Tag: Friar Sports
Wheeler Wins Battle in Beantown
by The Cowl Editor on October 4, 2018
Athlete of the Week
By Liza Sisk ’19
Sports Staff
Abbey Wheeler ’20 is sprinting into a successful third year, leading the Providence College Track and Cross Country teams to glory. Wheeler, a native of Elmira, New York, was recruited by the Friars her senior year of high school and has been an asset to the team ever since.
Wheeler proved that she will reach new heights this season as she earned first place in the 5K at the Cross Country Coast-to-Coast Battle in Beantown hosted by Boston College on Sept. 21. This was the first time Wheeler won an event at an invitational at the collegiate level. Wheeler said, “[the win] gave me a lot of confidence and I think it was a great learning experience.” She credits the culture of Friar cross country, her teammates, and the coaching staff for her success in the race.
“I am fortunate enough to be at a place, in a program, and surrounded by the right coaching staff and teammates that can help me make improvements from season to season. It always feels good to be moving forward,” said Wheeler.
Last season, Wheeler came in sixth place in this race while battling an iron deficiency. Her health has since been restored as she took the top spot this year, finishing the 5K in 17 minutes and 10 seconds.
Although her season is off to a successful start, Wheeler reflects on the difficulty that comes with losing powerful runners and leadership to graduation each year. When asked about her goals for the team this year she explained, “The girls before us have created high expectations and standards for the program and we hope to continue in that tradition.”
On Sept. 28, the Friars competed in the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational in Madison, Wisconsin. The women’s team placed 20th overall, with Wheeler leading the pack for the Friars. She placed 37th overall in the 6k, improving significantly from her 67th place finish in the race last season.
The Friars will take a short break in competition, returning with a Mini Meet at Central Connecticut State University on Oct. 19. This is their last meet until the Big East championships and NCAA tournament season begins.
Wheeler believes the secret to Friar cross country success is consistency. “The success and history behind the cross country and track programs here was why I committed to PC to begin with,” said Wheeler. Led by Wheeler, Friar cross country will undoubtedly continue the historical success of the program.
Women’s Soccer Begins Big East Play
by The Cowl Editor on October 4, 2018
Sports
By Cam Smith ’21
Sports Staff
Simply put, the Providence College Women’s Soccer Team is a force to be reckoned with. The Friars’ record of 7-4-1 gives them a position in the top five in the Big East standings, just behind Georgetown University, Butler University, Villanova University, and DePaul University.
The Friars’ success is due in large part to their steady defense and tremendous goalkeeper play. The defense has been anchored by Katie Day ‘19 and Hailee Duserick ‘19, who along with Alessandra Arace ‘20 and Olivia Lucia ’20 have helped PC allow only 10 goals on the entire season thus far, the second-best mark in the conference. Five shutouts from goalkeeper Shelby Hogan ’21 have also helped the Friars keep the scoresheet clean on the opposing side. Hannah McNulty ’21 leads the Friars so far this season in goals scored with eight and is second in the entire conference (just behind Georgetown’s Caitlin Farrell with nine). She will be looking to keep up her prolific scoring as the season enters its second half.
The Friars opened up the season with nine out-of-conference games, in which they went 6-2-1. That stretch saw the team pull off key wins against vaunted institutions such as Harvard University, Brown University, and Drexel University. The Friars’ only two losses came from the third and 17th ranked teams in the entire country, the University of North Carolina and Duke University, respectively. Against Duke, forward Casey Estey ’19 pinned a shot top right corner with 75.2 minutes on the board, pulling the Friars within one goal and effectively silencing the raucous Blue Devil fans. PC would end up falling 2-1, but the Friars proved that they belong alongside the nation’s best.
After finishing off their non-conference schedule with a tie against a talented University of Arkansas team, PC began their Big East portion of the schedule with a 2-0 win over rival Villanova on Sept. 22. The end of the first half saw both teams tied at zero, but that was not for a lack of chances on both sides. PC’s McNulty pushed a shot just wide of the net in the 6th minute from the penalty spot, while Villanova’s Kristen Vinciguerra’s 43rd minute bid to put the Wildcats on top was met with a great save from Hogan. The Friars came out of the half with their foot on the gas pedal, as McNulty fired a laser past the Wildcat keeper to put PC up 1-0 in the 50th minute. Eight minutes later, the scoring onslaught continued as midfielder Kayla Steeves ’19 curled a masterful shot into the net off of a corner kick to seal the game for the Friars.
A home game on Sept. 27 saw PC fall in a heartbreaking fashion to Xavier University 2-3 in double overtime. McNulty and Arace both scored for the Friars in regular time, but a goal from Xavier’s Sydney Schembri snuck past Hogan to drop the Friars to 1-1 in Big East play.
PC took on Butler Sept. 30 and will return to action on Oct. 4 to play St. John’s University, where they will look to build upon a fantastic first half of the season.
Skating Her Way to Success
by The Cowl Editor on September 20, 2018
Sports
Maureen Murphy ’21 Invited to National Team Evaluation Camp
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
Providence College’s standout women’s hockey player, Maureen Murphy ’21, was one of the select few hockey players throughout the country to be invited to participate in the 2018 U.S. Women’s National Team Evaluation Camp.
“It was a lot of fun, but I think I was most excited to go and learn from everyone that was there,” Murphy commented on her most recent trip to Biddeford, Maine, where the elite camp was held.
The camp, which took place from Sept. 13-17, was set up to evaluate the top-tier talent in the current Women’s National Team player pool. The camp splits players into two teams and the teams participate in three intrasquad scrimmages along with going to practices.
“They were evaluating on three different standards,” Murphy explained. “There is a tournament in a month and a half in Saskatchewan, Canada and they will pick a roster from people at this camp. They were also evaluating for post-grads and the third was just your overall standing in the national player pool. They have all of these players…and they are ranking and restarting for this quad. It resets every four years for the Olympics.”
Murphy, who is still an eligible U-22 player, was one of the 37 players from around the country to be invited to attend the camp. Of the 37 players invited, 17 of them were members of the Olympic team that just won gold in PyeongChang, South Korea.
“I was most excited to go and learn from everyone that was there just because that was my first experience with the national team and obviously I was pretty nervous,” Murphy commented on playing with these elite players.
“I think everyone there understood…where we were coming from so [the players] were super helpful. It was also really intense because I’m not going to outwork or out-skill these Olympian players any time soon. You just had to really work hard and grind it out.”
Murphy said her favorite part of the camp was “getting to play with people that I had always looked up to as a kid…it was super cool for me.”
Murphy commented “maybe” with a laugh when asked about being picked to play with the team heading to Saskatchewan in the upcoming months, after having played with the USA U-22 Women’s Select Team in a three-game series against Canada in early August.
Her August trip to Canada was not the first time USA Hockey has called upon her to represent them. Prior to starting at PC, Murphy was invited to play for Team USA at the 2017 Under-18 World Championships in the Czech Republic. The team went on to bring home the gold medal.
Murphy, who is heading into her second season with the Lady Friars starting on Sept. 28 against Concordia University, finished her inaugural season with a team-leading 28 points, which consisted of 19 goals (the most on the team) and nine assists. Of her 19 goals, five were game-winners and four were short-handed; she tied first nationally in short-handed goals. Appearing in 36 games last season, Murphy also put up seven multi-point games.
Her success last season landed her the title of Hockey East Rookie of the Week three times, Hockey East Top Performer six times, and Hockey East Rookie of the Month in December. Murphy was also named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team and was a Second Team All-Star. She was deemed a New England Hockey Writers All-Star and was awarded PC’s hockey team Seventh Player Award.
On her success last season, Murphy humbly commented, “Players can’t have success without the team. It’s a collective unit kind of thing.”
Looking at the upcoming season, Murphy believes the team will find success in the “amount of work that we put in as a team over the summer” and the “really good people” that were brought onto the team.
“I think we’re all really excited as a team,” Murphy added about newly assigned Head Coach Matt Kelly. Kelly was also asked to attend the Evaluation Camp as both a coach and an evaluator. While Murphy did not see him at the camp, she thinks his National Team experience, which she describes as the “highest level of women’s hockey” will be “helpful for the team on a variety of different levels.”
“We have pretty intense practices now,” Murphy comments on how the team is getting ready for their upcoming season. “I think just like bringing a whole new level of speed and [the] mentality that we’re gonna move forward and have a great year.”
And in terms of last year, which ended in a Hockey East first round knock-out by the number six ranked University of Connecticut, all Murphy had to say was, “We’re not looking back.”
Young Roster Not Deterring the Tennis Team
by The Cowl Editor on September 20, 2018
Sports
By Cam Smith ’21
Sports Staff
The Providence College Women’s Tennis Team will kick off their regular season on Wednesday, September 26, on the hallowed grounds of the PC Tennis Courts. The Friars are scheduled to take on Fairfield University in a match that is sure to provide some thrills.
The two teams battled it out last year with the Friars coming up just short in the match, falling to the Stags 4-3. Now, the team will have the chance to begin the season on a strong note, against an opponent that they came inches away from knocking off in the 2017-2018 season.
University of Mississippi tennis legend, Jakob Klaeson, enters his third season coaching the Friars after taking over prior to the spring term in January of 2016. The past two years the team has fallen in the first round of the Big East tournament, including last April’s 4-0 result against the seventh seeded Creighton University Blue Jays. However, there is reason for optimism in Friartown, as the squad returns almost all of last year’s members.
The Friars’ lone senior, Risa Takenaka ’19, will look to finish off a successful career at the College. Takenaka started her 2017 fall season in dominant fashion, with a 4-0 record in league singles play. Playing out of the number one slot, Takenaka saw her fair share of exciting victories in the spring season as well. Takenaka took down Villanova’s top dog, Lexi DeNucci, in a riveting match that was decided in a tiebreaker.
Takenaka is far from alone, as her doubles partner Aidan Epstein ’20 returns to the court as well. Epstein also saw a successful run last fall with a 3-1 singles record, and the dynamic duo teamed up for huge match wins in the spring against Sacred Heart (6-4) and Marist (6-3). Emily Collins ’20 and Natalie Pitocco ’20 also return to the team, and will look to replicate their 2-0 fall record in doubles play.
The upperclassmen will be joined by three compelling sophomores: Lauryn Jacobs ’21, Sera Satkowski ’21, and Grace Goyette ’21. The trio had their share of memorable freshman year moments, and will look to build on them in year two. All three were able to win their first singles matches of their collegiate careers, an outcome which the new class of incoming freshmen will surely want to replicate.
Mimi Dailey ’22, a graduate from Ursuline Academy, joins the squad after being named a Catholic Conference League All-Star in high school. Haley Gurski ’22, a Minnechaug Regional graduate, enters her collegiate career after making it to the championship match in all four years of high school play. The third newcomer, Katie Markham ’22, comes in as a veteran of the United States Tennis Association (UTSA) circuits, which allowed her to compete in matches across the country.
The Friars were able to step on the courts for the first time this past weekend, as they traveled to Hamden, Connecticut to participate in the Quinnipiac Invitational. They were joined in Hamden by other big-name schools such as Boston University, West Point, and the University of Connecticut. The tournament provided some much needed in-game experience for a squad coming off a long layoff since the spring season.
After taking on Fairfield last Wednesday, PC will stay at home to face off against the College of the Holy Cross on Saturday, September 29. They will hope to knock off the Crusaders in a similar fashion to last year, when the Friars handed them an emphatic 5-0 loss.
With a mix of savvy veterans and exciting young players, the Friars have a good chance of doing just that.
PC Swimming and Diving Makes Waves to Fight Cancer
by The Cowl Editor on September 13, 2018
Sports
Team Raises $30,101 for Cancer Research
By Liza Sisk ’19
Sports Staff
This past weekend, the Providence College Men’s and Women’s Swim Teams left the comfort of their home pool, the Taylor Natatorium, and braced the cold ocean current in the waters of Narragansett, Rhode Island. Their venture into the open water was motivated by their determination to raise money for cancer research.
On Sept. 8, the Friars participated in the annual Swim Across America (SAA) event. The race is hosted by the SAA organization as a fundraiser to support doctors with ideas to fight cancer who are struggling to receive funding for clinical trials and research. The organization holds races nationwide. The swim is open to athletes of any age and skill level and typically offers both a half mile and a 1-mile race.
This season, SAA hosted 18 open-water swims at locations across the United States. They also offer the opportunity for individuals to hold pool races to contribute to their cause.
The beneficiaries of the funds raised during the respective races are cancer research facilities in the direct community where the race took place. The goal of SAA is to “fund $100 million in the next decade, to speed up cures for cancer.”
Saturday’s event took place at the Roger Wheeler Beach in Narragansett. The Friars participated in the one-mile swim. This year, the event attracted over 600 participants, many of whom represented collegiate swim teams across New England. The Narragansett-based event raises funds specifically for gynecological and breast cancer research at the Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island.
Providence College has been participating in the event since its inaugural year nine years ago. Coach John O’Neill is on the commitee that brought the event to Rhode Island and is committed to cultivating it into one of the largest SAA events in the nation. Each year the team promotes the event amongst family and friends, and on social media, and where they raise money to contribute to research.
This year, as a program, the Friars was the highest fundraising team, raising $30,101 to support the local hospital. The swim itself collected $204,641 nearly reaching their goal of $210,000 with time still left to donate. In the nine years that the Friars have been involved with SAA, they have raised over $175,000.
The event not only attracted 600 participants, but four Olympic swimmers also made appearances at the race. Craig Beardsely (1980), Elizabeth Beisel (2008, 2012, 2016), Alex Meyer (2012), and Clara Walker LaMore (1948) supported the Rhode Island race and were available for photos and additional inspiration. These four Olympic athletes along with over 100 Olympians promote SAA events annually, generating awareness and raising donations for the beneficiaries of the races.
O’Neill made the following statement after the meet: “We would like to again thank the leaders of every college program for continuing to join us helping in the fight against cancer. The big winners on this day each year are the patients who will benefit from the outstanding doctors and research specialists at Women and Infants Hospital.”
Liam Straker ’19 is serving as a captain for the Friars. He reflected upon the significance of the program’s participation in such a powerful event and explained that “it’s important to take a step back and appreciate how lucky we are to have our health. It’s something I know I take for granted almost every day.”
Straker shared that the event is particularly important because “everyone’s life has been touched by cancer, so it’s really something that hits home for all of us.” Straker expresses his pride in the program for “making the commitment to this event year after year,” and is “grateful for the support [they’ve] received along the way.”
Volleyball Sweeps Annual Friar Classic
by The Cowl Editor on September 13, 2018
Sports
Team Looks to Continue Making Improvements Early on in the Season
By Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports Staff
It has been an exciting few weeks for the Providence College Women’s Volleyball team as they continue to extend their 6-4 record.
The Friars are coming off of a series of two tournaments in the last two weeks, starting with the 14th Annual Friar Volleyball Classic. This year, the teams included PC, Brown University, the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, and Fairleigh Dickinson University, one of the opponents from last season’s tournament.
The mindset going into the tournament was to fix the mistakes made at the Boston College Invitational, where the Friars fell 0-3 to both Sacred Heart University and Boston College, while beating the University of Hartford, 3-0. Megan Onyundo ’19 stated the best ways to fix these mistakes came from practicing to watching film as well as from analyzing stats from the previous games in order to determine goals. Additionally, the team practiced servicing and ball distribution. Onyundo is currently sixth in kills with 31, and third in service aces with eight.
When asked about her goals for her last year on the team, Onyundo stated, “We needed to win every game, I know we can definitely win with all our talent, we need to do our job to help the team win in any of our roles.”
Onyundo also wanted to enjoy her time on the court as much as possible and take in every moment she spends with the team.
Their mindsets and goals worked perfectly, as they turned around and went onto win the Friars Classic, creating a positive atmosphere in the locker room. Each player was able to take pride in their performance, as they adapted to each opponent’s games in order to fix the problems from previous matches.
This new mindset was helpful for the Friars as they went to their next tournament in Kansas City, the Kangaroo Classic. This year’s matchups included Southeast Missouri State University, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, and Arkansas State University.
Injuries have set the Friars back this season. No one on the team has been seriously injured, but a series of knee injuries and concussions have affected a few players this season.
One thing Onyundo wanted to express clearly was the amount of useful advice she has been giving to the freshmen as school starts and practices become longer. Since school, practice, jobs, and life takes a toll on them, she has been talking one-on-one with each of them to create a bond with each player, making them feel like family.
With the next tournament swiftly approaching, the team aims to continue the chemistry they had developed from the last few games and to continue to adapt to changed lineups.
Overall, the team went 2-2 in the Kangaroo Classic beating both SIUE and Southeast Missouri, and losing to UMKC and Arkansas State.
The team came back home on Sept. 11 looking to bounce back against Bryant University. PC played the Bulldogs tough all the way; forcing a fifth set after being down two sets to one. Unfortunately, the Friars were not able to pull out the win, losing the fifth set 15-10. Allison Impellizeri ’19 led the team with 14 kills.
Fans make a major impact at home games when they come out to visit and cheer. The players have been noticing more students attending each year and how they love their support and even insults/jokes used on the other team.
The Friars’ season is already off to a hot start, and it is exciting to see what is in store for the ladies this season as Big East Conference play commences.
Cross Country Off to a Great Start
by The Cowl Editor on September 13, 2018
Sports
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
On your mark, get set, go! The 2018 cross country season has officially begun for the Providence College men’s and women’s teams.
On Sept. 1, both teams traveled to Durham, New Hampshire to compete in the University of New Hampshire dual meet, which included both men’s and women’s teams from the College of the Holy Cross.
In a Northeast Regional poll taken just before the meet, PC’s men’s team was ranked No. 4 and the women’s team was ranked No. 1.
The meet was a success; the men’s and women’s teams both captured their first wins of the season. The men gained a total of 15 points and swept the top eight spots. The women came in positions one, two, and four in the top six—they would go on to win the meet with a total of 22 points.
Abbey Wheeler ’20 was the top runner for the Friars after gaining a lead early on and winning the entire race with a time of 17:21.37. Wheeler finished her previous cross country season in 10th place at the Big East Championship and earned All-Big East First Team Honors.
Finishing closely behind Wheeler, Maria Coffin ’21 finished strong with a time of 17:21.45 to secure second place overall. Last season, Coffin was a top-eight runner for PC all throughout the season and was a member of the Big East Runner-Up team.
In the fourth and sixth positions were graduate student Regan Rome (17:50.58) and Alex DeCicco ’20 (18:00.26). Much like Coffin, DeCicco was a consecutive top-eight runner last season for the Friars and she finished in the Top 50 at the Big East Championship.
The men’s team finished in the top spots as well. Michael Wyman ’19G finished his first race as a Friar in first place overall with a time of 15:05.63. Marcelo Rocha ’21 finished three seconds behind Wyman with a time of 15:08.23. This was Rocha’s first meet as a Friar. Less than a second after Rocha crossed the line, David Rosas ’21 finished third with a time of 15:08.71. Rosas’s time showed an impressive improvement, shaving off over 30 seconds from his time at last year’s dual meet.
The men’s team will be looking towards their seasoned runners to aid them the rest of the season. Austin Scola ’19 is coming into his senior year after being a repeated top eight finisher for the men’s team all throughout last year. He also finished 27th overall at the Big East Championships.
Along with Scola, Liam Harris ’20, who won the UNH dual meet last year, was also a solid top eight finisher and placed 18th overall at the Big East Championships. Harris’s cross country season concluded last year with him earning Big East Second Team honors.
While the men will be looking to their upperclassmen to guide them to a successful season, the women’s cross country team will be looking down to their underclassmen.
Hanna Johnston ’21, who redshirted last season, is expected to have a big inaugural season along with Hannah McReavy ’22.
Prior to joining the Friar Family, Johnston, a Thunder Bay, Ontario native, was a member of the 2017 Canadian Junior Cross Country Team that finished sixth at the World Junior Cross Country Championships in Uganda.
McReavy, who is from Colorado, was the Tri-Peaks runner of the year for cross country two consecutive years in a row (2016 and 2017) and finished fourth overall in the Colorado State Cross Country Championships.
PC’s men’s and women’s Cross Country teams will be competing next on Sept. 21 at the Coast-to-Coast Battle in Beantown Meet, hosted by Boston College.
Upperclassmen Look to Continue Last Season’s Success
by The Cowl Editor on September 13, 2018
Sports
By Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Co-Editor
In terms of consistency, it would be hard to find a team more solid than the Providence College Field Hockey Team. In the past 12 seasons, the team has qualified for the Big East tournament eight times. Only four out of eight teams qualify for the tournament.
Last season, the Friars finished fourth in the Big East with 11-8 record overall and 4-3 in Big East play. The team faced the University of Connecticut Huskies in the semi-finals for a chance to compete for the Big East finals. Unfortunately, the Huskies, who would go on to finish the season undefeated and win the National Championship, beat the Friars 3-0, ending their season.
This season, PC returns six starters including Corinne Kenney ’19 and Mikayla Michals ’20, who were named to the all Big East Preseason Team. Kenney was named All-Big East Second Team last year and she returns as one of PC’s top defenders.
Last season, Michals was tied for the team lead in goals with five. She was second on the team in points and returns as the top scorer from last season. Izzy Mendez ’20 also had five goals last season, giving PC its top two goal-scorers for 2017.
In goal, Lydia Rice ’19 takes over this season after Megan Guilbert ’18 graduated. Rice comes into the season with only two career games under her belt. Rice should have plenty of help in front of her as the Friars return multiple defenders from a team that allowed the second fewest goals in the Big East with 35 goals.
Allyson Parker ’20 is another returning starter to watch out for. Last season, Parker started in every game for the Friars. After scoring two goals last season, she will be tasked with picking up the scoring as several of the top scorers left the team.
Two freshmen who are looking to make an immediate impact this season are Jenna Puleo ’22 and Amanda Collins ’22 who play forward and midfielder/defense, respectively. Through seven games this year Collins has registered three assists and started every game, while Puleo has appeared in six games.
So far this season, PC is 3-4 and has not played any Big East games yet. The team started 0-3 after a trip out to California. Once the team came home, the Friars responded with a three game winning streak, followed by a loss to the University of Iowa.
The 2018 Big East Field Hockey Preseason Coaches’ Poll picked the Friars to once again finish fourth in the league. The University of Connecticut, the defending champs, are once again picked to finish in first, receiving seven first place votes.
New Faces in Friartown
by The Cowl Editor on August 30, 2018
Sports
PC Welcomes Coaches for Women’s Hockey and Softball
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
“We are excited to welcome Matt Kelly as head coach of our women’s ice hockey program,” Providence College Athletic Director Bob Driscoll announced on June 18. Kelly, the sixth coach in the history of the program, was hired after the abrupt firing of former Head Coach Bob Deraney, who had been with the program for 19 years.
The decision to replace Deraney came after the team was ousted from the Hockey East Tournament in Game 3 of the quarterfinal round by the University of Connecticut.
Kelly’s “extensive experience as a coach” began in 2008 when he was hired as the assistant coach for Clarkson University’s women’s ice hockey team. During his six years with the program, he helped the Golden Knights qualify for the ECAC playoffs six years in a row, claim three league titles, reach the NCAA Tournament three times, and win a National Championship in 2014.
Following his time at Clarkson, Kelly went on to become the assistant coach for Quinnipiac University for the 2007-2008 season after volunteering as an assistant coach for Wayne State University from 2006-2007, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree.
The former goaltender for the Wayne State Warriors took a break from coaching when he became a Head Scout for USA Hockey and the women’s national teams, which was the role he was serving in at the time of his hire. With the primary responsibility of overseeing and maintaining the player pools for the U-18, U-22, and women’s national teams, Kelly was the one responsible for assembling the team that won gold in the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics—a feat that has not been accomplished by the U.S. in 20 years.
“As a scout for USA Hockey, he has continued to refine his skills as one of the top evaluators of talent in the women’s game,” Driscoll stated. “We look forward to the future of our women’s hockey program under Matt’s direction, competing for Hockey East championships, and returning our storied program to the national stage.”
Upon his hiring, Kelly commented, “I want to thank Father Shanley, Athletic Director Bob Driscoll, and Associate Athletic Director Kyle Murphy for this tremendous opportunity. The vision, support, and rich women’s hockey history at Providence College are second to none and my family and I are excited to be a part of the Friar family.”
Since he joined the program, Kelly brought Jake Anderson, the former assistant coach at Merrimack College; Alison Domenico, the former assistant coach at Syracuse University; and Doug Ferry, the team’s graduate assistant for the past two years onto his staff.
Kelly and his staff will not be the only new faces in Friartown this year. PC’s Softball Team will be welcoming in an entirely new coaching staff this season. In early July it was announced that Jill Karwoski will be the new head coach of the team.
Karwoski, who previously served as a volunteer assistant coach for the Friars during the 2012-2013 season, was acting as the head coach of the Quinnipiac softball team when she was picked up by Providence.
In the announcement of her hire, Driscoll said, “We are excited to have Jill come back to Friartown and lead our softball program. She has 10 years of head coaching experience and she has recruited at the highest level in the ACC. We believe we have one of the top facilities in the conference and with Jill’s leadership we can become one of the top programs in the Northeast and compete for the Big East title.”
Along with her experience at both PC and Quinnipiac, Karwoski served as the head coach at both Merrimack (2011-2012) and Morehead State University (2004-2007), and as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at Boston College (2007-2011).
“I could not be more excited and grateful for this opportunity to return to Friartown as the next head softball coach,” Karwoski said. “I strongly believe Bob and I share a similar vision that success is built around strong core values, talented athletes, and dynamic students. Providence softball is rich in tradition, resources, and Friar pride. It is my mission to instill a championship mindset, which will lead to a promising future in the Big East.”
In regards to her plans for her first season with the team, Karwoski claims she will “hit the ground running and make an immediate impact.”
Since her own hire, Karwoski has announced that she will be bringing in Bree Nasti to join her as the team’s assistant coach.
Holding the single season national high school record with a .774 batting average, Nasti previously coached at Adelphi University for the past six seasons. While at Adelphi, Nasti led her team to the Northeast-10 Tournament Championship three times, as well as five NE-10 regular season Southwest Division titles. She also coached her team into six-straight NCAA Division II regional appearances, four NCAA Division II super regional appearance, and advanced to the NCAA Division II Women’s College World Series twice. As a result, Nasti and her staff were honored as the National Fastpitch Coaches Association East Region Coaching Staff of the Year in 2013, 2015, and 2016.
“I am beyond excited to have the opportunity to bring Bree to Friartown. Proven in her track record…I am confident she will be a positive influence and make an immediate impact on our program,” Karwoski stated on her hiring choice.
After a disappointing season last year that ended with a record of 13-32, all eyes will be on Karwoski and Nasti as they look to turn the program around.
With the extensive experience that each coach brings to the table, hopes are high for success in the 2018-2019 season for the women’s hockey and softball teams.
PC Soccer Teams are Hopeful Contenders
by The Cowl Editor on August 30, 2018
Sports
By Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Co-Editor
Last Fall, the Providence College Men’s and Women’s Soccer Teams looked to build off their 2016 seasons in pursuit of Big East Championship wins.
Unfortunately, after finishing first in the Big East in 2016 and a run to the Elite Eight, PC’s men’s soccer team fell to fifth place in the conference finishing 5-8-5 overall in 2017, losing in the first round of the Big East Tournament.
While PC’s women’s team record did not drastically improve from 2016 to 2017, the team went from fifth to third place and made their way into the Big East Semifinals.
Both teams are in position for improvement, as the women’s team only lost four seniors, and the men still have several key players from the 2017 season.
Women’s Team
PC’s women’s soccer team has plenty to look forward to this season as four out of the top five point-scorers from last year return this season, including Hannah McNulty ’21 and Casey Estey ’19 who were tied for the team lead in goals with three.
Defenseman Katie Day ’19 and midfielder Kayla Steeves ’19 were named to the Preseason All-Big East Team. Last season, Day was named to the All-Big East First Team, while Steeves was named to the Second Team. Midfielder/forward Amber Birchwell ’21 was named to the All-Big East Freshmen Team as she was tied for third on the team in points.
PC’s goalkeeper, Shelby Hogan ’20RS was named the Big East Freshman of the Year last season, as she had seven shutouts last season and a 1.05 goals against average.
The team welcomes five new freshmen to the team, including Celina Falzarano ’22 and Hannah Morgan ’22, who play forward and defense respectively.
This season, the team will head down to Durham, North Carolina to play in the Duke Nike Classic, where they will play the University of North Carolina and Duke University.
The team is picked to finish fourth based on the Big East Preseason Coaches’ Poll, receiving 55 points, though third place Marquette University garnered only four more points than PC.
Georgetown University is picked to be the favorite after winning the championship last season.
Men’s Team
After a season that was filled with injuries and performance inconsistencies, the PC men’s soccer team comes into 2018 with plenty of hope of success with players returning and 10 new players in a strong incoming freshman class.
The team looks to find its next goal scorer as 2017 top goal scorer Mac Steeves ’17RS graduated and was drafted by the Major League Soccer team, the Houston Dynamo. The Friars hope midfielder Danny Griffin ’20 and midfielder/forward Alex DaCosta ’20 can fill the void left by Steeves.
Joao Serrano ’20RS led the team in assists and was second in points in 2017 at the center midfielder. Serrano is a captain this year and is one of the team’s better ball distributors.
In goal, Colin Miller ’19RS returns for his third season as the team’s starting goalkeeper. Last season, Miller had a 1.08 goals against average along with five shutouts, earning Big East Goalkeeper of the Week twice.
Miller, the 2016 Big East Goalkeeper of the Year, was voted as the Big East Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year and was voted to the All-Big East Preseason Team along with Griffin.
Two freshmen to watch are Kevin Vang ’22 and Ramzi Qawasmy ’22, who play midfield and defense respectively.
Midfielder Simon Fisher ’21 is also a potential breakout player. Fisher had a strong spring season and looks to give the team quality minutes on the field.
The Friars have the pieces to compete this year if all of their players can stay healthy and they can find a number one scoring option.
Looking around the league, Georgetown looks to repeat as league champions, while Xavier University also returns with a strong team.
PC has their home opener on Friday, August 31 at 7 p.m. against Boston College.