Tag: Friar Sports
Softball Plays Tough Against the Pirates
by The Cowl Editor on April 12, 2018
Friar Sports
Two Friars Make Big East Honor Roll
By Thomas Zinzarella ’21
Sports Staff
This past week, while most of the student body was focused on the Masters Tournament, the Friars were taking the field for their series matchup with the Seton Hall University Pirates.
The Friars started their weekend series with a doubleheader on Friday, where they split both games with Seton Hall. The Friars took the first game 8-6, but the Pirates roared back to win the second with a score of 7-6. The Pirates would win the series with a 3-2 walk-off victory on Saturday.
In game one, the Friars offense was led by Julianne Rurka ’18, who was most recently named to the Big East Honor Roll for the week of March 25. During that week, she hit .250 while driving in four runs. In Friday’s victory, Rurka recorded a 3-3 day while scoring twice. Rurka, who has caught fire at the plate recently, was named All-Big East Second Team last year ranking fourth in the Big East in average (.388) and RBI (21) during conference play.
On the mound, the Friars received a solid outing from Christina Ramirez ’18. Ramirez, who has strung together a collection of strong performances, earned a spot on the Big East Honor Roll for the week of April second. Ramirez threw six and one-third innings, only allowing one earned run in a win on the road versus Creighton.
Against Seton Hall, Ramirez earned her fourth win of the year, throwing a complete game while allowing eight hits and striking out four. Ramirez is having her most dominant season to this point. She has a career-low ERA of 3.25 in 69 innings while also tallying six complete games and one shutout so far in the 2018 campaign. She is currently ranked ninth in the Big East in ERA.
Game two featured Miranda Trinidad ’20 on the mound. Trinidad was also named to the Big East Honor Roll during the week of March 25 for her dominant pitching performance against Georgetown University. Trinidad threw 11 innings and held a 1.27 ERA while only allowing six hits and two runs during the series. The sophomore threw a complete game against the Hoyas on March 24, only allowing one earned run on three hits. Trinidad owns the team’s lowest earned run average with a 3.07 ERA in 59 1/3 innings pitched while throwing six complete games and is currently eighth in the Big East in ERA.
The Friars offense had contributions from multiple players with Emma Lee ’19 going 3-4 with three runs, and Brittney Veler ’18 adding two hits while driving in a run and scoring. The Friars came up just short after taking the lead in the top of the seventh. The Pirates walked it off in the 7-6 victory in the bottom ladder of the seventh.
In the final game of the three-game series, Megan McCune ‘19 took the rubber. McCune was able to keep the Pirate hitters off balance by throwing five innings while only allowing two runs on four hits. Seton Hall scored two in the bottom half of the fifth but the Friars answered right back with Mackensie Compton ’20 hitting a two-run home run. The Pirates were able to squeeze by again with a walk-off single in the 3-2 victory for the Pirates.
The Friars finished the series with a 4-4 record in Big East Conference play and 7-21 in total. The Friars look to bounce back against Villanova University at home on Friday, April 13.
PC’s Erik Foley Goes Pro
by The Cowl Editor on April 12, 2018
Friar Sports
By Sam Scalon ’19
Sports Staff
Twenty-seven seconds is all that stood in the way of the Providence College Men’s Ice Hockey Team getting a chance to top the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the NCAA Tournament East Region Finals on March 24. Unfortunately, the end of another successful Friars Hockey season came to a crashing halt as Notre Dame stunned the Friars with a late third period goal to win the game 2-1.
With the conclusion of the season, PC not only says goodbye to the five graduating seniors, including Friar superstar Brian Pinho ’18 and the lone graduate transfer Tommy Davis, but we also lose a top forward in Erik Foley ’19. Foley has decided to forego his senior season with the Friars and sign an entry-level contract with the St. Louis Blues, but will report to the San Antonio Rampage, the AHL affiliate of St. Louis, on an Amateur Tryout (ATO). Foley’s three year entry-level deal with the Blues will be in effect at the start of the 2018-19 NHL season.
Foley was originally selected to the Winnipeg Jets in the third round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, but his rights were shipped to St. Louis at this year’s trade deadline. Foley was a part of a package deal that included NHL veteran Paul Stasny and a handful of prospects and future draft picks.
The Mansfield, Massachusetts native and product of Tabor Academy in Marion, Massachusetts spent a year in Cedar Rapids, Iowa with the Cedar Rapids Roughriders of the USHL prior to his freshman year at Providence College. Foley has excelled in his three years as a Friar, as he has posted 88 points on 38 goals and 50 assists in his 110 games played as a Friar.
Foley’s production increased each year, as he posted career highs in points (35), goals (16), and tying his 2017 mark in assists (19) this past season. His efforts were enough to lead the team in points and tie for the team high in goals with Kasper Björkqvist ’20. Foley has emerged as one of the nation’s most dangerous scoring threats, and his offensive presence is going to be missed at the forefront of the Friar’s lineup.
His production this season did not go unnoticed, as he was named the Hockey East Player of the Month in November and had 14 points during a seven-game point streak throughout the month. Foley was also named as a Hockey East First Team All-Star for this season, joining teammate Jacob Bryson ’20 and four Northeastern Huskies.
In his three years, Foley was no stranger to winning, as he plotted a 73-31-13 record. Also, Foley was a part of the historic USA IIHF World Junior Championships team in the 2017 Tournament who won the Gold Medal in dramatic fashion over Canada.
His big physical presence on the ice as well as scoring touch are going to be missed at Schneider Arena next season. Nonetheless, congratulations to Erik Foley on both a fantastic collegiate career and the start of a successful professional career.
Garden Bound!
by The Cowl Editor on March 15, 2018
Friar Sports
PC Beats UMaine and Rolls into the Semis
by Jeremy Perrigo ’18
Sports Staff
The first two rounds of the Hockey East Tournament have come and gone in exciting fashion. Four teams remain heading into the final weekend of the competition at TD Garden on March 16 and 17.
Despite the fact that 12 of the first 15 games of the tournament were decided by only one goal, with six of those 12 games ending in overtime, there were relatively few upsets.
The only team to take down a higher seed was Merrimack College. The tenth seeded Warriors defeated the seventh place University of Massachusetts Lowell River Hawks in two overtime decisions, 2-1 in game one and 3-2 in game two.
The eighth seeded UMass Minutemen took on ninth seed University of Vermont in the only series of the first round that needed a third game to decide the victor. UMass decisively won the final matchup by a score of 5-1, moving on to face Northeastern University in the quarterfinals.
There was no lack of excitement in week two, as the top five teams jumped into action. First seed Boston College narrowly defeated Merrimack in two games, the first by a score of 1-0 and the second in overtime by a final score of 4-3.
Northeastern made quick work of UMass, winning both games by scores of 3-2 and 7-2. Senior forwards Dylan Sikura and Nolan Stevens combined for six of the Huskies’ 10 goals over the two games.
Providence played a tightly-contested series against the University of Maine Black Bears. Despite finding themselves down twice in game one, goals from Erik Foley ’19, Bailey Conger ’21, Scott Conway ’19, and Josh Wilkins ’20 propelled the Friars to victory. Wilkins scored with 3:10 left in the third period to give Providence their first lead of the night, one that would hold until the final buzzer. On night two, the Friars got up early with goals from Conway, Brandon Duhaime ’20, and Wilkins in the first period. The team never looked back, despite a two-goal push from the Black Bears, winning the game by a score of 3-2.
Fourth place Boston University faced off against Fifth seed University of Connecticut in a series that saw the Terriers squeeze out a 5-4 victory in overtime in game one, before winning game two in regulation by a score of 2-1.
Only the top four seeds remain heading into the final weekend of action, with BC taking on BU at 5 p.m. and Northeastern facing off against PC at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 16. The winners of each game will play in the championship game on Saturday, March 17 at 7 p.m.
Both of these matchups are expected to be closely-contested competitions, meaing fans will likely leave the TD Garden Friday night feeling they got their money’s worth. Boston College and Boston University have faced each other twice this season in back-to-back games on Dec. 1 and 2. BU took game one by a score of 7-4 while BC bounced back the night two to win 4-1. Keep an eye out for BU forward Brady Tkachuk (younger brother of current NHL player Matthew Tkachuk and son of former NHLer Keith Tkachuk) who has a goal and assist in the tournament.
Northeastern and PC also played back-to-back on Jan. 26 and 27. Game one ended in a 4-4 tie after an overtime session, while the Friars took game two, also in overtime, by a score of 2-1.
Northeastern forward Adam Gaudette led all of Division 1 with 59 points in 36 games for the Huskies this season, and has a goal and two assists in the tournament thus far. Look for him and teammate Sikura, who is two places behind Gaudette in points with 52, to be key contributors if their team has success in this game.
Regardless of which teams move on, due to the high level of competition between all of the four remaining schools, the championship game will not disappoint. There is particular interest if BU and Northeastern advance, as that would create a rematch from the Beanpot final, which Northeastern won by a score of 5-2. Look at this as the potential for the Terriers to exact revenge on their inter-city foe.
Scores from Spring Break
by The Cowl Editor on March 15, 2018
Friar Sports
Lacrosse:
03/03/18
vs. Sacred Heart University: L, 10-9 (OT)
03/06/18
vs. University of
Massachusetts-Lowell:
L, 12-11
03/10/18
vs. Harvard University:
L, 11-8
Softball:
03/04/18
vs. San Jose State University: L, 4-2
vs. Pacific University:
L, 11-5
03/06/18
vs. California State University-
Northridge:
L, 5-0
vs. CSUN:
L, 10-0
03/08/18
vs. Loyola Marymount
University:
L, 4-1
vs. Florida Gulf Coast
University:
L, 3-2
03/09/18
vs. FGCU:
L, 2-1
03/10/18
vs. Harvard University:
L, 6-5
Tennis:
03/03/18
vs. Dayton University:
L, 7-0
03/06/18
vs. College of Charleston:
L, 7-0
03/10/18
vs. Harvard University:
L, 7-0
03/11/18
vs. Marist College:
L, 4-3
PCI: Providence College will Win the Hockey East Tourney
by The Cowl Editor on March 1, 2018
Friar Sports
PC Geared for Another Deep Run
by Sam Scanlon ’19
Sports Staff
It’s tourney time! The Hockey East is one of the most exciting and competitive conferences in the NCAA and is home to names like Adam Gaudette of Northeastern, 2018 Olympian Jordan Greenway of Boston University and, of course Providence College’s very own Erik Foley ’19. This year’s Hockey East Tournament is shaping up to be a good one.
Boston College, the 2017-2018 Hockey East regular season champion, has been playing extremely well against conference opponents, as they have won their last five Hockey East matchups. The No. 2 seed the Northeastern Huskies, fresh off of their first Beanpot Tournament Championship in 30 years, are finding a way to win games, which is vital in this tournament. However, the No. 3 seed Providence College Friars have an excellent chance to win the Hockey East Tournament, and they are my pick to go all the way.
Led by Foley and captain Brian Pinho ’18, the Friars are unstoppable on offense. Despite suffering an uncharacteristic 1-0 loss last weekend to UMass Amherst, expect the high powered Friars offense to find the back of the net plenty of times throughout the tournament. Kasper Björkqvist ’20 and Josh Wilkins ’20 have more than contributed to the Friars’ offensive onslaught this season, posting 13 goals each. Jacob Bryson ’20 has complimented the top goal scorers all year long, especially on the power play, and has notched 20 assists. With the top lines scoring goals, the Friars’ offensive is difficult to stop, making them an early favorite to take down some of the dilapidated defenses across the league.
Defensively, the Friars have a young core, with two freshmen and two sophomores carrying the bulk of the weight, along with a junior and senior. However, Ben Mirageas ’21 has found his place in the Friars lineup. The smooth skating, sizable D-man has held his ground and helped the Friars defense keep pucks out of their net and limit opponents’ scoring opportunities.
A significant reason why the Friars are able to limit shots on net from opponents is Vincent Desharnais ’19. The 6’6” 224 lbs. defenseman is virtually impossible to get around and has been able to shut down opponent’s top scorers with ease. Defense wins championships, and with Bryson, Desharnais, and Mirageas on the blue line for the Friars, a Hockey East Tournament Championship is surely within reach.
However, the backbone of every good team lies in its goaltender. Hayden Hawkey ’19 has carried the Friars so far this year, and a tough goalie is imperative for making a deep playoff run. Hawkey, who posted four shut outs this year, is 2nd in goaltending in the Hockey East, so he has proven to be one of the league’s best coming into the tournament.
Offensive firepower, a shutdown defense, and a top goalie are keys for the Friars to take home the Hockey East Tournament trophy. Their run starts March 9 at Schneider Arena.
PC Competes at Big East Championship
by The Cowl Editor on March 1, 2018
Friar Sports
Plenty of Highlights for PC Track and Field
by Thomas Zinzarella ’21
Sports Staff
Although the weather cooled down this past weekend, things were heating up at the Big East Indoor Track & Field Championship in Staten Island, New York. While neither the Providence College Men’s or Women’s Track and Field Teams came away with a trophy, there were many positives to be taken away from both teams.
With a relatively young men’s team, many freshmen got to experience their first Big East Championship. Michael Bittner ’21 felt “a little nervous warming up…it was a different feel from high school where you were the best and now there are guys who are better than you.” Bittner went on to have his best performance of the season with a fifth place finish in the men’s High Jump. Fellow Friar Trevor Crawley ’18 GS finished seventh in a highly contested Men’s 3,000-meter race and Michael O’Leary ’19 finished sixth in the one-mile event with a time of 4:11.97.
The high point of the day for the Friars was the 4×800 meter relay team featuring O’Leary, Nick Carleo ’19, Jack Carleo ’21 and Ryan Jendzejec ’21. The PC, Villanova University, and Georgetown University teams were all neck and neck until the final lap, when all three teams began to separate, leaving the Friars in third. The team featured the Carleo brothers, who have not been on the same team since they were both in high school. When asked how it felt to be reunited, Jack said, “It’s a good feeling being on the same team with Nick again because not many people get to run with a family member for this long, being on the same relay team with him again is awesome.”
The Friars look to continue their freshman surge into the springtime for the outdoor season, as Angus White ’21, Ryan Gallagher, Marcelo Rocha ’21, Henry Spangler ’21, and David Rosas ’21 rejoin for the spring season.
With talent carrying over from the indoor season, the sky is the limit for the next four years. Bittner and Carleo are hoping that the team can capture a Big East Championship and add to the storied history of the Track & Field Program at PC.
On the women’s side, the Friars were led from the top down by Millie Paladino ’18, who won the 3,000-meter with a time of 9:18.45. Paladino won the one-mile event last year and became the sixth woman to win both the 3,000-meter and the one mile event in Big East history.
The Friars would continue to shine in the 5,000-meter event as the Friars went 1-2 with Catarina Rocha ’18 GS leading the way with a time of 16:05.85, while Abbey Wheeler ’20 finished just behind her with a time of 16:07.39. Rocha netted her first Big East indoor title, and her third title overall.
The Friars also added a top three finish in the distance medley race with Paladino leading the charge once again. She teamed up with Mariah O’Gara ’20, Alexandra DeCicco ’20, and Maria Coffin ’21. The group was able to churn in a third-place finish in a heated battle with a time of 11:40.86.
Both squads look to try and build on the winter season and are preparing for their next event, the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships on March 2-3.
Villa-Game-Ova
by The Cowl Editor on February 16, 2018
Friar Sports
Friars’ Win Creates Big Upset
by Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports Staff
As the end of the season swiftly approaches, the Providence College Friars dominate the Big East Conference play, with a major win against the # 3 overall Villanova, with a final score of 76-71.
After suffering a heavy loss to DePaul last Saturday, 80-63, the Friars bounced back and came back better than ever beating Nova and securing a 8-5 record in the 2017-2018 Big East Standings behind Xavier, Villanova, and Creighton, and a 17-9 overall record in the NCAA.
While the season has been back and forth with significant wins and tough losses, the Friars hope to provide the burning energy and spirit needed as they head towards the Big East Tournament and hopefully an appearance in the March Madness Tournament. Some of these notable wins come from Big East play, including ranked rivals such as #5 Xavier, Creighton, Marquette, DePaul, and Butler when the team was on a four-game winning streak.
However, things took a turn for the worse when the team’s streak was snapped by back to back losses to Villanova and Seton Hall. The team found themselves back on pace with back to back wins against Marquette and Georgetown, but DePaul, as mentioned previously, came out swinging to hand the team their fifth loss. All hope was not lost as the Friars brought the win to Villanova and look to carry the momentum of this win into the end of the regular season.
In a game filled with jaw-dropping dunks, plays, and a court storming by the entire student section, the team now has something to celebrate. The Friars defense was able to stop Nova from shooting threes and allowed 19 turnovers that turned into some scoring opportunities. The offense was excellent as five Friars had double digits in scoring, including a leading 17 points from Kyron Cartwright ’18.
Head Coach Ed Cooley stated to the press after the game, “Honestly, the greatest win I’ve ever had at Providence College.”
The team will look to continue this spark for the last few games, including the last home game of the season against St. John’s. Despite a few losses on the way, the players have played consistently good basketball throughout Big East games. Rodney Bullock ’18 has been leading the team in both minutes and points this season with 31.9 minutes per game and 14.6 points per game, as he continues to find a rhythm both on and off the court.
Cartwright has also been leading in assists with six per game, noticeably becoming the difference maker on the team. With games coming down to the wire, Cartwright has been putting the team on his back to provide the leadership needed for this squad.
The Friars must face each team this year without forward Emmitt Holt ’18, who is redshirting this year due to injury. However, Holt has been back on campus this semester and has been practicing with the team. This not only provides an on-campus energy used on game day, it creates the opportunity for Holt to teach the younger players and allow them to be stronger in the paint from experience.
These younger players include Alpha Diallo ’20, Kalif Young ’20, and Nate Watson ’21, all of whom have improved their game, including great offense and stellar defense against the Big East’s best players. With minimal games remaining in the regular season, it is now or never for the Friars.
Soon they will be sent off to Madison Square Garden for the Big East Tournament, hopefully taking down Villanova and becoming the champions again, which will hopefully make things easier after their upset. For now, Friar fans must wait and enjoy the last few games of the season while continuing to bring the constant energy to the Dunkin’ Donuts Center and help the team motivate each other to secure a spot in March Madness.
Friends of Friars Football Return
by The Cowl Editor on February 16, 2018
Friar Sports
PC Football Alumni Gather for Annual Reception
by Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Co-editor
This past weekend, Providence College hosted its Alumni and Family Weekend and many former Friars made their way back to campus. While many met up at the events and games on campus, one group of friends found themselves at McCormick & Schmicks, a seafood restaurant in downtown Providence. This group of friends, or brothers if you asked any of the men in attendance, make up the Friends of Friar Football.
While Providence College has not had a club football team on campus since 1988, the Friends of Friar Football is comprised of former members of PC’s club football team, known as the Fighting Friars, which started in 1967 and was active up until its last season in 1988. From Paul McGuire ’70, the team’s first QB, to Tom Allen ’88, a member of the final team, and men nicknamed Spider, Weasel, Skunk, and Bear, the gathering gave men across multiple generations time to connect and reminisce about their playing days. The group had about 100 men in attendance and was over 200 active members who stay in contact with the club.
Geno Harding ’74 who has helped organize the gathering for the past 10 years, has acted as the organization’s historian, compiling old photos and memorabilia from the Fighting Friars days. Back when he was in school, Harding was one of the main organizers for the team as he was in charge of selling tickets and lining Hendricken Field on game days.
Even though the team was not an official varsity team, the former players will be quick to tell anyone they treated every game like they were in Division I. The team competed against schools such as Marist College, Assumption College, Westchester Community College, and Stony Brook University before many of these teams moved up to Division III. Multiple alumni said that they played for the love of the game.
In 1973, the team was given money to design new uniforms and many of the players could not have been happier with the outcome. Harding and Ted Fitzgerald ’75 worked together to create a new helmet logo for the team. With the Fighting Friars already sharing the same silver and black color scheme as the Oakland Raiders, the two went the extra mile and modeled the new logo after one of the National Football League’s most popular. Harding created the black shield with “Friars” sketched in. Then Fitzgerald sketched out a Friar head over a cross to complete the logo. Any of the men who played for PC are quick to say it was the best logo in all of college football.
One of the reoccurring stories during the reception was the tale of when PC played “the champs from the west,” Chapman University in California, in the 1979 Heritage Bowl in Providence. The day before the game the temperature was well above 50 degrees. Then all of a sudden, come gameday, the temperature dropped below 30° and the players from California experienced New England weather at its finest. One player recalled that the game was so windy that on one play where Chapman was punting, the football actually went backwards on the kick. The Friars ended up winning in a blowout 34-0, in what was one of the most memorable games in the club’s history.
Despite a 21-year gap between the first and last teams, the Friends of Friar Football has been able to bring men from different eras into one brotherhood. Gerry Marzilli ’72 described the Friends of Friar Football and the club team itself as “a special group…we paid to play football, we are lucky to be together this long.” Despite only consisting of alumni that attended Providence College over about 20-year span, The Friends of Friar Football is one of the largest PC alumni groups that are still active. The club manages to raise money through donations to give a scholarship to one PC student every year.
After a few hours discussing who was the fastest or who was the toughest player, the alumni made their way outside to take their yearly group photo on the front steps of City Hall. Afterwards, Marzilli presented games to former players Mike Lee ‘79, Steve Lamendola ’79, and Bob “The Bear” Peters ’78, to recognize them for creating the Friends of Friar Football group.
Even as years pass, the gathering has not lost any of its allure for any of the men. As each former player entered the restaurant, all of them were just as excited to see their former teammates as if they were getting ready for game day. Jim Murphy ’70 said that football at PC “has forged a friendship for over 50 years.” Murphy was one of the key contributors to starting the football club back in 1967 as he oversaw raising money for the team.
Even though most of the members of the varsity team are no longer around, the club takes time to remember the men who brought football to Providence College by looking back at the old photos and share the stories of the alumni. Harding shared one story of former player Hank Soar ’37, who played nine seasons in the NFL and then went onto become an umpire for Major League Baseball from 1950 until 1972.
While the PC club football team does not have the documented history of the University of Alabama or even Boston College, every player has his own stories to share and every team had its place in the school’s history that is just as important to the College. None of these men played with future glory in the back of their heads, but rather to play their hearts out for the game they cherished.
Senior Night in Friartown
by The Cowl Editor on February 16, 2018
Friar Sports
Last Class of the 2015 NCAA Championship Hockey Team Celebrate Senior Night
by Sam Scanlon ’19
Sports Staff
When the Class of 2018 first stepped on the ice at Schneider Arena four years ago, they would never have expected their college careers at Providence College to go the way they did. This year’s senior class celebrated their Senior Night in style last Friday as they defeated the University of Maine 3-2 in overtime. As their season draws to its end, along with their college hockey careers, the 2015 national championship banner still hangs high in the rafters. The final wave of National Champions will soon take their last strides with the Skating Friar proudly on their chest, but their legacy will forever remain.
This year’s class is tightly knit and collectively a great group of leaders in the locker room. Captain Brian Pinho ’18 commended those who came before him, such as National Hockey League players Noel Acciari ’15 and Mark Jankowski ’16, saying, “They did a good job of taking us under their wings and showing us the ropes, while reinforcing the culture of our team. The upperclassmen on the team now have done a good job of bringing our young team along.” Pinho also described their journey together saying, “These past four years have been unbelievable, and it’s been awesome to play with my best friends for four years. We are such a close group, and we love being with each other.”
Perhaps the biggest underdog story of this class is goaltender Jake Beaton ’18. Beaton joined the squad this season as the team’s emergency goalie. Last year, he was stopping pucks for the College’s club team but was granted the incredible opportunity to play Division I hockey for his senior year. The Falmouth, Massachusets native made his first collegiate appearance late in the third period against Arizona State University at PPG Paints Arena on Dec. 30. Although it was just a few minutes on the ice, he got the experience of a lifetime for a team so close to home compared to some of his teammates, who live much farther away.
For example, hailing all the way from Anchorage, Alaska, Truman Reed ’18 found a home 4,500 miles away in Providence, Rhode Island. Standing at 6’2” and 212 lbs., he is one of the biggest defensemen on the team. Reed made his collegiate debut last season versus Hockey East foe Northeastern University. He plays a physical role when on the ice- a role that is sometimes lacking on the Friars’ roster. Thus, in games with Reed in the lineup, the Friars physicality has been enhanced.
Texas is not exactly considered a hockey hotbed, but Alex Cromwell ’18, a McKinney, Texas native, defied the odds and became a part of the Providence College hockey program. Like Reed, Cromwell stands tall and uses his large frame as a power forward. As one of the program’s best students, Cromwell won the John Ferguson Award, which recognizes the player with the highest GPA on the team, two years in a row.
The Friars’ firecracker is forward Robbie Hennessey ’18 out of Garnet Valley, Pennsylvania. Standing at 5’10” Hennessey is one of the smaller players on the team. Despite his small size, he is always buzzing all over the ice. Hennessey has embraced his role as a grinder as he loves to play the body and block shots. As another top scholar on the team, Hennessey has made the Hockey East All-Academic Team in each of his first three seasons and is well on his way to a fourth. Hennessey has appeared in 95 games as a Friar, posting 15 points on four goals and 11 assists. His high speed and energy on the ice will be missed.
Friar superstar and team captain Pinho was the last honoree this past Friday night. Pinho has been nothing short of spectacular throughout his four year career at PC. He has appeared in 144 games thus far and has registered 108 points on 38 goals and 70 assists. Among his many awards and other accolades, he was named the 2016-2017 Team MVP.
Along with his dominant play on the ice, Pinho has demonstrated his outstanding leadership qualities as captain of this year’s team and assistant captain last year as a junior. “I think being a leader of this team is a great honor, but also a huge responsibility” Pinho said. “I try to keep everything fun at the rink, while also bringing some intensity and competing hard everyday.” His leadership has allowed a young team to excel and exceed all expectations.
Now that his four years have come and gone, Pinho offered some advice for the underclassmen and future Friars. He said, “My advice to the younger guys is to cherish their time here because it flies by. Also, I would tell them to never take anything for granted because this has been the best four years of my life.”
Congratulations and best of luck to the Class of 2018, but before you go, bring back another championship.
Tennis, Softball Kick Off Spring Seasons
by The Cowl Editor on February 15, 2018
Friar Sports
PC’s Spring Teams look to Get off to a Hot Start
by Eileen Flynn ’20
Sports Staff
Softball:
The Providence College Women’s Softball Team traveled to the University of Central Florida’s “Friends of Jaclyn” Tournament on Feb. 9 to 11. Facing four tough opponents, the Friars went 0-4 the first two days of the tournament. However, Brittney Veler ’18, stirred up some momentum her team needed to get the season going. With her impressive RBIs and variation of hits, the team was inspired on their last day of the tournament, just in time for the match-up against the University of North Carolina.
The game started off quiet, two innings passed and both teams still had a zero under their names on the scoreboard. Emma Lee ’19 began the third inning with a leadoff single. After a few more pitches, Lee made her way over to third, stealing two bases. Vanessa Portillo ’19 brought her teammate home with an RBI single.
The Tarheels did not take long to respond to the one run deficit. In the bottom of the third, UNC tied the game at 1-1. In the top of the 5th inning, Mackensie Compton ’20 and Veler worked together to set up Portillo yet again. Portillo responded with a clutch sacrifice fly, sending the winning run across home plate. Miranda Trinidad ’21, pitched a complete game and held the Tarheels at just one run. PC finished the tournament on an upset, handing ranked UNC their only loss of the weekend.
Veler tallied a .400 batting average over the course of five games. The senior had six hits, a double, a triple, and four RBIs. The Big East named Veler to the weekly honor roll after noticing her impressive performance. Although this was not her first time being recognized, Veler said she was excited to start off her final season as a Friar with this accomplishment.
After a busy weekend away, Veler looked ahead to the upcoming season. “We have a team of veterans; we only lost two players, so we have a lot of experience.” Veler mentioned the previous years’ heartbreaks where her team was just short of qualifying for the Big East Tournament. However, Veler is confident that this year her team can “break through” past outcomes and have a better ending.
When asked about what games she was most excited for on this season’s schedule, Veler was quick to name St. John’s University. “That team has rocked us every year I’ve played them; they have a powerful program with a head coach that was once a stud pitcher at Providence.” Veler hopes to beat this team at least once before she has to hang up her cleats. Other match-ups the outfielder is looking forward to include games against DePaul University and Villanova University. Although she loves beating a team on the competition’s turf, she tells me there is nothing better than the comfort of a Ray breakfast and the walk to Glay Field for a big game.
Veler only has a few more walks to her home field before she graduates in the spring. Veler has been playing softball since age six, and she is both sad and excited about her transition into the “real world.” She said that “it is much more than saying good bye to the sport, there were so many ups and downs, so many places it brought me, and so many emotions that are all wrapped together.” She has a few different paths in mind for after graduation. Whether it be a career within the organization of Major League Baseball or in the field of health policy and management, Veler is excited to find out.
As for the rest of the season, she is not losing focus. Veler tells me the key to success for her team is to “stick to the PC way.” She has faith in her coaches to keep pushing her team forward and to keep reminding them that no matter what field they are on, “they own it.”
Tennis:
The Providence College Women’s Tennis Team is patiently waiting for the snow to stop and for the wind to die down so they can start practicing for their 2018 spring season. This past fall, the Friars defeated teams from Johnson & Wales University and the College of the Holy Cross. The team lost two close matches, 4-3, against Fairfield University and Assumption College. When they partcipated in the Quinnipiac Invitational, the Friars displayed promising talent on the second day. In a complete transition from the first day of tournament, three PC players played their way to the semifinals in their respective brackets.
Due to the Friars’ younger roster, this inconsistency in performance can be expected. However, with the fall season under their belts, the team has matured together and have high expectations for their spring season. There are a total of six underclassmen on the team, three freshmen and three sophomores. Katie Marvin ’18 and Risa Takenaka ’19 will lead their younger teammates with their experience and talent.
Takenaka explained how she led her teammates by example during the fall season. “I think I was able to set an example for the team on how to be a competitor on the court when playing tough players,” she said. Since the spring season is filled with tough competitors, the team will need to prepare. Head Coach Jakob Kleason will return for his third year at Providence College.
Saturday, February 3 marked the season opener for the team against Saint Peter’s University where the team got the season off to a hot start with 7-0 sweep.
The next day the Friars faced off against a tough Siena College team in Albany, New York. The Friars fought hard but ultimately lost 5-2 though many of the matches were tight until the end. Takenaka was the only player to pick up a win in the single matches for PC.
Other opponents the team will face this season include Butler University, Dayton University, College of Charleston, Harvard University, Villanova University, St. John’s University, and Brown University. Takenaka is already looking forward to the matchup against Harvard. She said, “They have a really strong lineup, and it’s always a fun time playing as the underdog.”
The Big East Tournament will proceed during the last week in April in Cayce, South Carolina. The Friars are looking to redeem their 4-0 loss to Villanova in the previous 2017 Big East Tournament. The Lady Friars are ready to start their spring season, despite the winter weather.