Tag: pc sports
PCI: Providence College will Win the Hockey East Tourney
by The Cowl Editor on March 1, 2018
Friar Sports
PC Geared for Another Deep Run
by Sam Scanlon ’19
Sports Staff
It’s tourney time! The Hockey East is one of the most exciting and competitive conferences in the NCAA and is home to names like Adam Gaudette of Northeastern, 2018 Olympian Jordan Greenway of Boston University and, of course Providence College’s very own Erik Foley ’19. This year’s Hockey East Tournament is shaping up to be a good one.
Boston College, the 2017-2018 Hockey East regular season champion, has been playing extremely well against conference opponents, as they have won their last five Hockey East matchups. The No. 2 seed the Northeastern Huskies, fresh off of their first Beanpot Tournament Championship in 30 years, are finding a way to win games, which is vital in this tournament. However, the No. 3 seed Providence College Friars have an excellent chance to win the Hockey East Tournament, and they are my pick to go all the way.
Led by Foley and captain Brian Pinho ’18, the Friars are unstoppable on offense. Despite suffering an uncharacteristic 1-0 loss last weekend to UMass Amherst, expect the high powered Friars offense to find the back of the net plenty of times throughout the tournament. Kasper Björkqvist ’20 and Josh Wilkins ’20 have more than contributed to the Friars’ offensive onslaught this season, posting 13 goals each. Jacob Bryson ’20 has complimented the top goal scorers all year long, especially on the power play, and has notched 20 assists. With the top lines scoring goals, the Friars’ offensive is difficult to stop, making them an early favorite to take down some of the dilapidated defenses across the league.
Defensively, the Friars have a young core, with two freshmen and two sophomores carrying the bulk of the weight, along with a junior and senior. However, Ben Mirageas ’21 has found his place in the Friars lineup. The smooth skating, sizable D-man has held his ground and helped the Friars defense keep pucks out of their net and limit opponents’ scoring opportunities.
A significant reason why the Friars are able to limit shots on net from opponents is Vincent Desharnais ’19. The 6’6” 224 lbs. defenseman is virtually impossible to get around and has been able to shut down opponent’s top scorers with ease. Defense wins championships, and with Bryson, Desharnais, and Mirageas on the blue line for the Friars, a Hockey East Tournament Championship is surely within reach.
However, the backbone of every good team lies in its goaltender. Hayden Hawkey ’19 has carried the Friars so far this year, and a tough goalie is imperative for making a deep playoff run. Hawkey, who posted four shut outs this year, is 2nd in goaltending in the Hockey East, so he has proven to be one of the league’s best coming into the tournament.
Offensive firepower, a shutdown defense, and a top goalie are keys for the Friars to take home the Hockey East Tournament trophy. Their run starts March 9 at Schneider Arena.
PC Competes at Big East Championship
by The Cowl Editor on March 1, 2018
Friar Sports
Plenty of Highlights for PC Track and Field
by Thomas Zinzarella ’21
Sports Staff
Although the weather cooled down this past weekend, things were heating up at the Big East Indoor Track & Field Championship in Staten Island, New York. While neither the Providence College Men’s or Women’s Track and Field Teams came away with a trophy, there were many positives to be taken away from both teams.
With a relatively young men’s team, many freshmen got to experience their first Big East Championship. Michael Bittner ’21 felt “a little nervous warming up…it was a different feel from high school where you were the best and now there are guys who are better than you.” Bittner went on to have his best performance of the season with a fifth place finish in the men’s High Jump. Fellow Friar Trevor Crawley ’18 GS finished seventh in a highly contested Men’s 3,000-meter race and Michael O’Leary ’19 finished sixth in the one-mile event with a time of 4:11.97.
The high point of the day for the Friars was the 4×800 meter relay team featuring O’Leary, Nick Carleo ’19, Jack Carleo ’21 and Ryan Jendzejec ’21. The PC, Villanova University, and Georgetown University teams were all neck and neck until the final lap, when all three teams began to separate, leaving the Friars in third. The team featured the Carleo brothers, who have not been on the same team since they were both in high school. When asked how it felt to be reunited, Jack said, “It’s a good feeling being on the same team with Nick again because not many people get to run with a family member for this long, being on the same relay team with him again is awesome.”
The Friars look to continue their freshman surge into the springtime for the outdoor season, as Angus White ’21, Ryan Gallagher, Marcelo Rocha ’21, Henry Spangler ’21, and David Rosas ’21 rejoin for the spring season.
With talent carrying over from the indoor season, the sky is the limit for the next four years. Bittner and Carleo are hoping that the team can capture a Big East Championship and add to the storied history of the Track & Field Program at PC.
On the women’s side, the Friars were led from the top down by Millie Paladino ’18, who won the 3,000-meter with a time of 9:18.45. Paladino won the one-mile event last year and became the sixth woman to win both the 3,000-meter and the one mile event in Big East history.
The Friars would continue to shine in the 5,000-meter event as the Friars went 1-2 with Catarina Rocha ’18 GS leading the way with a time of 16:05.85, while Abbey Wheeler ’20 finished just behind her with a time of 16:07.39. Rocha netted her first Big East indoor title, and her third title overall.
The Friars also added a top three finish in the distance medley race with Paladino leading the charge once again. She teamed up with Mariah O’Gara ’20, Alexandra DeCicco ’20, and Maria Coffin ’21. The group was able to churn in a third-place finish in a heated battle with a time of 11:40.86.
Both squads look to try and build on the winter season and are preparing for their next event, the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships on March 2-3.
Friends of Friars Football Return
by The Cowl Editor on February 16, 2018
Friar Sports
PC Football Alumni Gather for Annual Reception
by Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Co-editor
This past weekend, Providence College hosted its Alumni and Family Weekend and many former Friars made their way back to campus. While many met up at the events and games on campus, one group of friends found themselves at McCormick & Schmicks, a seafood restaurant in downtown Providence. This group of friends, or brothers if you asked any of the men in attendance, make up the Friends of Friar Football.
While Providence College has not had a club football team on campus since 1988, the Friends of Friar Football is comprised of former members of PC’s club football team, known as the Fighting Friars, which started in 1967 and was active up until its last season in 1988. From Paul McGuire ’70, the team’s first QB, to Tom Allen ’88, a member of the final team, and men nicknamed Spider, Weasel, Skunk, and Bear, the gathering gave men across multiple generations time to connect and reminisce about their playing days. The group had about 100 men in attendance and was over 200 active members who stay in contact with the club.
Geno Harding ’74 who has helped organize the gathering for the past 10 years, has acted as the organization’s historian, compiling old photos and memorabilia from the Fighting Friars days. Back when he was in school, Harding was one of the main organizers for the team as he was in charge of selling tickets and lining Hendricken Field on game days.
Even though the team was not an official varsity team, the former players will be quick to tell anyone they treated every game like they were in Division I. The team competed against schools such as Marist College, Assumption College, Westchester Community College, and Stony Brook University before many of these teams moved up to Division III. Multiple alumni said that they played for the love of the game.
In 1973, the team was given money to design new uniforms and many of the players could not have been happier with the outcome. Harding and Ted Fitzgerald ’75 worked together to create a new helmet logo for the team. With the Fighting Friars already sharing the same silver and black color scheme as the Oakland Raiders, the two went the extra mile and modeled the new logo after one of the National Football League’s most popular. Harding created the black shield with “Friars” sketched in. Then Fitzgerald sketched out a Friar head over a cross to complete the logo. Any of the men who played for PC are quick to say it was the best logo in all of college football.
One of the reoccurring stories during the reception was the tale of when PC played “the champs from the west,” Chapman University in California, in the 1979 Heritage Bowl in Providence. The day before the game the temperature was well above 50 degrees. Then all of a sudden, come gameday, the temperature dropped below 30° and the players from California experienced New England weather at its finest. One player recalled that the game was so windy that on one play where Chapman was punting, the football actually went backwards on the kick. The Friars ended up winning in a blowout 34-0, in what was one of the most memorable games in the club’s history.
Despite a 21-year gap between the first and last teams, the Friends of Friar Football has been able to bring men from different eras into one brotherhood. Gerry Marzilli ’72 described the Friends of Friar Football and the club team itself as “a special group…we paid to play football, we are lucky to be together this long.” Despite only consisting of alumni that attended Providence College over about 20-year span, The Friends of Friar Football is one of the largest PC alumni groups that are still active. The club manages to raise money through donations to give a scholarship to one PC student every year.
After a few hours discussing who was the fastest or who was the toughest player, the alumni made their way outside to take their yearly group photo on the front steps of City Hall. Afterwards, Marzilli presented games to former players Mike Lee ‘79, Steve Lamendola ’79, and Bob “The Bear” Peters ’78, to recognize them for creating the Friends of Friar Football group.
Even as years pass, the gathering has not lost any of its allure for any of the men. As each former player entered the restaurant, all of them were just as excited to see their former teammates as if they were getting ready for game day. Jim Murphy ’70 said that football at PC “has forged a friendship for over 50 years.” Murphy was one of the key contributors to starting the football club back in 1967 as he oversaw raising money for the team.
Even though most of the members of the varsity team are no longer around, the club takes time to remember the men who brought football to Providence College by looking back at the old photos and share the stories of the alumni. Harding shared one story of former player Hank Soar ’37, who played nine seasons in the NFL and then went onto become an umpire for Major League Baseball from 1950 until 1972.
While the PC club football team does not have the documented history of the University of Alabama or even Boston College, every player has his own stories to share and every team had its place in the school’s history that is just as important to the College. None of these men played with future glory in the back of their heads, but rather to play their hearts out for the game they cherished.
Senior Night in Friartown
by The Cowl Editor on February 16, 2018
Friar Sports
Last Class of the 2015 NCAA Championship Hockey Team Celebrate Senior Night
by Sam Scanlon ’19
Sports Staff
When the Class of 2018 first stepped on the ice at Schneider Arena four years ago, they would never have expected their college careers at Providence College to go the way they did. This year’s senior class celebrated their Senior Night in style last Friday as they defeated the University of Maine 3-2 in overtime. As their season draws to its end, along with their college hockey careers, the 2015 national championship banner still hangs high in the rafters. The final wave of National Champions will soon take their last strides with the Skating Friar proudly on their chest, but their legacy will forever remain.
This year’s class is tightly knit and collectively a great group of leaders in the locker room. Captain Brian Pinho ’18 commended those who came before him, such as National Hockey League players Noel Acciari ’15 and Mark Jankowski ’16, saying, “They did a good job of taking us under their wings and showing us the ropes, while reinforcing the culture of our team. The upperclassmen on the team now have done a good job of bringing our young team along.” Pinho also described their journey together saying, “These past four years have been unbelievable, and it’s been awesome to play with my best friends for four years. We are such a close group, and we love being with each other.”
Perhaps the biggest underdog story of this class is goaltender Jake Beaton ’18. Beaton joined the squad this season as the team’s emergency goalie. Last year, he was stopping pucks for the College’s club team but was granted the incredible opportunity to play Division I hockey for his senior year. The Falmouth, Massachusets native made his first collegiate appearance late in the third period against Arizona State University at PPG Paints Arena on Dec. 30. Although it was just a few minutes on the ice, he got the experience of a lifetime for a team so close to home compared to some of his teammates, who live much farther away.
For example, hailing all the way from Anchorage, Alaska, Truman Reed ’18 found a home 4,500 miles away in Providence, Rhode Island. Standing at 6’2” and 212 lbs., he is one of the biggest defensemen on the team. Reed made his collegiate debut last season versus Hockey East foe Northeastern University. He plays a physical role when on the ice- a role that is sometimes lacking on the Friars’ roster. Thus, in games with Reed in the lineup, the Friars physicality has been enhanced.
Texas is not exactly considered a hockey hotbed, but Alex Cromwell ’18, a McKinney, Texas native, defied the odds and became a part of the Providence College hockey program. Like Reed, Cromwell stands tall and uses his large frame as a power forward. As one of the program’s best students, Cromwell won the John Ferguson Award, which recognizes the player with the highest GPA on the team, two years in a row.
The Friars’ firecracker is forward Robbie Hennessey ’18 out of Garnet Valley, Pennsylvania. Standing at 5’10” Hennessey is one of the smaller players on the team. Despite his small size, he is always buzzing all over the ice. Hennessey has embraced his role as a grinder as he loves to play the body and block shots. As another top scholar on the team, Hennessey has made the Hockey East All-Academic Team in each of his first three seasons and is well on his way to a fourth. Hennessey has appeared in 95 games as a Friar, posting 15 points on four goals and 11 assists. His high speed and energy on the ice will be missed.
Friar superstar and team captain Pinho was the last honoree this past Friday night. Pinho has been nothing short of spectacular throughout his four year career at PC. He has appeared in 144 games thus far and has registered 108 points on 38 goals and 70 assists. Among his many awards and other accolades, he was named the 2016-2017 Team MVP.
Along with his dominant play on the ice, Pinho has demonstrated his outstanding leadership qualities as captain of this year’s team and assistant captain last year as a junior. “I think being a leader of this team is a great honor, but also a huge responsibility” Pinho said. “I try to keep everything fun at the rink, while also bringing some intensity and competing hard everyday.” His leadership has allowed a young team to excel and exceed all expectations.
Now that his four years have come and gone, Pinho offered some advice for the underclassmen and future Friars. He said, “My advice to the younger guys is to cherish their time here because it flies by. Also, I would tell them to never take anything for granted because this has been the best four years of my life.”
Congratulations and best of luck to the Class of 2018, but before you go, bring back another championship.
Tennis, Softball Kick Off Spring Seasons
by The Cowl Editor on February 15, 2018
Friar Sports
PC’s Spring Teams look to Get off to a Hot Start
by Eileen Flynn ’20
Sports Staff
Softball:
The Providence College Women’s Softball Team traveled to the University of Central Florida’s “Friends of Jaclyn” Tournament on Feb. 9 to 11. Facing four tough opponents, the Friars went 0-4 the first two days of the tournament. However, Brittney Veler ’18, stirred up some momentum her team needed to get the season going. With her impressive RBIs and variation of hits, the team was inspired on their last day of the tournament, just in time for the match-up against the University of North Carolina.
The game started off quiet, two innings passed and both teams still had a zero under their names on the scoreboard. Emma Lee ’19 began the third inning with a leadoff single. After a few more pitches, Lee made her way over to third, stealing two bases. Vanessa Portillo ’19 brought her teammate home with an RBI single.
The Tarheels did not take long to respond to the one run deficit. In the bottom of the third, UNC tied the game at 1-1. In the top of the 5th inning, Mackensie Compton ’20 and Veler worked together to set up Portillo yet again. Portillo responded with a clutch sacrifice fly, sending the winning run across home plate. Miranda Trinidad ’21, pitched a complete game and held the Tarheels at just one run. PC finished the tournament on an upset, handing ranked UNC their only loss of the weekend.
Veler tallied a .400 batting average over the course of five games. The senior had six hits, a double, a triple, and four RBIs. The Big East named Veler to the weekly honor roll after noticing her impressive performance. Although this was not her first time being recognized, Veler said she was excited to start off her final season as a Friar with this accomplishment.
After a busy weekend away, Veler looked ahead to the upcoming season. “We have a team of veterans; we only lost two players, so we have a lot of experience.” Veler mentioned the previous years’ heartbreaks where her team was just short of qualifying for the Big East Tournament. However, Veler is confident that this year her team can “break through” past outcomes and have a better ending.
When asked about what games she was most excited for on this season’s schedule, Veler was quick to name St. John’s University. “That team has rocked us every year I’ve played them; they have a powerful program with a head coach that was once a stud pitcher at Providence.” Veler hopes to beat this team at least once before she has to hang up her cleats. Other match-ups the outfielder is looking forward to include games against DePaul University and Villanova University. Although she loves beating a team on the competition’s turf, she tells me there is nothing better than the comfort of a Ray breakfast and the walk to Glay Field for a big game.
Veler only has a few more walks to her home field before she graduates in the spring. Veler has been playing softball since age six, and she is both sad and excited about her transition into the “real world.” She said that “it is much more than saying good bye to the sport, there were so many ups and downs, so many places it brought me, and so many emotions that are all wrapped together.” She has a few different paths in mind for after graduation. Whether it be a career within the organization of Major League Baseball or in the field of health policy and management, Veler is excited to find out.
As for the rest of the season, she is not losing focus. Veler tells me the key to success for her team is to “stick to the PC way.” She has faith in her coaches to keep pushing her team forward and to keep reminding them that no matter what field they are on, “they own it.”
Tennis:
The Providence College Women’s Tennis Team is patiently waiting for the snow to stop and for the wind to die down so they can start practicing for their 2018 spring season. This past fall, the Friars defeated teams from Johnson & Wales University and the College of the Holy Cross. The team lost two close matches, 4-3, against Fairfield University and Assumption College. When they partcipated in the Quinnipiac Invitational, the Friars displayed promising talent on the second day. In a complete transition from the first day of tournament, three PC players played their way to the semifinals in their respective brackets.
Due to the Friars’ younger roster, this inconsistency in performance can be expected. However, with the fall season under their belts, the team has matured together and have high expectations for their spring season. There are a total of six underclassmen on the team, three freshmen and three sophomores. Katie Marvin ’18 and Risa Takenaka ’19 will lead their younger teammates with their experience and talent.
Takenaka explained how she led her teammates by example during the fall season. “I think I was able to set an example for the team on how to be a competitor on the court when playing tough players,” she said. Since the spring season is filled with tough competitors, the team will need to prepare. Head Coach Jakob Kleason will return for his third year at Providence College.
Saturday, February 3 marked the season opener for the team against Saint Peter’s University where the team got the season off to a hot start with 7-0 sweep.
The next day the Friars faced off against a tough Siena College team in Albany, New York. The Friars fought hard but ultimately lost 5-2 though many of the matches were tight until the end. Takenaka was the only player to pick up a win in the single matches for PC.
Other opponents the team will face this season include Butler University, Dayton University, College of Charleston, Harvard University, Villanova University, St. John’s University, and Brown University. Takenaka is already looking forward to the matchup against Harvard. She said, “They have a really strong lineup, and it’s always a fun time playing as the underdog.”
The Big East Tournament will proceed during the last week in April in Cayce, South Carolina. The Friars are looking to redeem their 4-0 loss to Villanova in the previous 2017 Big East Tournament. The Lady Friars are ready to start their spring season, despite the winter weather.
PC Swim Gets ready for Big East
by The Cowl Editor on February 15, 2018
Friar Sports
Swim Team Heads to Ohio to Face-Off Against Big East Rivals
by Jeremy Perrigo ’18
Sports Staff
February has come at last, and for the Providence College Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Team, this marks the end of a rigorous six months of training and competition that began back in early September.
The Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving teams travel to Geneva, Ohio on Feb. 21 for four days in the pool in a six-way battle against Big East conference rivals Seton Hall University, Georgetown University, Villanova University, Xavier University, and Butler University for the Big East Championship.
For a few Friars, this competition marks the last of their collegiate career. Alexandra Kartsounis ’18 shared her thoughts on what it will take to find success in Ohio, “Definitely working together, staying together, keep each other in a positive situation because it is a four-day-long meet and we have prelims in the morning, finals in the afternoon. It is just a lot going on and chemistry I think is really important.”
Leadership is an important aspect of any sports team, and as freshmen go on to become seniors, their roles change. When questioned about how her responsibility on the team has changed, Kartsounis had a few words to add about her fellow teammates, saying “It definitely puts you in a leadership position. I am not captain this year. My captains are Erin Cunningham ’18 and Katie Fallon ’18 and they both do an excellent job leading the team.” She went on to note that leadership can be found across the board, “I think it is important for all the seniors to kind of take that leadership role, and I think everyone does a pretty good job doing that. Mostly just lead by example and keep a positive attitude, I think is really important.”
The Friars are trying to use the championship to rebound from a disappointing loss in their last competition, a tri-meet against Georgetown and Seton Hall, “We all raced pretty well, but we lost to both teams. I think that meet is pretty difficult for our team just because it is so close to our championships so we have all been beaten down by training really hard. But overall I think everyone pulled through and had some pretty good times.”
When asked if a single team stood out from the rest going into the competition, Kartsounis, who specializes in backstroke and butterfly, pointed to one school in particular. “Butler is our closest competition; all the other schools are pretty strong but we always go and race our hardest.”
She also mentioned a group of Friars that she believes do not get enough credit for the boost they add to final scores: the divers. “The divers are super important to us because they contribute to the pointing scales.” She mentioned one teammate in particular. “Kendall Jerzyk ’18 made Big East and she is one of the top [divers] on the diving team and I do not think people give her enough credit. She gives us a bump up in our pointing scale,” Kartsounis said.
While cohesion amongst teammates is important, coaching plays just as integral a role, and good coaching is essential for any team that hopes to be successful. Kartsounis elaborated on the impact her coaches have had on her swimming career. She began with the man in charge, saying, “Our head coach John O’Neill is great, he has led our team through some good wins and tough losses but definitely kept us going through.”
Not forgotten is the impact of assistant coaches. “I also want to give note to Ken Reall, we got him my sophomore year I believe and he has a great swim background, great resume, and overall just a really good person and great motivator. I definitely think he has had a big impact on my swimming career here,” Kartsounis added.
The Friars have high hopes for the week ahead. For some athletes, the event marks the beginning of more to come. For this group of seniors, it presents the opportunity to put an exclamation point on an eventful four years.
The Gold Standard Panel
by The Cowl Editor on February 15, 2018
Professional Sports
Former Gold Medal Olympians Talk at PC
by Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-editor
It has been 20 years since a women’s hockey team from the United States has won a gold medal. And this past weekend, on Saturday, February 10, three members of 1998 Women’s Olympic Hockey Team were present at Providence College to speak on a panel called The Gold Standard.
“I wish I could be there,” Cammi Granato ’93 said as she kicked off the panel in a prerecorded video that played after a video montage of highlights featuring the gold-medal round game. The montage brought player Lisa Brown-Miller ’88 to to “tears” and “gave [her] goosebumps.”On it being 20 years since winning, Granato, captain of the only gold-medal winning, commented, “I can’t believe it.”
So, why did PC put together this panel during Alumni, Family, and Accepted Students weekend? The answer to this question is that the first ever Women’s Olympic Hockey Team consisted of seven PC alum, and three were able to speak on behalf of their team and the remarkable feat they accomplished: Vicki Movsessian ‘94, Sara DeCosta ‘00, and Brown-Miller. “Thank you to the College for inviting us back to be remembered,” Brown-Miller started once Granato’s video had finished.
Hosted by current Providence College Women’s Hockey Coach Bob Deraney, the panel consisted of the three women reflecting on both of their Olympic experiences, PC experiences-all of which they said was “the best,” and how they formed their lives today.
“Every aspect of PC shaped me for the Olympic games…even Western Civ!” DeCosta said with a laugh when asked how PC helped her in her Olympic success.Movsessian was quick to bring up how seven members of the 20 member team came from PC. “A championship environment…that PC built. [The] identity of what women’s hockey became was transformed at PC.” Movessian’s point really kicked off what became the main topic of discussion of the panel: women’s hockey then and now. “We really were the pioneers [of women’s hockey],” Granato stated in her video. “And that is a bond we’ll have forever.”
As mentioned, the 1998 women’s hockey team, a team that Movessian said was made up of “20 people who wanted so badly to do well for each other and collectively win,” was one of the first ever female hockey teams to compete in the Olympics. They also remain the only U.S. women’s team to ever win a gold medal in the Olympic Games.
Prior to 1998, outside of New England, women’s hockey was still almost unheard of. “Growing up…I didn’t know any other girls who played,” Brown-Miller, a Michigan native, stated. “There were not a lot of opportunities back home. PC opened the doors and just as the doors were opening, I was able to step through.”Even DeCosta recognized how small the women’s hockey world was just 20 years ago. “I wasn’t aware of what women’s hockey…was at the time,” she said.
However, Movessian, a Massachusetts native, had a different experience with hockey growing up, stating, “There were tons of opportunities in Mass to play girls and boys hockey.” But even with all of her opportunities to play, Movessian still commented, “We didn’t know about the Olympic games [and the efforts to put a female team together]. We weren’t playing for that reason; we were playing because we loved to play.”
Twenty years after the victory that started a hockey phenomenon, DeCosta stated, “[It has been] an amazing experience to see the growth of women’s hockey…amazing to see the skills and the talent.”
The talent that they spoke of, can be seen in the current PC Women’s Hockey Team, which is currently ranked second in Hockey East, as well as the current 2018 Women’s Olympic Hockey Team. As for this year’s Olympic team, Granato is convinced that the women “are riped to win.” Of course, it has been 20 years since the U.S. has won a gold medal, but Granato stated, “I have a strong feeling this year’s team [will win],” and her sentiments were echoed by all three of her teammates.
PCI: Which Spring Sports Team Will Finish with the Best Record?
by The Cowl Editor on February 15, 2018
PCI
Men’s Lacrosse will Finish with the Best Record
by Max Anderson ’18
I believe this is the breakout year for the Providence College Men’s Lacrosse Team, which leads me to believe the team will finish as the spring sport squad with the best record.
As a senior, I have watched the lacrosse team progress every year. The 2015 season saw the team have a final overall record of 5-9, with a 1-4 tally in Big East play. The team improved in 2016, finishing with a final record of 7-9 and again finishing with a record of 1-4 in conference play.
It was last year’s fini
sh, however, that has me confident in the lacrosse team this year; the team improved by three wins to finish with a final record of 10-7, including a 3-2 mark in Big East play, making it the first time that the team finished with a winning record since the 2005-06 season. Perhaps most impressive, however, is the fact that the team was able to advance to the Big East Championship game, where they lost by just one point to Marquette in a 10-9 nail biter.
While the 2006-07 team regressed after the superb 2005-06 season, I do not see that being the case with this year’s team. The team lost just 10 players to graduation last year, meaning a large portion of those who finished with a winning record for the first time in over a decade will be back. Among those returning are Brendan Kearns ‘19 and Nick Hatzipetrakos ‘19, the Friars two leading scorers from last year, who both finished the season with over 40 points. Along with Kearns and Hatzipetrakos, the Friars are returning nine of their ten leading point scorers from last season, meaning there will be no shortage of offensive power for the Friars this year. Along with the superb offense, the Friars also bring back goalie Tate Boyce ’19, who started all 17 games for the Friars last season and finished with over 1,000 minutes logged for the year. Boyce finished the season with final tallies of 178 saves to go along with a 56.9 percent save percentage.
With so many returning faces, I can easily see the Friars topping their 10-win mark from last year and picture them being the most successful team on campus this spring.
PCI: Which Spring Sports Team Will Finish with the Best Record?
by The Cowl Editor on February 15, 2018
PCI
Softball Will Finish With Best Record
by Ethan Ticehurst ’18
The Providence College Softball Team is on track to have the best record out of all the spring sports this season. They are on the rise after an average 2017 season. They have steadily improved over the past few years, with a two game improvement in 2017 in their win total from the 2016 season. Building a strong team has taken time, but this team has done the work to be as strong as they can be.
The work that they have done from previous seasons, coupled with the added familiarity that they now have with their relatively new field, is expected to bring them even more wins this year.
The Friars kicked off the season last week down in Florida, where they proved through their win against the University of North Carolina that they are on track to having a successful season. Though they currently sit at a record of 1-4, they have already shown some flashes of good things to come while playing some pretty difficult teams. When the Friars kicked off their Big East season, the games will be more evenly matched between PC and their opponents. The first home game takes place on March 17 at 12 p.m.
The team will have the advantage of a strong senior class this year, consisting of Paige Mulry ’18, Julianne Rurka ’18, Christina Ramirez ’18, and Brittney Veler ’18. All four of these players were a big part of last year’s squad, and played a majority of games for the Friars. It is likely that the team will look to these seniors for their experience and their leadership as they go further into the season. In a sport where it is common to play over 40 games in a season, it comes down to having the endurance and energy to keep on going, qualities that these seniors have shown that they have.
This year should be a good year for Friars softball as they play against a rather evenly matched Big East conference. Friar fans can look forward to an exciting season for the softball team as they look to improve upon last season.
Lacrosse Gears Up for Spring Season
by The Cowl Editor on January 25, 2018
Friar Sports
by Eileen Flynn ’20
Sports Staff
The Providence College Men’s Lacrosse Team has been waiting for a chance to play another game since the gut-wrenching Big East Championship game last May. The Friars upset Big East rival Villanova University in the semi-final game, winning their first ever Big East Tournament win and advancing on to the championship game. The team played their hearts out against defending champion, Marquette University. They fell to the Golden Eagles by just one goal on their home turf, concluding their 2017 season with a record of 14-7.
The Friars have had the past eight months to work hard in their off-season, using this heartbreak to motivate them for a 2018 season with better results. Head Coach Chris Gabrielli added Conner Byrne ’18, and Brendan Kearns ’19 will join returning leaders, James Barclay ’18, Tate Boyce ’19, and Austin Goltz ’17 as captains.
The returning captains will lead by example, and continue their successful careers as Friars. Barclay helps protect Boyce as he holds up the defensive end; he has caused 35 turnovers and has started all 47 games of the past three years at PC. Boyce returns after a decorated 2017 season. He received the USILA/Nike Third-Team All-America honors and Inside Lacrosse Honorable Mention All-American accolades. The Friars appreciate his steadiness in net, as Boyce reported an 8.05 goals against average and a 0.569 save percentage. He was ranked sixth in the NCAA against all other Division I goalkeepers. Goltz returns as a graduate student and his veteran status will help lead the younger Friars. He played in 15 games last season and finished with 18 points.
Big East All-star Byrne, will be a positive addition to the team as a new captain. In midfield, he has started in 39 games and scored nine goals and four assists in the 2017 season. As a senior, Kearns will want to make his last season the best for himself and his team. As an attackman he has posted 32 goals and 13 assists in his two years at PC.
The regular season opens up on Saturday, February 3 at Boston University. The Friars will then return home and pick-up their momentum with a three game home stretch, hosting the College of the Holy Cross, Bryant University, and St. Joseph’s University.
The team will travel to the University of Connecticut to Sacred Heart University’s territory on March 3 before yet another three-game homestead against University of Massachusets at Lowell, Harvard University and Hofstra University. At the first Big East matchup is on March 31, the Friars will face-off against St. John’s University.
The Friars will have to wait until April 14 for their highly anticipated rematch against Marquette University. The Friars are expected to come back looking better than ever, and have another historic year for the program.