Tag: Friar Sports
NCAA Makes the “Right Choice”
by The Cowl Editor on February 8, 2018
Friar Sports
Providence College Awarded the NCAA CHOICES Grant
by Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
At the beginning of the 2017-2018 academic year, Providence College was awarded the CHOICES Grant by the NCAA. This $30,000 grant “provides funding for NCAA member institutions and conferences to integrate athletic departments into campus-wide efforts to reduce alcohol abuse,” according to the NCAA website. The CHOICES Grant Program was established due to the NCAA’s growing concern of the “misuse of alcohol by college students.”
Made possible due to donations from Anheuser-Busch Inc., the $30,000 awarded to the school chosen to receive the grant is spanned out over three years; $15,000 the first year, $10,000 the second year, and $5,000 the third year. The reason the grant’s money is spread out the way that it is “is to encourage institutionalization of the campus project to continue engaging athletics in the broader campus prevention effort.”
With the money from the grant, PC will build upon the already existing Friar Family Step UP! Bystander Intervention Program utilized to increase alcohol awareness education, prevention, and intervention skills among our student-athletes, coaches, athletic trainers, and the broader student body.
“I am confident that the proposal submitted by our team of program developers will result in a very meaningful and sustainable program that will positively impact our entire campus community during the three-year period.” said Robert Driscoll, athletic director and associate vice president for athletics at PC.
With the first installment of the money, PC so far has most notably brought in Chris Herren, a former professional basketball player. Throughout his entire career, Herren suffered from a serious substance abuse problem that ultimately led him to overdosing on heroin while driving. This resulted in him crashing into a utility pole. He was declared by paramedics to have been dead for thirty seconds. After his overdose, Herren went to rehab and has officially been alcohol and drug-free since 2008.
In 2011, The Herren Project (THP) was started by Herren with the goals of positively impacting those who suffer addictions, educating youth on the importance of a healthy lifestyle, and providing scholarship programs to clinics and camps. As a part of this project, Herren himself visits schools of all levels to educate students on the dangers of substance abuse through telling his own story—which is exactly what he did this fall at Providence College.
“Having someone come in and tell stories…actually moves you to be emotional about it,” Hadley Tate ’19, a member of Providence College’s Women’s Softball Team commented on the benefits of having speakers like Herren come and discuss their stories. In fact, Tate and teammate Julianne Rurka ’18 both agree that having the speakers come in is the most beneficial way to raise awareness towards substance abuse.
“I really like the speakers that they have come in…just having that opportunity to hear from people is really cool,” said Rurka. “We do a lot of…programs, automated training methods, that we all have to do it. Now, with the money to do things different from that.”
Both Rurka and Tate are members of the Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) at PC, which is made up of generally two members from each sports team. With this grant, SAAC’s goal is to have “student-athletes as leaders to promote less excessive, unsafe [drinking] habits,” according to Tate.
When questioned about how the student-athletes will be looking to make a direct impact, Rurka explained that each team will be creating videos that relate their sports to alcohol abuse. With sayings like “getting home safe,” the videos will not be focusing on the “cold hard facts” that both Rurka and Tate agreed need to be avoided.
“[The] slogans really hit the whole awareness part right on the head without being over-dramatic on the statistics…once the student body sees all of the statistics and things like that they kind of get put off from it. I think it’s kind of cool that we can deliver a very important message that doesn’t deter people from paying attention to it,” stated Rurka. “We’re a very big and well-known group on campus …we all have that platform where we could reach a lot of different students and maybe listening to one of these videos could change that perspective.”
Tate chimed in saying, “Like it or not, just being a student athlete sets you apart from being a normal college kid, so having a different platform to work your actions can be more effective.”
While PC’s student-athletes will be the main group on campus heading up the alcohol abuse awareness campaign, they will not be going at it alone. One of the guidelines for the grant as stated on the NCAA website asserts that “projects must partner athletics with other campus departments in the development and implementation of effective alcohol education projects.” Therefore, SAAC will be collaborating with both Student Affairs and the Counseling Center to ensure that a successful campaign takes place across campus in the years to come.
Aside from Herren, videos were shown at Late Night Madness and a BASICS training session is being planned for coaches and athletic trainers as a part of this new initiative.
Looking ahead, SAAC has also collaborated with Active Minds, Student Affairs and Academic Affairs in securing two mental health speakers that will be coming to campus to talk on Monday, February 12. The talk, titled “You’re Never Alone in Friartown,” will feature speakers Kate Fagan, ESPN correspondant writer, former basketball player, and author of What Made Maddy Run, and Chamique Holdsclaw, the number 1 pick in the 1999 WNBA Draft and 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist. The event takes place at 7 p.m. in the Mullaney Gymnasium and is open to all students.
Foley, Pinho Get Prestigious Nod
by The Cowl Editor on January 25, 2018
Friar Sports
Both Named Finalists for Hobey Baker Award
by Sam Scanlon ’19
Sports Staff
It is hard to think about the Providence College Men’s Ice Hockey Team without thinking of Brian Pinho ’18 and Erik Foley ’19. The two Friar superstars have been integral parts of the Friars’ offense since they joined the squad in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Their preliminary nominations for the Hobey Baker Award, which celebrates college hockey’s top player, should come as no surprise.
Senior captain Pinho, a North Andover, Massachusets native and product of the Catholic Conference’s St. John’s Preparatory School, has been a dominant force in all three phases of the game throughout his career. In an interview with New England Hockey Journal’s Jeff Cox, Foley spoke highly of his comrade Pinho, saying, “He’s a great player. He never makes a mistake. It’s hard to find a player like him.” A player like Pinho is certainly hard to find considering his roles on the top-line power-play and penalty-killing units, in addition to being the top line center.
As a sixth round draft pick in the 2013 NHL entry draft to the Washington Capitals and an offensive powerhouse, Pinho’s style of play is definitely a solid fit if he can work his way up to the big leagues after his graduation. His offense has been nothing short of outstanding over his four-year career; he recently surpassed the 100-point benchmark in his career for the Friars. So far this year, Pinho has notched 24 points on 11 goals and 13 assists, trailing only Foley for the team lead.
Currently heating up, Pinho has registered 11 points in the first eight games of the second half of the season, dating back to their matchup against Arizona State in the opening round of the Three Rivers Classic. His efforts during this span have earned him national recognition as the Hockey East Offensive Player of the Week, as well as the third Star of the Week for all of NCAA men’s hockey players.
Friars Head Coach Nate Leaman told Cox, “Pinho is really going right now. There’s no doubt about it. He’s come back after break and he really has his legs going.” Having the senior captain and first line center playing his best hockey right now is crucial for the Friars to make a deep playoff run.
Pinho is the type of player who excels all over the ice by getting into the dirty areas, making plays, and scoring goals. Speed kills, a fact Pinho certainly knows. Perhaps the fastest skater on the ice at all times, his size and speed has allowed him to be recognized as one of the nation’s best players, so his nomination is deserved.
Foley, the Friars’ other Hobey Baker Award nominee, has emerged as one of the nation’s best goal scorers as he is in the midst of his junior season for the Friars, seemingly always appearing on the scoresheet. Another Massachusetts native, hailing from Mansfield, has slid into the top scoring role for the Friars with 29 points in 24 games. His 29 points are from his team leading 13 goals and 16 assists.
The Winnipeg Jets’s 2015 third round pick has a heavy shot and a knack for getting into positions that allow him to score. His quick first step and long strides enable him to elude defenders and get time and space to get off an open shot, which he rarely misses.
Like Pinho, Foley is a force all over the ice and in the dirty areas. He concurred in that same interview with Cox admitting, “I’m trying to be heavy down low, take pucks to the net, and use my shot. I just want to make plays.” A natural playmaker and goal scorer, Foley seems to be doing his job perfectly.
In the second half of the season, the same eight game span as Pinho, Foley has picked up eight points on three goals and five assists. With 82 points thus far in his career, Foley is well on his way to join Pinho in the 100 club.
Foley has been heavily relied on for offensive production for the Friars since his career started here at PC, and he has certainly stepped up to his expectations. When the two of them start picking up their play simultaneously, it is an absolute nightmare for opposing teams.
As the Friars face off against another offensive powerhouse in the eighth-ranked Northeastern University Huskies this weekend, Foley and Pinho will be heavily relied on to match their weaponry in Northeastern’s lineup. After a Friday night game at Northeastern, the Huskies come to Schneider Arena on Saturday night. Support our Hobey Baker Award finalists by coming to the game, and vote for them at voteforhobey.com.
Lacrosse Gears Up for Spring Season
by The Cowl Editor on January 25, 2018
Friar Sports
by Eileen Flynn ’20
Sports Staff
The Providence College Men’s Lacrosse Team has been waiting for a chance to play another game since the gut-wrenching Big East Championship game last May. The Friars upset Big East rival Villanova University in the semi-final game, winning their first ever Big East Tournament win and advancing on to the championship game. The team played their hearts out against defending champion, Marquette University. They fell to the Golden Eagles by just one goal on their home turf, concluding their 2017 season with a record of 14-7.
The Friars have had the past eight months to work hard in their off-season, using this heartbreak to motivate them for a 2018 season with better results. Head Coach Chris Gabrielli added Conner Byrne ’18, and Brendan Kearns ’19 will join returning leaders, James Barclay ’18, Tate Boyce ’19, and Austin Goltz ’17 as captains.
The returning captains will lead by example, and continue their successful careers as Friars. Barclay helps protect Boyce as he holds up the defensive end; he has caused 35 turnovers and has started all 47 games of the past three years at PC. Boyce returns after a decorated 2017 season. He received the USILA/Nike Third-Team All-America honors and Inside Lacrosse Honorable Mention All-American accolades. The Friars appreciate his steadiness in net, as Boyce reported an 8.05 goals against average and a 0.569 save percentage. He was ranked sixth in the NCAA against all other Division I goalkeepers. Goltz returns as a graduate student and his veteran status will help lead the younger Friars. He played in 15 games last season and finished with 18 points.
Big East All-star Byrne, will be a positive addition to the team as a new captain. In midfield, he has started in 39 games and scored nine goals and four assists in the 2017 season. As a senior, Kearns will want to make his last season the best for himself and his team. As an attackman he has posted 32 goals and 13 assists in his two years at PC.
The regular season opens up on Saturday, February 3 at Boston University. The Friars will then return home and pick-up their momentum with a three game home stretch, hosting the College of the Holy Cross, Bryant University, and St. Joseph’s University.
The team will travel to the University of Connecticut to Sacred Heart University’s territory on March 3 before yet another three-game homestead against University of Massachusets at Lowell, Harvard University and Hofstra University. At the first Big East matchup is on March 31, the Friars will face-off against St. John’s University.
The Friars will have to wait until April 14 for their highly anticipated rematch against Marquette University. The Friars are expected to come back looking better than ever, and have another historic year for the program.
Men’s Hockey Goes 5-1 and Brings Home Mayor Cup
by The Cowl Editor on January 18, 2018
Friar Sports
Foley, Hawkey, and Pinho Help Team Find Success
By Sam Scanlon ’19
Sports Staff
What a winter break it was for the Providence College Men’s Ice Hockey Team.
After being shutout on home ice by Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), the Friars went undefeated with a record of 5-0-1 over winter break and brought home some hardware while they were at it.
First and foremost, the Friars welcomed a new member to the squad, Davis Bunz ’21, a defenseman hailing from Middleton, Wisconsin. Bunz joined the team in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania shortly after Christmas as they were a part of the Three Rivers Classic Tournament along with Arizona State, Robert Morris University, and Lake Superior State University.
The Friars opened up the tournament against Arizona State, a relatively new Division I program that has impressed in recent years. However, the Friars handled the Sun Devils with a 6-0 win with six different goal scorers, including Erik Foley ’19 and Brian Pinho ’18. Scott Conway ’18, Greg Printz ’21, Josh Wilkins ’20, and Ben Mirageas ’21, also provided offense for the Friars, and all three goaltenders made appearances in the combined shutout, including Jake Beaton ’18 who made his collegiate debut. With continued offensive production, Mirageas is seemingly filling the defensive goal scoring void left by the departure of Jake Walman at the conclusion of last season.
With the win over Arizona State University, the Friars were set to face off against Robert Morris University in the Three Rivers Classic Championship Game. Goaltender Hayden Hawkey ’19 impressed in the cage yet again, while Conway added another goal, and Kasper Björkqvist ’20 provided the game winning tally late in the second period allowing the Friars to scrape by RMU to claim the Three Rivers Classic Tournament title with a 2-1 win.
Due to his impressive performance, Pinho was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament, which also landed him a spot on the All-Tournament team where he was accompanied by Conway and Jacob Bryson ’20.
Hawkey was named Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week as he stopped 38 of 39 shots over the tournament.
The Friars returned home to Schneider Arena to claim yet another trophy to add to the case as they faced Brown University for the 32nd Annual Mayor’s Cup. This game went a lot like the Arizona State tilt as the Friars skated past Brown 5-0. Pinho tallied a goal and an assist in this game, notching career point 100 on his assist to Wilkins in the second frame.
Next up, the Friars welcomed Merrimack College for a big Hockey East matchup. Brandon Duhaime ’20 started off the scoring with a goal of the year candidate for the Friars. Pinho and Foley stayed hot and provided goals, as well as two goals off the stick of Björkqvist which lifted the Friars over the Warriors 5-2.
While Pinho’s name keeps appearing on the scoresheet, he earned Hockey East Player of the Week Honors as well as National Honors as college hockey’s third star of the week.
This past weekend was an extremely crucial one, as the Friars traveled to Boston to face both Boston College and Boston University in back to back nights. Björkqvist and Duhaime scored within eight seconds of each other, while Pinho and Wilkins provided empty net insurance as they defeated the Eagles 4-1.
Saturday night at BU was a typical game between the two teams. Foley and Wilkins struck the back of the net in this one, but were unable to break the 2-2 tie in the end, as the Friars go 1-1-1 against the Terriers this season.
With Foley’s team-leading 13th goal and Pinho’s dominance of late, the two Friar stars have earned Hobey Baker Award Nominations for the Friars in the preliminary stages.
Foley, Pinho, and the rest of the 10th ranked Friars are back this weekend with a series against University of Connecticut.
Lady Friars Split Weekend Against BU
by The Cowl Editor on January 18, 2018
Friar Sports
By Eileen Flynn ’20
Sports Staff
The Providence College Women’s Hockey Team has continued to skate hard and has situated themselves nationally in the number eight ranking. This past week the Lady Friars displayed the determination and grit this year’s team embodies in their showdown against a Hockey East rival Boston University. The two teams were scheduled to play each other Friday and then again on Saturday, making for a very anticipated weekend.
The Terriers from Boston University have accumulated a record of 8-13-4 (4-10-3 HE). On Jan. 12 the teams met for the first time this season under Boston University’s roof. Providence College maintains a 14-6-5 record, 10-2-3 in the Hockey East. The quality of the game deepens with the league rival, both teams knew what a win could do for their standings.
Boston University’s Victoria Bach decided to start the event off on the right foot for her fellow Terrier teammates. Just 28 seconds into the game, Bach received a pass from Breanna Scarpaci and followed with a shot that passed Providence’s goaltender Maddie Myers ’19. The Friars tried to redirect the momentum on their power play, testing the Terrier’s goaltender Shroeder four different times. Despite the pressure, Boston University was the next to score and increased their lead to 2-0 where it remained for the rest of the period. The next two periods were back and forth, both teams spending time in their opponent’s defensive zone. Brooke Boquist ’18 was the lone scorer for the Friars. After three periods of play, Boston University defeated Providence College 5-1.
The Friars are about three-fourths of the way done with their season. A tough loss against Boston University could have had the power to push Providence College in the wrong direction for the rest of the season, but instead, the team took the loss and used it as fuel for their redemption game on Saturday, January 13.
This time, the player to score first after the puck was dropped was Maureen Murphy ’21, a forward for Providence College. Madison Sansone ’18, copied her teammate and quickly increased the lead to 2-0. The score stayed here until Boston University capitalized on a power play in the middle of the second period. Scoring picked up in the third period, both teams increased their scores to a final score of 6-3, with Providence finishing on top. Providence scored twice on the power play, improving their 0/6 power play statistic from the previous day’s game. Myers stood strong in net for the Friars and made 29 saves.
This win over Boston University proved Providence College’s talent. The team is ready to take on the remainder of their season and finish stronger than they started. On Jan. 20 the Friars will face yet another strong Hockey East competitor, the University of New Hampshire. In honor of the outstanding rivalry between the two teams, a fundraiser has been started to coincide with the match-up. Both teams asked their alumni to donate with the hopes that their team will raise more money than the rival. Currently in second place in the Hockey East standings, the Friars will need to capitalize against the Wildcats to maintain their position behind Boston College.
Friars Reignite Their Fire
by The Cowl Editor on January 18, 2018
Friar Sports
By Chris McCormack ’18
Sports Staff
Providence College Men’s Basketball Team turned their season around when they needed it most. After a rough start to Big East play with a near 20-point loss to Creighton University on the road and a tough overtime loss to Marquette University at home, the Friars came into what seemed to be a must-win game against the 5th ranked Xavier Musketeers.
Xavier was riding a 10-game win streak and seemed to have destiny waiting to make it 11 games going into a matchup against the top team overall, the Villanova University Wildcats. The Friars had other plans.
Kyron Cartwright ‘18 led the team with a packed stat sheet featuring 19 points, 9 assists and 4 steals helping boost the team to a much needed 81-72 win. The Friars then traveled to the Windy City to face the DePaul Blue Demons, where they won with a score of 71-64. The story of that game was the 22-0 run they had in the middle of the second half, which turned the game around.
That run turned a 10-point deficit for the Friars into a 12-point lead and that was all they needed to finish off DePaul.
The team then looked to their next matchup against Butler University which was the first game of the second semester, and this showed.
The Dunkin’ Donuts Center was rocking in the second half as the Friars were able to get off to a hot start and take the lead. The game remained close throughout, but they held off a tough Butler team with a score of 70-60.
The team had four players in double figures, led by a great second half performance from Cartwright who finished with 18 points and 11 assists. Jalen Lindsey ‘18 notched 13 points including his three 3-pointers that all came at crucial times in the game. Rodney Bullock ‘18 and Alpha Diallo‘20 also put up double figures with 12 and 10 points, respectively.
The team gets some time off before they look to seek revenge in another tough matchup against Creighton on Saturday. The Bluejays, led by Senior guard Marcus Foster, are coming off a blow-out loss against Xavier this weekend and play a tough Seton Hall team before coming to the Dunk.
The team is going to need a similar atmosphere to the one against Butler. Students need to be loud and energetic if the Friars are going to beat this team. Given the loss earlier in conference play, look for Ed Cooley and the guys to study the film and change what they need to change before taking the court.
After Creighton, the team heads to Philadelphia to take on the current best team in the country, the Villanova Wildcats. It is never good to be look past the next matchup, but if the Friars are able to beat Creighton, they are going to be right where they need to be heading into the matchup against number-one Villanova.
Basketball Team Wins 2K Classic
by The Cowl Editor on November 30, 2017
Friar Sports
By Max Anderson ’18
Sports Staff
On Friday, November 17, the Providence College Men’s Basketball Team was able to add another piece of hardware to the trophy cabinet by winning the 2K Classic Tournament, held annually at Madison Square Garden.
The tournament kicked off with a preliminary regional round matchup on Nov. 10, which saw the Friars square off with Houston Baptist University; the winner would advance to the Championship rounds of the tournament. The contest, which was also the season opener for the Friars, turned out to be a one-sided affair, as the Friars would end up winning by a final score of 84-55.
The game saw 11 different Friars score, with Maliek White ’20 leading the way with 13 points. Isaiah Jackson ’19 and Kalif Young ’20 were also big contributors, with Jackson scoring 11 points and Young contributing 10 of his own. Kyron Cartwright ’18 also reached double-digits in points, scoring 10 while also recording 10 assists to be the only Friar to achieve a double-double during the contest.
Nearly a week later, the Friars headed to New York City to take on the Univserity of Washington Huskies in the first game of the championship round. The Friars were able to hang on in a tightly-contested game, winning by a final score of 77-70 to advance to the championship game the following night. Rodney Bullock ‘18 was the star for the Friars in this one, shooting 5-11 from the field, and finishing with 17 points.
Bullock also pulled down nine rebounds, making him one rebound shy of recording the second Friar double-double of the tournament. Young and Cartwright were key cogs once again, with the former adding 12 points and the latter once again chipping in 10 of his own. The talented youth of the Friars was also on display, as Alpha Diallo ’20 and Drew Edwards ’20 both achieved double-digit point marks, with both players contributing 11 points.
The championship game proved much less competitive, with the Friars routing the previously unbeaten St. Louis Billikens 90-63 to capture the 2K Classic crown. Bullock once again led the Friars with 15 points, while Diallo and White both added 11 to the Friars 90 as well.
Cartwright, once again, showed why he is considered one of the top distributors in all of college basketball by dishing out eight assists, and seemingly finding his teammates for open shots at will. But the most impressive Friar on the floor may have very well been heralded freshman Makai Ashton-Langford ‘21. Ashton-Langford, a consensus top recruit who committed to PC this past April, went a perfect 5-5 from the floor during the game, finishing with 11 points for the Friars. Ashton-Langford also showcased his own playmaking abilities, adding three assists while also recording a steal.
The Friars played a post-tournament game at home this past Wednesday, Novemeber 22, taking on the Belmont Bruins at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. The game came down to the final seconds, with Cartwright nailing a game-winning three-pointer to give the Friars a 66-65 victory at the buzzer and an unblemished 4-0 mark in the 2K Classic. Bullock and Diallo obtained double-digit points as well, scoring 15 and 13 respectively, while Jalen Lindsey ’18 also had 12, which put him in the double-digit margin.
The 2K Classic Crown is a first for the Friars, and while it is always nice to celebrate new championship hardware, the Friars have their sights set on adding a much bigger trophy to their collection this upcoming March.
Friars Go to Ireland
by The Cowl Editor on November 30, 2017
Friar Sports
By Sam Scanlon ’19
Sports Staff
Last week, the Providence College Men’s Ice Hockey Team took a journey across the pond to participate in the 2017 Friendship Four Tournament in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Over the course of their weeklong trip, the Friars toured Dublin, Ireland, as well as Belfast Northern Ireland, including Northern Ireland’s Parliament building and Crumlin Road Gaol, an old prison in Belfast.
The Friars also made a visit to Dondonald Primary school where Head Coach Nate Leaman addressed the student body and some players answered questions in classrooms. It was a great week for the team to engage in various community service opportunities as well as experience foreign cities’ culture and learn the history behind them. With last names like Foley, Kavanagh, and O’Neill on the Friars’ roster, the team’s Irish history is deeply rooted.
However, there was still business to be taken care of. In their first game of the tournament, which served as the tournament semifinal, the Friars took on the University of Maine Black Bears in a Hockey East tilt. From the start of the game, the Friars controlled the play. Although the team generated several key scoring opportunities in the first period, they were unable to capitalize until the final five minutes of the second frame, as Ryan Tait ’19 buried a wraparound feed from Bryan Lemos ’19 after a battle in the corner to set the Friars up 1-0.
From there, the Friars did not look back. Captain Brian Pinho ’18, who had been wreaking havoc all game in the offensive zone, finally struck the back of the net on a power play off a great look by Erik Foley ’19. Foley and Pinho have been impossible to stop together on the power play once they get time and space to set up.
Goaltender Hayden Hawkey ’19 impressed in this contest, steering aside all 24 shots he faced to preserve his second shutout of the season. This performance was essential to restore his confidence after being pulled at the start of the second period the weekend before against Merrimack College.
The game was finally put out of reach as Tait registered his second goal of the game on an empty net tally from a long pass from Jacob Bryson ’20, who impressed all weekend with his playmaking ability. The Friars 3-0 score would stand as they moved on to face the fifth ranked Clarkson University Golden Knights in the Friendship Four Championship Game.
In the Clarkson game, the Friars jumped out to an early lead off the stick of Foley, for his team leading seventh mark of the season. His line, along with Pinho and Brandon Duhaime ’20, played extremely well in this tournament, leading the Friars offensively. Duhaime was a nuisance for defensemen and goaltenders throughout the tournament, making his presence felt down low in the offensive zone, helping goal scorers like Foley and Pinho to find more opportunities.
However, the next four goals all belonged to Clarkson, as they beat Hawkey twice in the second period and twice more in the third. However, Duhaime’s hard work in the offensive zone finally paid off as he snuck one into the back of the net from right in front. This effort was too little too late as the Friars fell to the Golden Knights and Clarkson University was crowned 2017 Friendship Four Champions as they hoisted the Belpot Trophy.
Despite falling short in the championship game, the Friars still played their style of hockey. The top line provided most of the offense, and spent the majority of their time on ice in the offensive zone. On top of that, the entire roster played their role, all the way down to the physicality of the fourth line and a game one shut out from Hawkey. Although they did not come out on top, the ninth-ranked Friars took a step in the right direction as they look forward to a home-and-home series the weekend against the University of New Hampshire.
Fall Sports Wrap-Up
by The Cowl Editor on November 16, 2017
Friar Sports
By Joe Myko ’19
Sports Staff
As the year creeps further into November, fall sports at Providence College are beginning to wrap-up. With the exception of volleyball, all the fall sports have ended. Now, before we fully turn our attention to hockey, basketball, and other winter sports, let’s take a look back on an exciting fall season for PC athletics.
Cross Country:
Providence College’s Cross Country Teams remain ranked in regional and national polls this year for their performances, with the most recent and potentially most notable event being October’s Big East Cross Country Championships, in which the men’s team finished fourth overall.
The team began the season in impressive form on Sept. 2, managing to successfully sweep the University of New Hampshire Dual Meet. The men’s team also came in first at the Nassaney Invitational on Sept. 9, with Tom O’Neill ’18 winning the race.
The women finished second, behind Brown, with Millie Paladino ’18 coming in first. The women’s team successfully finished second in the Big East Cross Country Championships, with graduate student Catarina Rocha ‘17G impressively picking up the individual title. The women’s team also deserves praise for winning Battle-in-Beantown on the Sept. 22 for the third season in a row, as well as accumulating their third straight NCAA Northeast regional title.
Soccer:
The Providence College Men’s Soccer Team was ranked first in the New England Journal Division and in the Big East Preseason Coaches’ Poll this year, before they kicked off their season with a hard-fought loss againt the University of North Carolina on Aug. 25.
October’s game against Brown University was one of the most notable wins for the Friars, with Joao Serrano ’20 scoring the decisive golden goal in the 96th minute. On Nov. 8, former Friar Julian Gressel ’16 picked up the Major League Soccer Rookie of the Year award for his impressive performances for Atlanta United.
It was a successful season for goalkeeper Colin Miller ‘19RS, who has continued his good form from the last campaign where he earned the Big East goalkeeper of the year, with two consecutive Big East Goalkeeper of the Week awards.
The team was unfortunately knocked out of the Big East Tournament on Nov. 4, bested at the quarterfinal by Xavier University.
The Women’s Soccer Team secured Big East All-Tournament honors on Nov. 5, concluding a commendable season in which they made it to the semi-finals of the Big East competition, before losing 3-0 to Butler University on Nov. 2. Two Friars, Katie Day ’19 and Hannah McNulty ’21, were also picked for the All-Tournament team for their impressive performances through the season.
Field Hockey:
photo courtesy of Kara Sanford ’20
The field hockey team concluded an incredible season with a hard-fought loss in the Big East semi-finals, losing 3-0 to top-ranked University of Connecticut on Nov. 3. The Friars were very successful in the Big East field hockey post-season awards, which were released on Nov. 2, with four different players earning honors.
Defender Manon van Weezel ’21 picked up the Freshman of the Year award. She was also unanimously selected for the All-Big East First Team, alongside midfielder Megan Hamilton ’18. Defender Corinne Kenney ’19 and goalkeeper Megan Guilbert ’18 also deserve congratulations for accumulating All-Big East second team honors.
Volleyball:
Prior to the season commencing on Aug. 25, in a 3-0 win against University of Alabama Birmingham, the volleyball team was awarded team academic honors from American Volleyball Coaches Association for their 2016-17 season.
Providence College’s volleyball team then went on to sweep the Hatter Classic on Sept. 2, as well as the 13th Annual Friar Classic on Sept. 9. In terms of individual honors, McKenzie Lydon ’21 and Allison Barber ’21 both deserve praise for picking up Freshman of the Week awards in August and September, respectively.
Most recently, the team just dropped a match against Xavier University, losing three sets to one. The team will look to get back in the win column on Nov. 17 versus Georgetown University. The Friars will close out their season at Villanova University on Nov. 18.
Men’s Basketball Splits First Weekend of Play
by The Cowl Editor on November 16, 2017
Friar Sports
By Chris McCormack ’18
Sports Staff
The Providence College Men’s Basketball Team kicked off their season last weekend with a 84-55 win over the Houston Baptist Huskies in Alumni Hall. With comic-con being held at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center on Nov. 10, the Friars were able to play the first men’s basketball game on campus since 1972.
After this win, the Friars went into one of their biggest out of conference games this season against the no. 15 ranked, Minnesota Gophers. The Gophers, coached by Richard Pitino ’05, proved to be resilient as their veteran team was able to fight off the Friars and win with a final score of 84-72.
Although they lost, the Friars looked solid throughout most of the game and there were a lot of positive things to take away. They got off to a slow start as Minnesota opened the game with a 12-2 run, but they quickly recovered with a run of their own and closed the half out with a three-point lead 39-36.
The second half started similarly to the first with both teams going back and forth up until about the 10 minute mark. The Friars offense seemed to cool off while the Gophers continued to flourish offensively. The Friars seemed to miss Emmitt Holt ‘18, who is out indefinitely after having stomach surgery. The Gophers’ Jordan Murphy scored 23 points with 14 rebounds. As a 6’6” forward, this seems to be the ideal player for Holt to be guarding. The Friars were still able to put up a bit of a fight with a pretty solid offensive performance.
Four players scored in double figures, but what they needed was someone to step up as the rest of the team cooled down. Regardless of the result, there is no doubt they have a promising season ahead of them. They will travel to New York City and face Washington University at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.
The remaining out-of conference games are games the Friars should win. It is definitely a good thing for them to face such a tough opponent early in the season as it will prove to be a learning experience and they will improve as the season goes on. Given the atmosphere in the Dunk on Monday, there is no doubt Friars fans are ready for this season.