Tag: Sullivan Burgess’20
Volleyball Celebrates Senior Night
by The Cowl Editor on November 15, 2018
Friar Sports
By Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports Staff
On Sunday, November 11, Catherine Harding ’19, Allison Impellizeri ’19, Kara Mason ’19, and Megan Onyundo ’19 took the court in Mullaney Gymnasium one last time for their final home game for the Providence College Women’s Volleyball Team against Big East rival Georgetown University. Although the game was spoiled by the Hoyas’ victory in a 3-2 match, nothing was able to ruin the moment in store for all four seniors.
After falling 22-25 and 23-25 in the first two sets of the match, the Friars bounced back by winning the next two sets 25-22, 25-20. Unfortunately, momentum brought by each member of the team and the crowd was not enough to help secure the victory, as Georgetown finished set five with a 15-12 victory.
Impellizeri was the leader of the Friars’ offense with 20 kills, besting her previous career high of 18 kills. Allison Barber ’21 also led the team in 48 assists throughout the match.
Onyundo and Addison Root ’20 were able to provide the Friars with a defensive effort of 11 and 10 digs, respectively. Root and Lindsey Schaible ’20 each had two of the team’s five aces.
For Onyundo, this moment was more than just volleyball. “It was closing a great journey in my life,” stated Onyundo, “I have always wanted to play Division 1 sports and this was the end of me achieving my goal. This game meant a lot to me because all my friends and family were able to see me play one last time at home, after supporting me through countless hours of games and scrimmages.”
For Cayla Veverka ’20, the seniors were much more than teammates. She stated, “Our seniors are a huge part of our team and will be missed next year! They are some of the most dedicated and amazing players I have ever been on a team with. All of them have made huge impacts on the volleyball program and have made us all better players. Our seniors are truly my role models and I am forever grateful for everything they have done for the team and myself.”
One of the goals the seniors had in their four years was to create this drive for greatness that would continue for years to come in the program, Onyundo stated, “We want everyone to be seen as a player rather than be separated by class year to create a connection on the court. This was able to drive us to always put up a fight on the court. Our class was very competitive, and the drive we all had is what helped drive us to always strive to persistent in our goals.”
Head Coach Margot Royer-Johnson said, “It’s always about the grit and gratitude.” Harding, Impellizeri, Mason, and Onyundo were able to provide this grit in their years at Providence, and will be truly missed for all the time and effort they brought each week.
Friars Down Siena in Home Opener
by The Cowl Editor on November 8, 2018
Friar Sports
A.J. Reeves ’22 Scores 29 in Record-Setting Debut
By Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports Staff
On Tuesday, November 6, the Providence College Men’s Basketball Team begin their journey for the NCAA Division I National Championship as they took on the Siena College Saints at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in a 77-67 victory.
After winning both exhibition games over the past three weeks, and with plenty of buzz over a talented recruiting class, the Friars have much to look forward to this season.
The victory belonged to the entire team, thanks to the all-around effort on both sides of the ball, excellent passing, smart shooting, and excellent defensive abilities. One player whose performance stood out amongst others was one of the newest faces, A.J. Reeves ’22.
In his first career game, as well as his first game as a member of the starting five, Reeves contributed on all facets of the game as he tallied 29 points, two rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal in 30 minutes of playing time.
Reeves stated at the end of the game, “I just want to contribute to our team getting a W…They [teammates] have confidence in me shooting the ball…I just want to do my job.” Reeves’ contribution to the game included 10-13 field goals, 7-9 three point shooting, and even 2-2 on free throws, thus setting the school record for most points scored by a PC freshman in their debut.
One important aspect that contributed to Reeves’s successful shooting was the entire student body cheering for him and even chanting his name seven minutes into the first half, after he had just performed a chase down block on Siena. Friar Fanatic Vice President Joe Haughey ’20 stated after the game, “It is pretty incredible how a player such as Reeves is able to perform the way he does, and the energy he brings to us allows us to show that Friartown has his back, especially in his first career game, we are able to get the whole arena to chant his name within the first half, that’s pretty special.”
Throughout the offseason, and even in the beginning of the season, Head Coach Ed Cooley has been nothing but impressed with the development and skill of Reeves. Cooley even stated to his colleagues that Reeves has the potential to be the all-time leading scorer at PC.
After the victory last night, Cooley stated, “I didn’t expect A.J. to do what he did…I wish I was watching as a fan for this game.”
Another key player that stood out for the Friars, was Alpha Diallo ’20. Putting in 16 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists, Diallo was able to step up as the team’s leader in crucial moments throughout the game, such as scoring off an offensive rebound and a put-back layup in the last three minutes of the second half. Cooley stated on his behalf, “Leaders step up…I always tell my leaders, when we need a basket you have to be that person, and Alpha stepped up.”
While the Friars need to figure out a set rotation for all players, the team as a whole was able to compete and show their true strides of professionalism, which will be important for the rest of the season. The early victory in Providence is just one step towards achieving the team’s season goals.
Women’s Basketball Looks To Turn The Tables
by The Cowl Editor on November 1, 2018
Friar Sports
By Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports Staff
After having a 10-21 overall record and a 3-15 last place finish in the Big East last season, the Providence College Women’s Basketball Team looks to turn things around, and ultimately prove themselves as one of the best teams in the Big East. While tough teams are slated to face the Friars, PC has high hopes.
A few days ago, at media day in New York City, the Big East released the Women’s Preseason Coaches’ poll, a poll in which coaches vote on who will be the top team of the season. Coaches, however, are not allowed to vote for their own team. The co-leaders of the poll were none other than DePaul University and Marquette University, who tied for the number one ranking last season.
The Friars were voted in as No. 9 out of 10 teams, due to their increase in strength and bringing back most of their roster.
Not much has significantly changed on the Friar’s roster during the offseason. Only two of the players from last season were seniors and have graduated. However, the team has recruited six new freshmen for this upcoming year. These women range from guards to forwards, and can each bring their own skill set to the team in any moment of the game.
One notable returning player is guard Channell Williams ’21. Last season, Williams averaged 6.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists (a team best) per game. These stats ultimately earned her two-time Big East Freshman of the Week, for the weeks of Jan. 8 and Jan. 22. Her stats and overall game also earned her a unanimous selection to the Big East All-Freshman team.
Jovana “Yo Yo” Nogic ’19, the team’s leading scorer, is another player to watch. Last season, Nogic was not only named Big East Player of the Week in November, but was consistently named to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll, and through her first three seasons has scored 1,240 career points ranking her 18th all time at Providence in scoring.
This season, Nogic was named to the 20-player watch list for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, an award presented each year to the NCAA Division I women’s basketball top shooting guard.
One thing that lead to Nogic being on the watchlist is how she is just 22 three-pointers away from breaking the College’s three-point record set by Julie Wheeler ’98. She is ranked second in the Big East for three-pointers made and fourth in three point field goal percentage throughout the entire Big East Conference
On top of this, it was recently announced that Nogic was named to the 11-member Preseason All-Big East Team for the second year in a row.
The Friars’ season begins on Nov. 3 when the team looks to take on Assumption College at Mullaney Gym, and then Penn State University at University Park in Pennsylvania.
As the Friars look ahead this season, it is key that they move on from the results of last season and focus on the season ahead. The Friars are ready to put their best feet forward and turn their fortunes around.
Providence College Investigates
by The Cowl Editor on October 25, 2018
PCI
Winter Sports Should Start Before Fall Sports Finish
By Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports Staff
Two of the most popular sports at Providence College occur in the winter: basketball and hockey. Every year at PC, these sports begin their season as the fall sports seasons, including volleyball, soccer, and field hockey, come to an end.
Some students believe that winter sports should start after the fall season has officially ended, like many high school sports. However, the truth of the matter is that it is best for the winter sports to begin as they normally have, before the fall sports are finished.
Hockey and basketball, games start between the middle of October and the beginning of November. Teams need this time to develop and practice their games. The expectations for our sports teams are usually high, so in order for them to play as expected, they need as much practice as they can get.
One of the biggest aspects of being on a team is balancing sports and school. When starting the sports season early, the student athlete is able to adjust faster to balance both heavy school work and training.
Another aspect these student athletes need to experience is the game day vibe on campus, and how to successfully perform in front of bigger crowds where many people are relying on them to bring honor and bragging rights to the school.
Lastly, students also like having multiple games to choose from throughout the week or day to attend and show off their Friar spirit. The idea of going to a soccer or volleyball game around noon, then attending a basketball game in the early evening, followed by a hockey game at night is exciting. Students are able to show support for all sports across all seasons, and be a true Friar Fanatic as they show consistent support for their school.
Winter sports should start before fall sports finish their season because it allows the athletes to train to the best of their abilities and help the school achieve numerous successes for their athletics program. This also brings excitement and spirit from fans.
Hogan ’20 Leads Friars During Playoff Push
by The Cowl Editor on October 18, 2018
Friar Sports
By Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports Staff
With only two Big East games left in the schedule, the Providence College Women’s Soccer Team is beginning their playoff push as they sit one game away from the sixth seed, which would allow them to enter the Big East Tournament later in this fall. Part of this playoff push is led by the Friar’s goalie, Shelby Hogan ’20RS.
After falling 1-0 to the No. 1 Georgetown University last Sunday, the Friars focused more on the positives of the game rather than the outcome, and will hopefully use that momentum in their quest for a playoff spot.
In the game, Hogan tallied seven saves and only one goal against her, impressive given that Georgetown has been undefeated all season and is No. 4 on the NCAA Division l Women’s Soccer National rankings.
This season, Hogan has been playing phenomenally, and has much more room to improve as her career and season progress. With a tough schedule this year, no game is a guaranteed win for the Friars. Hogan believes that the Friars cannot overlook any opponent. “Every game is important,” Hogan said, “we have to battle till the end no matter who we are playing.”
Hogan complimented her team and praised them on everything that has gone well this season, including excellent teamwork all-around and the effort each player has put in throughout the season.
This season alone, Hogan is second on the save percentage list of the Big East at 87.2 percent, and has 75 saves total, which is third most in the Big East, averaging five saves per game. On top of this, Hogan has only allowed 11 goals in the whole season, with a 0.71 average of goals against allowed, putting her fourth on the leaderboard in the Big East.
Hogan’s performance has not gone unnoticed this season; she has been named the Big East Goalkeeper of the Week twice, and has given the Friars a chance to win every game they have played, including against teams such as Duke University and the University of North Carolina, who are ranked both 12 and 3 respectfully. She only gave up three goals in those two games.
Not only is Hogan receiving high ranks in goalkeeping, but she has been placed on the Big East Weekly Honor Roll at least five times throughout the season. When asked about the challenge of focusing on game day and keeping up her grades, she stated, “I try to make sure everything is done in advance to make sure on game days I am solely focused on the challenges ahead and making sure I am 100 percent for the team.”
The Friars travel Thursday, October 18 to the 8th seed DePaul University for their last away game of the season. The Friars come back for the Senior Game against the 10th seed Seton Hall University on Sunday afternoon. No matter what stands in the way for the Friars during the rest of the season, Hogan and the Friars will be ready to overcome any obstacles kicked in their way.
PC Men’s Soccer Celebrates 50 Years
by The Cowl Editor on October 4, 2018
Friar Sports
Team Gets Big Win Over Xavier
By Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports Staff
This weekend at Providence College, the students and athletes had more to celebrate besides the opening of the new Ruane Friar Development Center. The College, along with many alumni and students were able to cheer on the PC Men’s Soccer Team as they secured a back to back victory against Xavier University, during the school’s 50th anniversary of the men’s soccer program.
At the match, players from the last 50 years of the program came to Providence, during St. Dominic’s weekend, to reunite and watch the match unfold. They were able to celebrate all the success the team has endured in the past, as well as look forward to the bright future that is in store for the program and athletes.
During halftime, a video was played on the scoreboard that commemorated the history of the team. Some of the biggest moments were displayed on the screen such as making the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament in 2016 and the trip to the Final Four in 2014.
Former head coach Bill Doyle who was the first coach in the program’s history, sat down with current coach Craig Stewart to talk about building up the program and bringing the Friars into a perennial Big East contender.
A clip of former head coach Chaka Daley was played at the end. Daley talked about his time at PC. Daley considered the 2005 season to be one of the best seasons he was a part of. After going winless in 2004, the Friars turned things around in 2005, going 7-4-9.
The Friars shutout Xavier 2-0, making their record 5-4-1 (2-1 in the Big East). This win put the Friars in 3rd place in the Big East Conference. The two goals came from Joao Serrano ’20 from a free kick, and Danny Griffin ’20, with a counterattack goal in transition. Both occurred in the second half of the game. On the defensive side, goalie Colin Miller ’19 made two saves in the game and recorded his 3rd shutout of the season as well as the 16th shutout of his career. PC was able to defeat its second top-25 opponent this season.
The Friars were then ready to take on their next opponent, the University of Connecticut Huskies, on Tuesday night. Tiago Mendonca ’20 is currently leading the Friars with 4 goals and has started all 10 games this season. He is also tied for 8th most goals in the Big East. Miller is also leading the goalies of the Friars with 30 saves and 14 goals allowed, putting him 8th on the list for most saves in the Big East.
Sadly, the world is not all sunshine and rainbows; Mother Nature herself decided to make a visit to the Soccer New England night in Providence. While the Friars led the rainy match against UConn 1-0 by forward Andualem Chisolm ’22, lightning struck around the 60th minute of the second half, causing both the delay and the eventual call of the game with 30 minutes and 6 seconds remaining.
Per NCAA rules in soccer, since it did not reach the 70th minute, the game could not count. The match was ultimately put on record as a canceled. Word will come soon from the team on whether there will be a re-match. The Friars managed to play through a tough match, and can hopefully keep the momentum going in the coming days.
The road ahead after Uconn looks tough. This Saturday, Oct. 6, the Friars will take on Marquette University for the Friar Cup, and will continue the rest of their Big East play throughout the season.
Providence College Investigates
by The Cowl Editor on September 27, 2018
PCI
The New York Yankees Will Win the World Series
By Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports Staff
While some teams that have clinched a playoff berth this season have continued to shine, the New York Yankees will be very successful this October, as the team looks forward to winning the 2018 World Series and adding their 28th Championship to the clubhouse.
What started as an exciting season slowly turned gloomy in July, after a wild pitch hit the wrist of Yankee outfielder and All-Star Aaron Judge, and put him out for two months. Recently, Judge has been entered back into the lineup and is currently providing clutch hitting for the Yankees, with his .278 batting average and 26 homeruns.
In the past few weeks, injuries have been plaguing the Yankees, such as outfielder Aaron Hicks with a tight hamstring and shortstop Didi Gregorius with a cartilage tear in his right wrist. Both players are hoping to be back by the end of the regular season, just in time for the postseason.
Yankees’ slugger Giancarlo Stanton, who is entering the postseason for the first time in his career, has been leading the charge for his team in last the two months of Judge’s absence. Stanton is sporting a .293 batting average across the months of July and August, as well as 35 homeruns this season. When asked about the tools to keep the momentum going for the Yankees this postseason, Stanton stated, “There’s no feeling like it, till you get a couple more in you down the stretch here… It’s good. It’s a good point we’re at now and just keep pushing forward, step by step.”
The Yankees will most likely face the Oakland Athletics in the wild card game. Although the A’s have arguably been the hottest team in baseball this season, the Yankees’ 3-3 record against them so far and a roster almost at 100 percent gives them a solid chance against them should they come face-to-face.
In the American League Division Series, the Yankees will have to face Boston, the team with the best record this MLB season. The Yankees are currently 7-9 against Boston this season, although last series they won 2-1. The road may be tough, but if the Yankees play to their strengths, they can beat Boston in six games. Though the Red Sox may have clinched the AL East, Giancarlo states to his rivals, “They can celebrate now…We have time to celebrate later.”
The American League Championship Series will have a Cleveland Indians-Yankees matchup. If played to their strengths, the Yankees can also win this series versus Cleveland in six games, which would allow them to possibly face the Atlanta Braves, coming out of the National League, in the World Series.
New York’s heavy-hitting lineup will be the difference between an unexpierenced Atlanta team, and give them a chance to win the series in five games.
Overall, the Yankees will rise their 28th pennant in their storied history at Yankee Stadium this season.
Providence College Investigates
by The Cowl Editor on September 20, 2018
PCI
The Volleyball Team Will be the Fall Sport With the Best Record
By Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports Staff
The Providence College Volleyball Team will have the best record of all fall sports this semester. One major factor going into this decision is based on the home-court advantage provided at each game by the fans and students. Going into each game is always a fun time, and the fans always have a new experience.
The team’s home-court advantage shows in their winning record of 3-1 at home whereas on the road, the team currently has a losing record of 3-4.
Regardless of who the team is playing, the students and fans are cheering their hearts out as if it is a championship game. Whoever is on the court for our team, they are ready to give it everything they have for the fans and put themselves on the line for the team to score. Right now they remain 6-5, and as Big East conference play approaches, the stakes are higher for the Friars.
With fans always in attendance, the team will strike gold in the coming days. The team’s first two Big East games will be played at home, one against DePaul University, who is 2-9 and the other is St. John’s University, who is 11-5.
Mackenzie Taylor ’22 has been one of the top defensive players on the team this season. Taylor leads the team in digs by a wide margin, with 187 digs, almost 100 more than the next player on the team.
Allison Impellizeri ’19 the team’s starting middle blocker, has proven to be one of the top players in the conference at this point in the season. She is sixth in kills per set in the conference with 3.36.
During the Kangaroo Classic in Kansas City, Missouri, Impellizeri was named to the All-Tournament team. In four games she recorded 57 kills, which also earned her a spot on the Big East Weekly Honor Roll.
With Taylor and Impellizeri leading the team, PC has a balanced team that should not be severely overmatched on either side of the ball. The Friars will have a chance to be competitive in every match going forward which will certainly give them the chance to go on a extended winning streak during the season.
Lastly, the team is already showing improvements from last season. Almost at the halfway point in the season, if its winning record continues, the team is on track to beat their 17-16 record from the 2017 season.
With the team’s first two Big East games at home, the Friars have a great opportunity to start off conference play in the right direction and gain some momentum before going on the road. This team is worth keeping an eye on, as there is plenty of potential to see it finish out with the best record of the fall season.
Volleyball Sweeps Annual Friar Classic
by The Cowl Editor on September 13, 2018
Friar Sports
Team Looks to Continue Making Improvements Early on in the Season
By Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports Staff
It has been an exciting few weeks for the Providence College Women’s Volleyball team as they continue to extend their 6-4 record.
The Friars are coming off of a series of two tournaments in the last two weeks, starting with the 14th Annual Friar Volleyball Classic. This year, the teams included PC, Brown University, the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, and Fairleigh Dickinson University, one of the opponents from last season’s tournament.
The mindset going into the tournament was to fix the mistakes made at the Boston College Invitational, where the Friars fell 0-3 to both Sacred Heart University and Boston College, while beating the University of Hartford, 3-0. Megan Onyundo ’19 stated the best ways to fix these mistakes came from practicing to watching film as well as from analyzing stats from the previous games in order to determine goals. Additionally, the team practiced servicing and ball distribution. Onyundo is currently sixth in kills with 31, and third in service aces with eight.
When asked about her goals for her last year on the team, Onyundo stated, “We needed to win every game, I know we can definitely win with all our talent, we need to do our job to help the team win in any of our roles.”
Onyundo also wanted to enjoy her time on the court as much as possible and take in every moment she spends with the team.
Their mindsets and goals worked perfectly, as they turned around and went onto win the Friars Classic, creating a positive atmosphere in the locker room. Each player was able to take pride in their performance, as they adapted to each opponent’s games in order to fix the problems from previous matches.
This new mindset was helpful for the Friars as they went to their next tournament in Kansas City, the Kangaroo Classic. This year’s matchups included Southeast Missouri State University, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, and Arkansas State University.
Injuries have set the Friars back this season. No one on the team has been seriously injured, but a series of knee injuries and concussions have affected a few players this season.
One thing Onyundo wanted to express clearly was the amount of useful advice she has been giving to the freshmen as school starts and practices become longer. Since school, practice, jobs, and life takes a toll on them, she has been talking one-on-one with each of them to create a bond with each player, making them feel like family.
With the next tournament swiftly approaching, the team aims to continue the chemistry they had developed from the last few games and to continue to adapt to changed lineups.
Overall, the team went 2-2 in the Kangaroo Classic beating both SIUE and Southeast Missouri, and losing to UMKC and Arkansas State.
The team came back home on Sept. 11 looking to bounce back against Bryant University. PC played the Bulldogs tough all the way; forcing a fifth set after being down two sets to one. Unfortunately, the Friars were not able to pull out the win, losing the fifth set 15-10. Allison Impellizeri ’19 led the team with 14 kills.
Fans make a major impact at home games when they come out to visit and cheer. The players have been noticing more students attending each year and how they love their support and even insults/jokes used on the other team.
The Friars’ season is already off to a hot start, and it is exciting to see what is in store for the ladies this season as Big East Conference play commences.
PCI: The Best Moment of Summer 2018
by The Cowl Editor on August 30, 2018
PCI
Lebron James Signs with Lakers
By Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports Staff
While this summer was filled with incredible off-season trades and pickups in the NBA, one move that stood above the rest was the announcement of All-Star LeBron James’ decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers and join the Los Angeles Lakers.
On July 1 of this summer, multiple news sources told the world that James, the former champion for the Cleveland Cavs, had agreed to a $153 million contract spanning four years with the Lakers. James had received offers from both the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics before telling his agent, Rich Paul, that he would join the Lakers.
With the addition of James, the Lakers have added the one of the best and most recognized athletes in the country to one of the most successful sport teams in the nation.
This is not the first time the Lakers have acquired one of the game’s best players to their roster. Throughout their history, the Lakers have added multiple NBA legends like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, and, more recently, Shaquille O’Neal.
The decision sparked debate within the sports world and many were confused as to why James would sign with a team that went 35-47 and missed the playoffs. On the contrary, many understood his decision as the Lakers have a younger core of players.
Even though the Lakers finished far from playoff contention last season, the addition of James gives the Lakers plenty of hope to make a return to the playoffs after a five season drought.
Magic Johnson, the Lakers’ president of basketball operations, said in a release that James is “special” and is “the best player in the world.”
“He loves to compete and is an awesome leader who is about winning and making sure that his teammates are successful,” Johnson’s statement continued.
“The Lakers players are excited to have a teammate who has been to nine NBA Finals. It’s a huge step closer to returning the Lakers to the playoffs and to the NBA Finals.”
With James, the Lakers put themselves back on the map as a main free agent destination after several seasons of struggling to attract top-tier players.
Following James’ announcement, the Lakers continued to add players, announcing the signing of veterans Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson, and JaVale McGee.
Even at the age of 33, James remains one of the most athletic and versatile players in the league. Last season, he averaged 27.5 points per game and a career high 9.1 assists per game.
Coach Luke Walton has even expressed putting James, who is a natural forward, at center, and debuting a starting lineup consisting of Rondo, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram, and James.
While the Lakers themselves have nothing but high hopes for this upcoming season, with an improving young core to surround James, the team still has to make improvements in areas they struggled with last season, such as defense and three-point shooting.
Being one of the world’s most recognized athletes brings a lot of attention from the media across the country as James adds a new chapter to his storied career.