Tag: Friar Sports
Karwoski, Softball Team Ready to Roll
by Meaghan P Cahill on February 13, 2020
Friar Sports
Team Looks to Build Upon Last Year’s Breakout Season
By Leo Hainline ’22
Sports Staff
This week marks the beginning of the Providence College softball season as the Friars head down to Texas to square off against Houston Baptist University, Sam Houston State University, and George Mason University. PC softball is on the rise after Coach Jill Karwoski took over the program last year, finishing the season with a 30-22 record—a great improvement from the team’s 13-32 performance in 2018—and the most wins for the Friars since 2005. Despite some key members graduating, namely Emma Lee ’19 who made the Big East Second Team last season with a .411 batting average, excitement is brewing around the current squad.
Coach Karwoski has unified the program through a team-first philosophy that the players have embraced. When asking Skie Villani ’22 (who this weekend will be playing close to her hometown of Sugar Land, TX) about the strengths of the team, she emphasized that the true strengths do not lie in an individual player or position but within the values that they hold as a program. “Our strengths come from our core values—attitude and gratitude, open-heart open-mind, and respect and commitment,” she stated. “To be successful we know we’ll have to work as a team.”
Coach Karwoski also highlighted the importance of making the most of the Friars’ opportunities on offense and minimizing mistakes in order to reach their potential: “I think so much of it is taking advantage of opportunities you know when we have runners in scoring positions… what hurts a lot of teams sometimes is when you leave a lot of runners on base—Coach Bree has been doing a fantastic job with our offense and utilizing some of our strengths so and doing that—taking advantage of those base runners and on defense minimizing our errors—we want to make sure we’re having quick innings and not letting things snowball or get out of control.”
The Friars have six seniors on the roster, including Mackensie Compton ’20 who holds the highest batting average of all returning players from last season. Along with the seniors, there are also plenty of talented underclassmen on the roster. Daniela Alvarez ’22 is another name to watch out for. As a freshman, she held an 18-8 record with a 2.25 ERA. She had more wins than any other pitcher on the 2019 roster and it appears she could be a dominant force for PC softball this season and in the years to come.
After their opening games in Texas, the Friars will head down to Maderia Beach, FL for an array of five out-of-conference games that include matchups against Colombia University, Stony Brook University, and Merrimack College. They then return to Clearwater for the Clearwater Spring Break Invitational in early March, where the Friars will play twelve games in a span of five days. On Wednesday, March 18, PC softball will have its first home game at Glay Field versus Bryant (the Friars went 11-2 at home last season) and will open Big East play that Friday in Friartown against St. John’s University, who won the Big East regular season in 2019.
Anticipate a lot of excitement from the Big East this year. From top to bottom the teams are going to be competitive and will make for some great softball. In response to what games she was looking forward to, Coach Karwoski responded, “I think every single Big East game I’m looking forward to. Last year was our first year in the Big East in terms of our coaching staff and we just really enjoyed the competitiveness of it, and you know, every team equally matched up and each game was a lot of fun.”
PC softball also has the motivation to prove the doubters wrong—they were ranked 6th out of 8 teams in the Big East Preseason Coaches’ Poll. For a team that finished third in the conference in 2019 and has retained more than a serviceable amount of talent, the Friars will be looking to prove that last year’s success was not a fluke. However, Coach Karwoski hesitated to make much of the preseason polls
She said, “Last year I think we were picked eighth and I think we ended up finishing third— that’s just what it is, it’s a preseason poll and I think every year we get underestimated and until we start having consecutively good years in the top four of the conference, you know, right now I’m sure they’ll look at last year maybe as a fluke or maybe as a one-time thing so now it’s up to us to prove that we can consistently compete for a Big East Championship.”
Reigning Big East tournament champion DePaul University looks to be Providence’s biggest competition this season. Not only did they make the NCAA tournament last year but they were the team that knocked the Friars out of the Big East tournament. Although PC softball likes to focus on the season by going one game at a time, their series at home versus Depaul at the end of their regular season on May 1-3 are games that both players and fans should be marking on their calendars.
Trio of Men’s Soccer Players Go Pro
by Meaghan P Cahill on February 13, 2020
Friar Sports
By Liam Tormey ’22
Sports Staff
Three Providence College men’s soccer players are now professional soccer players. Danny Griffin ’20 and Austin Aviza ’20RS are now both part of Major League Soccer (MLS) teams, while Tiago Mendonca ’20RS has signed in the United Soccer League (USL).
The 2020 MLS SuperDraft took place on Thursday, January 9. In the draft, Aviza was selected in the second round, number 44 overall, by Orlando City. Griffin was also selected in the second round, just five spots after Aviza in the number 49 spot overall, selected by the Columbus Crew SC. Mendonca has signed a professional contract with the New England Revolution II in the USL League One.
In the 2019 campaign for the Friars, Aviza, from Medway, MA, featured in all 23 games as PC’s goalie. Aviza was also honored to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll twice along with being awarded All-Big East Third Team honors. After their second round win in the NCAA Men’s Soccer Tournament against Penn State University, Coach Craig Stewart credited Aviza, saying, “I think he’s been steady all year and very consistent as a goal keeper,” and a large part of the comeback win against Penn State was because of Aviza; as Coach Stewart mentioned, “We don’t win that game without him.” In the 23 games Aviza played this season, he posted a 16-7 with 56 saves and recorded nine shutouts.
Griffin, one of the captain midfielders from Wethersfield, CT, had the same profound impact for the team in his time spent at Friartown. In his career, Griffin recorded 32 points with 13 goals and six assists. Griffin has been named to the Preseason All-Big East Team in 2018 and was also a unanimous pick into the Big East All-Freshman Team. He played and started in all 80 games during his career. In the 2019 campaign, Griffin had eight points and one game-winning goal this season against the University of Villanova in a 2-0 victory. He was also awarded All-Big East Third Team Honors this past season.
Mendonca, from Faro, Portgual, was another captain for the Friars this season. He started all 23 games and was an integral part in the midfield. He was crucial in helping the team reach the third round of the NCAA Tournament. In his time at PC, Mendonca recorded 26 total points with 11 goals and four assists. Before the season’s start, Mendonca was named to the Preseason All-Big East team and then was named to the All-Big East First Team and Big East All-Tournament Team to round out the season. In the second round game against Penn State, Mendonca scored the equalizer with just under five minutes remaining in regulation before the Friars would go on to win in overtime.
After PC’s heartbreaking loss to Clemson Unversity in double overtime in the third round of the NCAA Tournament, Coach Stewart commended his senior captains, saying he “couldn’t be more proud for the work that they’ve contributed towards the program.” Stewart said they were both “fantastic footballers but also human beings.”
In the same press conference, Griffin spoke of his time with the Friars and said, since freshman year, “The community, the coaches, the staff, the trainers, it’s been a family and it’s meant everything to us.”
Aviza, Griffin, and Mendonca all played crucial roles in the big success PC had on the pitch this past season. They were role models for the organization and have left their mark on Friar history.
Women’s Hockey Splits Weekend against UMaine
by Meaghan P Cahill on February 13, 2020
Friar Sports
Team Needs to Boost Record before Hockey East Playoffs
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
The Providence College Women’s Hockey Team, which is ranked fourth in Hockey East, split last weekend’s series against the no. 7 team, the University of Maine.
In the first game on Friday, February 7, the Friars skated to a 2-2 tie despite having a 2-1 lead for the majority of the second period. UMaine skater Liga Milijone put the Black Bears on the scoreboard first after sniping one past PC goaltender Sandra Abstreiter ’22RS five minutes into the game. Three minutes later, Isabelle Hardy’s ’23 wrist shot soared into the top left corner of the net after passes from Hayley Lunny ’21 and team captain Avery Fransoo ’20. Hardy’s goal was her fourth of the season and third in the last five games.
The Friars finished the first period with a goal from Neve Van Pelt ’20 in the final 23 seconds of the period. Van Pelt netted a backhand over the Black Bear goalie’s shoulder for her sixth goal of the season. Meaghan Rickard ’20 recorded her ninth assist of the season.
Van Pelt concluded the scoring for the Friars this game. With just under four minutes left in the second period, UMaine player Celene Tedeny scored a power-play goal to even out the score to two apiece.
The Friars outshot the Black Bears 35-25 but they could not capitalize on their three power plays and were unable to go 4-4 on the penalty kill. Defenseman Whitney Dove ’20, who leads PC in assists and is ranked fifth in Hockey East for defenseman scoring, recorded a game-high six shots on net. Abstreiter concluded the game with 23 shots saved and two goals against. She is currently ranked third in Hockey East for her 1.65 goals against average.
The Friars returned to Schneider Arena again the next day where they were unable to gain momentum to garner the full two points. PC lost to UMaine 1-2. Abstreiter was once again in net, making 18 saves throughout the game.
PC fell two goals behind quickly into the first period after the Black Bears scored 26 seconds apart about seven minutes into the game.
Despite having a man advantage four times throughout the game, PC did not find their way onto the scoreboard until midway throughout the third period. The goal came from Lauren DeBlois ’23 who ripped a slap shot from the right point that notched the lone score for the Friars in the game. This was DeBlois’s third goal of the season.
Once again, PC outshot UMaine 44-20. The team also saw more success at the face-off circle, winning 35-64 faceoffs compared to UMaine’s 29-64. Unfortunately, the Friars were unable to dig themselves out of the hole that they got into early in the first.
The team has just four more games remaining in their regular season before they will partake in the 2020 Hockey East Tournament. This upcoming weekend, they will be facing off against No. 1 Hockey East team Northeastern University in their second to last home-and-home series. They will travel to Boston on Friday, February 14 and then return to Schneider on Feb. 15. The following weekend, PC will wrap up their regular season in another home-and-home series against the College of the Holy Cross, playing in Worcester, MA on Friday and back in Friartown on the Saturday for not only their last game of the season, but also the team’s senior game which will honor the team’s seven seniors.
The team will need to pick up some much needed points in their final four games if they want to have a chance to pull ahead of the University of Connecticut, who is currently tied for fourth place with the Friars in Hockey East.
Men’s Hockey Falls to UMass
by Meaghan P Cahill on February 13, 2020
Friar Sports
By Thomas Zinzarella ’21
Sports Staff
Following a loss at Northeastern University the previous weekend, the 10th ranked Providence College Men’s Hockey Team had a chance to move themselves up in the Hockey East standings this weekend as they faced off against the 8th ranked University of Massachusetts Amherst Minutemen.
Last year, all three matchups with UMass finished with a final score of 3-2 with UMass taking two. The Friars’ lone win came at home against the then top-ranked Minutemen. The two had a chance to meet in the National Championship game in Buffalo, but the Friars fell to Minnesota Duluth University, who would go on to knock off UMass.
This year, the two teams would only meet twice, and both meetings took place this past weekend. Coming into Friday’s game at the Mullins Center. UMass was tied with Boston College for first place in the conference. The Friars were in a four-way tie for fourth place, just two points off of first place.
The Friars have struggled over the years playing at Amherst. Before Friday’s game, PC had a 16-15-5 record and had lost three straight games playing at UMass. On Friday, it was no different. UMass outshot PC 17-3 in the first period which featured a goal by Reed Lebster just 5:35 in. The Friars struggled to generate offense for most of this game.
The Friars, who average just under 35 shots per game, were held to just 15 shots while UMass recorded 36 shots. Michael Lackey GS made a series of highlight reel saves in the second period to keep the game at a one-goal deficit, but the Minutemen were too much. Matt Koopman ’21 would score the lone point for the Friars. UMass would go on to win 3-1, although Lackey had one of his best games in a Friar uniform with 33 saves and kept the game closer than what it could have been. Greg Carvel, the UMass head coach said after the game, “That’s as solid a game as we’ve played in this building probably since I’ve been here.”
Each team resumed their matchup the next evening in Providence where the Friars were seeking to split the series. The Friars came out firing with an early power play opportunity just 35 seconds into the game. Tyce Thompson ‘22 smashed a line drive off the post, sending a booming echo throughout the arena. However, a goal by John Leonard put UMass ahead 1-0 after the first period. In the second period, the Friars were only able to muscle two shots on goal, while Leonard struck again for UMass with a short-handed goal. In the remaining minutes of the second period, Oliver Chau recorded a goal on a hustle play, putting the game seemingly out of the Friars’ reach. However, PC made a push halfway through the third period, as Thompson netted his 18th goal of the season on a Jack Dugan ‘22 assist.
Shortly after the goal, the Friars had another chance to gain some momentum on a power play opportunity, but UMass soon shut the door on the Friars with two more goals. Leonard completed the hat-trick for UMass and his four-point night led UMass to a 5-1 victory. The Friars once again did not take advantage of their opportunities, as they went 1-6 on the power play. “It’ll change when we get sick of losing,” said coach Nate Leaman after the game. “We’re a really young group and we’re playing like it.” PC will look to rebound Friday against the University of Vermont.
Men’s Basketball Weekend Recap
by Meaghan P Cahill on February 13, 2020
Friar Sports
By Gavin Woods ’22
Sports Staff
The Providence College Men’s Basketball Team was defeated by Xavier University last Saturday, 58-64. The Friars record has now fallen to 13-11 on the regular season, and 6-5 within the Big East.
Both teams came out of the gates aggressively. The Friars got into an early rhythm, but struggled to slow the Musketeers from inside the paint. The soft coverage down low and lack of communication among the defense enabled the Musketeers to consistently get high percentage looks.
The Friars’ offense seemed to be working effectively, as they maintained the lead for the majority of the first half. However, their issue was not scoring, but rather keeping Xavier from scoring easy layups. As the game progressed, Xavier seemed to find success with their substitutions, particularly with Kyky Tandy, who scored 10 points off the bench.
PC’s offense was led by Nate Watson ’21 with 16 points and seven rebounds. Watson was supported by Alpha Diallo ’20 and David Duke ’22 with 14 and 12 points, respectively. However, the Friars seem to be struggling to find their identity, as these three stars are the only players to consistently score double digits each game. The offensive burden for the Friars must be more evenly distributed among the team.
Another issue currently plaguing the Friars is subpar perimeter shooting. Out of 23 attempted three point shots, only four fell, resulting in a three point percentage of 17.4. It’s entirely possible that PC is simply attempting too many three pointers. Luwane Pipkins ’20 shot a total of nine three pointers only to make two of them. This means that seven possessions were essentially handed to Xavier. The Musketeers attempted only 19 three pointers and landed five of them for a three point percentage of 26.3.
Perhaps the biggest issue for the Friars lies in the way they finish games. As seen several times throughout the 2019-2020 season, including the recent loss to Villanova University, PC’s shot selection in the dying minutes of the second half become erratic and forced. With 8:59 to play in the second half, Providence led 50-47. Xavier then went on to execute a 5-0 point run, leading PC 52-50. Following this run, the Musketeers never gave the lead back, with the Friars making only three shots within the final 10 minutes of the second half.
Head coach Ed Cooley voiced his frustration following the loss saying, “I’m really pissed at my team. I thought we were undisciplined. I thought we took some uncharacteristic shots. I didn’t think we were united the way you have to be on the road in these environments.”
The PC versus St. John’s game was not completed at press time.
Women’s Basketball Falls Short to Blue Jays
by Meaghan P Cahill on February 13, 2020
Friar Sports
By Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports Staff
On Saturday, February 8, the Providence College Women’s Basketball Team played against Big East rival Creighton University for their second matchup of the season, this time taking place at home in Mullaney Gym.
The season has been rocky for the Friars as they continue Big East play throughout the end of winter and into spring. Going into the game against the Blue Jays, the Friars had posted a 10-13 record overall, with a 1-10 record in the Big East Conference, currently tied for last place along with Xavier University.
Providence’s first Big East win came a few weeks ago against Xavier University, in a home win 60-48. Guard Earlette Scott ’22 led the game with 20 points, while center sophomore Mary Baskerville ’22 led the game with 11 rebounds.
The Friars previous game took place on Feb. 2 at DePaul University in Chicago. While the Friars put up a good fight in each quarter against the no. 13 Blue Demons, the win ultimately went to DePaul in a final score of 93-71. Guard Chanell Williams ’21 led the game with 15 points, while Alyssa Geary ’22 led with six rebounds for the Friars.
The Friars were looking to bounce back and find a spark to ignite the team to go on a run, especially with postseason approaching and the Women’s Big East Tournament in early March.
Now it was time for the Friars to once again face Creighton. In the previous matchup which took place at Creighton, the Friars lost by nine in a 63-72 matchup. Kaela Webb ’22 led the team with 14 points. The Friars were ready to give everything they had for this next matchup.
The game was set, and the Friars were on their way to face the Blue Jays once again. Constantly leading throughout the first quarter of play, things were looking up for the Friars as players such as Baskerville and Webb could not miss shots. As well as the Friars were playing, nothing was stopping Creighton’s Jaylyn Agnew. By the end of the game Agnew finished the game with a career-high 38 points.
The Friars once again sadly lost by nine after battling through the second half to come back, but Agnew and Creighton could not miss a basket. Baskerville led the team in both points and rebounds at 19 and eight, respectively.
Scott, Webb, and Geary also finished with double digits in scoring and even helped Providence shoot 52.9 percent of shooting from the field.
Despite the team’s struggles, the Friars have had some great individual performances throughout the year. Baskerville is leading in the top twenty of scoring for the Big East at 12.9 points per game and fourth in rebounding 7.8 rebounds per game.
Next up, the Friars are back home for two games in the coming week against Seton Hall University and St. John’s University. Seton Hall’s game will be played 11:30 a.m. on Friday as part of Project Providence where local schools will come to watch the game.
College Hockey’s Hobey Baker Award Nominees Announced
by The Cowl Editor on February 6, 2020
Athlete of the Week
Two Friars Nominated for Prestigious Award
by Meaghan Cahill
Sports Co-Editor
In the final stretch of their sophomore season, Providence College Men’s Hockey Team players Jack Dugan ’22 and Tyce Thompson ’22 were announced as nominees for the prestigious Hobey Baker Award, which is given to the top player in college hockey. They were joined by 76 other Division I college hockey players throughout the country.
The Hobey Baker Award follows four criteria when considering the nominees: strength and character, on and off the ice; contribution to the integrity of the team and outstanding skills in all phases of the game; scholastic achievement and sportsmanship; and compliance with all NCAA rules, including being a full-time student in an accredited college or university and completing 50 percent or more of the season.
All 78 players who were nominated will go through a three-part selection process. First, NCAA head coaches nominate players from the league in addition to the top three players in the nation. Then, fans have the chance to vote online to narrow down the top 10 candidates. Lastly the Hobey Baker Memorial Award Selection Committee that consists of 29 individuals representing print and electronic sports media, college hockey coaches and officials, and NHL scouts, will vote on their top three candidates and, ultimately, who they think should win the award. Fans are also allowed to provide input by voting during this stage as well. Notable players that have won the Award in recent years include NHL players Johnny Gaudreau, Jack Eichel, Jimmy Vesey, Will Butcher, Adam Gaudette, and Cale Makar.
Dugan, whose goal is to be “the best player in college hockey,” currently leads the NCAA in assists (34), points per game (1.78), power-play points (17), and even strength points (24). He also currently leads the league with 41 points over the course of 23 games. In addition, Dugan has an impressive presence on the ice and has been a key player for the Friars all season long, especially since he has spent time transitioning into a more defensive style of play.
On his way to becoming a well-rounded two-way player, the Las Vegas Golden Knights draft pick said, “I’ve become more of a 200-foot player. Coming in, I was pretty offensive, and now I can play in the last few minutes of a game and be trusted defensively.”
Thus far, the numbers have backed his improvement and the efforts he has put into being recognized as the top player in the NCAA. Described as a “dominant player,” throughout the course of the season, there have been 14 games where he notched at least two points, five games of at least three points, and three games of four points—the most in the nation.
Despite the fact that he has yet to complete two full seasons of play, head coach Nate Leaman believes that Dugan has a lot going for him, saying, “He’s strong on pucks, he’s got a good stick, he’s got very good vision.”
Ranked the best forward in college hockey by the NHL, as well as being listed in their top three for this year’s most valuable player, Dugan is believed to be the frontrunner for the Hobey Baker Award. Should he win, he would be the first player in PC history to win, something that he finds to be “very cool.”
However, Dugan is not letting his explosive second season cloud his judgement as he looks to what he hopes to be a future in the NHL. And similarly, neither is Thompson, who is listed as the NHL’s top breakout player.
After a relatively quiet freshman year due to Leaman’s stacked “older team” and desire to allow him to develop and grow, Thompson is experiencing a breakout sophomore season that has led to him being nominated for the Hobey Baker Award.
Currently sitting on 38 points overall, Thompson’s 17 goals have him tied for top goalscorer in the country. In the 23 games already played this season, he has scored at least one goal in 15 of them, which leads all NCAA players, and has 13 multi-point games.
Like Dugan, Thompson also is a dominant player on the ice who brings “the energy and the smarts” to the game, according to Leaman. Furthermore, from last season to this season, Leaman also acknowledges that Thompson’s overall strength buildup has significantly helped him with having such a great season with the Friars.
In addition to the Hobey Baker nomination, the 2019 New Jersey Devil’s draft pick is joined by Dugan and co-captain Michael Callahan ’22 in being nominated for the Walter Brown Award, which recognizes the best American-born Division I college hockey players in New England.
The winners of both awards will not be announced until the end of the season during the NCAA tournament.
PC Lacrosse 2020 Season Preview
by The Cowl Editor on February 6, 2020
Friar Sports
Lacrosse Begins Season With Win Over BU
by Liam Tormey ’22
Sports Staff
As the spring semester gets underway, so too does the season for the Providence College Men’s Lacrosse Team. The Friars are very excited for the upcoming season, to say the least.
Last season saw the Friars post a 7-9 record, with an elimination in the Big East Men’s Lacrosse Semifinals to Georgetown University. It was not the way the team had hoped to finish their season while being led by top scorers Nick Hatzipetrakos ’19 and Brendan Kearns ’19, but head coach Chris Gabrielli says there is a lot to be excited about with this particular team.
Gabrielli joked, “I certainly wish we could keep our top players around for 20 years like Tom Brady, but it’s also extremely rewarding to see the next wave of players emerge.” He added, “We have quite a few athletes on our team that no one is talking about now, but they will later.” Mixed in with the 11 current seniors on the roster, the combination of all different years on Gabrielli’s squad could result in some eye-opening play this season.
The senior year class always holds importance for any collegiate athletic team. Many of the players have gone through the ranks and have seen what it takes to be successful on the field. This year’s seniors are going to be no different. “The number one story of this year’s team is our senior class,” said Gabrielli. “All 11 seniors will play important game-day roles for our team in 2020, and this is rare.”
The seniors and the rest of the team will be led by captains Tim Hinrichs ’20 and Nick Shaw ’20. Hinrichs has appeared in 47 games since his freshman year for the Friars. He played 15 games last season, starting in 11 of them. He registered 29 points on 13 goals and 16 assists last season and looks to add to that total this season. Meanwhile Shaw has appeared in 30 games for the Friars since joining freshman year. Shaw had eight points last season with five goals and three assists. Gabrielli lauded the efforts of the two seniors, saying, “These two young men are excellent representatives of our program.”
Gabrielli has continued to grow the program since arriving eight years ago. This year may very well showcase just how far the program has come, as the coach mentioned that this year’s team has a different sort of confidence than in years past. He talked a lot about the culture of the team, saying it “has never been stronger, and we have never had such few distractions.” A large part of this is due to the senior class. Gabrielli stated, “This is a testament to their leadership style and caring for the success of the program. I trust this group to do the right thing every day, and to stick to our process.”
The Friars had their first official game this past Saturday in Boston, taking on the Boston University Terriers. Last season, PC lost their annual opener against BU at home 8-7, but Saturday was different. After a 2-2 start to the first quarter, the Friars scored six goals in the second and did not look back after halftime. The result was a victory for PC by a score of 12-5, with three goals coming from Matt Grillo ’22 who picked up right where he left off with 30 goals last season as a freshman.
Looking ahead to what comes next for PC, Gabrielli commented, “We have very high expectations every year, and this is due to the uncommon commitment that we demand of each other. We have put the work in to have high expectations, but the team knows that true success is earned on game day.” Gabrielli holds his players to very high standards and they know that. “Every team that we compete against has worked hard. Now we must honor the work that we have put in by executing on game day, while playing with tremendous passion and toughness.” Gabrielli knows his team has what it takes to take a big step this season.
The Friars first home game will be this upcoming Saturday against Holy Cross University at 3:30 p.m. The start of Big East play will pick up on March 28 with the team hosting St. John’s University.
Sport Shorts Jan.31- Feb. 6
by The Cowl Editor on February 6, 2020
Sports
Sport Shorts for Jan. 31-Feb. 6
by Joseph Quirk ’23
Sports Staff
Men’s Basketball:
The men’s basketball team had a big week on the hardwood this week. They played one game, Saturday, February 1, and started the month off with an away win at Butler University. Butler was ranked 16th in the nation, and the Friars were coming off a three-game losing streak that some believed killed their bid for the NCAA tournament. After a close loss to Villanova University last week, the Friars finished this time, winning 65-61. The Friars rolled out a larger lineup this week that involved bringing Luwane Pipkins ’20G and Alpha Diallo ’20 off the bench. The Friars offense operated much smoother, with better ball movement and more pick-and-roll and post plays. It also helped that Butler shot just 7.1 percent from three. The Friars’ leading scorers were Pipkins (22-3-2 with a steal) and David Duke ’22 (10-4-1).
The Friars extended their win streak to two games after beating Creighton University 73-56 on Wednesday, February 5. A.J. Reeves ’22 led the Friars with 22 points. The Friars’s defense held the Blue Jays to 37 percent shooting from the field. The team’s next game will be this upcoming Saturday, February 8 at Xavier University.
Women’s Basketball:
The Providence College Women’s Basketball Team had a rough week with two road losses on Friday, January 31 and Sunday, February 2. The first of the losses came at Marquette University, with a final score of 55-85. The teams started the game close, both shooting poorly in the first quarter. Both teams dramatically improved their shooting (for the most part) each quarter thereafter. However, poor defense from the Friars and good shooting from Marquette allowed for the Golden Eagles’ efficiency to rise above that of the Friars. Marquette had more rebounds and fewer turnovers. The leading scorers for the Friars in this contest were Mary Baskerville ’22 (11-2-1 with 2 blocks), Kyra Spiwak ’21 (10-2-3 with a steal), and Chanell Williams ’21 (10-1-1 with a steal).
The Friars then traveled to DePaul University and suffered another tough loss 71-93. The Friars found themselves struggling behind the arc, shooting worse than the Blue Demons. On the bright side, they shot significantly better than DePaul at the charity stripe, shooting 80 percent as opposed to 60 percent. The Friars were once again outrebounded and responsible for more turnovers. The leading scorers for this game were Williams (15-3-3) and Spiwak (13-3-2). Next up for the Friars is a home game Saturday, February 8 against Creighton University.
Swimming and Diving:
This past Friday through Saturday (January 31- February 1) the Providence College men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams traveled down to Berkeley Aquatic Club in New Jersey for a Tri-Meet with the Seton Hall University Pirates and Georgetown University Hoyas. Both the men’s and women’s teams lost to the both Seton Hall and Georgetown in a disappointing fashion. The men’s team lost by a total score of 553 to 122 while the women’s team lost by a total score of 503 to 193. It’s been an up-and-down season for sure in the pool for both Friars squads, and they came into this meet riding a bit of a hot streak. The men’s team came in off a two-meet win streak while the women’s team was coming in off a tie. Both squads will next compete in the BIG EAST championships in East Meadow, New York from February 26-29
Women’s Club Hockey on the Right Track
by The Cowl Editor on February 6, 2020
Friar Sports
Newly Founded Team Boasts Bright Future
by Eileen Flynn ’20
Sports Staff
Playing sports is sometimes taken for granted when growing up. We may resent the early morning hockey game, or the two-hour drive to an away basketball game. Yet, of course, it was always worth it in the end, even if the results of the game were not the best. Indeed, the actual game was only half of it: the memories, friendships, and lessons learned while playing lasted far beyond the final whistle.
For many, college marks the end of competitive sports. Flashback to the fall of 2016, however, there were about eight underclassmen at Providence College who were not ready to hang up their skates just yet. Instead, they recognized an opportunity to start the Providence College Women’s Club Ice Hockey Team. Jasmine Gaudreau ’20 and now graduated Avalon O’Shaughnessy ’19, along with fellow classmates, started doing research and setting up meetings with associate director of club sports, Chris Schmidtt.
The college offers over 20 club sports to their student body, ranging from competitive teams like basketball and lacrosse to open roster teams like figure skating and scuba diving. Schmidtt is always open to new additions; however, he makes it clear that the students are in charge of running each club. Since there has been a successful men’s club ice hockey team at PC for many years, Gaudreau and O’Shaughnessy were determined to reach their goal of having a women’s club ice hockey team added to the list.
“I knew that if a club team did get started, it would attract incoming or prospective freshmen. Similar to the women now on the team, they would also feel like they belong in a new environment. PC had the resources to have a women’s club ice hockey, the program just needed someone to start it,” said Gaudreau. Luckily, she was ready to be that person.
The process is not meant to be easy; an important aspect Schmidtt looks for when approving a team is the level of commitment shown by the players. For three years, around 15 girls would wake up to their 6 a.m. alarm clocks, pick up their bag in the basement of their dorm, and travel across the snowy campus to Schnieder Arena for their 7 a.m. practice.
For two years there was not a coach budgeted for the group, but that did not stop them coming together and practicing. Taking attendance each morning, Schmidtt was impressed that after three years of an unofficial team, there were upwards of 20 girls still showing up in hopes to someday be a legitimate team.
Fast forward to fall 2020, Gaudreau’s senior year, PC held their first women’s club hockey tryouts. More than 25 girls in all different class years arrived with excitement, realizing they did not have to say goodbye to the sport they love just yet. The girls are coached by Frank Caparco and Tony DiLorenzo, two local retired high-school coaches looking to continue their career with the sport.
This past season, the Friars played Big East rivals like Boston University, University of New Hampshire, Boston College, and Northeastern University. This past weekend, the girls traveled to face the no. 1 ranked University of Vermont on Super Bowl Sunday nonetheless. Although testing the Catamount’s goalie early and often, UVM scored the first goal and held on to the momentum. With two freshman goalies to play, the Friars were able to play both, giving them the experience they need for the upcoming years.
Perhaps the most promising part of this season is the amount of underclassmen on the team, with nine freshmen and eight sophomores. With two games left, the record for the team’s first year stands at 6-8. Learning from the five seniors, the underclassmen do not take this opportunity for granted. Thanks to Gaudreau and the other seniors, there will be a women’s club hockey team for years to come.