Tag: winter sports
PCI: Which Winter Sports Team Will Have The Best Season?
by The Cowl Editor on October 31, 2019
PCI
Men’s Ice Hockey
By Eileen Flynn ’20
Sports Staff
Another winter is approaching and luckily at Providence College that means it is finally basketball and hockey season. Although both the teams have been preparing during preseason, the PC men’s ice hockey team is looking like they will have the most successful season.
After just a few short weeks, the PC men’s team has a record of 4-2, 2-1 in conference play. The difficulty of their schedule from the start foreshadows a strong season as the Friars have already faced Hockey East rivals University of Maine, Boston College and University of Massachusetts-Lowell. Their two wins against UMaine and BC were not close games, as the Friars managed to score a combined 13 goals against these two teams, proving that the team does not have trouble finding the back of the net.
A good team has a superstar, but a great team has talent spread through the second and third lines. This year, the Friars have already introduced multiple players that can pass the puck well and score when the team needs it. The underclassmen have proven to be an important asset to the Friars’ team as well. Starting with the freshmen, Cam McDonald ’23 netted the game winning goal against no. 10/9 Clarkson as well as scoring again against Boston College the following week. Michael Callahan ’22, Jack Dugan ’22, Matt Koopman ’22, and Tyce Thompson ’22 are four sophomores who have tallied multiple points since the season started. Dugan was awarded Hockey East player of the week after leading the conference in points (5) and assists (4).
The upperclassmen bring the experience aspect to this year’s squad. Last year, the Friars made it to the Frozen Four in the NCAA tournament. The team fell short to Minnesota Duluth, the No. 1 seed after a long, impressive season. This was the Friars sixth season appearing in the NCAA Tournament and this year should be no exception.
The Northeastern University Huskies came up on top in the Hockey East Tournament in 2019, this year the Friars will want to beat the reigning champions. Boston College was the team that knocked PC out of the Hockey East running last year. The Eagles won the series 2-1. This past week the Friars beat Boston College 6-2, showing a glimpse of a promising season from PC.
There is no doubt the Friars will be tested this season, but their revenge tour might just give them the push they need to make it even further this year. Nate Leaman enters his ninth season as head coach for the Friars, and since it has been several years since his 2015 National Championship title, he is ready for another one.
Men’s Basketball
By Joseph Quirk ’23
Sports Staff
As October draws to a close, we are reminded just how close winter is. Winter is an especially exciting time in Friartown as some of Providence College’s best sports open their seasons and begin their quest for NCAA glory. However, of all of the winter sports, men’s basketball will have the best season this year.
Arguments can be made for a couple of different teams here as several are coming off successful seasons. In reality however, all eyes are on two squads, the men’s hockey and basketball teams.
Men’s ice hockey, lead by Nate Leaman for the ninth season, is five years removed from a national championship and one year removed from a Frozen Four appearance. The squad was ranked No. 7 in the nation before Saturday’s loss to University of Massachusetts-Lowell and boasts a young roster with six players currently having their draft rights owned by NHL teams. All this being said, men’s ice hockey will not be the most successful team on campus this winter.
Something is brewing in the Dunkin’ Donuts Center and will be the big NCAA tournament run the Friars men’s basketball team has been expecting for some time now. The Friars will be led by ninth-year Head Coach Ed Cooley. Cooley returns after several rumors this offseason of him being considered a favorite for the Michigan coaching position, but ultimately withdrawing his name and signing an extension with PC. That was followed up with some big offseason acquisitions including University of Massachusetts-Amherst star graduate transfer Luwane Pipkins ’19G, transfers Noah Horchler ’20 and Jared Bynum ’22, and Greg Gantt ’23.
The Friars also expect a jump and improvement from David Duke ’22, Kris Monroe ’22 and AJ Reeves ’22. The Friars are also returning star center Nate Watson ’21 and seniors Maliek White ’20, Kalif Young ’20, and Alpha Diallo ’20, who even tested NBA waters this offseason.
This new Friars roster is filled with experience and new talent and has potential to far surpass last year’s team. Gantt was a four-star recruit and ranked no. 67 in the nation before joining the Friars. Diallo was considered an NBA prospect but has decided to keep his talent in Rhode Island. Pipkins is a very experienced and talented guard who scores with ease and is expected to start for PC this year. It would be wrong to assume this is not the best team on campus this winter.
PCI: Who Will Win the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player?
by The Cowl Editor on March 21, 2019
PCI
Kyle Guy of Virginia Will Take the Award
by Scott Jarosz ’21
Sports Staff
One obvious frontrunner to win this year’s Final Four Most Outstanding Player, is certainly Duke University’s Zion Williamson. The 6’7”, 285-pound player attracted the eyes of basketball fans nationwide when videos of his athletic dunks in high school games went viral. In his first season at Duke, Williamson has averaged 22.1 points per game along with 8.9 rebounds per game.
While Williamson has excelled in his first season of collegiate basketball, he has shown some signs of immaturity as well as inconsistency. The same goes for the rather young Duke basketball team as a whole.
However, one experienced player who has been a consistent leader for his team is University of Virginia’s Kyle Guy, a veteran guard who has been truly playing up to his full potential this year. With his experience and excellent ability to score points, Guy will ultimately be named the 2019 Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player.
In the 2018-19 season, Guy has averaged 15.6 points per game, which is the highest on his team. While this figure may not be as impressive as Williamson’s 22.1 points per game, Guy’s presence has arguably had a larger impact on his team’s overall success. Virginia sits atop the leaderboard of the Atlantic Coast Conference with a record of 29-3 overall and 16-2 in conference. Behind Virginia on the leaderboard is the University of North Carolina and Duke. Virginia is currently ranked as the #2 team in the country, and despite a 59-69 loss to Florida State University in the ACC Tournament, they have shown no signs of slowing down heading into the NCAA Tournament. Virginia has been selected as the #1 seed in the South Region for the NCAA Tournament, and they are scheduled to play 16-seed Gardner-Webb on March 22 in Columbia, South Carolina. The question remains, what is guard Kyle Guy capable of doing that could not only lead his team to an NCAA Tournament victory, but will earn him the title of the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player?
Millie Paladino ’19 Races to Success
by The Cowl Editor on March 21, 2019
Athlete of the Week
Paladino has Highest Finish for PC Since 1994
by Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Coeditor
For the first time since 1994, Millie Paladino ’19RS became the highest mile finisher from Providence College to place at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. Placing third in the nation in an event that only 16 people nationwide qualified for, Paladino ran a 4:38.44 mile, a time that also earned her First Team All-America Honors.
Having been told by Head Coach Ray Treacy that she could finish anywhere from eighth to first, Paladino says that she was “really happy and proud” of her accomplishment.
“It means a lot for me to do it for the school because it’s one of our highest places in the last couple of years so I think it really puts the team and the program on the map in the NCAA, which is always really good to do,” Paladino commented.
Her third place finish concluded a very tactical race in which Paladino reserved her energy by maintaining a solid seventh place position and then pulling ahead to third in the final 100 meters. To Paladino, the race was more mind over matter as she felt she had to prepare for it more mentally than physically.
“For prep…your physical prep is done [during the season]. You have to really work on telling yourself that you’re good enough to do this and that you’re prepared for this. The whole season has led up to this…I just have to tell myself that it’s not worth it to step on the line if you’re not confident in what you can do. Otherwise, why do it at all?” said Paladino.
Having transferred to PC from West Virginia University after her sophomore year because she felt that she would not get to be the best runner that she could be if she remained there, Paladino primarily chose to join the Friar family due to the success of Coach Treacy.
“He’s the best in the biz!” praised Paladino when talking about Treacy’s influence to come to PC. “I never looked back.”
In her time with the Friars, Paladino has a number of top-three regular season finishes and has consistently been recognized by earning NCAA First Team All-America Honors. At the Big East level, Paladino recently won her third career Big East title when she was crowned 3,000-meter champion—the first Friar to win the event since 2015. She also set a school record for the 1,000-meter race this season with a time that is also the 12th fastest mark in collegiate history.
Paladino’s continued success, especially within this current season, in what she describes as a “day-to-day” sport, has all added up to the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association naming Paladino the 2019 Northeast Region Female Track Athlete of the Year.
And while Paladino recognizes that running is very much an individual sport, she does not believe she could have had any of her success without her team.
“I can only do so much on my own…I owe the whole world to [the team] honestly,” says Paladino. “I think people really underestimate the people you are surrounded by and if I didn’t have my teammates to train with throughout the season…I would never have gotten this far.”
On the topic of her teammates, Paladino admitted that the cross country team’s Big East Championship win her junior year is her favorite memory.
“I still wear my ring,” she proudly admitted.
With the winter track season coming to a close, Paladino and the rest of the track teams are gearing up and heading outdoors with the start of the spring season, a season in which Paladino says the only main difference is that things are done outside.
“Mileages stay the same and your focus has to stay the same so your focus does not look that different even though it might,” she comments on going from one season to the other.
With a goal of finishing out her career at PC with an outdoor track Big East Championship title, Paladino also hopes to make it to Nationals again and just “make the most [of her final season].” And with the end in sight, she hopes to keep running and as she gets more “mature” in her running, she plans to up her distance, hoping to eventually run a marathon.
“But, I think that’s so far in the future,” she concludes.
Paladino will continue her distance running into the spring season, running both the 1,500 meter race as well as the mile as that is where her “strengths” are.
“Never give in,” is how she would encapsulate her running career. “If it’s really what you love and it’s your dream, keep chasing it because you’ll really surprise yourself.”
Doris Burke Wins 2018 Curt Gowdy Award
by The Cowl Editor on March 1, 2018
Friar Sports
PC Grad Continues to Make Headlines
by Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports staff
On Feb. 17, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced that former Friar and ESPN NBA analyst Doris Burke ’87 would receive the 2018 Curt Gowdy Media Award.
The award is named after American sportscaster Curt Gowdy, who served as the president of the Basketball Hall of Fame for seven consecutive years. The award is usually awarded to most outstanding basketball writers and broadcasters for all media outlets.
Past winners include Craig Sager, Jay Bilas, Dick Vitale, Marv Albert, and Jim Nantz. Burke sets a great example for newcomers trying to find their way in the world of analyzing basketball.
When she played for the Providence College Women’s Basketball Team for four years, Burke led in assists during three of her four seasons and was a three-time All-Big East selection. She ranks second in all-time assists in PC history with 602 in 113 career games.
She is not only a member of the Providence College Athletic Hall of Fame, with a newly retired number in Mullaney Gym, but she is also a member of the New England Basketball Hall of Fame.
Last year, for the first time in school history, Burke served as Master of Ceremonies for the annual PC Late Night Madness. It was a high honor to be brought back at the beginning of this year for Madness to hype up the students. She also had the opportunity to talk to Coach Cooley and Coach Crowley, as well as their respective players.
Burke’s media career began as radio analyst for PC until she eventually moved to the WNBA and began reporting for the New York Liberty. She made a name for herself and was finally hired by ESPN. She served as a sideline reporter and analyst for ESPN since 1991, Burke made headlines by being named a full-time NBA game analyst. This made her the first woman in the history of the channel to hold that role.
Burke has even appeared in the NBA 2K videogames in recent years as a sideline reporter and commentator. When discussing her career after receiving news of her nomination, she stated, “I fell into this. I thought I would be a high school teacher and coach, I started my career as an assistant basketball coach and wanted to have children and be a stay-at-home mom. I thought, Division I coaching and being a mom is sort of mutually exclusive, so I happened into the business… To be honest with you, when I was a kid, and even through college, public speaking terrified me. It still terrifies me. When I am on the air, I never think of it as, ‘Oh, millions of people could actually be watching this basketball game.’ Because if I ever thought of it in that context, I would freak out.”
While she might be nervous on screen, we certainly have never been able to notice, as Burke climbs the rankings to be one of the most popular NBA analysts of all time. As this is her first season serving as a full-time commentator for ESPN, time will only tell what else in store for Burke.
Plenty of Standouts at Olympics
by The Cowl Editor on March 1, 2018
Professional Sports
Despite Low Medal Total, Plenty of Highlights for the US.
by Joe Myko ’19
Sports Staff
The XXIII Winter Olympic Games was recently held in PyeongChang, South Korea, with the opening ceremony taking place on Feb. 9 followed by 16 jam-packed days full of various winter sports. The closing ceremonies wrapped the games up on Feb. 25.
There were 102 events offered for spectators, ranging over seven sports and 15 different disciplines–including: bobsleigh, snowboarding, figure skating, ice hockey, and various variations of skiing.
Norway impressively concluded the games with the most medals (39), with Germany (31) and Canada (29) finishing 2nd and 3rd in the medal rankings. The United States (23), Netherlands (20), and Sweden (14) had the next highest.
The United States medal breakdown saw them take home Nine gold, Eight silver, and Six bronze medals. Shaun White’s gold medal for the Men’s Snowboard Halfpipe was one of the more memorable moments of the tournament for the US. Not only was he able to secure his third Olympic gold medal, his victory was also the 100th gold medal for the U.S. in the Winter Olympic history.
The Women’s Ice Hockey Team also deserves congratulations for taking home the gold in a memorable 3-2 win against Canada. The win marks the U.S. women’s hockey team first gold medal in 20 years. The women came second in the last two Olympics behind Canada.
The United States’ Men’s Curling Team, comprised of skip John Shuster and a team of Matt Hamilton, Tyler George and John Landsteiner, put on an impressive performance in PyeongChang – securing five back-to-back wins after a shaky start, before finally toppling highest-ranked team Sweden to bring home the country’s second medal in curling and first in gold within the sport.
Despite performing in precarious conditions which pushed back the schedule of two events, Mikaela Shiffrin secured a gold medal for the United States in the women’s alpine skiing giant slalom. Shiffrin took home the second Olympic gold medal of her career, tying Ted Ligety and Andrea Mead Lawrence for most gold medals in U.S. alpine skiing history.
The Olympic Athletes from Russia (OAR) provided an impressive final to the Men’s Ice Hockey event, coming back from 3-2 down to Germany to achieve a 4-3 win in overtime after having tied 3-3 with a short-handed goal with less than a minute left on the clock. This provided Russian athletes with their first gold medal in the event since 1992, when they still competed as the Unified Team.
The Canadian duo of Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue performed a breathtaking ice dancing routine to the soundtrack of Moulin Rouge, providing a memorable event which secured them their third Olympic gold medal and fifth medal overall.
The Nigerian Women’s Bobsled Team provided one of the most memorable and highly-anticipated stories of the tournament, becoming Africa’s first ever Olympic bobsledders. The women were also Nigeria’s second participants at the games in South Korea following Skeleton driver Simidele Adeagbo’s debut for her country. Adeagboo gave an admirable performance within the competition considering she is only six months into competing in the sport on a worldwide scale.
Despite finishing last (115th) in the 15-Kilometer Cross-Country Skiing event, Mexican athlete German Madrazo provided one of the most iconic and memorable moments of the tournament; proudly picking up and waving his country’s flag from the side as he approached the homestretch.
Almost 3,000 athletes took part in the Olympics, competing for a total of 92 nations in all. Six nations also made their Winter Olympic Games debut: Ecuador, Eritrea, Kosovo, Malaysia, Nigeria, and Singapore.
The 2018 Winter Olympic Games logo represented two hangul letters, from the Korean alphabet, which make up the initial sounds of PyeongChang. The first of these symbols is also said to be the Korean philosophical triad of humanity, earth and heaven, whilst the second symbol is a crystal of ice. The games had two official mascots, an Asian black bear called Bandabi and a white tiger called Soohorang.
The next installment of the Winter Olympics is set to take place in Beijing, China, in 2022, with the opening ceremony scheduled for Feb. 4.
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.
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.
Basketball Team Wins 2K Classic
by The Cowl Editor on November 30, 2017
Friar Sports
By Max Anderson ’18
Sports Staff
On Friday, November 17, the Providence College Men’s Basketball Team was able to add another piece of hardware to the trophy cabinet by winning the 2K Classic Tournament, held annually at Madison Square Garden.
The tournament kicked off with a preliminary regional round matchup on Nov. 10, which saw the Friars square off with Houston Baptist University; the winner would advance to the Championship rounds of the tournament. The contest, which was also the season opener for the Friars, turned out to be a one-sided affair, as the Friars would end up winning by a final score of 84-55.
The game saw 11 different Friars score, with Maliek White ’20 leading the way with 13 points. Isaiah Jackson ’19 and Kalif Young ’20 were also big contributors, with Jackson scoring 11 points and Young contributing 10 of his own. Kyron Cartwright ’18 also reached double-digits in points, scoring 10 while also recording 10 assists to be the only Friar to achieve a double-double during the contest.
Nearly a week later, the Friars headed to New York City to take on the Univserity of Washington Huskies in the first game of the championship round. The Friars were able to hang on in a tightly-contested game, winning by a final score of 77-70 to advance to the championship game the following night. Rodney Bullock ‘18 was the star for the Friars in this one, shooting 5-11 from the field, and finishing with 17 points.
Bullock also pulled down nine rebounds, making him one rebound shy of recording the second Friar double-double of the tournament. Young and Cartwright were key cogs once again, with the former adding 12 points and the latter once again chipping in 10 of his own. The talented youth of the Friars was also on display, as Alpha Diallo ’20 and Drew Edwards ’20 both achieved double-digit point marks, with both players contributing 11 points.
The championship game proved much less competitive, with the Friars routing the previously unbeaten St. Louis Billikens 90-63 to capture the 2K Classic crown. Bullock once again led the Friars with 15 points, while Diallo and White both added 11 to the Friars 90 as well.
Cartwright, once again, showed why he is considered one of the top distributors in all of college basketball by dishing out eight assists, and seemingly finding his teammates for open shots at will. But the most impressive Friar on the floor may have very well been heralded freshman Makai Ashton-Langford ‘21. Ashton-Langford, a consensus top recruit who committed to PC this past April, went a perfect 5-5 from the floor during the game, finishing with 11 points for the Friars. Ashton-Langford also showcased his own playmaking abilities, adding three assists while also recording a steal.
The Friars played a post-tournament game at home this past Wednesday, Novemeber 22, taking on the Belmont Bruins at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. The game came down to the final seconds, with Cartwright nailing a game-winning three-pointer to give the Friars a 66-65 victory at the buzzer and an unblemished 4-0 mark in the 2K Classic. Bullock and Diallo obtained double-digit points as well, scoring 15 and 13 respectively, while Jalen Lindsey ’18 also had 12, which put him in the double-digit margin.
The 2K Classic Crown is a first for the Friars, and while it is always nice to celebrate new championship hardware, the Friars have their sights set on adding a much bigger trophy to their collection this upcoming March.
Weekend Sweep for Men’s Hockey
by The Cowl Editor on November 3, 2017
Friar Sports
By Sam Scanlon ’19
Sports Staff
After a weekend in Upstate New York where the Friars grabbed one win and were handed a loss against St. Lawrence University and Clarkson University respectively, the Providence College Men’s Hockey Team returned home to Schneider Arena to face two nationally ranked Hockey East powerhouses.
Friday night brought the Eagles of Boston College back to Schneider Arena just 12 days after handing the Friars their first loss of the season with a stunning 4-3 overtime win. This time around, however, it would be the Friars who sealed a comeback win.
The 19th ranked Eagles would jump out to a first period lead on a rebound goal that they would ultimately take into the first intermission.Midway through the second period, Friars’ sniper Erik Foley ’19 scored a gorgeous goal over the shoulder of Eagles’ goaltender Joseph Woll.
Later in the period, Ben Mirageas ’21 tallied his first collegiate goal on a shot from the point. The New York Islanders third round draft pick is a smooth skating, playmaking defenseman who is dominant on both sides of the puck. Friar fans should be excited for his career here at PC and expect more offensive production from the freshman. His goal stood as the game-winner as the Friars held on to win 2-1.
Coming off a hard fought win against a Hockey East rival the previous night, the Friars were back at it again on Saturday night as they welcomed in Boston University. This game was an absolute dog fight.
The Terriers came into the game ranked sixth in the country, as they are loaded with offensive weaponry, some decent size, and arguably the best goaltender in the country. Despite all that, the Friars remained resilient and kept up with the speedy, talented Terriers squad.
After a scoreless first period, it did not take long for Vimal Sukumaran ’20 to take advantage of a BU miscue and bury the puck into an open net early in the second period. After a string of penalties, Foley notched his second goal of the weekend, beating the Terriers’ goalie to give the Friars a 2-0 advantage. Under a minute later, Brandon Duhaime ’20 found a way to sneak the puck across the goal line to extend the Friars’ lead to 3-0. Tensions would begin to rise and reach a breaking point in the second frame, culminating with a large scrap between everyone on the ice as the second period clock ran out. What else would you expect when these two teams face off?
The Friars shut down any shot of a third period Terriers’ comeback and held on to the shutout, completing a sweep of two of the toughest opponents in the Hockey East.
Even with Foley scoring two huge goals, the story of this weekend was undoubtedly goaltender Hayden Hawkey ’19. Hawkey stopped 46 of 47 shots this weekend, with that one blemish coming from a rebound goal in the first period of Friday night’s bout against the Eagles. A quick turnaround and a shut out of a top team in the country, stopping all 22 Terriers’ shots, would give Hawkey his fifth career shutout, and the first time Providence College has blanked the Terriers since a 2004 meeting. Needless to say, this massive weekend from Hawkey was the extra boost the Friars needed to pick up wins in these two games. His performance rightfully earned him Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week honors.
The Friars have now jumped up to be the sixth ranked team in the nation and are looking forward to a huge rematch at Agganis Arena this Friday to take on the Terriers once again in a crucial Hockey East tilt.
Women’s Basketball Preview
by The Cowl Editor on November 2, 2017
Friar Sports
Team Looks to Previous Season Highlights as Guides for Upcoming Season
By Ethan Ticehurst ’18
Sports Staff
Basketball season is right around the corner in Friartown. Crowds will be pouring into the Dunkin Donuts Center to see the Providence College Men’s Basketball Team play this season, but fans will also head to Mullaney Gymnasium to see the Women’s Team try to improve upon last season.
Last year, the Friar Family saw a rebound in women’s basketball, as the team put together their first season with more than 10 wins in five years. The team came roaring back from a tough time with a winning record in their non-conference games, which helped them reach a 12-18 record overall.
Last season, the Friars were lucky enough to play under first year coach Jim Crowley, who previously spent 20 years as the head coach of women’s basketball at St. Bonaventure, where he led the team to the NCAA tournament five times. His first year at the helm of the Friars, and the subsequent improvement of the team, continued to show his strong abilities as a coach. If last year was any indication, Coach Crowley will hopefully continue to improve the team and lead them to a NCAA tournament in the future.
A successful coach is not the only thing that the Friars have going for them going in to the season. Topping the list of advantages is the play of Jovana “YoYo” Nogic ’19. After averaging 14.5 points per game last year, she only looks to get better this year. Nogic has already been named to the Preseason All-Big East Team, an honor that puts her in the upper echelon of Big East players. She started all 30 games for the Friars last year and looks to do the same again this year.
Other bright spots for the Friars include the play of both Clara Che ’19 and Allegra Botteghi ’18, the only other returning players to have played in all 30 games last season. Both of them add over five points per game each, numbers which should improve this season as both of them have gained more experience playing college basketball and everyone tends to become a better player when they have more experience.
Fans should look to be in Mullaney Gym on Nov.10, when the Friars kick off their season against Columbia University. Given their successes against non-conference teams last year, the Friars are likely to have another strong start to the season this year. One big date to be excited for is Dec. 2, when the Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament gets started right here on campus, with teams from Brown University, Bryant University, and the University of Rhode Island visiting Friartown for two days. The biggest date of the year for the Friars, however, will be three days after Christmas, on Dec. 28, when they kick off conference play against Georgetown at home. After hopefully having a strong start to the season in non-conference games, the game against Georgetown is when the going gets tough for the Friars and they will have to put their hearts fully into the game.