Tag: Sports
Women’s Hockey Comes Out Strong
by The Cowl Editor on November 9, 2017
Friar Sports
By: Jeremy Perrigo ’18
Sports Staff
The Providence College Women’s Ice Hockey Team, after finishing the 2016-17 campaign 17-17-3, is off to a strong start this season with a record of 6-3-2.
The Friars swept the Northeastern Universty Huskies in a home-and-home over the weekend of Oct. 28 with 2-1 and 6-4 victories. This was an impressive accomplishment considering the Huskies finished last season with a record of 22-12-3, beating the Friars in all three of their previous meetings.
The Friars’ early success has been made possible through the contributions of players such as Madison Myers ‘19 (Colchester, Vermont), who was awarded Women’s Hockey East Goaltender of the Month for October. Myers has started all 11 of the Friars’ games this season, sporting a save percentage of .914 and a goals against average of 2.34.
This is Myers’ first Hockey East monthly award. She was also previously awarded Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 30, largely for her contributions against the Huskies, where she put up 40 and 38-save performances in the back-to-back games.
Myers, who said she models her game after Montreal Canadiens’ goaltender Carey Price, stated that it is “quite the honor” to be recognized with the award. When asked about her recent success and if she has made any changes to her game that have allowed her to grow as a player, she mentioned her previous season’s work she said, “I actually changed my game last year with the help of my head coach Bob Deraney. He helped me become quicker and more reactive and I think that really helped my game improve for this year.”
Hockey goaltenders are often considered some of the most superstitious players in the game, and many have rigorous pre-game rituals. Myers says she does not share these beliefs and likes to start each game without a specific routine.
The Providence goaltender is now in her third year with the team, and when asked about how her role has developed off the ice with her teammates she mentioned that she used to be the one going to her fellow goaltenders with questions, and now that she has become an upperclassman, finds herself answering rather than asking more of those questions.
Most recently the Friars suffered a setback, dropping by a 7-4 decision Friday, November 3, to the No. 2 ranked Boston College Eagles. When asked about what she liked in her team’s performance Myers said, “I think we had a pretty bad game which says a lot about our team,” noting that the recent loss was a big step up from past games against the Eagles. “I think it is definitely an improvement and they are definitely beatable, so that should give us a lot of confidence,” expressing how she feels about the direction in which the team is heading in.
PC looks to bounce back as the teams travels to Orono, Maine on Friday to face off against the University of Maine. The Black Bears have a record of 6-5-0 and are scheduled to play a game Tuesday, November 7 against the same Northeastern Huskies that the Friars swept two weekends ago.
The Friars went 3-0 against Maine last season, recording wins of 3-2, 6-4, and 5-2. Christina Putigna‘19 leads the team in points (6G, 9A) followed by Brooke Boquist ’18 (6G, 3A), and Cassidy MacPherson ’19 (2G, 7A). Look for these players as they attempt to build on their success against the Black Bears. The Friars are off to the best start in recent history, and key contributors like Myers are being recognized for their success. It will be exciting to see how the team plays moving forward.
Why the Nashville Predators will Win the Stanley Cup
by The Cowl Editor on September 28, 2017
PCI
by Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Staff
There was a buzz like no other down in Tennessee last year when the eighth-seeded Predators made a memorable run all the way to game six in the Finals. While the team was not flashy on paper, “Smashville” was led by a strong, physical core on defense and spectacular goal-tending from Pekka Rinne.
With the majority of the team’s core returning plus some new additions, the Preds will be hungry to get back to the finals.
While Nashville’s defense gets most of the glory, their top line of Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen, and Viktor Arvidsson is as good of a first-line as you can find. With all three in their prime, you can expect around 55+ points from each.
To counteract the loss of Mike Fisher, the Predators signed Nick Bonino from Pittsburgh to give the team a veteran presence on the second line. They will be relying on young players like Colton Sissons and Pontus Aberg to continue their strong postseason play to give the team scoring options on the second and third lines.
Nashville’s defense will be the reason they win the title this year. While offensive-minded Ryan Ellis is out for six months, P.K. Subban and Roman Josi will anchor the defense.
Once Ellis comes back, the defense could look better than last year as the team added a physical player in Alexei Emelin, who will be strong fifth defender. Rinne proved he was an elite goaltender last year in the playoffs and will have a strong year as he has showed no signs of slowing down.
While teams like the Oilers, Blackhawks, and Ducks have stronger forward lines than Nashville, nobody can match-up with their defense. Their offense will be able to produce winning numbers while Rinne will make sure they have a chance to win every game.
If the Predators play to the potential we all saw last year, look for Smashville to be raising the Stanley Cup come June.
Giants Face a Must-Win Week 4
by The Cowl Editor on September 28, 2017
Professional Sports
by Chris McCormack ’18
Sports Staff
Just three weeks into the NFL season, we have already seen some shocking storylines. Whether it be Ezekiel Elliott avoiding suspension, the New York Jets winning a game, or the increased number of national anthem protests, it has been an eventful few weeks.
That said, however, the most significant storyline comes from the other team from the Meadowlands, the New York Giants. Coming into the season, the Westgate Sportsbook posted a list of the teams with the most bets to win the Super Bowl. The Giants came in fourth behind the Oakland Raiders, Green Bay Packers, and their NFC East counterpart the Dallas Cowboys.
Many people liked the Giants’ chances coming into the season, but here we are coming up on week four and they are 0-3. The Giants had the second best defense in the NFL last year and the best in the NFC. With key off-season acquisitions including wide receiver Brandon Marshall, offensive lineman D.J. Fluker, and their first-round draft pick, tight end Evan Engram, many fans had high hopes going into the season.
Those expectations were quickly shot down within the first two weeks where they only scored one touchdown against the Cowboys and Lions combined. Week three came around, and brought the Giants a crucial matchup against their division rival, Philadelphia Eagles.
After an extremely slow start, not scoring a point until the fourth quarter, they were able to crawl back into it and tie the game up at 24. The tie game did not last long as the Eagles’ kicker Jake Elliot kicked a 61-yard field goal as time expired.
The Giants are now 0-3 in their division while the Eagles sit atop the NFC East with a 2-1 record and a 2-0 record in the division. With a 0-3 start for the Giants, the rest of the season does not look promising. According to oddshark.com, there have been 168 teams to start 0-3 since 1980. Of those teams, only five have gone on to make the playoffs.
If the Giants hope to reach the postseason they need to fix important parts of their team. The biggest blunder for this team has been the offensive line. Quarterback Eli Manning has been sacked eight times this season, which ranks 12th worst in the league.
The finger can also be pointed at Eli Manning for some of these issues. Manning has thrown four interceptions which is tied for second most among quarterbacks this season.
The last hiccup the Giants need to figure out is rushing the ball. The Giants rank 30th out of 32 teams in the league in rushing yards with 146 yards. Their best rusher is Orleans Darkwa who comes in with a mere 53 yards over the 3 games. There are many offensive issues that this team must figure out, which is the most surprising part of their season given the additions they made this offseason as well as Eli Manning’s veteran status.
If they are not able to turn this season around, expect the team to turn to the draft and look at many of the quarterback prospects in the 2018 draft class.
Women’s Cross Country Shooting for the Stars
by The Cowl Editor on September 28, 2017
Friar Sports
by Eileen Flynn ’20
Sports Staff
The Providence College Women’s Cross Country Team has definitely proved their worthiness through their preseason eighth place ranking in the NCAA National Coaches’ Poll. The Friars are expected to have yet another successful season and the veterans that returned this year have already pushed the team in the right direction.
At the University of New Hampshire Annual Dual Meet the Friars reminded the league of their talents. In their opening match, PC runners Brianna Ilarda ’18, Catarina Rocha ’17RS, Mackenzie Barry ’18, and Maria Coffin ’21, crossed the finish line first, second, third and fourth consecutively. Alexandra DeCicco ’20, and Dara Cuffe ’19, followed up in seventh and 19th place.
An overwhelming amount of Friars in the top ten guaranteed the team’s first victory of the year over competitors from the College of the Holy Cross and the University of New Hampshire.
On Sept. 9, at the Nassaney Invitational in Smithfield, Rhode Island the Friars faced off against Brown University. The first three spots were filled by Millie Paladino ’18, Abbey Wheeler ’20, and Mackenzie Barry ’18. Paladino turned it on at the end and pulled away from the pack. She ran past the finish line at an impressive time of 16:58. Coach Treacy decided to rest five of his top eight runners, so the Friars were unable to grab the team win over Brown.
Regional rankings have listed PC at number one, and national rankings have placed the team eighth overall. Teams ahead of PC include the University of Colorado-Boulder, at number one.
In the team’s latest match at the Boston College Battle in Beantown Invitational on Friday, September 22, the women achieved the team title in the women’s 5,000 meters
The consistency in Rocha, Ilarda, Wheeler, and Paladino is what sets this team apart and is what enables them to keep winning their meets. Rocha, Ilarda, and Wheeler placed fourth, fifth and sixth in the 17th minute.
The women won the team title with 71 points over Indiana University and Georgetown University which tied in second with the same score of 78. This is the third season in a row that the women have claimed the team title and the fourth time in five years.
Field Hockey Bursts Into Big East Play
by The Cowl Editor on September 21, 2017
Friar Sports
photo courtesy of Kara Sanford ’20
by Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Staff
The Providence College Women’s Field Hockey Team had an eventful week. The team began Big East play against Temple University Friday night, then took the University of California-Davis, a team that traeled all the way from the west coast to play in Rhode Island. The Friars took both games, scoring nine goals over the two games and holding their oponents to two goals each.
Friday night marked the begining of Big East play for the Friars as they took on a Temple team that was 1-4 coming into the game. Allyson Parer ’20 got things started for PC as she scored the first goal of the game off a penalty corner shot that was assisted by Mary O’Reilly ’20 and Maddie Babineau ’21.
Temple responded with two goals of their own and took a 2-1 lead into halftime. In the second half, the Frars took control of the game, scoring three unanswered goals. Megan Hamilton ’18 tied the game for the Friars early in the second half on a tip-in shot from Manon van Weezel ’21.
With less than 20 minutes left to go in the game, Izzy Mendez ’20 gave the Friars the lead for good with a deflection off a pass from Babineau. This marked Mendez’s first career goal for the Friars. Later in the game, Babineau gave PC some insurance with her own goal, scoring three points (one goal, two assists), giving the Friars a 4-2 lead which they would hold on to.
Turning the page to Sunday morning, PC played a 1-6 UC Davis team that was looking to steal a win from the Friars. Those hopes were put to the test early on. Van Weezel scored her first goal of the season off a corner with assists from O’Reilly and Natalie Mitchell ’19. Mikayla Michals ’19 would give the Friars a 2-0 lead going into halftime off a pass from Mendez.
UC Davis showed some fight as they scored the first goal in the second half to cut the lead to 2-1. Mendez and van Weezel responded with each of their own goals to put the game out of reach at 4-1.
Each team would score another goal in the final minutes including a goal from O’Reilly from a corner penalty after the clock had already expired. Goalkeeper Megan Guilbert ’18 had a solid game in goal, coming up with several key saves when UC Davis started to amp up the pressure, keeping the game just out of reach for the visitors.
With the two wins this weekend, the Friars improved their record to 5-3 (1-0 in the Big East), while gaining some momentum as they start to settle into their Big East play.
PC will have a full week of practice as they don’t play until Sept. 22 ,when they go on the road to take on Villanova (1-6, 0-1 in Big East), then take on undefeated University of Connecticut in Storrs on Sept. 29. These are two big games for PC as a matchup against Nova is always big and UCONN will likely be a tight game.
Men’s Rugby Begins Quest for Conference Championship
by The Cowl Editor on September 21, 2017
Friar Sports
photo courtesy of Laura Chadbourne ’20
by Max Anderson ’18
Sports Staff
The Providence College Men’s Rugby season kicked off conference play this past Saturday, with the Friars already looking like they are in midseason form. The Friars hosted Roger Williams on Saturday and immediately picked up right where they left off, defeating the Hawks 39-12 to improve to a 1-0 record in the Rugby Northeast Conference. The contest was a tune-up for the Friars and a good indicator that the team has big things planned for this upcoming season.
PC is one of 14 schools currently participating in the Rugby Northeast Conference. The Friars will look to repeat their success in the conference after finishing last years season at the top of the Conference with a nearly unblemished record of 7-1. The Friars will have experience on their side, as they are returning a majority of players are returning from last year’s team, including 16 seniors and nearly 30 upperclassmen total.
The Providence Rugby squad has taken monumental strides since the seniors arrived on campus in 2014, and could be looking at their best season yet. During the 2014 fall season, the Friars recorded a 4-4 record, and improved upon that mark with a 5-3 conference record the following year. Last season, the Friars had their best record since the 2012 season (a year when the Friars went undefeated) finishing with a 7-3 mark overall, and a nearly perfect 7-1 record in conference play. With so many returning players, it is easy to see how the team could improve on that mark this season, potentially even matching the undefeated record that the 2012 squad set.
Looking ahead at the upcoming schedule, the Friars have two straight home games at Hendricken Field, before heading out on the road for a three-game road trip. The Friars will take on Middlebury College this Saturday, September 23, and will follow that up with a visit from University of Massachusetts Lowell on Friday, Sept. 23, a team the Friars handily defeated last season 55-37. The Friars will then head across town to take on the Bryant Bulldogs on Friday, October 6, a school the Friars defeated 39-24 last year, before venturing to Southern Connecticut State University a week after that on Saturday, Oct. 14. The Friars will finish up the three game road trip with a visit to Norwich University, where they will take on the Cadets on Saturday, October 21. The Friars did not play the Cadets last season, as Norwich was added to the conference this past season. PC will end their season at home against Bentley University on Saturday, October 28, in what may turn out to be the most interesting game of the year. Last season’s only loss for the Friars came at the hands of Bentley. The Friars just narrowly lost to the Falcons, so you can guarantee that the Friars will be looking for revenge in this upcoming game.
Women’s Rugby Hits the Field
by The Cowl Editor on September 21, 2017
Friar Sports
photo courtesy of Madeline Lally’ 19
by Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Reporter
While they may only be a club team on campus, the Providence College Women’s Rugby Team is definitely a team to keep your eyes on. The team is a part of the Rugby Northeast Conference. The team is run by Providence College students with an executive board consisting only of seniors. Katherine Shields ’18 is the president of the team, as well as a second row player for the team. She is assisted by Danielle Civitarese ’18, who is the team’s Vice President and occupies the hooker position.
Led by a new coach this year, former Providence College rugby player Michele, the team is completely made up of juniors and seniors, with the exception of Ariel Tavares ’20, who is a flanker. This includes last year’s Fall 2016 Tier 1 All-Conference team qualifiers Mickayla Roan ’18, who is a flanker and also the back’s captain this year, and Aria Ross ’18, who is a center. Ross also made the Rugby Northeast 2016 All-Conference first team and is the forwards’ captain for the team this year. Ross, Shields, and Roan were all named to the 2015 Rugby Northeast All-Conference first team and within that same year, Roan was named Rugby Northeast Player of the Year. The team is not new to the game and clearly have the experience that they need for a successful season. According to Madeline Lally ’19, “The team is a great group of girls who look out and care for one another. They never fail to motivate me and my teammates, do their best, and always improve.”
Their best was proved to be good enough this past Friday, September 16 when they beat Stonehill 42-17 in their first game of the season. Their fall season consists of eight games this season, four home games and four away games. The season goes right into the first week of November and then the team takes a reprieve as they wait for the better playing conditions that the spring will bring.
Lally also commented on the team’s goals for their fall season, saying, “I would say our goal is of course to win as many as possible and to have fun doing it!” Lally played wing for the team last year, but states that this season her position “looks like [it] could be anywhere on the back line.” While talking about the team and the season with her, Lally also explained why she joined the team in the first place, saying that she “joined because I missed the team sports I played in high school and wanted to be a part of something more competitive than intramurals.”
The rugby team plays their next game in Friartown against St. Michael’s College on Sept. 30 at Hendricken Field.
Why the Yankees Will Win the American League East
by The Cowl Editor on September 15, 2017
Professional Sports
By Chris McCormack ’18
The greatest baseball franchise in MLB history is back and looking toward October baseball. The New York Yankees are finally winning again and doing so with a stacked lineup backed up by some dominant pitching. As all baseball fans know, Aaron Judge went through quite the slump after the all-star break, but it appears he may have gotten his groove back. With three home runs in his last seven games, Judge became just the second player ever to hit 40 home runs in his first season. Joining one of baseball’s greatest, Mark McGwire, there is no doubt he is the real deal. Alongside teammate, Gary Sanchez, the two young guns have mashed 70 home runs and now look to lead the team in taking the American League East division.
The Boston Red Sox have not been playing their best baseball and are a slim 3.5 games ahead of the Bronx Bombers. With a starting rotation led by Luis Severino and capped off with Masahiro Tanaka, New York has consistency from top to bottom. The starting rotation paired with a dominant bullpen and an offense that looks as good as it did to start are three reasons why the Yankees can overtake first place in the last 20 games. That said, however, whoever does end up winning the division is going to be rewarded by playing either the hottest team in baseball, the Cleveland Indians, or the team with the league’s deepest lineups, the Houston Astros. No matter what happens both teams will make the playoffs and the playoffs will be as exciting as ever.
Photo Courtesy of Lon Keller