Tag: Pc Athletics
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.
Cross Country Takes on Big East Championship
by The Cowl Editor on November 7, 2019
Friar Sports
Maria Coffin ’21 and Marcelo Rocha ’21 Finish Big for Friars
by Joseph Quirk ’23
Sports Staff
This past weekend the Providence College Cross Country Teams headed up to Kenosha, WI to compete in the Big East Cross Country Championships. While neither the men’s nor women’s team came in first, there were plenty of positives. Both teams were optimistic heading into the weekend.
The women’s team has had a fairly up-and-down 2019 season that began with a third-place finish (out of three) at the University of New Hampshire Tri-Meet to start the season. They rebounded later on in September at the Coast-To-Coast Battle in Beantown meet hosted by Boston College. The meet featured several nationally ranked teams, and the Friars showed up with an eighth-place finish (out of 22). The women’s team followed that up with a 26th place finish (out of 36) at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational at the University of Wisconsin.
The men’s team entered Kenosha following a strong 2019 season in which they have had two first place finishes (UNH Tri-Meet and New England Championships) and a 12th place finish (of 21) at the Battle in Beantown meet.
Both squads placed well in the Big East championships, despite not winning the whole thing. The men’s team placed fifth out of nine and the women’s team placed fourth out of 10. The women’s team was led by Maria Coffin ’21 who placed fourth overall with a time of 21:56.5. Coffin was followed by 2018-19 All-American second teamer Abbey Wheeler ’20 who finished seventh at 22:06.2, and Lilly Tuck ’23 who finished 11th with a time of 22:19.0. Because of their incredible effort, both Coffin and Wheeler received All-Big East honors. This is the first All-Big East honor in Coffin’s career and Wheeler’s fourth.
For the men, Marcelo Rocha ’21 led with a 22nd place finish overall and a time of 26:46.0. The next two Friars to cross after Rocha were Ryan Gallagher ’21 who finished 26th with a time of 26:58.4 and Nick Carleo ’20 who finished 29th with a time of 27:10.0.
While the Big East Championships are over, the cross country season is not. Both squads will next compete Friday, November 15 in Buffalo, NY in the NCAA Northeast Regionals. If both teams have a strong showing, they will have a chance to qualify for the NCAA championships later this November.
Sports Shorts Week of Oct. 31- Nov. 6
by The Cowl Editor on November 7, 2019
Friar Sports
by Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Coeditor
Men’s Soccer Update:
Traveling to Cincinnati, Ohio for their final road game of the season, the Friars defeated the Xavier University Musketeers 2-1. After being down 0-1 for most of the game, the Friars were able to score both of their two goals in the final 10 minutes of play. Paulo Lima ’22 scored the first goal for the Friars off a corner kick by Gil Santos ’22, notching him an assist. Ramzi Qawasmy ’22 scored his second goal of the season and second Friars’ goal in the game off of a pass from Joao Serrano ’20RS. PC outshot Xavier 19-3. The Friars won their last regular season game against St. John’s University 2-0. Lima and Esben Wolf ’23 netted both goals for the Friars.
Women’s Hockey Update:
The Friars split this past weekend with a 1-0 win against the College of the Holy Cross and a 2-5 loss against Boston College. Sandra Abstreiter ’21 started in net for the first time this season against the Crusaders and recorded her first career shutout as a Friar. She made 26 saves. Bailey Burton ’23 scored the lone goal for the Friars on a redirect off of a rebound from a wrist shot by Chloe Gonsalves ’21.
Clare Minnerath ’20 started the game against BC but after letting in five goals, she was replaced in the second period with Abstreiter, who saved all of the 15 shots on net that she saw. Maureen Murphy ’21 notched both of PC’s goals and won 12 out of 23 faceoffs, the highest on the team that day.
Volleyball Update:
On Friday, November 1 the Providence College Volleyball Team was able to snag a Big East win against Seton Hall University in three straight sets. Some match highlights include Jenae Alderson ’20 and Brielle Mullally ’23 both recording eight kills. Allison Barber ’21, along with Alderson and Addison Root ’20, led PC with 13 digs. As a whole, the team totaled 14 blocks. The team hosted St. John’s University on Nov. 3, when they fell 1-3 to the Red Storm. The match went four sets, with PC winning only one of the four. Despite the loss, Barber tallied 25 assists and eight digs, Root had 14 kills, and Mackenzie Taylor ’22 led the team in digs (12).
Addison Root ’20 Hits Career Milestone
by The Cowl Editor on October 31, 2019
Friar Sports
Senior Joins an Elite Group of Players With 1,000 Kills
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
The Providence College Women’s Volleyball Team may have lost their match against Butler University on Oct. 10, winning only one of the four sets played, but for Addison Root ’20 there was a lot to celebrate.
Root did not realize at the time, but she registered her 1,000th career kill.
While she did acknowledge that she had a feeling that she was close to achieving the milestone statistic, Root said on the feat, “I knew that I needed 12 in that game so my mindset was ‘alright, gotta go get it!’”
Root was keyed into her achievement by an official announcement during a time out. “During the timeout, our coach was kind of getting on us, so I tried not to smile or anything to keep it casual. My teammates were smirking up at me and I was like ‘Guys, not now!’”
A transfer student from the University of Memphis, Root began her career as a Friar in a stellar sophomore season, starting in all of PC’s 33 matches. At the end of her first season, she led the team in kills (416), aces (36), and was third on the team in digs (258). The MVP of the 2018 Friar Classic, Root was named to the All-Big East Second Team, which at the time made her the first Friar since 2001 to earn a Big East Award in volleyball.
Her first season as a Friar holds not only some of the most memorable playing moments in her career (her first weekend of Big East play included an upset against both Georgetown University and Villanova University and personal career highs), but was also pivotal in rediscovering her love for the game.
“The best decision I ever made personally was to transfer here. Being able to get two degrees and also re-find my love for volleyball after transferring was really everything I could have asked for and more,” said the Kansas native. The ultimate highlights of her career as a Friar are all of the memories she has with the team, hanging out in the locker room and on their road trips.
However, despite her immediate success as a Friar and the success that would follow, Root credits her teammates for having the biggest impact on her career and experience at the College.
“After I got [the 1,000th kill], all of my teammates were posting on social media and I was like, ‘Guys, this wouldn’t be without you because I can’t hit the ball without you. This is all you, I just have to swing.’ We are really close as a team. This has probably been the closest team that I have been a part of,” admitted Root. “We are more than willing to work hard for each other.”
And, despite their overall 5-18 record going into the second half of their season, Root believes it is the team’s closeness and hardworking mentality that will allow them to have a winning record for the final stretch of the season.
“Our record hasn’t necessarily shown all of the work and talent that we have on the team,” Root said before stating that despite the team’s losing record, they are winning more sets than ever this season and only suffered a two-point deficit loss to the ninth team in the country. “We come into the gym every single day and don’t let the losses get us down. We continue to work incredibly hard and have fun playing together.”
Vowing that the team is ready to do whatever it takes to have a winning second half of their season, Root said, “I think we just need to continue to keep the same mentality of working hard and keeping up the fight. We can upset some teams and upset their seasons.”
Individually, Root would really like to see the team capture some Big East wins that she feels they deserve after all of the team’s hard work thus far. “We’re obviously tired of losing but it’s not [as if] we are going to give up. I would like to see some of that translate into some wins.”
More focused on what the team is doing as a whole in comparison to her own personal goals and achievements, Root said she is “pretty happy” with her 1,000th kill achievement. “It was pretty cool,” she concluded.
Men’s Basketball Returns Strong Core
by The Cowl Editor on October 31, 2019
Friar Sports
Top Three Scorers Come Back To Make Another Run
By Liam Tormey ’22
Sports Staff
Last season, the Providence College Men’s Basketball Team finished with an overall record of 18-16, tying for eighth in the Big East with a 7-11 record. The Friars missed out on the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five seasons. Instead, the postseason for Head Coach Ed Cooley consisted of playing in the National Invitational Tournament as the fourth seed. The Friars were a first round exit, losing 84-72 to the University of Arkansas.
This season, the Friars are hoping for a lot more. And there is a lot to be excited about.
Isaiah Jackson ’19 and Makai Ashton-Langford ’21 both left from Coach Cooley’s team this offseason. Jackson graduated last spring, and Ashton-Langford transferred to Boston College to continue his career.
On the bright side, the core group of players are returning for the Friars, including their top scorers.
After Alpha Diallo ’20 withdrew from the NBA Draft this past summer, he returns for his senior year and is looking to be more productive than last year. Diallo finished last season averaging 16 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists.
Nate Watson ’21 will be back after a great season last year (averaging 11.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 0.4 assists). He hopes to show why he is one of the best centers in the Big East this season.
A.J. Reeves ’22 will be looking to stay healthy after suffering a foot injury which hindered what looked like a huge year for the sophomore. Reeves averaged 9.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.6 assists last season.
David Duke Jr. ’22 is also hoping to have a big year after averaging 7.1 points and 2.1 assists for PC last season. Expect Duke to have a lot of playing time on the court.
Even more exciting for the Friars is they will get back Emmitt Holt ’19GS who was granted a sixth year of eligibility by a medical redshirt waiver. In the Friars’ first exhibition game this season against Stonehill College, Holt finished with a double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds. The team hopes Holt can give them more statlines like this thoughout the year.
There were some key additions over the offseason who will likely have a major impact on the way this season goes for Coach Cooley’s team. One of the big additions is Luwane Pipkins ’20GS, a graduate transfer from University of Massachusetts-Amherst. The 5’11’’ guard from Chicago, IL averaged 15.7 points, 3.7 assists, and 3.5 rebounds in his career at UMass. He hopes to add another offensive spark to the Friars’ game.
Another key addition to the team this offseason was Greg Gantt ’23. The 6’8’’, 205 pound-freshman was the number three recruit in the state of North Carolina according to ESPN. There is a lot of anticipation in what Gantt can bring to the team.
The Friars have been suffering from injuries in the past several weeks leading into the season. Watson has been unable to play due to a knee injury, although Coach Cooley hopes to see him return in the first couple weeks of November.
Gantt has been dealing with an Achilles tendon injury and will likely miss the opener against Sacred Heart University.
Pipkins has been battling a hamstring injury, but this past Sunday the Friars traveled to Indianapolis to play in a closed scrimmage against Purdue University, and Pipkins played 17 minutes for the Friars, scoring five points.
Providence won 60-53 against the Boilermakers. Diallo led the way with 22 points and 12 rebounds in 36 minutes of action. Fans can expect to see these types of numbers from Diallo most of the season.
The Friars open up regular season play next Tuesday, November 5 against Sacred Heart University at 7 p.m.
Prior to conference play in the Big East, the Friars have several games to note. In late November, Coach Cooley’s team will travel out to Anaheim, CA to compete in the Wooden Legacy Tournament, which is a combination of schools from all across the country. The Friars will open up that tournament against Long Beach State University. The annual rivalry game against the University of Rhode Island will take place on Dec. 6 at URI.
Just before the start of the Big East, Providence will be tested against two tough teams: Florida University and the University of Texas at Austin. These games will be great indicators of where the Friars are before starting conference play.
Big East conference play will begin Dec. 31 with the Friars’ home game against Georgetown University.
There is a lot of excitement surrounding the team this season. Coach Cooley hopes to get his team back into the NCAA Tournament come March. With many key members returning, anything can happen in Friartown, as long as the team can avoid the injury bug.
Young Talent Ready to Take Women’s Basketball Team to the Next Level
by The Cowl Editor on October 31, 2019
Friar Sports
By Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports Staff
In the beginning of October, the Big East unveiled the coach’s poll preseason rankings for all Big East women’s basketball teams for the upcoming 2019-2020 season. While DePaul University was unanimously voted first, the Providence College Women’s Basketball Team came in fifth, tied alongside Villanova University. Both teams are coming off of trips to the 2019 Women’s National Invitational Tournament.
Following this news, the team looks to carry on the success from the 2018-2019 season and play to the strengths of each player.
Last season, the Friars posted a 19-16 record, which earned them sixth overall in the Big East standings. The team made it to the second round of the Big East Tournament, where they lost to St. John’s University.
The Lady Friars earned themselves a spot in the WNIT, where they made a run to the Sweet Sixteen, losing to Georgetown University. The 19 wins were the most overall wins the team has had since 2009-2010, which, coincidentally, was the last time they had made it into a postseason tournament.
The team had to say goodbye to three seniors who graduated from PC last spring, including Clara Che ’19, a 2019 Big East Weekly Honor Roll selection, Maddie Jolin ’19, the winner of the Rev. Robert A. Morris O.P. ’46 Memorial Award, and Jovana “Yoyo” Nogic ’19, a fan favorite and the Providence College Female Athlete of the Year.
Last season marked numerous career highs for Nogic. She was ranked 12th on the most points per game in the Big East at 13.8 points, and averaged 19.3 points in the WNIT.
While the Friars lost three seniors, they also gained some new faces in the locker room: Hevynne Bristow ‘23 from Brooklyn, NY, Fatima Lee ’23 from Queens, NY, and Lauren Sampson ’23 from Waltham, MA. All are ready to answer the call for the team and bring their skills and strengths to make a difference both on and off the court this upcoming season.
Four of the starters are back this season in the lineup for the Friars, including reigning Big East Freshman of the Year, Mary Baskerville ’22.
Last season Baskerville finished as one of the leaders for rebounds per game at 7.3, leaders for blocked shots at 1.5, and even field goal percentage at .580 percent. Her breakout season made her the ultimate candidate for a unanimous selection to the Preseason All-Big East Team.
Herself and other Friar favorites like Kaela Webb ’22 and Chanell Williams ’21 are ready to give it their all and do great for the team.
In his fourth season with the Friars, Head Coach Jim Crowley is ready to lead his ladies into battle and give everything he has for the team to repeat the success they earned last season and once again make it into the postseason rankings.
The biggest threats the Friars face this season are rival teams DePaul University and St. John’s University. DePaul retains their title this season as the most successful Big East program for women’s basketball, posting a 91-17 record since the 2013-2014 season and has numerous returning starters this year.
The Friars hope to turn things around against the DePaul Blue Demons after losing last season’s series to the team 0-3 including a loss in the quarterfinal of the Big East Tournament.
When it comes to St. John’s, the Red Storm is expected to make a big jump from 2018-2019, with the return of a group of starters who lead in scoring, steals, and even assists.
However, this season, the Friars are ready to eliminate all who stand in their way by constantly practicing and grinding their way to the top. They are ready to show the world whose time it is and where they stand in the Big East.
Sports Shorts
by The Cowl Editor on October 31, 2019
Friar Sports
By Scott Jarosz ’21
Sports Staff
Men’s Hockey Update:
On the weekend of Oct. 18, the Providence College Men’s Hockey Team traveled to New York to take on St. Lawrence University on Friday and Clarkson University on Saturday. PC started the weekend off strong with a 6-0 win over SLU. Parker Ford ‘23 led the way for PC with two goals in the blowout win.
PC carried their momentum into its contest at CU, beating the home team with a score of 4-2. Tyce Thompson ‘22 powered the Friars with two goals. On Oct. 25, PC traveled to Chestnut Hill to face Boston College and beat the Eagles 6-2. There were six different goal-scorers for PC in the game. PC returned home to play the University of Massachusetts-Lowell the following day and would ultimately lose to the visiting team 3-2 in overtime. Thompson and Patrick Moynihan ’23 scored the goals.
Men’s Soccer Update:
The Providence College Men’s Soccer Team kicked off a three-game week on Oct. 19 at DePaul University. The Friars fell to the Blue Demons 2-0, but would bounce back when they traveled to play Villanova University the following Wednesday. PC beat the home team 2-0 with goals by Danny Griffin ’20 and Paulo Lima ‘22.
Following their win on the road, PC returned home to host Creighton University. The Bluejays scored the first goal of the game early on, but PC answered with goals by Christopher Roman ’22 and Davis Smith ’21. CU equalized the game late in the second half to force overtime, but Lima scored a golden goal stunner to win the game for the Friars in overtime.
Field Hockey Update:
The Providence College Field Hockey Team recently earned the No. 25 spot in the NFHCA Division 1 Coaches’ Poll, and its recent performance proves it is deserving of this ranking. On Oct. 18, PC beat Quinnipiac University in a 3-2 shootout win. PC hosted Merrimack two days later and beat the visitors 5-1. Olivia Ward ’21 led the scoring for the team with two goals.
PC then hosted Georgetown University on Oct. 25 and beat the Hoyas 2-0. Goals were scored by Mary O’Reilly ’20 and Amanda Collins ’22. The Friars looked to carry this momentum into its Oct. 27 Senior Day game against Rider University. PC fought out a 1-0 victory in the game thanks to a goal by O’Reilly. The team now looks forward to its next game on Nov. 1 at No. 17 Liberty University.
PC Athletics: A Golden Age
by The Cowl Editor on October 24, 2019
Friar Sports
A Sit-Down with Athletic Director Bob Driscoll
By Cam Smith ’21
Sports Assistant Editor
As Vice President and Director of Athletics at Providence College, Bob Driscoll has overseen some of the brightest moments in Providence College history in his now 19-year tenure. So, when he says that things have never been better in Friartown, it is a good idea to believe him.
The Cowl got a chance to sit down with the affable athletic director following Homecoming Weekend to get his thoughts on the state of Friar athletics. The result: a fascinating conversation which delved into not only the present condition of the department, but its promising future as well.
It is hard to imagine how things can get much better for Driscoll and the Friars. Since 2013, PC has achieved an absurd amount of success under the AD’s watch, highlighted by national championships from both the women’s cross country team and the men’s ice hockey team.
Coupled with a string of seven consecutive postseason appearances by Ed Cooley and the men’s basketball team, in addition to the stunning facility upgrades on campus, it is safe to say that life is good as a Friar. Driscoll would have to agree.
“I am really proud of the entire campus,” said Driscoll. “When we bring people on it, they’re just blown away… It did not look like this 15, 18 years ago, but now when I bring my friends who worked at the University of California and a lot of the Big East schools they go, ‘Wow, I did not realize what a beautiful place this is.’”
One of the recent additions to contribute to the revitalization of the campus is the extraordinary Ruane Friar Development Center. The 30 million-dollar, 58,218 square-foot building opened in August of 2018, and has already played a significant role in the success of all 350 plus student-athletes.
Not only has it helped out those Friars currently in uniform, but it has already assisted in attracting some of the most skilled recruits in the country. “I have said this before, you get one chance to make a first impression,” commented Driscoll. “If you look at all of our athletic facilities, they have all either been renovated or built brand new because if you are going to attract the best student-athletes you have to have big time facilities.”
It is easy to see the appeal that the Friar Development Center has to recruits when it boasts equipment such as sleep pods, cryogenic machines, and meditative tanks. However, the top-notch equipment is far from the only draw for prospective athletes, as Driscoll and the department also utilize a talented team of sports psychologists and nutritionists. The recent partnership with the Mindfulness Center at Brown University, aimed at practicing healthy lifestyles, showcases the level of attention to personal wellness that the department displays.
“It is almost like an Olympic training village if you will… it really has had an impact on recruiting and the morale of our present student-athletes because they feel like they are being taken care of,” said Driscoll.
The on-the-field product certainly speaks to the athletic director’s point, as the Friars are off to a solid start in both the fall and winter sport seasons. “We are off to a good start,” said Driscoll. “Field hockey is in the mix with a chance to compete for a championship… I think [cross country] will be competitive, they will certainly get back to the NCAA’s. I’m not sure they will have a shot to win the whole thing, but we’ll have to see.”
Driscoll spoke to the start of hockey season as well, admitting that, “Hockey has gotten off to a good start too. The men beating Maine 7-0 with a really young team and then the women splitting with Quinnipiac with a really young team as well. So, I think things are going really well so far.”
Things may get even better in the future as the resources of the Friar Development Center take further effect, and as the plans for the second phase of the Friar Development Center come to fruition. Indeed, Driscoll and his fellow college leadership members have launched an ambitious effort to take the Alumni Hall area of the campus to a whole new, previously unimaginable, level.
While phase one of the Friar Development Center may seem more athlete-oriented, phase two will create a resource geared toward every student and visitor on campus: Friartown Way.
The forthcoming phase will erect a connecting concourse between the Slavin Center and Alumni Hall, and will feature an expansion of both the Career Development Center as well as ’64 Hall. The effect will be the creation of an indoor street, one that very likely will serve as the new heart of campus.
“… It is going to be almost like a shopping mall area,” said Driscoll, as he gazed out upon the site from his office window. “This [area] is going to be expanded with a big dome over the top. We are hoping to have the designs and approvals this year and then start construction.”
The new area will be just the latest addition to a campus that has seen a remarkable number of jaw-dropping projects completed over the past few years. For Driscoll, the possibilities for this particular project are endless: “You can imagine just looking down on this great big open spot with perhaps a Dunkin Donuts in there, study areas, tables where people can hang out with the sunshine shining through. That would complete this entire project, it is going to be special.”
Driscoll has been more than a little busy lately, in addition to the announcement of phase two of the Friar Development Center, the Athletic Director also just recently completed a new, five-year strategic plan for the athletic department. The plan centers around five key goals, which aim to sustain the success of the department while enriching the experience of the student-athlete.
“We are trying to play a bigger game here,” said Driscoll. “Our new mission is to build champion citizens, scholars, and athletes who positively impact the world around them. I want our student- athletes to learn through playing sports that they have the ability to go out and hopefully change the world.”
With a new mission statement, a flourishing fall season underway, and more facilities set to arrive on campus, the condition of PC athletics has never been better. And, with Bob Driscoll and his talented staff of coaches at the helm, the continued success of the department seems guaranteed for decades to come.
Former Friar Lands Local Coaching Job
by The Cowl Editor on October 24, 2019
Friar Sports
Rubin Garces ’97 Named as Local Head Basketball Coach
By Liam Tormey ’22
Sports Staff
Ruben Garces ’97, originally from Colón, Panama, is 46 years old. He is the newly-named head basketball coach at St. Raphael Academy, a high school in Pawtucket, RI not too far from where he spent his college days playing for the Providence College Men’s Basketball Team. The Cowl staff had the chance to sit down with the former star and discuss his journey back to the Ocean State.
After spending two years at Navarro College in Texas, Garces transferred to PC in 1995 to play basketball. He said he was recruited by 29 different schools, and visited the likes of the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Connecticut, the University of Alabama, and West Virginia University. But there was something about PC that was different.
“All of those schools had class sizes with large amounts of students in each class,” Garces said. “At Providence, it was better for me to be in smaller size classrooms where I felt the teachers would be better able to help me.”
He mentioned that coming from Panama, he was a very religious Catholic and it added to his desire to come to a Catholic institution. He also mentioned the high student-athlete graduation rate at PC as a contributing factor in his decison.
Garces talked about his favorite memories at PC. For a student-athlete who went to the Elite Eight in the 1997 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament for the Friars and beat Duke University in the second round, his favorite memories were surprisingly not about basketball.
Garces elaborated, “My favorite part for sure was the size of the school. It did not matter where you were from, everyone knew each other, and you felt a sense of family.”
He wanted nothing more than to just be like everyone else and said, “I went to all of the parties and to events on campus so I could be a student. It was important for me that everyone viewed me as someone who was not just an athlete, because I was a student as well.”
During his time at PC, Garces felt that he learned a lot, saying, “It taught me how to be diverse because it was very different from being in school in Texas.” His career as a basketball player was spent playing in multiple different countries, but Garces said PC “helped me to adapt to any situation, how to go to my friends, how not to be culturally shocked, how to be cool and go with the flow, and especially how to have a conversation with everyone.”
He then talked about his time playing professionally. When asked about his favorite memory, after playing in the NBA, in Europe, and in Latin America, it was tough for him to decide. Garces played for NBA teams Phoenix Suns and the Golden State Warriors and said being around the likes of Penny Hardaway and Jason Kidd was amazing.
However, Garces made it clear that spending nine years in Spain during his career was one of the highlights of his journey.
“Being in Spain and already speaking the language made it easier for me to adapt. There was a sense of family amongst the team. We went to barbeques together, we went to family parties, out to dinner with teammates, and it felt like Providence College all over again.”
Before talking about his time after basketball, Garces did not think his playing career would end as soon as it did. “It was very tough. I didn’t want to stop, and I think I could have played three to five more years,” Garces said. “But I knew my family needed me. My son was 12 playing basketball and my daughter was 10 playing the highest level of youth soccer. I wanted to make up time for me being away and help them reach their goals every day.”
For about a year after playing overseas Garces took a few years to himself and eventually became a financial planner for a financial company for a short period of time. After this stint in finance, Garces was a head strength and conditioning coach at a gym and now has moved to St. Raphael, where he is now a youth advisor and will begin his first year as head basketball coach this upcoming season.
Garces knows being a former basketball player is going to help him a lot with his players.
“I know how it feels to be a player. Sometimes you have good days, sometimes you have bad days. I think I know how to push them and to motivate them to be the best they can be. You know all the insides of being a player. I have been fortunate enough throughout my career to be around some great coaches and it will help me. For me it is more about mentoring, not everyone is going to play professionally, so mentoring kids to make the next step to make sure they can make the step is what I am excited for,” said Garces.
Garces is passionate about his new role, saying, “A lot of guys who just played middle school basketball think they can coach and know everything to the game. They think they can coach now. It was one of the things that motivated me to get into coaching.”
However, Garces emphasized his real purpose in coaching: “I want to make sure I can get my players ready not just for basketball, but for life.”
Garces begins his first year as head basketball coach at St. Raphael this winter.
Hockey Returns to the Rink
by The Cowl Editor on October 10, 2019
Friar Sports
Friar’s Dominate Maine 7-0
By Scott Jarosz ’21
Sports Staff
The Providence College Men’s Hockey Team is ready to jump back into action for the 2019-2020 season after enjoying much success in its previous campaign. The 2018-2019 season was certainly one to remember for the Friars, as they made a deep playoff run which ultimately came to an end at the Frozen Four in Buffalo, NY. PC’s impressive playoff run was cut short in the semifinals of the Frozen Four with a 4-1 loss to no. 1-ranked University of Minnesota-Duluth, who would go on to win the 2019 National Championship over the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
Although a loss in the Frozen Four was certainly not the way the team and its fans would have liked the season to end, it was certainly not a reflection of the success that PC enjoyed throughout the entirety of the season.
PC finished with a record of 24-12-6, which consisted of wins over multiple ranked teams including an upset postseason wins over no. 3-ranked Minnesota State University, Mankato and no. 10-ranked Cornell University. These underdog wins are certainly something that PC will look back on and use to build momentum heading into the new season.
The Friars graduated six seniors last season, but are returning a core group of talented leaders that the younger players can look up to for guidance.
Key returning players for this year’s team include newly announced captains Michael Callahan ’22 and Spenser Young ’20, both of whom made significant contributions to the team’s success last season and showed promising leadership abilities. The presence of these experienced returning players helped PC get voted third-place in the Hockey East preseason coaches poll behind only Boston College and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
In addition to the core returning group that will look to guide this year’s team, PC also boasts an impressive freshman class of 11 players that look to fill the gaps left by the graduating class. Another addition to the team will look to fill the place of former goaltender Hayden Hawkey ’19.
Michael Lackey ’19 GS will take on the starting goalie position this season. Lackey played four years at Harvard University prior to joining the team at PC.
Lackey started six games his first year for the Crimson and earned accolades such as Eastern College Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week. Lackey was unable to play his second season due to an injury but returned for his third season and made 10 total appearances.
During this third season, Lackey had multiple memorable performances including 41 saves against Quinnipiac University and recording his first career shutout against Saint Lawrence University.
In his fourth and final season at Harvard University, Lackey stepped into the starting goaltender role and did not disappoint. In the 26 games that he started in net for the Crimson, he boasted a .918 save percentage, was recognized as the ECAC Hockey Goaltender of the Week for the week of Jan. 14, and was a semifinalist for the Walter Brown Award, which recognizes the best American-born Division I College Hockey Player in New England. Lackey also participated in the Buffalo Sabres Development Camp before making the move to PC. With a core group of returning players, a strong incoming class, and Lackey taking over as the starting goaltender for PC, the team took the ice on Oct. 5 for its opening game against the University of Maine with high expectations.
PC, sporting new gray uniforms, kicked off the 2019-2020 campaign and did not waste any time against the visiting Black Bears of the University of Maine.
After two early penalties against UM, PC had a five on three opportunity early on and took full advantage of it.
Just 2:23 into the opening period, Vimal Sukumaran ’20 notched the 25th goal of his college career as he knocked a rebounded puck into the back of the net to give PC the 1-0 lead.
PC did not slow down from this point, as just a few minutes later, Jack Dugan ’22 ripped a shot past UM’s goaltender on a swift assist from Greg Printz ’21 to double the lead to 2-0. Printz continued the scoring for PC into the second period as he tapped home an assist from Parker Ford ’23 and Dugan to make it 3-0. Tyce Thompson ’22 also got on the score sheet in the second period with a hard shot that slipped by UM’s goaltender. Printz would go on to score an additional three goals for PC in the third period for a total of four goals in the game, and the Friars would go on to win by a score of 7-0.
PC’s triumph over of a reputable University of Maine team provides a good indication of the level of talent that this year’s team possesses in all facets, and there is good reason to believe that PC will look to bring the positive takeaways from this game to its next contest against the College of the Holy Cross on Friday, October 11 and throughout the season.