Tag: women’s basketball
February Sports Shorts
by Joshua Lopes on February 25, 2021
Sports
Weeks of 2/12-2/24
By Thomas Zinzarella ’21
Sports Staff
Men’s Basketball:
Heading into their Feb. 16 matchup at the University of Connecticut, the Providence College Men’s Basketball Team was looking to build up some momentum in the month of February as they usually do. Unfortunately, it appeared they ran out of energy. The Huskies returned multiple players back from injury including James Bouknight and Akok Akok in their 73-61 victory. Alyn Breed ’23 led the Friars in scoring with 14 points. PC’s interior defense struggled against a juggernaut UConn front court that torched the Friars with 46 points in the paint.
Women’s Basketball:
On Feb. 20, the Friars faced off against Seton Hall University on the first day of their tri-state weekend series. PC held an early 14-11 lead in the first quarter, but Seton Hall would come roaring back in the second quarter, outscoring the Friars 23-11. The team never quite got their momentum back and fell to the Pirates 67-55. Alyssa Geary ’22 paced the scoring for the Friars with a team high 17 points and nine rebounds. On Feb. 21, PC went down to Queens, NY to take on St. John’s University. Coach Crowley’s team was looking for the season series sweep. Although it was close at the half, the Johnnies ended the third quarter on a 7-1 run, propelling them to a 65-47 victory over the Friars. Geary once again led PC in scoring with 13 points on 6-of-12 shooting.
Men’s Lacrosse:
In their first Big East game of the season, the Providence College Men’s Lacrosse Team downed St. John’s 16-8. PC led from start to finish in this one thanks to early goals from Dan Axelson ’21GS and Matt Leader ’21. Both would finish with three goals in the afternoon. The Friars now look to improve to 2-0 in Big East play as they take on Denver University on Feb. 27.
Women’s Soccer:
The PC Women’s Soccer Team has started the season strong, thanks in large part to their defense. After pulling off a 2-0 over the University of Rhode Island in their first game of the season, the Friars downed their other in-state foe, Bryant University, 4-0 on Feb. 21. The Bulldogs did not even record their first shot on net until the 67th minute of the game. The Friars outshot Bryant 10-0 in the first half, although the scoring did not start for the Friars until Kyla Gallagher ’24 buried one off a cross to start the second half. PC is now 2-0 on the season and starts Big East play at home against UConn on March 4.
Sport Shorts
by Joshua Lopes on February 11, 2021
Sports
Week of 2/4-2/10
By Leo Hainline ’22
Sports Staff
Men’s Basketball:
The Friars suffered a third straight loss on Feb. 6, losing at home to St. John’s University, 92-81. The Red Storm’s dynamic duo of freshman point guard Posh Alexander and sophomore forward Julian Champagnie was simply too much for the Friars to handle. St. John’s seemed to hit every shot to start the game, especially from behind the arc. PC failed to make the necessary defensive adjustments to stop the Red Storm’s offense. Strong play from Nate Watson ’21 and Noah Horchler ’21RS kept the game competitive, but the Friars did not play with enough urgency down the stretch to prompt a comeback.
Women’s Basketball:
PC returned to action on Feb. 3 against Villanova University, after taking an almost month-long hiatus due to COVID-19 issues within the Friars and across the Big East. The Friars fell short to the Wildcats on the road, losing 67-53. PC’s Alyssa Geary ’22 led the way for the Friars with a team-high 22 points. Star point guard Chanel Williams ’21 also scored in double digits. Olivia Orlando ’21 was the team’s leading rebounder, compiling 10 boards.
Men’s Ice Hockey:
The PC Men’s Ice Hockey Team split their weekend series against Merrimack University. On Feb. 6, the Friars seized a 5-1 victory behind Tyce Thompson’s ’22 five assists. The victory was head coach Nate Leaman’s 200th win with PC, just another milestone to add to his renowned coaching career. The No. 16 Friars dropped their following game to Merrimack 3-2. The Warriors took a three-goal lead in the first period, and that deficit was too much for the Friars to overcome despite their best efforts. They nearly mounted a comeback with two third-period goals from Michael Callahan ’22 and Jason O’Neill ’21.
Women’s Ice Hockey:
The PC Women’s Ice Hockey Team split their recent back-to-back against the University of New Hampshire. The No. 10 Friars fell 1-0 on Feb. 5, but they followed up this low-scoring affair with an exciting 5-4 victory on Feb. 6 against the Wildcats. Caroline Peterson ’22 opened the scoring 1:40 into regulation, but UNH responded and tied the game 1-1. The game was 2-2 entering the second period, but the Wildcats would soon pull ahead. However, the Friars responded by scoring three unanswered in the third period thanks to a game-tying goal from Hayley Lunny ’21 and two goals by Lindsey Bochna ’24 to seal the victory.
Women’s Basketball Winter Roundup
by Joshua Lopes on February 4, 2021
Friar Sports
PC Eager to Start Back Up After Long Hiatus
By Scott Jarosz ’21
Sports Staff
The Providence College Women’s Basketball Team started its unique and challenging 2020-2021 season on the right foot. Despite falling to a talented Quinnipiac University team on the road in their season opener by a score of 71-65, PC bounced back in the following contest against its in-state rival, the University of Rhode Island.
Although the PC-URI rivalry was much different this year with there being no fans in attendance, PC seemed unaffected. The team arrived in South Kingstown, RI, ready to compete. PC outscored the host by a score of 24-16 in the first quarter and 17-16 in the second quarter, leading 41-32 at halftime.
After an impressive first half, PC did not slow down its attack after halftime. The Friars dominated the Rams in the third quarter, outscoring them 22-10. PC then held URI to just eight points in the fourth quarter. This dominant second-half performance sealed a 76-50 blowout win. PC shot 57.6 percent from the field in the game and 50 percent from three-point range. Mary Baskerville ’22 finished with a team-high 16 points and also collected a team-high seven rebounds.
PC carried the momentum from its win over URI into its game the following day, which took place in Alumni Hall against Bryant University, another in-state foe. Both teams battled hard in the first quarter, with PC narrowly coming out on top 12-11. PC began to pull away in the second quarter, as it outscored the visitors 15-7.
Again, after a strong first half, PC showed no signs of slowing down. The Friars opened the third quarter by scoring 13 consecutive points, and continued to play exceptionally well through the rest of the second half, eventually securing a 67-40 victory. Leading PC in scoring was Baskerville, who netted a both game and season-high 18 points. Following close behind Baskerville was Chanell Williams ’21, who logged 15 points, nine of which came from three-point field goals. The win improved PC’s all-time record against Bryant to 7-1.
After a solid 2-1 start to the season, PC struggled to maintain its hot streak, falling to Boston College in its next game by a score of 58-46. PC headed into Big East play with a record of 2-2. Its first Big East game came against a tough Marquette University team. MU was simply too much for PC to handle, going on to defeat the Friars 89-40.
However, PC did not allow back-to-back losses to deter them, as they arrived at Hinkle Fieldhouse ready to take on Butler University. PC controlled the game from the start, outscoring Butler 17-9 in the first quarter and 32-15 in the second quarter. Butler tried to battle back in the second half, but it was too little, too late. Kyra Spiwak ’21 played a fantastic game for the Friars, recording a career-high 28 points in the 73-52 win.
After dropping their next matchup to the University of Maine, the Friars completed an impressive 76-53 win over St. John’s University. Williams led the Friars with 20 points, good enough for her season-high. However, after recording their second consecutive Big East victory, PC failed to find their rhythm. The Friars posted a record of 1-3 in the following four games, which concluded with an 87-50 loss to the University of Connecticut on Jan. 9.
Since then, PC has yet to play another game. After their loss to the Huskies, PC’s next six games were postponed due to COVID-19 issues within the team. Despite hoping to return to the court on Feb. 2, that game has also been postponed due to issues with the virus in the Xavier University organization. When PC does finally start back up, the likes of Baskerville, Williams, and Spiwak will look to lead the Friars to a successful second half of Big East play.
Weekly Winners: Friars Dominate February
by The Cowl Editor on February 27, 2020
Friar Sports
Four Friars Nab Weekly Big East Awards
by Cam Smith ’21
Sports Assistant Editor
The second week of February was a great one for Providence College athletics, as four Friars took home weekly awards for their outstanding play. Besides putting up great stats, Alpha Diallo ’20, Alyssa Geary ’22, Lauren DeBlois ’23, and Toby Burgdorf ’21 all played key roles in leading their respective teams to pivotal victories.
The Big East Player of the Week went to Diallo, who became the first PC Men’s Basketball Team player to receive the award since Rodney Bullock ’17 in 2016. The senior forward averaged 27 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists while leading the Friars to a 1-1 record for the week.
Certainly contributing to his achievement is the fact that Diallo set single-game career highs in both points and rebounds during the week. On Feb. 13, Diallo grabbed an impressive 17 rebounds to go along with 19 points in a loss to St. John’s University. He followed that performance up by pouring in 35 points on 5-5 shooting from the three-point line in a statement win against tenth-ranked Seton Hall University.
Diallo’s outburst from downtown came as a bit of a surprise due to the fact that he attempted zero three-pointers in the previous game against St. John’s University. Even so, there was little hesitation in pulling the trigger against the Pirates. “I just tried to do whatever it took to help us get the win,” said Diallo after the game. “My teammates were finding me in open spots. I make those shots a lot in practice, so they knew to have confidence in me.”
Further sweetening Diallo’s triumphant week is the fact that his scoring outburst against Seton Hall pushed him past 1,500 career points. Diallo now sits as one of just 17 Friars in school history to pass the scoring milestone.
Meanwhile, on the women’s basketball team, Geary was named to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll. In a week that very much mirrored Diallo’s, Geary helped lead her team to a 1-1 record while posting a team high in points against Seton Hall.
“It felt pretty good to receive the weekly award,” said Geary when asked about the honor. “I did not expect it at all and was shocked that I was even considered, let alone picked as a recipient.”
Geary credited her teammates for allowing her to play at such a high level in recent weeks. “I owe it all to them. They have the confidence to constantly feed me the ball in the post or kick it out to me believing that I can knock that shot down.”
Geary played a crucial role in the Friars’ defeat of St. John’s on Feb. 16, posting 10 points, four rebounds, three assists, and one block to go along with a game-saving three pointer to tie the game with 1:36 left in regulation. “I knew I was feeling the three,” Geary said of the shot following the game. “I knew I was going to knock that down and my teammates gave me the confidence to do it.”
Geary would later add, “The three was a great play because of the way my teammates hustled down the floor and found me. Mary [Baskerville ’22] could have easily tried and scored as soon as she got the ball, but she gave me that extra pass we practice with one another and I was able to knock it down.”
Geary and the Friars would go on to seal the victory on a miraculous Earlette Scott ’22 and-one from the top of the key with four seconds remaining.
Representing the Providence College Women’s Hockey Team, DeBlois continued PC’s success by being named the Hockey East Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week. She and the rest of the squad took down third-ranked Northeastern University on Feb. 14 in a game that featured two goals from DeBlois.
Her first goal came off a Sara Hjalmarsson ’22 faceoff win that was flicked back to Whitney Dove ’20. Dove slid it over to DeBlois, who placed a perfect wrister through traffic into the back of the net at 16:04 in the second period.
DeBlois’ second goal just so happened to be a game-winner, as she sent the Huskies packing with a wrister from the point with 1:03 remaining in overtime. The goal would secure a 2-1 Friar victory and the second game-winner in Deblois’ young career.
Finally, Burgdorf wrapped up a phenomenal week for Friar athletics by being named the Big East Defensive Player of the Week for men’s lacrosse. Burgdorf picked up a career-high in saves versus Bryant University in the Ocean State Cup, stifling 15 shots on a .625 save percentage. In the fourth quarter alone, he turned back seven shots compared to a measly two by the opposing goalie.
It was the second time this year that Burgdorf has been named Defensive Player of the Week, with both honors due in large part to the goalie’s impressive 3-0 record in his first three career starts for PC.
Diallo, Geary, and DeBlois look to continue their success as their respective teams make late-season pushes for the postseason. Burgdorf, on the other hand, looks to maintain his status as a defensive stalwart as the men’s lacrosse team continues to start the season strong. Regardless of the status of their season, all four athletes have shined so far this year for the Friars, and their long list of accolades is a testament to their hard work.
Women’s Basketball Falls Short to Blue Jays
by Meaghan P Cahill on February 13, 2020
Friar Sports
By Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports Staff
On Saturday, February 8, the Providence College Women’s Basketball Team played against Big East rival Creighton University for their second matchup of the season, this time taking place at home in Mullaney Gym.
The season has been rocky for the Friars as they continue Big East play throughout the end of winter and into spring. Going into the game against the Blue Jays, the Friars had posted a 10-13 record overall, with a 1-10 record in the Big East Conference, currently tied for last place along with Xavier University.
Providence’s first Big East win came a few weeks ago against Xavier University, in a home win 60-48. Guard Earlette Scott ’22 led the game with 20 points, while center sophomore Mary Baskerville ’22 led the game with 11 rebounds.
The Friars previous game took place on Feb. 2 at DePaul University in Chicago. While the Friars put up a good fight in each quarter against the no. 13 Blue Demons, the win ultimately went to DePaul in a final score of 93-71. Guard Chanell Williams ’21 led the game with 15 points, while Alyssa Geary ’22 led with six rebounds for the Friars.
The Friars were looking to bounce back and find a spark to ignite the team to go on a run, especially with postseason approaching and the Women’s Big East Tournament in early March.
Now it was time for the Friars to once again face Creighton. In the previous matchup which took place at Creighton, the Friars lost by nine in a 63-72 matchup. Kaela Webb ’22 led the team with 14 points. The Friars were ready to give everything they had for this next matchup.
The game was set, and the Friars were on their way to face the Blue Jays once again. Constantly leading throughout the first quarter of play, things were looking up for the Friars as players such as Baskerville and Webb could not miss shots. As well as the Friars were playing, nothing was stopping Creighton’s Jaylyn Agnew. By the end of the game Agnew finished the game with a career-high 38 points.
The Friars once again sadly lost by nine after battling through the second half to come back, but Agnew and Creighton could not miss a basket. Baskerville led the team in both points and rebounds at 19 and eight, respectively.
Scott, Webb, and Geary also finished with double digits in scoring and even helped Providence shoot 52.9 percent of shooting from the field.
Despite the team’s struggles, the Friars have had some great individual performances throughout the year. Baskerville is leading in the top twenty of scoring for the Big East at 12.9 points per game and fourth in rebounding 7.8 rebounds per game.
Next up, the Friars are back home for two games in the coming week against Seton Hall University and St. John’s University. Seton Hall’s game will be played 11:30 a.m. on Friday as part of Project Providence where local schools will come to watch the game.
Sport Shorts Jan.31- Feb. 6
by The Cowl Editor on February 6, 2020
Sports
Sport Shorts for Jan. 31-Feb. 6
by Joseph Quirk ’23
Sports Staff
Men’s Basketball:
The men’s basketball team had a big week on the hardwood this week. They played one game, Saturday, February 1, and started the month off with an away win at Butler University. Butler was ranked 16th in the nation, and the Friars were coming off a three-game losing streak that some believed killed their bid for the NCAA tournament. After a close loss to Villanova University last week, the Friars finished this time, winning 65-61. The Friars rolled out a larger lineup this week that involved bringing Luwane Pipkins ’20G and Alpha Diallo ’20 off the bench. The Friars offense operated much smoother, with better ball movement and more pick-and-roll and post plays. It also helped that Butler shot just 7.1 percent from three. The Friars’ leading scorers were Pipkins (22-3-2 with a steal) and David Duke ’22 (10-4-1).
The Friars extended their win streak to two games after beating Creighton University 73-56 on Wednesday, February 5. A.J. Reeves ’22 led the Friars with 22 points. The Friars’s defense held the Blue Jays to 37 percent shooting from the field. The team’s next game will be this upcoming Saturday, February 8 at Xavier University.
Women’s Basketball:
The Providence College Women’s Basketball Team had a rough week with two road losses on Friday, January 31 and Sunday, February 2. The first of the losses came at Marquette University, with a final score of 55-85. The teams started the game close, both shooting poorly in the first quarter. Both teams dramatically improved their shooting (for the most part) each quarter thereafter. However, poor defense from the Friars and good shooting from Marquette allowed for the Golden Eagles’ efficiency to rise above that of the Friars. Marquette had more rebounds and fewer turnovers. The leading scorers for the Friars in this contest were Mary Baskerville ’22 (11-2-1 with 2 blocks), Kyra Spiwak ’21 (10-2-3 with a steal), and Chanell Williams ’21 (10-1-1 with a steal).
The Friars then traveled to DePaul University and suffered another tough loss 71-93. The Friars found themselves struggling behind the arc, shooting worse than the Blue Demons. On the bright side, they shot significantly better than DePaul at the charity stripe, shooting 80 percent as opposed to 60 percent. The Friars were once again outrebounded and responsible for more turnovers. The leading scorers for this game were Williams (15-3-3) and Spiwak (13-3-2). Next up for the Friars is a home game Saturday, February 8 against Creighton University.
Swimming and Diving:
This past Friday through Saturday (January 31- February 1) the Providence College men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams traveled down to Berkeley Aquatic Club in New Jersey for a Tri-Meet with the Seton Hall University Pirates and Georgetown University Hoyas. Both the men’s and women’s teams lost to the both Seton Hall and Georgetown in a disappointing fashion. The men’s team lost by a total score of 553 to 122 while the women’s team lost by a total score of 503 to 193. It’s been an up-and-down season for sure in the pool for both Friars squads, and they came into this meet riding a bit of a hot streak. The men’s team came in off a two-meet win streak while the women’s team was coming in off a tie. Both squads will next compete in the BIG EAST championships in East Meadow, New York from February 26-29
Sports Shorts Weeks of Jan. 18-Jan. 26
by Meaghan P Cahill on January 30, 2020
Friar Sports
By Meaghan Cahill ’20 and Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Co-Editors
Women’s Basketball:
On Jan. 26, the Providence College Women’s Basketball Team snapped an eight-game losing streak and earned their first Big East win of the year, beating Xavier University 60-48. The Friars only scored 15 points in the first half before finding their groove after halftime. Three players finished in double-figures for points, led by Earlette Scott ’22 who finished with a career high 20, including 11 made free throws. Kaela Webb ’22 scored 10 of her 12 points in the fourth quarter. As a team, PC shot 41.3 percent from the field while holding the Musketeers to 27 percent. The Friars are now 10-11 in the season.
Indoor Track and Field:
On Jan. 18, the Providence College Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track Teams competed at the Boston University Multi-Team Meet, which featured six additional schools from throughout New England and Ireland. During the meet, four women runners qualified for the ECAC Championships: Maria Coffin ’21, Abbey Wheeler ’20, Lilly Tuck ’23, and Bridget Mitchell ’22; and four men qualified for the IC4A Championships: Michael O’Leary ’19GS, Jack Carleo ’21, Marcelo Rocha ’21, and Ryan Gallagher ’21. Coffin ran a personal best in the 3,000-meter event which she placed first in, and Wheeler finished first in the mile run. On the men’s side, O’Leary finished first in the 3,000-meter run and Carleo finished first in the 800-meter sprint.
The following weekend, the Friars returned to Boston to compete in the John Thomas Terrier Classic where multiple Friars, including Wheeler, Coffin, and Carleo finished top-ten in their respective events. Ryan Jendzejec’s ’21 2:28.04 time in the 1,000-meter dash qualified him to compete in the IC4 Championships.
Swim and Dive:
On Saturday, January 25, the Providence College Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Teams hosted the University of Maine. It was the Friars’ senior meets and the men’s team gained their second consecutive win with a score of 195-99; the women’s team tied 150-150. Four different swimmers on the men’s team set new school records: Kevin Hood ’23 in the 100-meter breaststroke, Justin Viotto ’22 in the 200-meter butterfly, and both the 200-meter medley and 200-meter freestyle relay teams. The women’s team had six first place finishes: Sally Alrutz ’23 in the 100-meter backstroke, 100-meter butterfly, and the 200-meter backstroke; Elizabeth Murray ’23 in the 800-meter freestyle; Jennifer Banks ’22 in the 400-meter freestyle; and Taylor Loud ’23 in the 200-meter freestyle. The team’s final regular season meet will take place this upcoming weekend against Seton Hall University and Georgetown University in New Providence, NJ.
A Decade of PC Athletics
by Meaghan P Cahill on January 16, 2020
Friar Sports
A Look Back at a Monumental Ten Years
By Thomas Zinzarella ’21
Sports Staff
This decade has shown one of the largest growths among every sport at Providence College. There are so many moments to choose from but here are some of the greatest from this past decade:
Men’s Basketball Capture 2014 Big East Championship
Ed Cooley and the Friars playing in Madison Square Garden are something Friars fans have begun to enjoy throughout this decade, and it all began back in 2014. This was the first year of the newly aligned 10-team Big East conference and the Friars only championship was back in 1994. The Friars were an NCAA Tournament bubble team coming into the tournament making it vital for them to win. Some had the Friars succeeding and others had them as the first four teams out. Well, the Friars burst a couple of bubbles and downed the Creighton University Blue Jays to punch their ticket. This Creighton team held one of the greatest college basketball players ever to roam the floor, Doug McDermott. The Friars were led by Bryce Cotton ’14 and LaDontae Henton ’15 with a number of other upperclassmen who started the rise of Friar basketball. This would be their first of five straight NCAA tournament appearances and set the standard of what PC basketball is today.
Friars Knock off No. 3 Villanova
Valentine’s Day 2018: The Friars needed a win to bolster their NCAA tournament resume, having already defeated the No. 5/4 Xavier University Musketeers about a month prior in Providence. The holiday featured a Big East match-up against rival Villanova University. The team PC faced is considered by many college basketball critics to be the best team of the decade, as they would go on to win the NCAA Tournament. It was a fast-paced, nail biter of a game as the Wildcats and Friars remained within single digit points of each other over the course of the two halves. Ultimately, the Friars pulled ahead at the end and beat Villanova 76-71 in a game that Cooley cites as “the greatest win” that he has had with the College. Scenes of students storming the court in a matter of seconds have stuck with many Friar basketball fans ever since. The win was a pivotal moment for the team that year as it gave them the momentum they needed to make a push in the Big East Tournament which secured them a spot in the Championship game.
2014 Men’s Soccer College Cup
Just like the men’s basketball team, 2014 brought great success for the men’s soccer team. The Friars advanced to the NCAA tournament as the 11th overall team. The Friars earned themselves a first round bye and picked up victories over Dartmouth University, the University of California-Irvine and the No. 3 team Michigan State University en route to their first ever College Cup appearance. The Friars faced a tough task with in the No. 2 University of California-Los Angeles Bruins and fell 3-2 in double-overtime. Under the direction of Craig Stewart, the Friars have made six NCAA tournament appearances with a follow-up Sweet 16 appearance in 2016 under future MLS star Julian Gressel ’16.
Women’s Cross Country National Championship
Any time there is a national championship mentioned, it more than likely will be involved as one of the greatest moments. The 2013 National Championship Women’s Cross Country Team is no exception. The Friars were runners up the year prior and would not be deterred the following year. The Friars were led by Emily Sisson ’14 who finished seventh overall. Sisson is now currently competing for a spot on the U.S. National team for this upcoming Olympics and is well known in women’s running. It was the Friars first championship since 1995. Under head coach Ray Treacy ’82, the team has won two national championships and has transformed into one of the best programs in the country.
Men’s Hockey Team Wins 2015 National Championship
Friars head coach Nate Leaman has elevated this program to national prominence once again and brought the Friars back into the spotlight by advancing to the 2015 Frozen Four. The Friars were one of the final teams to make the tournament and used this motivation to their advantage. After the Friars got past the University of Nebraska-Omaha, the Friars faced off against the Boston University Terriers in the NCAA National Championship game at the TD Garden in Boston. The Friars were searching for their first National Championship in program history and, after falling behind 3-2 after two periods of play, needed some magic to secure the win. In what is considered one of the craziest finishes to an NCAA Championship hockey game, the Friars were able to come out on top in last ten minutes of the third period after finding themselves in a tied game when BU accidentally scored on their own net. It was Brandon Tanev ’15 who flicked in the game-winner wrist shot with just over six minutes left of play that secured the program’s first ever NCAA championship. Tanev would go on to become one of seven Friars to play in the NHL from the team.
Women’s Basketball Team Advances it to the 16th Round of the 2018 Women’s Basketball National Invitation Tournament
Women’s basketball had lost its way for a bit after their great success in the 1980s and early 90s at PC. Jim Crowley in his third year at the helm took tremendous strides for the Friars. The Friars made postseason play for the first time since 2010 and just the second time since the Friars advanced to the 1991-92 NCAA tournament. The Friars defeated University of Hartford and University of Pennsylvania to advance to the Sweet 16 of the WNIT and were set to face their fellow Big East foe, the Georgetown University Hoyas. The Friars ultimately fell to them, but this was a special collection of players young and old. Friar fans saw one of the greatest scorers in program history, Jojo Nogic ’19, and featured the Big East Freshman of the Year, Mary Baskerville ’22. Nogic finished as the 4th all time leading scorer in program history and Baskerville also set the program record for blocks for a freshman and the most by a Friar since the 1999-2000 season. The Friars also won eight games in conference play, the most since the 1996-1997 season. These are just a few of many accomplishments for this women’s basketball program as they look to continue their rise in the rigorous Big East conference.
Sports Shorts Over Winter Break
by Meaghan P Cahill on January 16, 2020
Friar Sports
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
Women’s Ice Hockey:
This past weekend, the Providence College Women’s Ice Hockey Team split a home-and-home series against the eighth ranked Boston University Terriers. Captain Avery Fransoo ’20 kicked off the scoring for the Friars with a wrist shot in the final five minutes of the first period for her second goal of the season. Similar to the first goal, the second goal the Friars snagged came in the final few minutes of the second period when Hayley Lunny ’21 notched her seventh goal of the season. Annelise Rice ’21 had assists on both of the goals; this was her first multi-point game of the season. Despite the Terriers scoring a late third period goal, the Friars finished the game with a 2-1 win. Goaltender Sandra Abstreiter ’21 made 29 saves overall.
The following day, the Friars travelled to Boston where Abstreiter was once again in net for the Friars. A goal apiece was delivered to each team early into the first period with BU striking first and Sara Hjalmarsson ’21 finding the back of the net minutes later; she would be the only goal scorer for the Friars this game. The goal was Hjalmarsson’s 20th point of the season and she is now tied with Whitney Dove ’20 for most points this season. Abstreiter had 19 saves throughout the game but as the Friars still fell to the Terriers 4-1.
Women’s Basketball:
The Providence College Women’s Basketball Team suffered two Big East losses over the course of last week. The Friars fell to Marquette University 60-50 on Jan. 5 in a close game until the fourth quarter when the Golden Eagles were able to maintain their first double digit lead in the final eight minutes of play. Despite the loss, Mary Baskerville ’22 had a standout game, notching a career-high 24 points and eight rebounds. It was her second straight 20-point performance and fourth of her career.
The following Saturday, January 11 was another close game for the Friars that came down to the final minutes of play. Despite Earlette Scott ’22 and Kaela Webb ’22 both scoring 14 points apiece, Creighton University rallied in a decisive fourth quarter to edge the Friars out 72-63. The Friars are now 0-5 in Big East Play and 9-8 on the season. They will look to get their first Big East win against St. John’s University this coming Friday in New York.
Men’s Soccer:
Over the winter break, two players from the Providence College Men’s Soccer Team were drafted in the 2020 Major League Soccer SuperDraft on Jan. 9. Goaltender Austin Aviza ’20RS was selected by Orlando City 44th overall in the second round and midfielder Danny Griffin ’20 was selected 49th overall in the second round by the Columbus Crew Soccer Club.
Sports Shorts Week of No. 22-Dec. 5
by The Cowl Editor on December 5, 2019
Friar Sports
By Scott Jarosz ’21
Sports Staff
Women’s Basketball:
The women’s basketball team is off to an excellent start to the 2019-2020 season. The team began the season with four consecutive wins and took the momentum into their Nov. 24 contest against the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. PC beat the visiting Riverhawks handily by a score of 63-38, with four Friars scoring in double digits. Leading the way for PC was Chanell Williams ’21 who scored 12 points while tallying four rebounds and four assists. PC took its 5-0 record into a matchup with Yale University, which was a continuation of a suspended game from Nov. 5.
On Dec. 3, PC traveled to Yale to resume the game with 10 minutes remaining in the third quarter. Despite a 19-point performance by Mary Baskerville ’22 and 16 points by Kyra Spiwak ’21, PC fell short 79-82. The loss marks PC’s first of the season as its record drops to 5-1. The team will play at Bryant University on Dec. 7.
Men’s Ice Hockey:
The men’s ice hockey team entered the 34th edition of the Mayor’s Cup with a record of 8-3-4. PC took the ice on Nov. 30 against the Bears of Brown University looking to take home the trophy, and did just that. PC beat Brown University by a score of 4-2 to win the Mayor’s Cup and improve to 9-4-3 on the season. Despite Brown scoring the first goal of the game in the early minutes, Patrick Moynihan ’23 leveled the game at one towards the end of the first period. PC would take control from there, as Patrick Ford ’23, Tyce Thompson ’22, and Shane Kavanagh ’20 each scored goals to make the score 4-1. The Brown Bears would add a late goal, but it was not enough. Goaltender Michael Lackey ’20GS recorded 23 saves in the game and Jack Dugan ’22 tallied two assists to stay atop the NCAA points leaderboard with 31 total points. PC is now set to face UMass-Lowell on Dec. 6.
Women’s Ice Hockey:
The women’s ice hockey team also hosted Brown University in the Mayor’s Cup on Nov. 30. This meeting marked the 25th edition of the Mayor’s Cup, with PC having won the previous four meetings between the teams. PC entered the game with a record of 8-6-2 and was ready to continue its winning streak against the Bears. Lauren DeBlois ’23 started the scoring off early for PC with a goal six minutes into the game. Isabelle Hardy ’23 followed shortly after with her first career goal to increase the lead to 2-0. Sara Hjalmarsson ’22 then increased the lead to 3-0 with a goal of her own on a power play. Hjalmarsson would go on to score two more goals in the game and tally three assists for a total of six points. Her single-game point total from this game marked the highest in Mayor’s Cup history. PC would go on to win by a score of 10-0. The team now looks ahead to its next contest against the University of Connecticut on Dec. 5.