What Sport has the Best Playoffs?

by The Cowl Editor on October 28, 2021


PCI


Providence College Investigates

Will Murphy ’23

Sports Staff

College Basketball

The playoffs are one of the most exciting aspects of sports, but one league stands out with the most exciting playoffs: NCAA Men’s Basketball.

There is so much to love about the NCAA Men’s basketball tournament, appropriately dubbed “March Madness.” Whether one enjoys Cinderella stories, heroic individual performances, or powerhouses squaring off, there is something for everybody.

Take the University of Baltimore County Maryland, for example, ranked as the 166th best team in the country entering the tournament in 2018, after winning their conference tournament to secure a bid. They were able to knock off the one seed, the University of Virginia, who was ranked as the No. 2 overall team in the country heading into the tournament. They were the first 16 seed in the history of the tournament to defeat a one seed, instantly becoming the Cinderella story of the year.

Some Cinderella stories continue up until the final weekend of the tournament, as was the case with Butler University in 2011. Butler was able to notch upset after upset as an eight seed in the tournament to reach the final game, becoming only the second eight seed to reach the final game since the tournament began.

Another aspect of March Madness that makes it so exciting is the capacity for an individual player to carry their team to unlikely upsets and capture the heart of the country in the process. Jimmer Fredette was able to lead Brigham Young University to the Sweet Sixteen, with his electric shooting range.

Stephen Curry also led a small school from North Carolina, Davidson College, to the Elite Eight in 2008. Curry led the tournament in points per game averaging an incredible 32 points per game and drawing the adoration and support from fans across the nation.

Finally, the powerhouse matchups in the Elite Eight and Final Four add another layer to March Madness. In one of the most exciting championship games in the history of sports, Villanova University took on the University of North Carolina in 2016.

The final possessions of the game proved to be one of the most memorable moments in the sport of basketball. After Marcus Paige of UNC sank a nearly impossible double-clutched three-pointer to tie the game at 74, the game seemed destined for overtime. That was until Ryan Arcidiacono pitched the ball back to Kris Jenkins who nailed a buzzer-beater to win the National Championship, in one of the best finishes to a championship ever.

From beginning to end, March Madness provides the most thrilling moments out of any playoffs in sports.

 

Justin Bishop ’24

Sports Staff

National Hockey League

Reaching the playoffs is the goal of every team in every sport, every season. To keep playing competitively after the regular season concludes is the only way to win a championship, and the hardest path to win a title out of any sport is, undoubtedly, hockey.

Few other sports have a playoffs composed of a taxing seven-game series that each team must go through in order to win their championship. In hockey, there are four rounds of this style of games, which means that a team must win 16 playoff games, no fewer, in order to lift the Stanley Cup. This is after playing a regular season of 82 games and having a top-three record out of a division of eight teams.

Basketball is the only other sport whose playoff season shares this concept, but hockey has proven to be a tougher sport to play than basketball. After each playoff series, one can only look at the injury report to see the unique circumstances that hockey players must fight through in order to win the cup.

Patrice Bergeron played games five, six, and seven of the 2013 Cup Final with a broken rib, torn rib cartilage, separated shoulder, and a pinhole puncture in his lung. Fans recognize this and appreciate the sacrifice of each player during their time playing.

The atmosphere at a regular-season hockey game is rivaled only by a college football game. If you are watching a playoff game, you know the stakes are high and players will put their whole bodies on the line in order to make a play for the advantage of their team.

Hockey fans recognize this at a different level than others and are the most passionate in sports. They increase the level of engagement in the playoffs by chanting louder, chanting more often, coordinating with each other specific chants targeted at particular players (most of the time it is the goaltender’s name).

The Nashville Predators have the most coordinated fans in the playoffs. The chant each fan participates in after a Predator goal is scored echoes throughout Bridgestone Arena, giving everyone chills down their spines. There are plenty of YouTube videos that showcase this specific chant among Predators fans.

Attending a hockey playoff game is an experience that cannot be described and can only be felt by going to one yourself. The energy, passion, and grit required by both a team in their fan base to lift the Stanley Cup makes it the greatest playoffs in all of sports.

Women’s Hockey Falls to Northeastern

by The Cowl Editor on March 21, 2019


Friar Sports


Matt Kelly’s First Season as Head Coach Ends in Semifinals

By Sam Scanlon ’19

Sports Staff

As the final buzzer sounded and the Northeastern University Huskies flooded the ice in celebration, the Providence College Women’s Ice Hockey Team’s incredibly successful season came to a disheartening end in the Women’s Hockey East Semifinals.

Photo Courtesy of PC Athletics

The #3 Huskies defeated the Friars by a score of 3-2 and eventually went on to take the Hockey East Championship. This was the first time since 2013 that Providence College was represented in the Women’s Hockey East Championship weekend.

A brand new coaching staff this season led the squad to a 24-11-2 record, an incredible feat given that the program has not had a 20-win season since 2010-2011. Unfortunately, the Friars fell just short of reaching the NCAA Tournament and their historic run came to an end.

This season was pivotal for the future success of the program. Under new leadership the bar has been set higher than ever for this talented group. Christina Putigna ’19 is certainly leaving her mark on Friartown as she became the 27th player in program history to eclipse the 100-point milestone in her career as of Feb. 8. The senior was a critical player this season as she registered a career high of 30 points on 15 goals and 15 assists.

Although this season was the program’s best in over a decade, the future is incredibly bright for this young group. Star forward Maureen Murphy ’21 has two more seasons to skate for the Friars at her already incredible rate. The Buffalo, New York native, who was invited to the U.S. Women’s National Team Winter Camp earlier this season, led the Friars in both goals (22) and points (43). She was named to the Hockey East All-Star Second Team.

Other accolades for this group included another young-gun, Sara Hjalmarsson ’22, who was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team. The freshman from Sweden tallied 11 goals and 12 assists this season.

Goaltender Maddie Myers ’19 and defenseman Avery Fransoo ’20 also had fantastic seasons, good enough to earn Hockey East All-Star Honorable Mentions. Myers finished the season with a 1.72 Goals Against Average and a .929 Save Percentage. Fransoo tallied her career high in points with 18, while also being one of the Friars’ best defensemen as she recorded an impressive +10 on the season.

Although the hopes of reaching the NCAA Tournament fell just short, there were many highlights for this squad over the season. The Friars recorded wins over the #3 Northeastern Huskies, #5 Boston College Eagles, and #8 Boston University Terriers, proving that their program has become a top team in the country. A 24-win season has not been accomplished since 2002, so this season will be marked as a historic one even though no championships were won.

This year proved to be a massive turning point and stepping stone for the Friars who are loaded with young talent and a bright future. Matt Kelly and his coaching staff have now laid the groundwork and set the bar high for Friars women’s hockey going forward, so it will be no surprise if a Hockey East Championship is captured soon.