Tag: Friar Sports
Friars Get Nominated for Multiple Awards
by The Cowl Editor on February 14, 2019
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
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
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.
Former Friars: Where Are They Now?
by The Cowl Editor on February 14, 2019
Sports
Pro Ambitions Hockey Developers
By Cam Smith ’21
Sports Staff
Jeff Serowik’s ’90 professional hockey career came to an abrupt conclusion 10 years after he graduated from Providence College. It was then that Serowik suffered his career-ending concussion during a breakout season in the National Hockey League (NHL). He had tallied six assists in 26 games as a smooth skating defenseman for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Instead of taking time off from the ice following his injury, Serowik jumped right back onto it. “I graduated from Providence and that summer is when I started my camps, 29 years ago,” Serowik said in a recent interview with The Cowl. “I started off with one or two camps per summer while I was playing [professionally]… After the injury my wife and I took a lot of the money we saved over the years and invested it in this Pro Ambitions and really blew it up.”
Pro Ambitions Hockey is now the largest hockey development company in the world, offering dozens of different specialized training camps from “Hybrid Powerskating” to “European Micro Stick Skills.” Their Division I AAA Camp features Serowik and many other Hockey East alumni as coaches in a camp that is the official development program of Hockey East.
“We really took it throughout the country and into Europe and into Canada and kept expanding,” Serowik said of the now massive scope of Pro Ambitions. “Each year we tinker with it… We try to keep up with the times. The game is so fast now that we’ve created these different types of power skating camps and we try to keep up with the technology. We’ve been doing this for so long, you don’t want to get stale.”
Serowik and his team certainly have the technology nailed down, as they even offer the Pro Ambitions app that supplies on and off the ice training right from your phone. With these technological feats, in addition to the masterful training kids get on the ice, it is no wonder that Division I hockey and the NHL boasts numerous Pro Ambitions alumni. But, to Serowik, achievement on the ice is not the only way to measure success.
“It’s great when you see kids have victories, going off to prep school or going off to college to play,” Serowik explained. “But, the most rewarding thing for me is something like where a dad called me recently and said, ‘Hey, my son came to your camp 10 years ago. He’s working on Wall Street now. He said his boss gave him the job because of the handshake that he had.’”
At every camp he hosts, Serowik holds a handshake competition. There, he teaches the kids the importance of looking someone in the eye and maintaining a good firm grip. As his Wall Street anecdote shows, it certainly pays off down the line.
“Hockey’s hockey, we do a great job out on the ice, but I think you can differentiate yourself off the ice with your relationships with your coaches. These kids are there, and they want to learn. They’re little pieces of clay and you just got to mold the clay into the good people that you know they can be,” Serowik explained. “All that stuff is rewarding.”
While a lot has changed for Serowik since he last skated for the Friars, the PC experience remains dear to his heart. “Providence was just a fantastic experience. It’s a great school,” he lauded. He also commented on the transformation the campus has undergone since his time in Friartown, citing his amazement about all the new changes. “There’s a lot of chatter about it everywhere you go,” he went on to say. “A lot of applicants, a lot of great things going on in Providence. Kudos to them, I’m proud of it.”
In a testament to his good-natured disposition, Serowik closed his interview with some profound words about the lessons he hopes his campers take away from the camps they participate in. “Be the best you can be. Nothing replaces hard work. I want these kids working hard and being humble,” remarked the PC alum. “The biggest thing: I want them to improve. I want them to be a great person off the ice and I want them to enjoy it and be passionate about it on the ice.”
With this philosophy of hard work and all-around improvement, it is clear that the next generation of hockey players are in good hands with Jeff Serowik and Pro Ambitions Hockey.
Desharnais ’19 Nominated for Humanitarian Award
by The Cowl Editor on February 7, 2019
Athlete of the Week
Defenseman Raises Money to Fight Against Cancer
by Sam Scanlon ’19
Every eye in Schneider Arena is fixated on the home bench, as one by one the Friars enter the spotlight and take the ice, anchored by defenseman Vincent Desharnais ’19.
Standing at 6’6”, Desharnais plays the role of intimidator and aggressor on the ice, protecting his teammates at all costs. However, it is his contributions off the ice that have gotten him nationally recognized this year.
Desharnais is one of 17 nominees for the 2019 Hockey Humanitarian Award, which recognizes college hockey’s finest citizens for their efforts in their communities through leadership in volunteerism. Donning the “A” on his chest as the team’s alternate captain for the second straight year, Desharnais is no stranger to leadership on and off the ice.
In December, with the help of two classmates, Desharnais held an event at Schneider Arena called “PC Beats Cancer” to benefit the Gloria Gemma Resource Foundation.
“We decided to partner up with the Gloria Gemma Resource Foundation, because they specify in providing free services for individuals and families who are affected by breast cancer,” explained Desharnias.
This event was also hosted in honor of Providence College Women’s Hockey Team goaltender, Clare Minnerath ’20. “She was diagnosed with Stage 3 Lymphoma Cancer last April,” Desharnais said, “Her story was so inspirational that we decided to center our event around her.”
In order to raise funds during the event, $20 tickets were sold to members of the PC community, which allowed attendees access to food and beverages, as well as a raffle ticket for an autographed Noel Acciari ’15 jersey. Around 80 tickets were sold during the event.
“At first, our team’s goal was to raise $2,000…We ended up raising over $5,000 through our events and gofundme page within three weeks,” recounted Desharnais. The amount of money raised is certainly a terrific feat, but the leadership and determination of Desharnais is what set him apart and truly showed his character.
At first, not much money was being raised for their charity, which caused Desharnais plenty of frustration. Through positivity, he and his classmates were able to start raising more and more money. “I think my biggest takeaway is to have high goals and always stay positive,” a mentality that Desharnais utilized to have such a successful fundraiser.
“Also, if you want something, go get it. I sent over 150 personalized emails to my teachers, coaches, teammates, friends, and family members to let them know that I needed their help to make a difference.” Desharnais’ impressive motivation and leadership behind raising money for a cause that he is passionate about certainly shows why he is nominated for the Hockey Humanitarian Award.
Being nominated for an award for both on and off the ice contributions is assuredly a humbling experience, and Desharnais is well aware of that. He explained, “Being nominated for this award is truly an honor. I feel like not too long ago I was still in high school back home in Laval, Quebec. Now, here I am nominated for the Humanitarian Award.”
Since coming to Providence four years ago, Desharnais has matured significantly. From being a bottom defensive pairing player, to a two-year captain, to being recognized for community service, Desharnais has made the most of his college experience. It is clear that the Edmonton Oilers draft pick has mades strides both on and off the ice.
He is not planning on stopping here, however. As he enjoys his time reading to children in Providence schools, Desharnais has bigger plans for his community service. He stated, “I was passionate about the event and I would really like to hold an event yearly.”
Desharnais has demonstrated a tremendous amount of character throughout this entire process, and is incredibly deserving of this prestigious award. If you would like to support Desharnais and the Gloria Gemma Resource Foundation, visit www.gloriagemma.org to make a donation and find out more about this incredible cause.
Friars History: 2013 XCC Underdogs
by The Cowl Editor on February 7, 2019
Sports
Coach Treacy Discusses Special 2013 Cross Country Season
by Eileen Flynn ’20
For the past 33 years, Providence College has been lucky enough to have one of the best cross country and track coaches in the nation. Ray Treacy ’82 came back to coach in 1984, just two years after he graduated. The running program at PC has grown into a powerful dynasty, finishing on the podium in seven different seasons over the course of the last 30 years. I recently got a chance to ask Coach Treacy a few questions about his time at the College. When asked if the big wins and success stories of his former players help him return each year with the same energy, Treacy smiled thinking about the past. “It definitely keeps you motivated. There is a turnover every year, you lose some great runners and bring in others. The cycle has been pretty good to us over the years. Each group that comes into the program motivates you in a different way.”
Although Coach Treacy enjoys every year, there are obviously some seasons that are more memorable than the rest. Luckily for the Friars, there have been two in the past 25 years that have been extra special. In 1995 and again in 2013, Providence College clinched the highest title in the nation and became NCAA champions. Treacy described the season leading up to the 2013 race and the hard work it took to come out on top. “We had the top-three runners in the country on our team: Sarah Law, Emily Sisson, and freshman Catarina Rocha. Our number five person, who is just as important as the number one person, was Grace Thek. Unfortunately, she didn’t race that season until the week before the Big East.” At the pre-nationals meet, PC and all the other contenders were out-raced by Georgetown. Without Thek, Coach Treacy appreciated the lack of attention his team received during the season. He wasn’t nervous about losing a couple spots in the national ranking. In fact, he was grateful that it lightened the pressure on his athletes.
“After we introduced her at the Big East meet, and it went really well, we knew we had a really good chance of winning it.”
Big East was first on the agenda and the athletes from the College were focused and prepared. “We dominated that day. We had three in the top four and Catarina finished in 7th while Grace was closely behind in 13th.”
The confidence that came with winning the Big East helped the Friars in the national competition. Luckily enough, there were no injuries in between races. The three high-profile, all-American runners for Providence were ready to lead their team for one final race. Coach Treacy was grateful for the shortcomings in his 2011 and 2012 seasons because he thinks his team learned a lot from losing. On a very windy day in November, the Friars beat teams like University of Arkansas, Georgetown University, and University of Arizona and took the national title for the first time in over 15 years. “A fall could put an end to your chances of winning so it was all about staying on your feet and executing the race to the best of our ability and we knew we’d win if we could do that.”
It takes a certain type of coach to lead a team to victory. When asked about his coaching style, Treacy gave some insight into how he manages his team. “It’s a very individual sport and we treat everyone individually. You’re a team until you step on the line, you’re an individual from the time the gun goes off to the time you finish and you’re a team again at the finish line. It’s a matter of everyone doing their job on that day, and if everyone does their job than you’re going to be successful.” And successful these Friars were, in 2013 and in seasons since.
This past season was not exactly what Coach Treacy was hoping for, but even the Friars are allowed rebuilding years. “When you don’t go to the NCAA for us, that’s not good. A lot of things didn’t come together for us at the end of the season. To be successful at that level, you have to be good, but you also have to have a little bit of luck as well.” Looking forward, there is hopefully some luck in the future for the Friars. Although they will have a young team by normal standards, Coach Treacy is excited about the new talent joining the experienced group of runners. And with that Coach Treacy tells me, “I am just as excited about what I do now as I was 30 years ago.” The PC family is forever grateful to have a coach and person like Treacy on campus, and will be expecting great things as he continues his coaching career.
Dropping the Mitts for Drew Brown
by The Cowl Editor on February 7, 2019
Sports
PC Honors Former Hockey Player
by Meaghan Cahill ’20
The Providence College Men’s Hockey Team hosted more than the University of Vermont men’s hockey team this past weekend at Schneider Arena. In attendance at the game was none other than former Friar and Boston Bruins player Noel Acciari ’15 and family and friends of Drew Brown ’16.
Brown was a member of the hockey team that would go on to win the 2015 NCAA National Championships. During his junior year, Brown was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer, Ewing’s Sarcoma, after he took a hit to his left leg during a hockey playoff game the season before.
Brown overcame the cancer which is known for its one in a million diagnosis, but unfortunately his remission did not last long. In the spring of 2016, the cancer returned to Brown’s body. This time around, Brown was unable to win the fight against cancer and after continuous treatments and 24/7 care, he passed away at the age of 25 on November 11, 2017.
“Drew touched everyone with whom he came into contact with his energy, his smile, and his big heart. Drew showed amazing courage in his battle with cancer. Our Friar Family will miss him dearly,” Head Coach Nate Leaman commented after the passing of Brown.
One person who was with Brown through it all was Acciari. The two had a friendship that went all the way back to Kent School, a prep school that they both attended and played on the same hockey team. It is due to their long-lasting friendship that Acciari decided to start the “Dropping the Mitts for Drew Brown” fundraiser.
Starting out as a gofundme.com page, which has accrued more than $60,000, the fundraiser has expanded to the national level as Acciari uses his public platform to raise awareness for his friend and cause. The most notable moment that he utilized his platform was in November during the National Hockey League’s Hockey Fights Cancer month-long campaign when he did a special interview about Brown while wearing a custom-made lavender suit in honor of his friend.
“He left his legacy…he was a character guy and he always brought a smile to your face and was always laughing…I can still hear his laugh, it’s definitely missed,” Acciari commented.
And now, once again Acciari is taking the opportunity to raise awareness for his friend, this time bringing it back to their old stomping grounds.
Before the official puck drop between PC and UVM, Acciari, along with Brown’s mother Sandy and fiancé Michelle, and PC Athletic Director Bob Driscoll, came out onto the ice for a ceremonial puck drop to kick off the “Dropping the Mitts for Drew Brown” night at Schneider Arena.
To honor and remember the late Friar, PC players wore special pins created by the non-profit organization, Beads of Courage, in honor of Brown. In between periods of the game, tribute videos were shown with both Leaman and Acciari expressing how Brown was an “important part of the Friar family” and that they, along with everyone from the PC community, thanked everyone who came to the game “in support of the night.”
Brown’s mother commented on how “very touched” she was by not only Acciari’s actions to honor and keep her son’s memory alive, but also by PC as a whole.
Friars Compete at the John Thomas Terrier Invitational Meet
by The Cowl Editor on February 7, 2019
Sports
by Jack Belanger ’21
The cross country season is long over, but as the Providence College Track and Field Team heads into the midst of the winter track season, records are still being broken, and one runner has been making headlines. While it was Abbey Wheeler ’20 who dominated in the fall, placing first in multiple races and being named both NCAA XC Division I National Athlete of the Week twice, Millie Paladino ’18RS has led the team this winter.
During the John Thomas Terrier Invitational on Jan. 25, running on the indoor track at Boston University, Paladino broke the school record for the 1,000-meter run where she finished with a time of 2:42:13. Not only did her time break the 29-year-old school record, she also broke the New England Collegiate Record and her time is good for 10th best all-time in the NCAA.
Her time is also a huge improvement from last season. At the University of Rhode Island Sorlien Memorial Invitational on January 20, 2018, Paladino finished the 1,000-meter at 2:51:01. Earlier in the winter season she also set a personal best in the 800-meter run during the Penn Challenge, finishing at 2:08:94.
Two other Friars also came in first for their individual events. Brianna Ilarda ’18RS won the 3,000-meter race with a time of 9:12:58. Regan Rome ’18GS and Maria Coffin ’21 were among the leaders for the entire 5,000-meter race. Rome managed to separate herself from the rest of the pack and win with a time of 16:27:34. Coffin finished strong, placing sixth with a time of 16:46:94.
This meet was the second time this winter that Ilarda and Rome have come first for a respective events. At the Penn Challenge, Illarda won the mile while Rome won the 3,000-meter race.
On the men’s side, the Friars found their most success in the 1,000-meter run. Two Friars, Ryan Jendzejec ’21 and Nick Carleo ’19, finished in the top-20 as Jendzejec finished 0.02 seconds before Carleo. With times of 2:28:39 and 2:28:41, respectively, both runner qualified for the IC4A Championships.
Both the men’s and women’s teams will return to Boston University this weekend to take part in the Valentine Invitational. The team will have two more meets after the invitational to prepare for the Big East Championship at the end of the month.
New Season for Softball
by The Cowl Editor on January 31, 2019
Sports
By Gavin Woods ’22
Sports Staff
As the winter season rages on, we begin to look forward to the start of the spring and the collegiate sports that come with it. Perhaps the most notable is the Providence College Softball Team, led by new Head Coach Jill Karwoski. The Friars are looking to bounce back from a somewhat underwhelming 2018 season, ending with an overall record of 13-32.
The primary change from last season is the difference in team management. The Friars said goodbye to longtime prior Head Coach Kerri Jacklets, who served in the position for a staggering total of 13 seasons with the College. In her time as head coach of the Friars, Jacklets was able to produce 15 All-Big East selections, one All-Big East Tournament Team player, three All-Northeast Team selections, one College Sports Madness Big East Rookie of the Year, and one NFCA All-Region Team player.
However, Karwoski is no stranger to the job; this will mark Karwoski’s return to Friartown as she formerly served as volunteer-assistant coach for the Friars’ 2012-2013 season, ending with an overall record of 23-28-1. While she looks forward to bringing her new head coaching experience back to PC, Karwoski insists, “I am still the same person and coach as I was when I volunteered with the Friars. The biggest difference now is that I feel I am able to invest all of my time and energy into building relationships with each player equally and play a more significant role in enhancing their overall student-athlete experiences.”
Karwoski returns to PC after serving five years as head coach for the Quinnipiac University Bobcats. Coach Karwoski values her time with the Bobcats and looks forward to following their next season, this time as a fan. As far as carrying over her experience from Quinnipiac to PC, Karwoski maintains, “With me I have already brought my love for the game as well as my coaching philosophy that has allowed our team to frame out the program’s new core values. It’s through these core values, every player, no matter what program, can be guided when making decisions on and off the field and long after they’ve received their hard-earned degree.”
When asked how she feels about her return to the PC program, Karwoski replied, “Words can’t express how grateful I am to be back in Friartown. Previously, when I was with the program, the Friars were able to leave a positive impression that I still cherish to this day.”
Another development from last season is the change in experience. Last year, the Friars had a relatively young squad. With only four seniors on the roster, PC fielded as many freshmen as they did seniors. This year, however, PC’s softball team features a total of seven seniors. This increase in experience will, no doubt, assist the Friars in improving their overall record.
While PC softball only lost four seniors to graduation, they will certainly be missed. Such talents include Julianne Rurka ’18, who held the Friars’ highest batting average at .333, and Brittney Veler ’18, who led the team in RBIs, home runs, and second to most runs. While these are enormous losses for the program, PC softball has much to look forward to with this relatively older team. Emma Lee ’19 looks to improve her already-stellar reputation from last season with the most hits, runs, and second to highest batting average on the squad. On defense, the Friars pitching staff features four relatively young players. The oldest of which is Miranda Trinidad ’20, who held the lowest ERA of all pitchers last season.
Coach Karwoski remains poised and eager to make her mark on the Big East conference, this time as head coach. She is especially enthused over one match-up in particular, “New to the Big East, every opponent will be an exciting match up for both our players and coaching staff. Having grown up in a suburb just northwest of Chicago, I am particularly excited to travel to DePaul to see some of my family and friends in the stands cheering for the Friars!”
Cheerleading Team Takes Nationals
by The Cowl Editor on January 31, 2019
Sports
Team Competes in Nationals For the First Time
By Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports Staff
On Jan. 17, the Providence College Cheerleading Team traded in their snow boots for sandals and sunscreen as they headed down to the magical world of Disney for the school’s first appearance at the UCA College Cheering National Championship in Orlando, Florida. While the overall experience was amazing, the journey to the competition was something unlike anyone on the team has ever experienced.
The team was able to practice all throughout winter break and utilize the extra sessions to finalize and perfect its routine for the competition. On days off, they were able to mentally prepare for what was in store in Florida and manage the pressure to be positive throughout the performance.
When it came to preparing for the trip, Assistant Coach Dan Weaver knew the challenges the team faced, and helped them prepare for something the team has never seen before in the school’s history. Yet, he had ultimate confidence. “As a first-year team, our mindset was unlike some of the other teams that have been competing for years,” Weaver stated. “They perform in the Dunk and Madison Square Garden in front of thousands of people. They can handle anything. And when we opened up the routine by hitting our elite hand-in-hand stunt sequence, I knew Providence Cheerleading had arrived.”
One of the biggest challenges when going into a competition like this, is facing the big name schools who have been in the competition before. Going into the event, Coach Melissa Scungio was excited for the team to enjoy this experience, while at the same time become comfortable with the idea of one day being on that stage as national champions. She stated, “It is amazing to be able to compete at the same level as some of the high profile teams in our Division such as University of Memphis, Purdue University, University of Delaware, Bowling Green State University, and University of Alabama-Birmingham. These teams have been competing at this level for years (some over 15-20 years). With that being said, and this being our first year, we were unbelievably proud and excited to be representing Providence College on this prestigious level. Our expectations were different than theirs, those top schools are competing for a National Championship. We are not there yet. As we grow, our expectations will continue to rise, and one day Providence College Cheerleaders will be competing for a National Championship.”
At Disney World, the team stayed for four days at the Disney All Star Resort. They were able to explore the resort and meet other teams from around the country. Between practice times and competition, the resort provided shuttles to the parks so the teams could enjoy a true Disney experience, go on all the rides, and see iconic locations.
As a team, they were able to watch the partner stunt competition and Division 1A finals. While the cheerleading team itself was on the mat for roughly two minutes and 30 seconds and did not to advance to the final, they succeeded in their own way by managing the life of a student-athlete, preparing for the basketball games, and getting ready for the team’s overall first competition.
The advice given by Taylor Dimond ’19 was simple when it comes to preparing for next year, “Going into next year, and future competitions, we definitely want to step our difficulty up…Yet this was a great place to start and we are only going to get even stronger from this point.”
Overall, this is a big step for the improvement for the cheerleading team that anticipates a bright future.