by The Cowl Editor on September 21, 2017

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Sports

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by Ethan Ticehurst ’18

Sports Staff

     The most impressive team on campus so far this semester has been the Providence College Men’s Soccer Team. With strong core players returning from last year’s run to the NCAA tournament, the team is looking to build upon that momentum to be even better this year. Despite a current record of 2-4-1 for the season, the Friars should look even stronger when they get into the thick of Big East play in a month or so.

     The biggest bright spot for this team is the stellar play of goakeeper Colin Miller ’18, who has kept the Friars competitive in many games throughout his career with some amazing saves. Of course, Miller is not the only factor spurring this team to greatness. There is a great sense of teamwork surrounding the squad as they move around the field. Everyone seems to be clicking and working together for a common goal. While there are players who stand out, it is clear that all players are important in the process of scoring each goal.

     The last advantage that men’s soccer has this year is a dedicated fan base. Last year’s successful season and a newer stadium have led to huge attendance numbers for the first few home games of the year. The students are coming out in droves to attend their games, filling up almost all of the seats in Anderson Stadium. The team plays better when they know that there are people out there supporting them and the students have not been shy about their support at all.

     All of these factors are reasons why at the end of the season, our men’s soccer team will own the best record in Friartown.

by The Cowl Editor on March 16, 2017

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Sports

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by Meaghan Cahill ’20

With Providence College being the home to so many excellent athletes, picking an MVP is quite the challenge. However, with that being said, Erik Foley ’19 had a standout season this year as a forward for the Men’s Ice Hockey Team.

Coming off his freshman year, where he harbored a total of 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) and won the Rev. Herman Schneider, O.P. Award, Foley is the Friars’ leading goal scorer, with a total of 15 goals this season. In all of Hockey East, Foley is ranked amongst the Top 20 scoring leaders for this season. In terms of assists and total overall points, Foley falls second in both with 19 assists and a total of 34 points. Foley also had a +/- rating of +17 during the regular season, which is third best on the team. This sophomore also has the most game-winning goals on the team throughout the season, which goes to show just how beneficial he is to Friars Hockey.

Foley, who was the Winnipeg Jets’ 78th overall draft pick, also took his skills beyond Friartown this season as a member of the U.S.A.’s World Juniors Team, where he won a gold medal. And while they do not compare to a gold medal, Foley has also received many weekly nods from Hockey East.

Foley has been a key player all season for the Friars, demonstrating his skill on both the collegiate and national level, which is why he should be considered the Friars’ MVP.

by Max Anderson ’18

Perhaps the biggest question on Friars fans’ minds heading into the 2016-2017 basketball season was how the team was going to replace Kris Dunn ’16.  After all, how do you replace perhaps the greatest player to ever put on a Friar jersey?  The answer to that question lies in point guard Kyron Cartwright ’18, who is coming off his best season ever here at PC.  In a year where the Friars were supposed to regress greatly due to the losses of Dunn and forward Ben Bentil ’18, Cartwright has been everything Friar fans could have asked for, and then some.  Not only is Cartwright averaging double-digit points, but his 6.7 assists per game is the fourth best mark in the nation and shows how Cartwright can not only score himself, but also can put his teammates in position to score as well.

Cartwright is not just limited on the offensive side of the floor either; his lightning quick speed has him averaging over one steal per game, and has contributed to a Friars defense that ranks in the top 50 nationally for points allowed per contest.  Cartwright’s incredible play when rewarded last week was the Big East named him the most improved player in the conference, as well as placing him on the All-Big East second team with fellow teammate Rodney Bullock ’18.  The Friars are heading to their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament, and without Cartwright’s contributions, the road would have been much rockier for the team.

by The Cowl Editor on March 2, 2017

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Sports

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NBA by Ethan Ticehurst ’18

The only time I have ever fallen asleep in the middle of watching sports involved the New York Islanders and the Montreal Canadiens. I had originally sat down in front of the TV figuring that my love of Providence College hockey would translate to the NHL. This was the worst assumption I have ever made. I didn’t know any of the players, no one had scored by the third period, and the puck was incredibly difficult to follow.

While I was sitting there, fighting a losing battle against my drooping eyelids, I started to think about the NBA instead and the comparison started. Even those who don’t follow basketball can hear the names LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant and know that these people are important basketball players. After Wayne Gretzky and Sidney Crosby, I was tapped out on hockey stars.

Thinking of Jordan and Bryant led me to think about the dynasties that those two have led and all the other ones that have happened in NBA history. The ’90 Bulls. The 2000s Lakers. The ’60s Celtics. The present Warriors and Cavaliers. Switching my focus to the NHL, I remembered that maybe the Islanders had been good once at some indeterminate point in the past?

The NBA will always have more of a cultural impact on the United States than the NHL. If you are a big hockey fan and you would rather live in a place that values hockey as much as you do, let me tell you about Canada.

NHL by Lauren Altmeyer ’17

The National Hockey League is, without a doubt, more fun to watch than the NBA. With 60 minutes of nonstop action, thrilling goals, and exhilarating fights, there is never a dull moment in a hockey game. Players like Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, Jonathan Toews, and Connor McDavid are among some of the greatest athletes in the world and will someday be grouped with hockey legends.

Not to mention that NHL players are some of the toughest athletes out there. During the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs, Boston Bruins forward Gregory Campbell finished his shift on a broken leg and then skated off the ice on his own, while Patrice Bergeron played with a broken rib, a separated shoulder, and a punctured lung. In the 2011 playoffs, Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning broke his nose and missed no more than six minutes of the game. Dallas Stars forward Rich Peverley’s heart stopped on the bench in 2014, and as soon as he was revived, he asked if he could finish the game. Meanwhile, during the 2014 NBA Finals, Lebron James had to be carried off the court due to a leg cramp. The NHL players push through these injuries for the glory of winning the Stanley Cup, sports’ hardest trophy to win. The outcome is always unpredictable and always fun to watch.

So if you’re looking to watch overpaid athletes with  a low pain tolerance, the NBA is for you. But if you’re looking to watch the world’s toughest athletes play the fastest team sport, the NHL awaits.

by The Cowl Editor on February 16, 2017

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Sports

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by Max Anderson ’19

The Minnesota Wild are currently sitting at the top of the Western Conference standings with a record of 37-13-6 (7-2-1 in their last 10 games), hoping to continue their momentum and capture the franchise’s first Stanley Cup. The Wild possess excellent veteran leadership, a plethora of scoring talent, and a hot goaltender which concocts their recipe for success.

Captain Mikko Koivu has emerged as one of the league’s best leaders, as well as his co-leaders, assistant captains Ryan Suter and Zach Parise. Eric Staal, who captained the 2006 Carolina Hurricanes to a Stanley Cup,  has proved to be a key off-season acquisition to provide additional veteran leadership. Comprising the majority of the offensive talent are Parise and 24-year-old offensive weapons Charlie Coyle, Nino Niederreiter, and Mikael Granlund.

Goaltender Devan Dubnyk is currently leading all NHL goaltenders in both wins and save percentage. Goaltending is essential for a deep playoff run, and with the way Dubnyk has been performing this season, he has proven to be tough to beat. With their recent disappointment in playoff appearances and performance, the Wild have a chance to finally click this post-season.

Minnesota stands atop the highly competitive Central Division that includes Mid-West powerhouses Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues. With a deep and talented roster, along with great success thus far, the Minnesota Wild are making a name for themselves in the Stanley Cup conversation.

by Sam Scanlon ’19

As nervous as I am to say this, I believe this is finally the year that the Washington Capitals will bring home the coveted Stanley Cup trophy. The Capitals are undoubtedly the hottest team in the NHL right now, leading the entire league with a record of 39-11-6, including an incredible mark of 18-3 since the start of the new year. Center Nicklas Backstrom has been sensational and is currently tied for second in the NHL in points with 60.  Braden Holtby has also elevated his game this year, and is second in the NHL with a 2.02 GAA, and a record of 29-8-4. But perhaps the biggest reason why I am so confident in the Capitals to win it all this year lies in three-time Hart Trophy winner Alex Ovechkin.  Ovechkin is having another incredible year, already recording 26 goals to go along with 25 assists, for a total of 51 points.

Since Ovechkin entered the league in 2004, the Capitals have been to the playoffs eight times and won their respective division six times.  However, despite the division titles and playoff appearances in the past 13 years, the Capitals have never advanced past the second round since Ovechkin has been there, leading many to criticize the star’s clutch factor.

I believe Ovechkin is on a mission to prove his doubters wrong this year and will put the team on his back in the postseason. Ultimately, it will be up to him to get Washington to bring home their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.