Tag: Friar Sports
Fall Sports Wrap-Up
by The Cowl Editor on November 16, 2017
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
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.
Women’s Hockey Comes Out Strong
by The Cowl Editor on November 9, 2017
Sports
By: Jeremy Perrigo ’18
Sports Staff
The Providence College Women’s Ice Hockey Team, after finishing the 2016-17 campaign 17-17-3, is off to a strong start this season with a record of 6-3-2.
The Friars swept the Northeastern Universty Huskies in a home-and-home over the weekend of Oct. 28 with 2-1 and 6-4 victories. This was an impressive accomplishment considering the Huskies finished last season with a record of 22-12-3, beating the Friars in all three of their previous meetings.
The Friars’ early success has been made possible through the contributions of players such as Madison Myers ‘19 (Colchester, Vermont), who was awarded Women’s Hockey East Goaltender of the Month for October. Myers has started all 11 of the Friars’ games this season, sporting a save percentage of .914 and a goals against average of 2.34.
This is Myers’ first Hockey East monthly award. She was also previously awarded Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 30, largely for her contributions against the Huskies, where she put up 40 and 38-save performances in the back-to-back games.
Myers, who said she models her game after Montreal Canadiens’ goaltender Carey Price, stated that it is “quite the honor” to be recognized with the award. When asked about her recent success and if she has made any changes to her game that have allowed her to grow as a player, she mentioned her previous season’s work she said, “I actually changed my game last year with the help of my head coach Bob Deraney. He helped me become quicker and more reactive and I think that really helped my game improve for this year.”
Hockey goaltenders are often considered some of the most superstitious players in the game, and many have rigorous pre-game rituals. Myers says she does not share these beliefs and likes to start each game without a specific routine.
The Providence goaltender is now in her third year with the team, and when asked about how her role has developed off the ice with her teammates she mentioned that she used to be the one going to her fellow goaltenders with questions, and now that she has become an upperclassman, finds herself answering rather than asking more of those questions.
Most recently the Friars suffered a setback, dropping by a 7-4 decision Friday, November 3, to the No. 2 ranked Boston College Eagles. When asked about what she liked in her team’s performance Myers said, “I think we had a pretty bad game which says a lot about our team,” noting that the recent loss was a big step up from past games against the Eagles. “I think it is definitely an improvement and they are definitely beatable, so that should give us a lot of confidence,” expressing how she feels about the direction in which the team is heading in.
PC looks to bounce back as the teams travels to Orono, Maine on Friday to face off against the University of Maine. The Black Bears have a record of 6-5-0 and are scheduled to play a game Tuesday, November 7 against the same Northeastern Huskies that the Friars swept two weekends ago.
The Friars went 3-0 against Maine last season, recording wins of 3-2, 6-4, and 5-2. Christina Putigna‘19 leads the team in points (6G, 9A) followed by Brooke Boquist ’18 (6G, 3A), and Cassidy MacPherson ’19 (2G, 7A). Look for these players as they attempt to build on their success against the Black Bears. The Friars are off to the best start in recent history, and key contributors like Myers are being recognized for their success. It will be exciting to see how the team plays moving forward.
Athlete of the Week: Catarina Rocha
by The Cowl Editor on November 9, 2017
Athlete of the Week
Athlete of the Week: Catarina Rocha
By: Joe Myko ’19
Sports Staff
On Oct. 28, on a brisk day in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Providence College’s Men and Women’s Cross Country teams were involved in the Big East Cross Country Championships with the men’s team finishing in fourth as a collective, while the women’s team finished second.
Catarina Rocha ‘17G has been competing for Providence College’s track and field team since the beginning of her freshman year in 2013. Rocha became the ninth woman in the college’s history to obtain the individual Big East title, something the athlete herself confirmed to be her “biggest sporting achievement to date.” A gradual improvement, having finished seventh in 2013, second in 2014, and sixth in 2015.
Rocha said modestly that this win came as a “surprise” to her. The win was all the more impressive because she was unable to compete in the 2016 competition, as she was sidelined with an injury.
Rocha’s achievement was particularly noteworthy as it also had sentimental value, as she is now the second in her family to have won a Big East cross country title, following her father’s success for Boston College in 1987. Both of Rocha’s parents ran competitively for Boston College, so it is unsurprising to learn that they had a large impact upon her interest and success in running.
Her brother is also on Providence College’s track and field team. Somewhat surprisingly, Rocha admitted that it was only after sophomore year of high school, when she had to sacrifice playing soccer to pursue running, in which it became a huge part of her life.
In terms of pivotal changes to her day-to-day life which may have contributed to her success, Rocha cites the added focus to enjoy her running which she has been gifted since becoming a graduate student as something which helped her to be perfectly prepared for the Big East Cross Country Championships.
Rocha was also keen to identify the help of her teammates and coaches in giving her a great platform for her recent title win, highlighting the team spirit, particularythe way in which they will “push each other along when someone’s having a bad day” as being a key ingredient to success.
Cross country Head Coach, Ray Treacy, was eager to voice his congratulations for Rocha, whose individual title had a large part to play in the college’s success: “I am especially proud of Catarina for winning the individual title, she has been a standout runner for us.”
Looking forward to the next generation, Rocha was happy to offer some advice to the current and future runners of Providence College. Firstly, Rocha recommended that they stay “patient” in successfully balancing academics and training, as she freely admitted she found the step-up between high school and college to be a major one.
Secondly, she was keen to emphasize to upcoming athletes to enjoy their undergraduate years and to savor the key moments, as the reality is, “You’re never going to be able to be on a team with ten of your best friends again after you leave.”
In terms of her own future, Rocha is waiting to see what the future holds in terms of competitive running, as she will undoubtedly have a lot of exciting opportunities inside and outside the world of athletics. However, she is confident that running will “always be part of her life” in some regard, as will Providence College, going on to emphasize that “There’s no place like Friartown!”
Swim Team Gears Up for Big Meet
by The Cowl Editor on November 9, 2017
Sports
By Meaghan Cahill
Sports Co-Editor
The second biggest meet of the season is on the horizon for the Providence College Men’s and Women’s Swim and Dive Teams. The Harold Anderson Invitational, which takes place this year at the University of Rhode Island, is “treated as the Big East Championsips,” according to Madeline Snow ’19.
Coming up on the mid-point of their season, Snow reflected, “We’ve had a pretty good season with several [swimmers] already qualifying for Big East.” While past meets have been used as preparation for the Harold Anderson Invitational, Snow claims, “It’s been a tough line-up so far, we haven’t necessarily won a lot, but that doesn’t mean we are not performing well.”
Snow is certainly correct in her statement that the team is performing well this season. Several team members have already scored qualifying times for the Big East Championship and their success does not stop there. During their meet against Fairfield University on Nov. 4, two members of the swim team broke school records.
While the women’s team did not win the meet, losing 184.5-113.5, Lauren Zawacki ’21 had a standout meet where she broke a 27-year-old record in the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 26.84 seconds. “Lauren, she’s awesome! She broke the school record by .4 seconds, which for a 50 is monumental. It’s huge!” Snow commented.
Along with Zawacki, Patrick Brannigan ’20 also broke a school record that he set himself the year before in the men’s 50-meter freestyle. Originally, Brannigan broke the record in 2016 with a time of 24.11 seconds and this year, he shaved 0.23 seconds off of his time to set a new school record of 23.88 seconds. That same day, Brannigan also won the men’s 100-meter freestyle with a time of 53.49 and was on the winning Men’s 200-meter medley relay team.
“PK really puts in the work and deserves to do well,” Snow said. Individual success has been very prominent within the team this season, but the team as a whole is coming together as well, as they look for overall team success. According to Snow, “The team is in better shape this season than past seasons. There is a good work ethic and everyone comes prepared.” When questioned on how the freshmen are adjusting to being a part of the team, Snow stated, “The freshmen have all been awesome additions and really add to the team’s depth.”
Entering her final two seasons on the team, Snow’s main concern is “that the team is doing well” but that does not stop her from looking to improve her own ranking. On her own swim career up until this point, Snow acknowledged that “there is definitely room for improvement to excel and be in a position in the team’s [top rankings]”.
Using the next two weeks leading up to the Harold Anderson Invitational to “rest and work on getting best times to qualify [for Big East],” Snow expresses the team’s need to “keep the work ethic going” as their main goals as they enter into the final stages of their season.
Women’s Cross Country Shooting for the Stars
by The Cowl Editor on September 28, 2017
Sports
by Eileen Flynn ’20
Sports Staff
The Providence College Women’s Cross Country Team has definitely proved their worthiness through their preseason eighth place ranking in the NCAA National Coaches’ Poll. The Friars are expected to have yet another successful season and the veterans that returned this year have already pushed the team in the right direction.
At the University of New Hampshire Annual Dual Meet the Friars reminded the league of their talents. In their opening match, PC runners Brianna Ilarda ’18, Catarina Rocha ’17RS, Mackenzie Barry ’18, and Maria Coffin ’21, crossed the finish line first, second, third and fourth consecutively. Alexandra DeCicco ’20, and Dara Cuffe ’19, followed up in seventh and 19th place.
An overwhelming amount of Friars in the top ten guaranteed the team’s first victory of the year over competitors from the College of the Holy Cross and the University of New Hampshire.
On Sept. 9, at the Nassaney Invitational in Smithfield, Rhode Island the Friars faced off against Brown University. The first three spots were filled by Millie Paladino ’18, Abbey Wheeler ’20, and Mackenzie Barry ’18. Paladino turned it on at the end and pulled away from the pack. She ran past the finish line at an impressive time of 16:58. Coach Treacy decided to rest five of his top eight runners, so the Friars were unable to grab the team win over Brown.
Regional rankings have listed PC at number one, and national rankings have placed the team eighth overall. Teams ahead of PC include the University of Colorado-Boulder, at number one.
In the team’s latest match at the Boston College Battle in Beantown Invitational on Friday, September 22, the women achieved the team title in the women’s 5,000 meters
The consistency in Rocha, Ilarda, Wheeler, and Paladino is what sets this team apart and is what enables them to keep winning their meets. Rocha, Ilarda, and Wheeler placed fourth, fifth and sixth in the 17th minute.
The women won the team title with 71 points over Indiana University and Georgetown University which tied in second with the same score of 78. This is the third season in a row that the women have claimed the team title and the fourth time in five years.
Forever a Teammate: Garrett Gamez
by The Cowl Editor on September 28, 2017
Sports
photo courtesy of Providence College Hockey
By Sam Scanlon ’19
Sports Staff
A scary moment in the 2017 Men’s Hockey East Quarterfinals left everyone at the Compton Family Ice Arena at the University of Notre Dame in a state of confusion and shock. In the middle of the game, Providence College Men’s Ice Hockey forward Garrett Gamez ’19 collapsed on the bench. After being released the following day, the next few months were a waiting game for Gamez.
After consulting with doctors and looking over the test results, Gamez unfortunately announced that continuing to play hockey would be too much of a risk for his health. Gamez played in 57 games in his two seasons with the Friars, registering 16 points on eight goals and eight assists. His physical presence on the ice, crucial goal scoring ability, and perfect dose of leadership are attributes that are going to be incredibly missed on the Friars’ roster. However, Gamez is not done contributing to the men’s ice hockey team at the College.
Although his career as a player was cut short, Gamez is sticking with the program and is entering this season as a student assistant coach. In this new role, Gamez said that he believes he will be able to “talk to [the coaching staff] about my experience here as a player and let them know what they did that really helped me grow.” As a recent player and classmate of current players on the roster, Gamez’s voice is going to be vital in the communication process between players and coaches.
Gamez is also planning on helping out by serving as an extra resource and mentor for his teammates.
He explained that he vows to help his teammates with any “difficult challenges they may face here at PC, whether that be with school, on the ice, or with family.” These are conversations that may not happen with coaches, so Gamez’s vision is to help his teammates in any way that the coaching staff may not be able to. This role with his teammates will allow the team to develop further cohesiveness and benefit their play on the ice.
Obviously, these past few months have been difficult for Gamez. However, continuing his journey as a member of the men’s ice hockey team is something that he is extremely excited about and grateful for. “In the athletic department, from Mr. Driscoll down, everyone has made an amazing effort to keep me involved with the team and I can’t describe how thankful I am for them to do that.”
With his junior and senior years ahead of him, Gamez still has plenty of time to put his stamp on this program. He had nothing but praise and kind words for the outpour and support from his teammates, the staff, and the entire PC community.
He concludes, “I look forward to all of the opportunities that I will have to help the team out. Those guys on that team are all brothers to me and I am very grateful that I get to be by their side for the next two years and be a part of such an amazing program.”
Don’t miss Gamez and the Friars this season as their road to a National Championship begins Oct. 6 at Miami University (OH).
Why Men’s Soccer will finish their season with the best record of all PC sports
by The Cowl Editor on September 21, 2017
Sports
by Ethan Ticehurst ’18
Sports Staff
The most impressive team on campus so far this semester has been the Providence College Men’s Soccer Team. With strong core players returning from last year’s run to the NCAA tournament, the team is looking to build upon that momentum to be even better this year. Despite a current record of 2-4-1 for the season, the Friars should look even stronger when they get into the thick of Big East play in a month or so.
The biggest bright spot for this team is the stellar play of goakeeper Colin Miller ’18, who has kept the Friars competitive in many games throughout his career with some amazing saves. Of course, Miller is not the only factor spurring this team to greatness. There is a great sense of teamwork surrounding the squad as they move around the field. Everyone seems to be clicking and working together for a common goal. While there are players who stand out, it is clear that all players are important in the process of scoring each goal.
The last advantage that men’s soccer has this year is a dedicated fan base. Last year’s successful season and a newer stadium have led to huge attendance numbers for the first few home games of the year. The students are coming out in droves to attend their games, filling up almost all of the seats in Anderson Stadium. The team plays better when they know that there are people out there supporting them and the students have not been shy about their support at all.
All of these factors are reasons why at the end of the season, our men’s soccer team will own the best record in Friartown.
Field Hockey Bursts Into Big East Play
by The Cowl Editor on September 21, 2017
Sports
photo courtesy of Kara Sanford ’20
by Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Staff
The Providence College Women’s Field Hockey Team had an eventful week. The team began Big East play against Temple University Friday night, then took the University of California-Davis, a team that traeled all the way from the west coast to play in Rhode Island. The Friars took both games, scoring nine goals over the two games and holding their oponents to two goals each.
Friday night marked the begining of Big East play for the Friars as they took on a Temple team that was 1-4 coming into the game. Allyson Parer ’20 got things started for PC as she scored the first goal of the game off a penalty corner shot that was assisted by Mary O’Reilly ’20 and Maddie Babineau ’21.
Temple responded with two goals of their own and took a 2-1 lead into halftime. In the second half, the Frars took control of the game, scoring three unanswered goals. Megan Hamilton ’18 tied the game for the Friars early in the second half on a tip-in shot from Manon van Weezel ’21.
With less than 20 minutes left to go in the game, Izzy Mendez ’20 gave the Friars the lead for good with a deflection off a pass from Babineau. This marked Mendez’s first career goal for the Friars. Later in the game, Babineau gave PC some insurance with her own goal, scoring three points (one goal, two assists), giving the Friars a 4-2 lead which they would hold on to.
Turning the page to Sunday morning, PC played a 1-6 UC Davis team that was looking to steal a win from the Friars. Those hopes were put to the test early on. Van Weezel scored her first goal of the season off a corner with assists from O’Reilly and Natalie Mitchell ’19. Mikayla Michals ’19 would give the Friars a 2-0 lead going into halftime off a pass from Mendez.
UC Davis showed some fight as they scored the first goal in the second half to cut the lead to 2-1. Mendez and van Weezel responded with each of their own goals to put the game out of reach at 4-1.
Each team would score another goal in the final minutes including a goal from O’Reilly from a corner penalty after the clock had already expired. Goalkeeper Megan Guilbert ’18 had a solid game in goal, coming up with several key saves when UC Davis started to amp up the pressure, keeping the game just out of reach for the visitors.
With the two wins this weekend, the Friars improved their record to 5-3 (1-0 in the Big East), while gaining some momentum as they start to settle into their Big East play.
PC will have a full week of practice as they don’t play until Sept. 22 ,when they go on the road to take on Villanova (1-6, 0-1 in Big East), then take on undefeated University of Connecticut in Storrs on Sept. 29. These are two big games for PC as a matchup against Nova is always big and UCONN will likely be a tight game.
Men’s Rugby Begins Quest for Conference Championship
by The Cowl Editor on September 21, 2017
Sports
photo courtesy of Laura Chadbourne ’20
by Max Anderson ’18
Sports Staff
The Providence College Men’s Rugby season kicked off conference play this past Saturday, with the Friars already looking like they are in midseason form. The Friars hosted Roger Williams on Saturday and immediately picked up right where they left off, defeating the Hawks 39-12 to improve to a 1-0 record in the Rugby Northeast Conference. The contest was a tune-up for the Friars and a good indicator that the team has big things planned for this upcoming season.
PC is one of 14 schools currently participating in the Rugby Northeast Conference. The Friars will look to repeat their success in the conference after finishing last years season at the top of the Conference with a nearly unblemished record of 7-1. The Friars will have experience on their side, as they are returning a majority of players are returning from last year’s team, including 16 seniors and nearly 30 upperclassmen total.
The Providence Rugby squad has taken monumental strides since the seniors arrived on campus in 2014, and could be looking at their best season yet. During the 2014 fall season, the Friars recorded a 4-4 record, and improved upon that mark with a 5-3 conference record the following year. Last season, the Friars had their best record since the 2012 season (a year when the Friars went undefeated) finishing with a 7-3 mark overall, and a nearly perfect 7-1 record in conference play. With so many returning players, it is easy to see how the team could improve on that mark this season, potentially even matching the undefeated record that the 2012 squad set.
Looking ahead at the upcoming schedule, the Friars have two straight home games at Hendricken Field, before heading out on the road for a three-game road trip. The Friars will take on Middlebury College this Saturday, September 23, and will follow that up with a visit from University of Massachusetts Lowell on Friday, Sept. 23, a team the Friars handily defeated last season 55-37. The Friars will then head across town to take on the Bryant Bulldogs on Friday, October 6, a school the Friars defeated 39-24 last year, before venturing to Southern Connecticut State University a week after that on Saturday, Oct. 14. The Friars will finish up the three game road trip with a visit to Norwich University, where they will take on the Cadets on Saturday, October 21. The Friars did not play the Cadets last season, as Norwich was added to the conference this past season. PC will end their season at home against Bentley University on Saturday, October 28, in what may turn out to be the most interesting game of the year. Last season’s only loss for the Friars came at the hands of Bentley. The Friars just narrowly lost to the Falcons, so you can guarantee that the Friars will be looking for revenge in this upcoming game.