Tag: Friar Sports
Sports Shorts Week of No. 22-Dec. 5
by The Cowl Editor on December 5, 2019
Friar Sports
By Scott Jarosz ’21
Sports Staff
Women’s Basketball:
The women’s basketball team is off to an excellent start to the 2019-2020 season. The team began the season with four consecutive wins and took the momentum into their Nov. 24 contest against the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. PC beat the visiting Riverhawks handily by a score of 63-38, with four Friars scoring in double digits. Leading the way for PC was Chanell Williams ’21 who scored 12 points while tallying four rebounds and four assists. PC took its 5-0 record into a matchup with Yale University, which was a continuation of a suspended game from Nov. 5.
On Dec. 3, PC traveled to Yale to resume the game with 10 minutes remaining in the third quarter. Despite a 19-point performance by Mary Baskerville ’22 and 16 points by Kyra Spiwak ’21, PC fell short 79-82. The loss marks PC’s first of the season as its record drops to 5-1. The team will play at Bryant University on Dec. 7.
Men’s Ice Hockey:
The men’s ice hockey team entered the 34th edition of the Mayor’s Cup with a record of 8-3-4. PC took the ice on Nov. 30 against the Bears of Brown University looking to take home the trophy, and did just that. PC beat Brown University by a score of 4-2 to win the Mayor’s Cup and improve to 9-4-3 on the season. Despite Brown scoring the first goal of the game in the early minutes, Patrick Moynihan ’23 leveled the game at one towards the end of the first period. PC would take control from there, as Patrick Ford ’23, Tyce Thompson ’22, and Shane Kavanagh ’20 each scored goals to make the score 4-1. The Brown Bears would add a late goal, but it was not enough. Goaltender Michael Lackey ’20GS recorded 23 saves in the game and Jack Dugan ’22 tallied two assists to stay atop the NCAA points leaderboard with 31 total points. PC is now set to face UMass-Lowell on Dec. 6.
Women’s Ice Hockey:
The women’s ice hockey team also hosted Brown University in the Mayor’s Cup on Nov. 30. This meeting marked the 25th edition of the Mayor’s Cup, with PC having won the previous four meetings between the teams. PC entered the game with a record of 8-6-2 and was ready to continue its winning streak against the Bears. Lauren DeBlois ’23 started the scoring off early for PC with a goal six minutes into the game. Isabelle Hardy ’23 followed shortly after with her first career goal to increase the lead to 2-0. Sara Hjalmarsson ’22 then increased the lead to 3-0 with a goal of her own on a power play. Hjalmarsson would go on to score two more goals in the game and tally three assists for a total of six points. Her single-game point total from this game marked the highest in Mayor’s Cup history. PC would go on to win by a score of 10-0. The team now looks ahead to its next contest against the University of Connecticut on Dec. 5.
Men’s Soccer Beats NJIT 2-0 in First Round of NCAA Tournament
by The Cowl Editor on November 22, 2019
Friar Sports
Friars Defense Locks Down Highlanders
By Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Co-Editor
Despite it being their first NCAA Tournament game since 2016, the Providence College Men’s Soccer Team looked like a team that was no stranger to playing on the big stage. With only five players remaining from the 2016 team, the entire Friars’ roster gave incredible performances on both ends of the field. In their first ever match-up against the New Jersey Institute of Technology Highlanders, PC took an early lead and dominated the game for the full 90 minutes, winning 2-0 in their final game at Anderson Stadium for the season.
The Friars were on the attack from the get go. Less than 10 minutes into the first half, Trevor Davock ’20RS put one into the back of the net on a crossing pass from Christopher Roman ’22. The Friars would keep NJIT busy throughout the first half with seven shots on goal.
The Friars’ defense also had a great first half, allowing only three shots total with none on goal. NJIT did not test goaltender Austin Aviza ’20RS until 68 minutes into the game.
Despite several great scoring opportunities, PC would go into halftime with a 1-0 lead. While the game remained tight, captain Joao Serrano ’20RS knew the team would cash in on their opportunities eventually.
“We knew that we were going to keep getting chances,” said Serrano. “We just had to keep sharing the ball with each other and find the open man.”
With 37 minutes left in the second half, it looked like the Friars would score their second goal as Davock got another shot past the Highlander goalie, but it was called off due to an offside call.
Later, Esben Wolf ’23 put the Friars up 2-0 when he got the ball on the left side of the box and was able to get a close shot in just to the right of NJIT’s goalie. A few minutes earlier, he had a similar shot but missed just wide of the goal.
With 13 minutes left in the game, Gil Santos ’22 almost gave the Friars their third goal of the night. After running up the right side of the field, he made a sharp move to get free from his defender and got the open shot. Unfortunately his shot was directly at the goalie.
NJIT got their best chance to get on the board with eight minutes left. The Highlanders got a pass inside the box to give Joao Costa a chance for a header. His shot would just miss and hit off the left post. The Highlanders stepped up in the second half as they out-shot PC 8-5 in the final 45 minutes.
“They came on top of us in the second half,” said Aviza. “They were really prepared, but we did well with it. It really shows our commitment to play defense.”
The defense in front of Aviza locked down NJIT all night, as he only had to make two saves the entire game. The Friars made sure to stop Highlander Rene White, who scored 17 goals on the season and was named the Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Year. They limited him to only one shot.
After the game Serrano, one of the few remaining players from the 2016 season, made it clear the team is still hungry for a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. “We got to make sure the guys keep pushing on and are on the same page. When guys show up on the field, they got to bring their best selves.”
The Friars now advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, and will head to Pennsylvania State University on Sunday to play against the No. 15 seed Nittany Lions at 5 p.m.
Women’s Basketball Coach Hits Career Milestone
by The Cowl Editor on November 21, 2019
Friar Sports
Coach Jim Crowley Lands 300th Career Win
By Marc DeMartis ’21
Sports Staff
Coach Jim Crowley of the Providence College Women’s Basketball Team earned his 300th career win last Saturday over the University of Massachusetts-Amherst Minutemen. He has been coaching for more than 20 years.
Coach Crowley’s career started back at his alma mater, Keuka College, in upstate New York. After spending three seasons with the team and leading them to an Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship appearance, Crowley caught the eye of St. Bonaventure University. At St. Bonaventure, he spent his first four seasons as the assistant coach of the team before being promoted to the head coaching position, where he would remain for another 16 years. During his long tenure, Crowley experienced immense success.
He saw a lot of this success come in his last eight seasons at St. Bonaventure; six of those eight were 20 plus win seasons. Most importantly, however, Crowley led the Bonnies to their first ever NCAA tournament appearance in 2012 during the same season that he broke St. Bonaventure’s record for most wins in a season with 31. That season he was also awarded Coach of the Year by ESPN.com.
With such an impressive past, Crowley caught the eye of PC’s Athletic Director, Bob Driscoll, who decided to name him the 10th head coach in PC women’s basketball history in the spring of 2016. Coach Crowley brought all three of his assistant coaches, Priscilla Edwards, Tiara Johnson, and Jessica Jenkins, with him from St. Bonaventure to help continue his success. So far, he has proven that he will turn the Friars back into a winning program considering his team has kicked off their season undefeated, with a 3-0 record.
Now, looking at his 300th win, Crowley’s great coaching was on full display as the team looked incredibly efficient against the UMass Minutemen. Four players for the Friars posted scores in the double digits. Kyra Spiwak ’21 scored a career-high 15 points, shooting 50 percent from the field. Spiwak said, “It was really special for Coach Crowley to get his 300th win, and I was honored to be a part of it. I think it says a lot about his hard work and commitment to all of the teams he has coached in his career. It is an incredible accomplishment and definitely well deserved.”
Spiwak explained that Crowley “was a big part of why I chose to play at Providence. He pushes us to be the best players we can be on and off the court. He cares about us as people and wants to see us succeed in all aspects of life, not just basketball.”
With regards to Crowley’s coaching staff that followed him from St. Bonaventure, she said, “It’s a privilege to play under him and the entire coaching staff he has. They know how to make it a family atmosphere.” Comments like these are important for a team’s success and it is great to hear how well the team is performing under Coach Crowley and his staff this season.
Coach Crowley and the Friars take on the University of Massachusetts-Lowell this Sunday, November 24 as they try to remain undefeated.
Men’s Soccer Headed to NCAA Tournament
by The Cowl Editor on November 21, 2019
Friar Sports
By Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Co-Editor
After coming from behind in the Big East Tournament Semifinals to beat St. John’s University 2-1, the Providence College Men’s Soccer Team was set to face off against the No. 3 team in the country, the Georgetown University Hoyas, for the Big East Title on Nov. 17 in Washington D.C. The two teams had already faced off earlier in the season when the Friars lost 1-2 after holding the Hoyas scoreless for the first 47 minutes.
Coming into the game on a six-game winning-streak, the Friars started hot out of the gate. Thirteen minutes into the first half, Tiago Mendoca ’20RS gave PC the first lead of the game with a shot from the left side of the box from a pass by Esben Wolf ’23. The Friars would go into halftime leading 1-0.
“We were able to stick to our game plan and play our way in the first half,” said head coach Craig Stewart. “In the second half, Georgetown increased their intensity and tempo.”
In a span of just under 19 minutes, the Hoyas would go from being down 0-1 to being up 2-1. They tied the game after a penalty kick by Dante Polvara in the 55th minute, then took the lead on a free kick from Jack Beer. Even though the Friars managed six shots-on-goal in the second half, the team could not cash in on their opportunities, losing by a final score of 1-3.
Luckily, thanks to a overall record of 14-6 and two wins over top 25 St. John’s, the Friars knew ahead of the game that their season was not going to be over regardless of the outcome of Sunday’s game. The only question would be where the team would be placed in the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Tournament, also known as the College Cup, bracket.
On Monday, the Friars were informed that they would host a first round round game against the New Jersey Institute of Technology Highlanders, who won the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament. Coach Stewart and the rest of the team are excited to play their first game on campus.
“We had a good feeling that we were going to be in the bracket. We love playing here. It’s a great stadium with the crowd and the whole atmosphere.”
Even though the Friars have the home field advantage, Stewart wants to make sure his team stays focused on NJIT before looking ahead at a potential second-round game against Pennsylvania State University.
Stewart said, “They will be coming in with a no-fear type of mentality where they are going to be fighting for everything. The most important thing for us is to respect them as an opponent.”
Despite falling short of the conference title, Stewart believes their run to the finals gave the team valuable lessons they can carry into the national tournament thanks to two games against ranked opponents.
“Coming back against St. John’s showed us that we were capable of playing from behind,” said Stewart. “The disappointment of losing the Georgetown game is a feeling you want to bottle up and make sure we try to avoid that situation again.”
Despite not being selected for the tournament since 2016, there are still a few players from the team that made it all the way to the quarterfinals including All-Big East players Mendoca, Joao Serrano ‘20RS, and Danny Griffin ‘20. Stewart noted that postseason run in 2016 has motivated the seniors to strive to return to the tournament throughout their college careers. Now being leaders of the team, they have been the role models for the younger players. The experience of the senior class will be an advantage the Friars will have over other teams once the tournament begins.
The Friars’ game is set against NJIT is set for Thursday, November 22 at 7 p.m. on Chapey Field.
Men’s Basketball Rebounds at the Dunk
by The Cowl Editor on November 21, 2019
Friar Sports
After Tough Loss to Northwestern, Friars Win Two at Home
By Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports Staff
Following a 63-72 loss to non-conference team Northwestern University, the Providence College Men’s Basketball Team looked to bounce back as they faced off on Nov. 16 against the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference’s Saint Peter’s University, following their own loss against Bryant University.
President of Friar Fanatics, Joe Haughey ’20 was not only excited for the non-conference matchup, but also for what the season has in store for his last year at PC.
Before tip-off, Haughey said, “I think the team can have its best season yet, the talent is all there, the competition is certainly not the same as it use to be with most players from other schools leaving for the draft, I have nothing but high hopes and great expectations.”
Haughey and other Frair fans have been patiently waiting to see what is in store for their team this season.
The first half belonged to the Friars, as they ended the half up 42-21, shooting at 57.14 percent from the field, and even 81.82 percent for free throws, compared to the Peacock’s 33.33 percent in field goals and 75 percent in free throws. There were key performances throughout the first half from David Duke ’22 and Alpha Diallo ’20, who forced numerous turnovers.
The final score of the game was 68-47, Duke scored a game-high 17 points and Diallo right behind him with 15. The second half belonged to Kris Monroe ’22, who jump-started back-to-back possessions to develop a rhythm for the team.
When asked about the team’s low shooting in the second half and losing the rebound battle 36-34, head coach Ed Cooley answered, “We got stagnant, we got sloppy, and I think we got content and greedy. It’s going to be something we have to deal with and work on…Overall, we’re happy with the win. I’d win ugly than lose pretty.”
The next game in line for the Friars was another home game against newest member of the Northeast Conference, Merrimack College. When asked about the road ahead, especially when facing a school such as Merrimack, Cooley said, “You can look at it a few different ways. You always want to play the best to try and prepare us for the Big East. Given what we’re going through, confidence is big. We’re down some key players who normally play a role in what we do. For us to be where we’re at … I’m happy, but I know we have a long way to go.”
In a game full of obstacles for the Friars, such as players being out and one with a cold, Cooley looked for the team to step up.
In his first game back from an injury, center Nate Watson ’21, sparked six points off the bench for a 14-2 run in the first half that gave the Friars the lead at the end of the first half, and ultimately the huge win of 93-56. With a game high 18 points by Luwane Pipkins ’19GS.
Watson stated at the end of the game, “It felt great to be on the court, playing in front of these fans and playing for Coach again.” The Friars are now 4-0 at home. Their next home game against the University of Pennsylvania.
Club Golf Competes at National Level
by The Cowl Editor on November 21, 2019
Friar Sports
By Scott Jarosz ’21
Sports Staff
The Providence College club golf team recently journeyed southwest to WinStar World Casino & Resort in the small town of Thackerville, OK to take part in the National Collegiate Club Golf Association Fall 2019 National Championship. According to the NCCGA website, this marked the first time the tournament was held in Oklahoma.
This fall’s national championship consisted of 28 club golf teams representing schools from across the entire country who had qualified to compete. The two teams that qualified automatically for the event were Clemson University and Xavier University, as they had won the Spring 2019 National Championship and National Invitational respectively.
PC qualified for participation in the Fall 2019 National Championship by winning the NCCGA New England Regional back in October. PC beat out second place University of New Hampshire, who also qualified for the National Championship, by a whopping 39 strokes in the regional.
The Fall 2019 National Championship consisted of two rounds that were played over the course of two days for a total of 36 holes of stroke play. Team scores for each round were calculated as a sum of the five best scores out of the eight players who competed per team. The team with the lowest total score after the two rounds would be declared the winner.
Players arrived in Oklahoma on Friday, November 15, and began play the next day. PC came out of the gates in round one playing excellent golf. In round one, the team posted a score of 372, which tied PC with the University of Florida at fourth place out of 27 competing teams.
The low scorer for PC on day one was Dave Carey ’22 who shot an outstanding 72. Not only did Carey shoot the team’s lowest score for this round, but he also tied for third place out of 226 golfers in the individual leaderboard after round one.
PC held its own in round two of the championship, shooting a combined 378, which was just six shots higher than its previous round. The low scorer for PC in the second round was Rio Holzwarth ’22 who shot a 72, followed by Carey who shot a 75. PC ultimately finished in ninth place, 17 shots behind Clemson University, the champion of the NCCGA Fall 2019 National Championship.
The low scorer of the tournament for the Friars was Carey, who posted rounds of 72 and 75 for a combined 147. With this score, Carey finished tied for 19th place out of 226 individual golfers.
When asked what it was like to represent PC on a national level, Carey stated, “It was an honor to represent Providence College and play the game I love on a national level.”
When asked what he focused on that allowed him to play so well in the tournament, Carey responded, “I really focused on staying strong mentally even after a bad shot. Coach Conley and my teammate Cole Manning ’20 helped me to stay positive and focused on the course, which greatly contributed to my success.”
Carey’s points of focus were clearly effective as he finished near the top of the leaderboard out of 226 golfers. Holzwarth followed Carey with a score of 149, and Alex Bassetto ’20 finished with a score of 151.
Quality performances by all members of the PC club golf team led the team to finish ninth out of 27 competing schools in the National Championship.
Club Golf Competes at National Level
by The Cowl Editor on November 21, 2019
Friar Sports
By Scott Jarosz ’21
Sports Staff
The Providence College club golf team recently journeyed southwest to WinStar World Casino & Resort in the small town of Thackerville, OK to take part in the National Collegiate Club Golf Association Fall 2019 National Championship. According to the NCCGA website, this marked the first time the tournament was held in Oklahoma.
This fall’s national championship consisted of 28 club golf teams representing schools from across the entire country who had qualified to compete. The two teams that qualified automatically for the event were Clemson University and Xavier University, as they had won the Spring 2019 National Championship and National Invitational respectively.
PC qualified for participation in the Fall 2019 National Championship by winning the NCCGA New England Regional back in October. PC beat out second place University of New Hampshire, who also qualified for the National Championship, by a whopping 39 strokes in the regional.
The Fall 2019 National Championship consisted of two rounds that were played over the course of two days for a total of 36 holes of stroke play. Team scores for each round were calculated as a sum of the five best scores out of the eight players who competed per team. The team with the lowest total score after the two rounds would be declared the winner.
Players arrived in Oklahoma on Friday, November 15, and began play the next day. PC came out of the gates in round one playing excellent golf. In round one, the team posted a score of 372, which tied PC with the University of Florida at fourth place out of 27 competing teams.
The low scorer for PC on day one was Dave Carey ’22 who shot an outstanding 72. Not only did Carey shoot the team’s lowest score for this round, but he also tied for third place out of 226 golfers in the individual leaderboard after round one.
PC held its own in round two of the championship, shooting a combined 378, which was just six shots higher than its previous round. The low scorer for PC in the second round was Rio Holzwarth ’22 who shot a 72, followed by Carey who shot a 75. PC ultimately finished in ninth place, 17 shots behind Clemson University, the champion of the NCCGA Fall 2019 National Championship.
The low scorer of the tournament for the Friars was Carey, who posted rounds of 72 and 75 for a combined 147. With this score, Carey finished tied for 19th place out of 226 individual golfers.
When asked what it was like to represent PC on a national level, Carey stated, “It was an honor to represent Providence College and play the game I love on a national level.”
When asked what he focused on that allowed him to play so well in the tournament, Carey responded, “I really focused on staying strong mentally even after a bad shot. Coach Conley and my teammate Cole Manning ’20 helped me to stay positive and focused on the course, which greatly contributed to my success.”
Carey’s points of focus were clearly effective as he finished near the top of the leaderboard out of 226 golfers. Holzwarth followed Carey with a score of 149, and Alex Bassetto ’20 finished with a score of 151.
Quality performances by all members of the PC club golf team led the team to finish ninth out of 27 competing schools in the National Championship.
Sports Shorts Week of Nov. 8-Nov. 21
by The Cowl Editor on November 21, 2019
Friar Sports
By Joseph Quirk ’23
Sports Staff
Men’s Basketball:
The Providence College Men’s Basketball Team had an up-and-down week. On Wednesday, November 13, the Friars fell to the Northwestern University Wildcats 63-72. PC struggled in all aspects of the game in the loss, but were particularly bad on offense where, at times, it appeared they could not even buy a bucket. The Friar’s leading scorer was Alpha Diallo ’20, who recorded his third double-double (15 points, 14 rebounds), but he only shot 6-21 from the field. PC turned things around, however, as they followed that loss with a win at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center on Saturday, November 16, where they beat Saint Peter’s University 68-47. This was a return to form for PC. The leading scorer for the Friars was David Duke ’22, who dropped 17 points in addition to six assists and two steals. The Friars went on to defeat Merrimack College 93-56 on Tuesday, November 19. Next, PC will host the University of Pennsylvania on Saturday, November 23.
Men’s Soccer:
On Wednesday, November 13, the men’s soccer team beat top-20 nationally ranked St. John’s University Red Storm 2-1 to advance to the Big East Finals. There, they would meet the third-ranked Georgetown University on Sunday, November 17. Unfortunately, their run ended there, as the Friars fell 1-3. The team played well enough to get themselves a bid into the NCAA playoff though, extending what has been a very dominant season here in Friartown. The Friars will host their first-round tournament on Thursday, November 21, and they will be playing the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Considering how hot this men’s team has been not only through the Big East tournament, but also the back end of the season, it is not unreasonable to expect the Friars to go deep into the tournament. Their season statistics and style of play further affirm this.
Women’s Ice Hockey:
The women’s ice hockey team also had an up-and-down week. On Friday, November 15, PC went on the road to take on the University of Maine. This was a Hockey East game, the first of two, that the Friars played this past weekend. That was a game the Friars unfortunately lost 4-5 in crushing fashion in overtime. The game was relatively close, until Maine scored in the final minute of regulation to tie it up. Maine would continue to score in OT, stealing the game away from the Friars. PC got redemption on Sunday, November 17, when they hosted the University of Vermont. The Friars played a good game as they scored twice in the third period, once to tie the game and once in the final minute to win it. The game winner was scored with 16 seconds left by Sara Hjalmarsson ’22. The ladies are back on the ice November 22-23, when they take turns hosting games with Merrimack College.
Men’s Soccer Advances to Championship Game
by The Cowl Editor on November 14, 2019
Friar Sports
Team Will Take on Top-Seeded Georgetown University
By Liam Tormey ’22
Sports Staff
Since making it to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Tournament in 2016, the Friars have not been back. This season, the Friars are looking to get right back into it—and now they have a very good chance to do so.
Before the Big East Tournament started last Saturday against Marquette University, the Friars finished the regular season with a record of 12-5. Head Coach Craig Stewart led the team to a 6-3 record in Big East conference play and was able to protect Chapey Field, finishing the regular season at 8-2.
The Friars went into the Big East Tournament last Saturday at home as the No. 3 seed in the tournament facing off against No. 6 Marquette. Earlier in the season, on Oct. 12, the Friars beat Marquette 2-0 with goals coming from Davis Smith ’21 and Esben Wolf ’23.
This past Saturday, the Friars held another shutout in the first round of the Big East Tournament, winning 3-0. Goals in this game for Coach Stewart’s team came from Wolf, Trevor Davock ’20RS, and Paulo Lima ’22. The Friars held Marquette to only two shots on target last Saturday with goalkeeper Austin Aviza ’20RS picking up his eighth shutout of the season
In the game this past Wednesday, the Friars continued their fight in the semifinals of the Big East Tournament against the No. 2 seed and the No. 8 ranked team in the country, St. John’s University. St. John’s had a bye in the first round of the tournament but played the Friars at home in Queens, NY
In the final Big East game of the regular season on Nov. 6, the Friars shut out St. John’s in a 2-0 victory at home with goals again from Lima and Wolf.
The semifinals on Wednesday may have been one of the most entertaining games of the season for the Friars. PC went down early to the Red Storm with a 1-0 deficit at the half. Five minutes into the half, Lima scored a header off a corner from Joao Serrano ’20RS to make it 1-1.
The second half was controlled by the Friars, and with just under four minutes to go, Smith put a rebound in the back of the net to take the lead. The game was not over yet as Aviza came up with one more big save with less than 20 seconds left to secure a 2-1 victory in Queens.
Due to the Friars’ great performances throughout the season, five Providence College players received postseason honors. Tiago Mendonca ’20RS and Serrano were both named to the Big East First Team All-Conference. Lima was named to the Second Team All-Conference while Aviza and Danny Griffin ’20 were named to the Third Team All-Conference.
In the season as a whole, Lima led the Friars in scoring with eight goals along with an assist. Serrano led the team in assists with eight and also tallied four goals. Both players have appeared in every single game for PC. Davock and Smith both shared the same stat line after the season’s end with four goals and four assists.
After going to a shootout in the game earlier in the day, the No. 1 seed in the tournament and No. 3 ranked team in the country, Georgetown University, won in penalty kicks over Butler University. The Friars will now travel to Washington D.C. to play in the Big East Tournament Final at 12 p.m. on Nov. 17.
Field Hockey Falls Short of Title
by The Cowl Editor on November 14, 2019
Friar Sports
By Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Staff
For the fourth consecutive season, the Providence College Field Hockey Team earned a spot in the Big East Tournament to play for the league’s conference title. With a conference record of 4-3, the Friars were able to finish fourth in the conference and grab the final playoff spot.
Needing a win to get past the semifinals, PC was set to face-off against the top-seeded University of Connecticut Huskies, who were ranked No. 3 in the country according to the NFHCA Coaches Poll. The two teams met earlier this season with the Friars losing to the Huskies 0-3 down in Storrs, CT. Unfortunately for the Friars, they would suffer a similar outcome, seeing their season come to an end with a tough 0-2 loss against their Big East rival.
The Friars got off to a slow start in the first quarter, failing to register a shot on goal. Luckily the defense was able to keep the Huskies at bay and go into the second quarter tied at zero.
PC almost took the lead early in the second frame. Mary O’Reilly ’20 forced a turnover in Connecticut’s zone and manged to fire a shot that went just off the far post. Forward/Midfield Izzy Mendez ’20 got the rebound and deflected the ball back into the net. While for a moment it seemed like the Friars got the first lead of the game, the goal was soon waved off because a foul was called for the ball going off of Mendez’s foot. This would end up being the Friars best scoring opportunity, as the team manged only three shots on goal for the entire game.
After the teams went into halftime still tied 0-0, Connecticut struck with the first goal of the game on a rebound from Antonia Tiedtke. That goal was all the Huskies needed as they would tack another goal in the fourth and win 2-0.
Despite the early end to the season, it was another successful season for the Friars as they broke into the NFHCA rankings as the No. 25 team in the nation for three weeks before losing in the regular season finale. This was thanks to a tough schedule where PC played seven games against ranked opponents and played four teams that made it into the national tournament. One of the team’s biggest wins came early in the season when they upset no. 24 University of Maine 5-4 in overtime. That was the first time since August 25, 2017 that the team beat a ranked opponent.
The Friars were well represented in the end of season All-Big East Honors Teams. A total of four players from the team were selected, with two on the first team and two on the second team.
O’Reilly and Corinne Kenney ‘18GS represented the Friars on the All-Big East First Team. This is the third time Kenney has been selected to an All-Big East Team, and second time on the first team. She has been one of the Friars’ best defenders during her career and she has started in all 75 games since she came to PC.
O’Reilly has steadily improved every season since her freshman year and set career highs in several offensive categories including, points (16), and goals (five). She would also lead the team in assists with six. Last season she was selected for the All-Big East Second Team. In November she will head down to North Carolina to play in the NFHCA Division I Senior Game.
Mendez and Lydia Rice ‘19GS were selected for the All-Big East Second Team. Rice was one of the best goalies in all of the conference this season, posting a 1.26 goals against average, second best in the Big East, to go along with six shutouts. She was also named to the second team last year.
The team leader in points and goals, Mendez saved her best season for last, recording the team’s first 20 point season since 2016. Mendez’s nine goals were tied for fourth best in the conference. Her 21 career goals is the 26th highest all-time at PC. This is also her second time being selected to the second team.
Looking forward, PC hopes they can finally break into the Big East Finals. The team will return with Niamh Gowing ‘22, Olivia Ward ‘21, and Maddie Babineau ‘21, all of whom tallied eight or more points this season.