shelby Hogan ‘20RS, Kayla Steeves ’19, and Hannah McNulty ‘21 were awarded Second Team Honors, while Hannah Morgan ’22 was named to the All-Freshman Team. Hogan had a tremendous year in her second season as the team’s goalkeeper, while McNulty led the Friars in goals scored with 10.
On the PC Men’s Soccer Team, five All-Big East awards were also handed out. Tiago Mendonca ‘20RS took home First Team Honors as the crafty midfielder led the Friars in goals (five), points (10), and shots (40). Colin Miller ‘19RS and Klisman Sousa ’19RS picked up Second Team Honors. Miller, the starting goalkeeper for the past three seasons, reached eight shutouts for the second time in his very successful career, finishing the season with nine. Two impressive newcomers in Ramzi Qawasmy ’22 and Gil Santos ’22 were named to the All-Big East Freshman Team. Qawasmy logged the second-most minutes of anyone on the team while Santos hammered home three goals.
The field hockey team rounds out the squads to pick up five All-Big East Honors, as the team saw one member named to the All-Big East First Team and four named to the All-Big East Second Team. The team’s five All-Big East selections are the second-most in program history. Corinne Kenney ’19 was the player to find herself on the First Team. She anchored the Friar defense while also setting a career high in assists with five. Her selection only adds to her long list of accolades, including being an All-Academic Team honoree.
Maddie Babineau ’21, Izzy Mendez ’20, Mary O’Reilly ’20, and Lydia Rice ’19 were the four additional players who garnered All-Big East Second Team Honors. Babineau started all 18 games for PC this year and posted career highs in points (12), goals (three) and assists (six). Mendez accumulated a team-best seven goals, while O’Reilly pitched in 10 points. She also received various academic honors. Rice’s lone season in goal for the Friars was a superb one, as she had five shutouts and had the highest save percentage across the entire conference.
Moving away from the field and onto the race course, four different Friars picked up All-Big East Honors for the cross country teams. On the women’s side, runners Abbey Wheeler ’20, Regan Rome ’18G, and Tessa Barrett ’18G all finished top 20 at the Big East Cross Country Championships, determining their status as All-Big East. Wheeler capped off a tremendous season with a fourth overall finish in a time of 20:35.3.
For the men, Ryan Gallagher ’21 also earned the Honors due to his top-20 finish at the championships.
The final All-Big East honoree was volleyball star Allison Impellizeri ’19. She was named to the All-Big East Second Team after leading the Friars in kills (326) and total blocks (86). Impellizeri also ranked fifth in hitting percentage in the Big East.
As the athletic calendar moves to the winter season, the Friars who will take to the court and ice can only hope to match the all-around success of the fall athletes.
PC Takes On Northeast Rivals
by The Cowl Editor on December 6, 2018
Friar Sports
By Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Co-Editor
With conference games less than a month away, it is easy for Friar fans to look forward to seeing the Providence College Men’s Basketball Team get another chance to upset Villanova University and Xavier University in front of the home crowd at the Dunkin’ Donut Center. After having played against weaker competition in Iona University and Fairleigh Dickinson University, teams who, to the average fan, are fairly unrecognizable.
Yet, as the calendar turned to December, the Friars had three games in a row against northeast teams that Friars fans love to hate.
On Dec. 1, the Friars faced off against in-state rival University of Rhode Island at the Dunk in front of a sellout crowd. PC was looking for revenge after the Rams snapped the Friars’ seven-game winning streak last season at the Ryan Center in Kingston, Rhode Island. Both teams have brought new faces into the rivalry as a total of six freshmen played in the game. URI also featured a new coach in David Cox after long time coach Dan Hurley left to coach at the University of Connecticut.
PC got the early jump out of the gates led by A.J. Reeves ’22. Reeves scored eight of the Friars’ first 10 points, including back-to-back threes to force URI to call an early timeout. PC controlled both ends of the court and finished the half leading URI 39-27. Reeves would lead the Friars in scoring for the day with 15 points.
Both teams struggled to score in the second half as they combined to make only ten shots. PC’s zone defense held the Rams to 20 percent shooting in the second half, while only going 1-11 from the three-point line. Cox credited PC’s physicality for forcing URI to miss some easy shots. PC’s offense was equally as bad as the Friars were able to score 20 points in the half but managed to keep the game just out of reach for URI. Head Coach Ed Cooley referenced the defensive battle as a “typical PC-URI rock fight.”
On a day when Alpha Diallo ’20 and David Duke ’22 drew most of the defensive attention, and combined for nine points, it was the under-the-radar performance from “silent assassin” Isaiah Jackson ’19RS that made the difference for the Friars. Jackson, who began the season in the starting lineup but has since been coming off the bench, played 26 minutes and gave the Friars 13 points and nine rebounds in a game where points were hard to come by.
“He is such a calming influence,” Cooley said of Jackson, “he doesn’t say much, he just produces. Whether it’s a free throw, a loose ball, a big three, he is always communicating. He’s our leader.”
URI brought a full-court press with less than five minutes left with the game still in reach, but the Friars were able to make enough plays down the stretch to win 59-50 and finish the home stand at a perfect 3-0.
Three days later, PC faced off against the Boston College Eagles who have also gotten off to a hot start this season coming into the game at 6-1. The Friars were looking to win at Chestnut Hill for the first time since 2004, when Cooley was an assistant coach for BC.
Once again, PC’s offense came out hot scoring 39 points in the first half, but struggled to slow down the Eagles who had four players score seven or more points, including nine from star player Ky Bowman, as Boston College dropped 43 in the half. Nate Watson ’21 led the Friars in scoring at the half with eight points to go along with six rebounds.
The Friars took advantage of the Eagles’ lack of size throughout the game. BC was missing their 6’11” forward Nik Popovic due to injury. PC scored 44 points in the paint as Watson had a double-double, recorded 19 points and 10 rebounds.
In the second half, BC took a seven-point lead early after a Bowman layup to make it 53-46 in favor of the Eagles with 17:03 left to go in the game. The Friars fought back to take the lead on multiple occasions as the score would go back and forth down into the final minutes of the game.
With 11 seconds to go, the Friars found themselves down 84-87 with one last chance to send the game into overtime after a Friars timeout.
With the clock running down, Duke ran the ball down the court and found Reeves coming off a screen at the top of the key for a last second three to tie the game at 87 and force overtime. Reeves finished the game with 24 points, which was the most for PC.
In overtime, the Friars had the lead for most of the five minutes and kept the lead at hand by going 9-14 at the free throw line to outscore BC 13-8 and win the game 100-95, the Friars first true road victory of the year.
The Friars, now 7-2, will take on the University of Massachusetts-Amherst Minutemen on Friday, Dec. 7 at home. The Friars lost in Amherst last season 72-63.
Women’s Basketball Starting to Find Stride
by The Cowl Editor on December 6, 2018
Friar Sports
Team Goes 1-1 at the Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament
By Scott Jarosz ’21
Sports Staff
The Providence College Women’s Basketball Team had mixed results at this year’s Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament. The tournament consisted of all four Division I teams in Rhode Island, including the University of Rhode Island, Brown University, Bryant University, and PC. This year, the tournament was held on the URI campus at the Ryan Center from Dec. 1 to Dec. 2.
PC’s women’s basketball team came into the Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament with a three game winning streak and a 3-2 record overall. The previous three wins came over Sacred Heart University, Boston College, and Yale University. PC’s first test in the tournament was a first-round game against URI, a team that also boasted a 3-2 record entering the matchup. The game tipped off at 12 p.m. on Saturday. PC came out of the gates somewhat slowly, shooting just 11/28 (39.3%) from the field in the first half. Despite its low field goal percentage, PC managed to hold its own in the first quarter, trailing 23-19 at its end. PC struggled much more in the second quarter, scoring just 11 points while URI scored 18. PC’s struggles could be contributed in part to turnovers, as the team racked up 13 of them in the first half. By the end of the first half, URI led PC 41-30, with Maddie Jolin ’19 and Jovana Nogic ’19 leading PC in scoring with eight points each.
PC came back far stronger in the second half, outscoring URI 19-17 in the third quarter and 16-14 in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, the team’s strong second-half effort was not enough to overcome the first-half deficit; PC eventually fell to URI by a score of 65-72. PC’s record dropped to 3-3 on the season but there were some positive takeaways for the team. Nogic finished the game with 20 points, including six three-point field goals. Forward Mary Baskerville ’22 also notched a career-high point total of 11 points and retrieved eight rebounds.
Jolin added 10 points and six rebounds for the team as well. After the loss, PC went on to play Bryant University in a consolation game on Sunday.
Sunday’s game versus Bryant also tipped off at 12 p.m. at PC. Bryant entered Sunday’s matchup with a record of 2-5. This time, PC was more than ready to play and started the game strong. The team outscored Bryant 19-10 in the first quarter and Nogic continued to play strong, scoring 10 points in the first half alone. The team boasted a 53.8 field goal percentage, shooting 14/26 from the floor. At the half, PC led Bryant by a score of 33-31.
Bryant continued to challenge PC in the second half as both teams scored 21 points in the third quarter. However, PC was ultimately able to distance itself in the fourth quarter, outscoring Bryant 18-12. PC won the game 72-64 and improved its record to 4-3 this season. The team has now won four of its last five games. Nogic continued her impressive performance in the second half, adding 12 more points for a game-high total of 22 points. Another player who helped power PC’s offensive attack was Andrea Cooper ’21, who tallied eight second-half points and finished with 14 total points. The team now looks to prepare for its next game, which is scheduled to take place Saturday, December 8 against University of Massachusetts, Lowell in Lowell, Massachusetts.
Women’s Hockey Clinches Mayor’s Cup
by The Cowl Editor on December 6, 2018
Friar Sports
By Gavin Woods ’22
Sports Staff
On Dec. 4, the Providence College Women’s Hockey Team added to their already impressive record with a staggering 8-0 road win over the Brown University Bears at the 24th Mayor’s Cup. The Friars are now 14-3 and hold the eighth position in the top 10 Division I women’s team standings.
Providence bounced back in a big way, following their disappointing 1-2 loss to the University of Connecticut Huskies. The Friars first found the back of the net with an unassisted goal with 10:53 to go in the first period by Emily Landry ’19. Providence then followed up with a beautiful assist from Sara Hjalmarsson ’22 to Cassidy MacPherson ’19 before the end of the period.
The Friars continued to push the puck early in the second period, resulting in Hayley Lunny’s ’21 rebound goal from Annelise Rice ’21. Roughly four minutes later, PC capitalized on a powerplay when Meaghan Rickard ’20 found Kate Friesen ’19 to extend their lead to 4-0 with 12:21 left in the period.
The Friars showed no signs of slowing as the final period began. MacPherson secured another goal, this time unassisted, just 1:59 into the third period. Maureen Murphy ’21 was next with a goal, assisted by Christina Putigna ’19 with 9:25 left in the game. In the final five minutes, Ciara Barone ’22 scored, and Caroline Peterson ’22 scored her first career goal for PC off an assist from Murphy.
For the Friars, the story of the game was possession. Head Coach Matthew Kelly emphasized, “Moving our feet and moving the puck–that was the biggest thing. We were working the puck low to high.” When asked how the team was able to shut out Brown’s leading scorer, forward Sena Hanson, Kelly responded, “We were definitely playing more offense than defense, and I think that helps. It also limits the chances that a player like that can get.” Even when PC was on defense, they remained composed and dominant throughout the game. Obviously, the shutout points to an impressive display by both the defense and goalkeepers Madison Myers ’19, with 12 saves in the first two periods, and Clare Minnerath ’20 with three saves in the third.
Despite the contradictory final score, Kelly did have praise for the Bears of Brown, saying, “They’ve had some big wins this year. Look at some of the teams they beat: Cornell University, Colgate University, and the University of Connecticut. They are a team that, if you give them time and space, will be opportunistic with their chances.”
This was no ordinary game, however. The Friars faced off with the Bears for the 24th installment of the annual Mayor’s Cup. The Mayor’s Cup was created to celebrate the exciting rivalry between two talented teams in Providence. Brown took the first Mayor’s Cup in 1966, with a 4-3 win. The Friars, however, have now won the last five meetings, and lead the Bears 11-10 in the series. Kelly seems to think the trophy on the line may have contributed to success for the Friars, “Definitely different when you’re playing for a trophy. It always amps everybody’s focus and attention to detail. It’s fun. We had one of these opportunities back in the Nutmeg Classic, and we won that. So, we had some experience, going for a trophy. ”
The Friars look forward to the Crusaders of the College of Holy Cross, facing off with on Friday, Dec. 7 at Schneider Arena.
Men’s Hockey Beats UNH
by The Cowl Editor on December 6, 2018
Friar Sports
By Sam Scanlon ’19
Sports Staff
Every Hockey East series, game, and goal are incredibly crucial at this stage of the season. As the halfway point in the 2018-19 season approaches, Providence College’s matchup against the University of New Hampshire Wildcats last weekend was no different. The No. 10 NCAA Division I ranked Providence College Friars came into the weekend following a disappointing Thanksgiving trip to No. 7 University of Denver, falling in the first contest and tying in the second.
Friday night’s tilt started off on the right foot as Jason O’Neill ’21 deposited his second goal of the season just 20 seconds in. O’Neill’s wrister came from a low angle and was able to sneak by the UNH netminder to put the Friars up 1-0 early in the game. Following a Josh Wilkins ’20 injury, O’Neill had to slide into the first line center role this weekend. Although Wilkins left a large offensive void this weekend, an increase in O’Neill’s production is pivotal for an offense who is capable of dismantling defenses across the NCAA.
UNH struck back in the second period as a Friars’ powerplay mishap led to a 2-on-1 for the Wildcats the other way. A one timer made its way past Hayden Hawkey ’19 and into the back of the net for the equalizer. The rest of regulation would remain scoreless and the Friars would enter their second overtime in a row.
Once again, Hawkey stood tall in his crease making 23 saves, including a number of acrobatic ones down the stretch late in the third period and throughout overtime. Unable to capitalize past the opening 20 seconds, the Friars had to settle for a second straight tie.
Game two appeared to be more of the same, any sort of offensive production was hard to come by. Dominating the Wildcats in shots, UNH was able to capitalize on their first high quality chance in the second period on the powerplay. The third period was well underway and the Friars still had not been able to find the back of the net. However, the timely spark came from an unlikely source as all 6’6” of Vincent Desharnais ’19 took a feed from Brandon Duhaime ’20 in the high slot and sent it past the UNH goalkeeper to tie the game at one with just over nine minutes left to play.
For the second night in a row, a 1-1 scoreboard hung over center ice in the waning moments of the game. With a little under three minutes left to play, Duhaime took the puck and found the speedy 2018 Philadelphia Flyers’ 1st round draft pick (19th overall), Jay O’Brien ’22, streaking down the ice. O’Brien, who has been unable to find the back of the net this season, broke in on a breakaway and slid it across the goal line with 2:32 left in the contest. Following the game, Head Coach Nate Leaman reflected on the goal in his post-game press conference by saying, “big finish for Jay O’Brien. That was great for him to get his first goal at a time that we needed him.”
Spenser Young ’20 provided the insurance tally as he netted his fifth marker of the year. The final score was 3-1 and the Friars were able to grind out a huge 4-point weekend in the Hockey East. Leaman added, “[I’m] really proud of the team how they stuck with it and found a way to win a game on the road…It’s nice that the guys came back and responded with a good team win.”
The Friars close out the first half of the season on Friday with a contest against Merrimack College before heading into break. The action picks back up just after Christmas as they travel to Dartmouth College to participate in the 2018 Ledyard Classic. They will take on Ivy League opponents Brown University and Dartmouth University, two games that the Friars should use to get their offensive weapons back on track.
A weekend series against Miami University (OH), a team that Hawkey kept off the board in Erie, Pennsylvania, is next in January followed by a critical weekend against Hockey East foes Boston College and Boston University just before the Friars return to campus. A stretch that can propel the Friars into a successful second half run is within reach.
Remembering Mark Adams
by The Cowl Editor on November 29, 2018
Friar Sports
By Cam Smith ’21
Sports Staff
Mark Adams ’15RS always wanted to go to Providence College. Ten schools recruited the Boxford, Massachusetts native during his time with the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League, but only one ever had a chance of landing him. “He was hell-bent on going to Providence from day one,” explained his father, Mark Adams Sr. “That’s where he wanted to go.”
Adams, more affectionately known by his nickname “Roo” after the Winnie the Pooh character, appeared in 98 career games for the Providence College Men’s Hockey Team. The smooth-skating defenseman battled injuries for most of his career, limiting him to only seven appearances in both the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons. Though frustrating, his scattered appearances allowed Adams to receive a medical redshirt to skate for a fifth season, a season which would culminate with the first national championship in PC hockey history.
As a redshirt senior, Adams appeared in 32 games for the championship Friars, notching a goal and two assists in addition to his shutdown defensive play. To top off the thrill of the victory, Adams was able to lift the championship trophy at TD Garden, in front of family and friends. The Friars defeated Boston University 4-3. “That was great for him, especially being in Boston, too,” said his brother Jack Adams. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him.”
Following his graduation, Adams signed a contract with the Los Angeles Kings, but recurring knee injuries forced him to retire from the game he loved. Instead, he entered into the world of business, and moved to New York to work for a hedgefund. However, the allure of the Bay State proved too strong, and Adams soon moved back to Boston. When his father’s company, Cambridge Therapeutic, expanded, Adams was offered a position running the pharmaceutical division.
Most days, Adams was up at 4 a.m. for a conference call with his associates in China. If someone walked into his office during one of these calls, they might see Mandarin scrawled across the whiteboard. Adams was teaching himself the language for an upcoming business excursion overseas. “People don’t realize how brilliant he was,” Jack Adams said. “He did a great job for us,” commented Adams Sr. on his son’s work. “He was very mature for his age. It was nice, as a dad, to watch that development. He’s 10 times smarter than I’ll ever be.”
It was one of these early mornings when tragedy struck. On Sept. 17, at the age of 27, Adams passed away after suffering a heart attack.
The 2014-15 PC championship team had already lost one of their members when they heard the news about Adams: forward Drew Brown ’16 passed away in November 2017 after a battle with bone cancer. Once again, this close-knit team had to look to each other for support as they grieved the loss of another beloved teammate.
Adams’ teammates mourned the passing of a man whose impact on the team went far beyond his stellar performance on the Schneider Arena ice. “Roo was one of those teammates that would do anything for another guy on our team,” remembered Kevin Rooney ’16, a member of the championship-winning squad. “Almost every single day he would ask the guys to come over to his place for dinner. It got to the point where sometimes we had to say no because we felt bad not buying any of the food.” Rooney recalled a time where Adams hosted the entire team at his apartment in downtown Providence for a Christmas party.
“Roo’s (passing) kind of came out of nowhere,” remarked Mark Jankowski ’16, another key player for the 2014-15 team. “It’s tough any time one of your good buddies passes, never mind two of them,” Jankowski said referring also to the passing of Brown. “They were both ‘one of the boys’ and it’s now tough knowing you won’t be able to see them again.”
The Adams family held a celebration of Mark’s life at Turner Country Club on Sept. 24. Five hundred people attended, while an additional 200 were turned away because the room was well over capacity. Another 80 people sat in the side rooms listening to the service over a speaker. “It was pretty amazing that many people came. I love hearing all the reflections of stories about relationships he had,” said Adams Sr. “…he definitely cared and wanted to do things for other people.”
On Friday, November 30, the Friars will host “Roo Adams Night” for their home game against the University of New Hampshire. There, the Most Outstanding Teammate Award, given annually, will be renamed in Adams’ honor.
Women’s Ice Hockey Wins Nutmeg Classic
by The Cowl Editor on November 29, 2018
Friar Sports
By Sam Scanlon ’19
Sports Staff
As Providence College students traveled their separate ways for Thanksgiving with their families, the Women’s Ice Hockey Team traveled to compete in this year’s Nutmeg Classic in New Haven, Connecticut. The Lady Friars joined Yale University, Quinnipiac University, and the University of Connecticut in this tournament.
The 8th ranked Friars were slated to faceoff against Yale in game one of the Nutmeg Classic. In a tight back and forth contest that included a scoreless first period, the Friars struck first courtesy of alternate captain Christina Putigna ’19. Putigna jammed in her seventh goal in just 10 games to put PC up 1-0 midway through the second frame.
As Yale evened up the score in the third period, Sara Hjalmarsson ’22 buried her sixth notch of the season to break the tie late in the third period. Maddie Myers ’19 would stop all remaining Bulldog opportunities and the Friars were able to hold on 2-1. PC outshot Yale 33-15 in this contest as they advanced to the Nutmeg Classic Championship Game.
The Championship game, came against the Quinnipiac University Bobcats as they ousted the UCONN Huskies in their first game. The stakes were higher in this contest as each team was battling for a chance to bring home a mid-season trophy, which is critical for momentum at this point of the season.
However, another tight matchup saw the Bobcats take a 1-0 lead in the final minute of the opening period. The Friars desperately began to claw their way back into the game, but to no avail as the second period came to a close with the score remaining 1-0 Quinnipiac.
It took until the midway point of the third period to finally break the ice as Hayley Lunny ’21 provided the equalizer on the Power Play from Maureen Murphy ’21. It was Lunny’s second strike of the season. The assist was good enough for Murphy’s team leading 24th point (12G, 12A) of the year. She extended her point streak to eight games and pushed herself into fifth in the NCAA in points.
Both teams traded chances as the clock wound down, but it was Lunny who struck again with just over five minutes remaining in the game. Her second tally of the period stood as the game winner as the Friars took down the Bobcats 2-1 to capture the 2018 Nutmeg Classic.
Myers finished the tournament by allowing just two goals and making 34 saves. She joined the tournament hero, Lunny, on the All-Tournament team, as they represented PC for their fantastic efforts in bringing home the Nutmeg Classic Championship.
Lunny’s two goal effort that lifted the Friars to their 2-1 Championship victory earned her Hockey East Player of the Week for the first time in her career. With the two wins during the weekend, the Lady Friars extended their win streak to eight straight games and brought their overall record to 12-2. They jumped up a spot in the national rankings to number eight and are set to face off against UCONN for a home-and-home series this weekend.
Men’s Swim Wins Harold Anderson Invitational
by The Cowl Editor on November 29, 2018
Friar Sports
By Liza Sisk ’19
Sports Staff
The Providence College Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Teams are making waves in competition this season. The teams are in the midst of their seasons, working towards the Big East Swimming & Diving Championships Feb. 20-23.
On Nov. 16-18 the Friars traveled to Kingston, Rhode Island to participate in the Harold Anderson Invitational. The competition was hosted by the University of Rhode Island at the Tootell Aquatic Center.
The women secured third place, and the men took home first. The weekend also brought a personal record for a swimmer on the men’s team. Justin Viotto ’22, had a record-setting performance in the 200-yard butterfly and the 400-yard IM. His performance in the 200-yard butterfly earned him a 1:50.20 time, beating the school record previously set by Sebastian Melendez ’21 in 2018. Viotto also topped the previous school record for the 400-yard IM with a time of 4:00.70. The previous IM record was held by John Fatigati ’15, earned in 2014.
The women proved to be competitive in the Invitational as well. Lauren Zawacki ’21 earned a second place finish in the 100-yard freestyle with a 52.91 finish. Madeline Snow ’19, earned a second place finish in the 200-yard butterfly with a 2:07.26 time. Zawacki also took home third place in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 24.28. The success of the Lady Friars was also propelled by a first place relay finish. The 200-yard freestyle relay consisting of Jennifer Bankes ’22, Katie Thornton ’21, Margie Keennan ’21, and Zawacki topped the other relays with a time of 1:36.73. The 800-yard freestyle relay win also contributed to the success of the Friars during the Invitational. Keennan, Zawacki, Thornton, and Snow earned an impressive 7:47.93.
Following his performance during the Invitational, Viotto was named to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll. The freshman received the award on Nov. 21. His record breaking performances and consistency in competition earned him this award.
Star breaststroker Ryan Trammell ’19 is competing at the Winter National Championships on Nov. 30 in Greensboro, North Carolina. The meet is hosted by USA Swimming and is held in a long course pool to allow for swimmers to compete for 2020 Olympic Trial cuts. Following this meet, the Friars will take a break from competing until Jan. 2 when the men return to face Brown University. The Friars will then head to their winter training trip in Ponce, Puerto Rico.