Men’s and Women’s Soccer Preview

by The Cowl Editor on August 29, 2019

Friar Sports

Soccer Teams Look to Break through to Finals

By Jack Belanger ’21

Sports Co-Editor

providence college men's soccer — Photo Courtesy of PC Athletics

Last fall, the Providence College Men’s and Women’s Soccer Teams both made it to their respective Big East Tournaments. The men cruised in as the third seed while the women snuck in as the sixth seed. Unfortunately, both teams lost in the semifinals: men to second-seed Georgetown University and the women to Butler University, who was also the second-seed.

This year, both squads were predicted to finish third based on the Big East Coaches’ Poll. There will be a new face in net for the men as Colin Miller ’18RS, former Goalkeeper of the Year, graduated while Shelby Hogan ’20RS will once again return for the women.

Last season, the men started their season with a huge upset over No. 8 Southern Methodist University. The Friars pulled out the 2-1 win after playing two overtimes that ended in the 104th minute thanks to a game-winning goal by Alex DaCosta ’19. The Friars would go on to dominate their Big East schedule with a record of 6-2-1 that would be good enough for a tie for the second best record in the league.

Fast forward to this year, Austin Aviza ’20RS will be tasked with holding down the net for the Friars who return most of their core from the previous season. This will be Aviza’s first season at PC after transferring from the University of Connecticut in the spring. He began his college career at Syracuse University for two seasons before transferring to Connecticut in 2017. In 2018, he recorded a 1.03 Goals Against Average (GAA) while also achieving five shutouts.

With a strong defensive core returning, Head Coach Craig Stewart will switch the team’s formation from four guys on the back line to three, with the hope this will create more scoring opportunities for a team that has struggled to score. Ramzi Qawasmy ’22 will anchor the line after being named to the Big East All-Freshman Team last season.

With no true striker on the team, the Friars will have to take on a scoring by committee approach to find the back of the net. Last year, no Friars scored more than five goals and only three players scored three or more goals.

“The big key for us this year is finishing our opportunities in the offensive third of the field,” said student manager Graham Collopy ’21. “In our two scrimmages we have created multiple scoring chances, but haven’t always cashed in.”

Luckily, the team does return Tiago Mendonca ’19RS, last season’s top scorer, who was the only Friar named to the Preseason All-Big East Team this year. He will be tasked with leading the team on offense and improve on his five goals last season.

Georgetown and Creighton University are also expected to compete for the Big East title. The Hoyas and Blue Jays were predicted to finish first and second in the league respectively. Any win against Georgetown would be a boost for the Friars trying to make a bid for the NCAA Tournament. The Hoyas are currently ranked 13th in the United Soccer Coaches’ Poll.

The Friars will begin their season at home on Friday, August 30 against the University of Massachusetts-Lowell.

providence college women's soccer — Nicholas Crenshaw ’20/The Cowl

The women last year played a tough nonconference schedule that featured three Power-Five Conference schools. The Friars were nearly unbeatable at home, going 8-1-0.

This year, Head Coach Sam Lopes returns for his sixth season with the Friars. He has found incredible success at the College as he has gotten the team into the Big East Playoffs every year.

Hogan returns to Chapey Field for her third season with the Friars. Last season, she was named to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll five times. Her 0.77 GAA ranked third in the entire conference.

The team has already played two games in 2019, finding their record at 1-1-0 with a win over Connecticut in their season opener. Hogan has made a total of nine saves and allowed a goal in each game.

The offense will once again be strong as Hannah McNulty ’21 and Amber Birchwell ’21, the team’s top two goal scorers in 2018, return to the pitch hoping to bring the Friars to the championship. McNulty was named to the All-Big East Second Team after leading the Friars in goals and points.

There will also be a familiar face on the coaching staff this season. Former Friar Katie Day ’19 will join the staff as a graduate assistant. Day was named to the All-Big East Team twice during her career at PC.

Looking around the league, Georgetown and Butler will once again be poised to compete for the top of the standings.

The women are slated two teams ranked in the top 25 in the United Coaches Poll. Georgtown is once again ranked 13th and the University of Texas at Austin is placed at 24th.

With two solid cores set in place this fall, both soccer teams have the experience and talent to compete for the Big East Championship and bring a title back to Chapey Field.

Which Fall Sports Team Will Have The Best Season?

by The Cowl Editor on August 29, 2019

PCI

Women’s Soccer

By Thomas Zinzarella ’21

Sports Staff

Under the helm of sixth year head coach Sam Lopes, the Providence College Women’s Soccer Team has enjoyed profound success, which is why they will document the best record this fall season.

The Friars finished last season with an 11-6-3 overall record and a 4-3-2 mark in Big East play. They started the year with a 3-0 record for the first time since the 2015 season and did not allow a single goal the opening 310 minutes of play.

The Friars have reached Big East postseason play every single season since Lopes has taken over the program. It is this consistency that will work in the team’s favor down the road. With plenty of players with postseason experience returning to the field, the Friars will be poised to make a deep playoff run.

The Friars bring back a lot of talent, including 88 percent of their scoring from last year. This includes Hannah McNulty ’21 who was tied for third in the Big East with 10 goals last season, and Amber Birchwell ’21, who scored six goals of her own.

Shelby Hogan’21RS returns in net for the Friars looking to follow up a record season where she tied the program record with ten shutouts and was the 12th in the country. She was awarded All-Big East First Team, Big East All-Tournament Team, and United Soccer Coaches All-East Region Third Team.

The Big East is never easy to win in any sport, but this is especially true for women’s soccer. With the likes of the Georgetown University Hoyas, who are projected to win the Big East once again, and the Butler University Bulldogs leading the charge, the Friars are projected for a third place finish according to the Big East coaches’ poll.

The Friars have already begun their regular season schedule with a 2-1 victory over rival University of Connecticut Huskies before falling to the University of Massachusetts-Amherst Minuteman 1-0. The Friars are back in action on Thursday, Aug. 29 as they take on the University of Hartford.

PC Player’s Retirement Sheds Light on a Larger Issue

by The Cowl Editor on January 17, 2019

Friar Sports

Is Lack of Research the Culprit Behind Female Athlete Concussions?

By Meaghan Cahill ’20

Sports Co-Editor

On October 1, 2018, Jessica “Jessie” Spontak ’20, publicly announced her decision to retire from volleyball. Her reason for walking away from the sport that brought her to Providence College? Too many concussions.

Concussions have been a hot topic in the sports world over the past decade and while most conversations about them is in conjunction with men’s football, hockey, and soccer, female athlete concussions of all sports have been spiking higher numbers than male athletes. Recent research has shown that female athletes are 50 percent more likely to be diagnosed with a concussion than male athletes.

Yet, despite this statistic, concussion research has primarily been contained to male athletes. As Marjorie Snyder of the Washington Post writes, there is “painfully little research” conducted on concussions in female athletes. With the majority of existing research consisting of studying male athletes and how to prevent concussions in men’s sports, female athletes are being put at a greater risk as little is being done to make them less susceptible to concussions. Synder’s research for her article, “Girls suffer sports concussions at a higher rate than boys. Why is that overlooked?” makes the claim that the lack of knowledge (stemming from the lack of research being done) makes it difficult to know the best way to prevent concussions in female athletes.

providence college volleyball female athlete concussions — Photo Courtesy of PC Athletics

Concussions in female athletes have been written off as nothing more than the result of sex differences, in particular, the differing structures of the neck. Almost all research has concluded that the structure of the female body makes them more predisposed to concussions and that is the farthest most research goes.

However, it is proving to not be enough as women are suffering symptoms that take extended amounts of time to recover from and their quality of life is being altered due to excess concussions.

Spontak, when asked about what ultimately led her to calling it quits on her volleyball career after she sustained her fourth concussion from a seemingly contact-free sport, admitted that the main factor was her “quality of life post volleyball.” To her, completing four years on the team was “not worth it” to her when all of the health problems she could face as a result of four severe concussions were laid out in front of her.

Shannon Bauman, a sports physician who began to study brain injuries after she suffered her own concussion and received insufficient care, noted in her study that 35 percent of female athletes will still show concussion symptoms up to more than six months after their initial diagnosis. Spontak, when discussing her concussion history, said that with her first concussion, she missed four months of school and with her least severe concussion, she missed just over a month.

Prolonged short-term symptoms faced not only by Spontak during all of her concussions, but by both male and female athletes, include sensitivity to sound, light, pressure headaches, and trouble focusing. However, research is beginning to come out with what long-term, life-altering symptoms can result from multiple concussions.

“There is a lot of research that shows that I could be at high risks for depression and anxiety…and mood disorders,” said Spontak. Doctors informed her that, as a result of sustaining four severe concussions, she would “have a really hard time focusing and moving on with school.”

With a majority of research now taking a look at how female athletes will be affected by concussions, the fact still remains that there is little to no research on how to prevent them in the first place.

David Milzman, MD, stated at the Georgetown University Medical Center Summit on Concussions in Females, “There is very little solid data now about sex in concussion presentation or outcomes. It is not clear…and that is why we need to investigate it.”

women's ice hockey female athlete concussions — Photo Courtesy of NBC Chicago

In men’s sports, a majority of the concussions sustained are contact-based. However, because women’s sports are not supposed to have as much contact, it becomes assumed that they are not at risk for concussions. However, in the case of women’s hockey, for example, the players will be diagnosed with concussions at nearly three times the rate of college football players. Similarly, in sports such as baseball and softball, softball players experience concussions at double the rate of baseball players.

As Spontak points out, the games themselves cannot be changed: player-to-player contact, falling to the ground, and being hit in the head are all risks that are a part of any sport. Therefore, research needs to be altered to fit these unpreventable factors. In terms of female athletes, rather than focusing on how life will be impacted post-concussion, there needs to be a switch to how to prevent them in the first place, like the research with men’s sports-related concussions is.

There is a problem with studies in preventing concussions altogether though. Spontak acknowledges the problem as being the fact that how games are played is personal. Players contort and push their bodies to the max and reach limits that others may not be able to make. PC assistant athletic trainer Jessie Fong reinforces this statement, describing concussions to be a “unique injury.”

“Concussions can fall under such a wide spectrum,” Fong states. “They can present differently between two individuals, they could present differently between two separate episodes within one individual.”

So what should the research focus on?

Spontak believes researching improvements on equipment worn is the key to battling the concussion epidemic. At the moment, only a handful of women’s sports require headgear to be worn at all times. With more protective equipment, there could be a reduction in concussions sustained by female athletes.

And while some take more extreme measures in calling for the federal government to step in and make a change, the simple solution is to just dedicate as much research time received by men’s sports to female sports.

Concussions are not just a problem male athletes face, and prevention techniques must be researched and learned by all to make not just sports, but the quality of life beyond the game better for all athletes, men and women alike.

Twenty Friars Named to All-Big East Teams

by The Cowl Editor on December 6, 2018

Friar Sports

Soccer Teams and Field Hockey Each Send Five Players

By Cam Smith ’21

Sports Staff

The fall sports season has come to a close, meaning that the time to honor athletic accomplishments is now upon us. All six Providence College Division I teams, who finished their seasons by the end of November, saw players receive All-Big East honors. Three of these six teams saw a whopping five players receive conference accolades.

The PC Women’s Soccer Team was one of the teams to nab five All-Big East awards, marking the most in program history. Katie Day ’19 is the second PC women’s soccer player ever to earn back-to-back All-Big East First Team Honors. The dominant defender started every game for the Friars this season, including one in which she headed home the game-winning goal against Marquette University.

Shelby Hogan ‘20RS, Kayla Steeves ’19, and Hannah McNulty ‘21 were awarded Second Team Honors, while Hannah Morgan ’22 was named to the All-Freshman Team. Hogan had a tremendous year in her second season as the team’s goalkeeper, while McNulty led the Friars in goals scored with 10.

shelby hogan providence college women's soccer — Photo Courtesy of PC Athletics

On the PC Men’s Soccer Team, five All-Big East awards were also handed out. Tiago Mendonca ‘20RS took home First Team Honors as the crafty midfielder led the Friars in goals (five), points (10), and shots (40). Colin Miller ‘19RS and Klisman Sousa ’19RS picked up Second Team Honors. Miller, the starting goalkeeper for the past three seasons, reached eight shutouts for the second time in his very successful career, finishing the season with nine. Two impressive newcomers in Ramzi Qawasmy ’22 and Gil Santos ’22 were named to the All-Big East Freshman Team. Qawasmy logged the second-most minutes of anyone on the team while Santos hammered home three goals.

The field hockey team rounds out the squads to pick up five All-Big East Honors, as the team saw one member named to the All-Big East First Team and four named to the All-Big East Second Team. The team’s five All-Big East selections are the second-most in program history. Corinne Kenney ’19 was the player to find herself on the First Team. She anchored the Friar defense while also setting a career high in assists with five. Her selection only adds to her long list of accolades, including being an All-Academic Team honoree.

Maddie Babineau ’21, Izzy Mendez ’20, Mary O’Reilly ’20, and Lydia Rice ’19 were the four additional players who garnered All-Big East Second Team Honors. Babineau started all 18 games for PC this year and posted career highs in points (12), goals (three) and assists (six). Mendez accumulated a team-best seven goals, while O’Reilly pitched in 10 points. She also received various academic honors. Rice’s lone season in goal for the Friars was a superb one, as she had five shutouts and had the highest save percentage across the entire conference.

providence college volleyball impellizeri — Photo Courtesy of PC Athletics

Moving away from the field and onto the race course, four different Friars picked up All-Big East Honors for the cross country teams. On the women’s side, runners Abbey Wheeler ’20, Regan Rome ’18G, and Tessa Barrett ’18G all finished top 20 at the Big East Cross Country Championships, determining their status as All-Big East. Wheeler capped off a tremendous season with a fourth overall finish in a time of 20:35.3.

For the men, Ryan Gallagher ’21 also earned the Honors due to his top-20 finish at the championships.

The final All-Big East honoree was volleyball star Allison Impellizeri ’19. She was named to the All-Big East Second Team after leading the Friars in kills (326) and total blocks (86). Impellizeri also ranked fifth in hitting percentage in the Big East.

As the athletic calendar moves to the winter season, the Friars who will take to the court and ice can only hope to match the all-around success of the fall athletes.

Providence College Investigates

by The Cowl Editor on November 29, 2018

PCI

Colin Miller ’19RS and Shelby Hogan ’20RS Were the Top Athletes for the Fall

By Sullivan Burgess ’20

Sports Staff

Of all the male athletes that participated in fall sports this season at Providence College, one that stood out amongst the crowd was men’s soccer goalie Colin Miller ’19RS. The season for the Friars was quite successful, with a 10-7-2 overall record, and a 6-2-1 record in the Big East, tying them for second in the Big East along with Georgetown University, who defeated PC in the Big East Soccer Championship Semi-Finals 4-0.

colin miller providence college soccer — Photo Courtesy of PC Athletics

Miller’s final season began with high expectations, as he was selected unanimously for the 2018 Preseason All-Big East Team and was named the 2018 Men’s Soccer Preseason Goalkeeper Of The Year. In the 19 games played and started this season, Miller had 54 saves, 21 goals allowed, and GAA of 1.06 goals.

While only ranking seventh in saves in the Big East, he ranked first in shutouts in the Big East, and fourth in GAA in the Big East.

Miller’s numbers were certainly the key factor this season for the men’s soccer team in terms of keeping their ranking afloat, but they also allowed Miller to be named to the All-Big East Second Team. For these reasons, he is the best male athlete of the fall season.

On the same pitch, the best female athlete for PC this fall season is women’s soccer goalie Shelby Hogan ’20RS. This season, Hogan was able to provide a spark for her team to gain the playoff berth for the Friars.

shelby hogan providence college soccer — Photo Courtesy of PC Athletics

The Friars’ playoff run sadly only lasted until the Semi-Finals of the Big East Women’s Soccer Championship where they lost to Butler University 2-3. While the Friars may have been knocked out, Hogan’s stats and ambitions will carry on for the rest of her career.

At the end of the season, it was announced that Hogan was named to the 2018 United States Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Women’s All-East Region Third Team. Hogan was also named into the All-Big East Second Team for her achievements this season.

Some of these stats included: 16 goals allowed, 0.77 GAA, and 95 saves throughout the season. These stats have placed her third in GAA, second in saves, and second in shutouts in the Big East.

Hogan’s drive and goals throughout the season pushed the Friars to go beyond the expectations that everyone had of them, making her the best female athlete of the fall season.

Providence College Investigates

by The Cowl Editor on November 29, 2018

PCI

Colin Miller ’19RS and Shelby Hogan ’20RS Were the Top Athletes for the Fall

By Sullivan Burgess ’20

Sports Staff

While only ranking seventh in saves in the Big East, he ranked first in shutouts in the Big East, and fourth in GAA in the Big East.

Some of these stats included: 16 goals allowed, 0.77 GAA, and 95 saves throughout the season. These stats have placed her third in GAA, second in saves, and second in shutouts in the Big East.

Hogan’s drive and goals throughout the season pushed the Friars to go beyond the expectations that everyone had of them, making her the best female athlete of the fall season.

Women’s Soccer Falls to Butler Once Again

by The Cowl Editor on November 8, 2018

Friar Sports

By Thomas Zinzarella ’21

Sports Staff

Last week, the Providence College Women’s Soccer Team fell in the Big East Semifinals to the Butler University Bulldogs. This is the second year in a row that the Friars have made the semifinals and dropped both games to the Bulldogs. However, this time around the Friars fared better at Indianapolis.

The Friars were defeated 0-3 last year and showed resilience in this year’s matchup. The Friars trailed 0-2 at halftime after two quick goals scored by the Bulldogs in the 19th and 35th minute. The Friars did not give in, as Camille Murphy ’21 put the Friars on the board and gave them some life. Butler once more extended their lead with a goal in the 79th minute.

Once again, the Friars showed perserverance with a goal by Amber Birchwell ’21 in the 87th minute. The Friars were unable to mount a comeback, but they continue to progress towards the ultimate goal of a Big East championship in future seasons.

It is safe to say that the Butler-Providence rivalry is just getting started in 2018. The Friars have been defeated by the Bulldogs in their last three playoff matchups. The Friars continue to get better and develop their up-and-coming talent. It starts with the top two goal scorers on the team in Hannah McNulty ’21 and Birchwell. Both combined to score 16 of the 26 goals that the Friars recorded this season. McNulty was 3rd in the Big East with 10 goals.

The Friars were led by their defensive back line that was one of the best in the Big East. They only allowed 16 goals this year, second in the Big East only behind the likes of Georgetown University who allowed seven goals. The Hoyas were the second best in the NCAA in goals allowed which is one of the reasons why they earned the number four national ranking and number one seed in the NCAA Tournament.

A valuable piece for the future is goaltender Shelby Hogan ’21RS. Hogan, who was third in the Big East with a .77 Goals Allowed per game, also recorded 10 shutouts, second in Big East. Due to Hogan’s performance in the Big East tournament, along with Birchwell, both earned Big East All-Tournament team honors.

Another reason the future looks bright for PC is continued success from the coaching staff. Since his arrival at PC in 2014, Head Coach Sam Lopes has lead the Friars to five Big East postseason berths, along with five winning seasons including four straight seasons recording double-digit wins.

With talent and experience coming back to the team next year, expect the Friars to be in contention once again as they look to pursue a Big East title and a place in the NCAA tournament.

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.

Women’s Soccer Begins Big East Play

by The Cowl Editor on October 4, 2018

Friar Sports

By Cam Smith ’21

Sports Staff

Simply put, the Providence College Women’s Soccer Team is a force to be reckoned with. The Friars’ record of 7-4-1 gives them a position in the top five in the Big East standings, just behind Georgetown University, Butler University, Villanova University, and DePaul University.

The Friars’ success is due in large part to their steady defense and tremendous goalkeeper play. The defense has been anchored by Katie Day ‘19 and Hailee Duserick ‘19, who along with Alessandra Arace ‘20 and Olivia Lucia ’20 have helped PC allow only 10 goals on the entire season thus far, the second-best mark in the conference. Five shutouts from goalkeeper Shelby Hogan ’21 have also helped the Friars keep the scoresheet clean on the opposing side. Hannah McNulty ’21 leads the Friars so far this season in goals scored with eight and is second in the entire conference (just behind Georgetown’s Caitlin Farrell with nine). She will be looking to keep up her prolific scoring as the season enters its second half.

The Friars opened up the season with nine out-of-conference games, in which they went 6-2-1. That stretch saw the team pull off key wins against vaunted institutions such as Harvard University, Brown University, and Drexel University. The Friars’ only two losses came from the third and 17th ranked teams in the entire country, the University of North Carolina and Duke University, respectively. Against Duke, forward Casey Estey ’19 pinned a shot top right corner with 75.2 minutes on the board, pulling the Friars within one goal and effectively silencing the raucous Blue Devil fans. PC would end up falling 2-1, but the Friars proved that they belong alongside the nation’s best.

After finishing off their non-conference schedule with a tie against a talented University of Arkansas team, PC began their Big East portion of the schedule with a 2-0 win over rival Villanova on Sept. 22. The end of the first half saw both teams tied at zero, but that was not for a lack of chances on both sides. PC’s McNulty pushed a shot just wide of the net in the 6th minute from the penalty spot, while Villanova’s Kristen Vinciguerra’s 43rd minute bid to put the Wildcats on top was met with a great save from Hogan. The Friars came out of the half with their foot on the gas pedal, as McNulty fired a laser past the Wildcat keeper to put PC up 1-0 in the 50th minute. Eight minutes later, the scoring onslaught continued as midfielder Kayla Steeves ’19 curled a masterful shot into the net off of a corner kick to seal the game for the Friars.

A home game on Sept. 27 saw PC fall in a heartbreaking fashion to Xavier University 2-3 in double overtime. McNulty and Arace both scored for the Friars in regular time, but a goal from Xavier’s Sydney Schembri snuck past Hogan to drop the Friars to 1-1 in Big East play.

PC took on Butler Sept. 30 and will return to action on Oct. 4 to play St. John’s University, where they will look to build upon a fantastic first half of the season.

Providence College Investigates

by The Cowl Editor on September 20, 2018

PCI

The Women’s Soccer Team Will be the Fall Sport With the Best Record

By Jack Belanger ’21

Sports Co-Editor

No fall sports team has found consistent success this year like the Providence College Women’s Soccer Team. Though both the Men’s and Women’s soccer team and the field hockey team were picked to finish fourth in their respective Big East Preseason Coaches’ poll, with a 6-2-1 record, the women’s soccer team has a better record than all other teams and has exceeded expectations at this point in their season. The men’s team currently sits at 3-4-1, while volleyball is 6-5 and field hockey is 4-5.

So far this year, PC is undefeated at Chapey Field (5-0-0) and the team’s only two losses came against two top-15 nationally ranked teams, Duke University and the University of North Carolina (UNC), at the Duke Nike Classic. The team also tied 1-1 against the University of Arkansas, who is 5-2-2 and plays in the Southeastern Conference, one of the tougher conferences in Division I soccer.

Goalkeeper Shelby Hogan ’20RS has been named to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll four times and was once named the Big East Goalkeeper of the Week. Teammate Hannah McNulty ’21 has been named the Big East Offensive Player of the Week twice this season. McNulty, so far, is second in the Big East in goals with six. Hogan leads the league in saves with 46.

The Friars defense, led by Katie Day ’19 and Hailee Duserick ’19, have given Hogan plenty of protection in front of the net. PC has allowed the third fewest goals in the Big East this season with six goals in nine games. The two seniors have started every game for the Friars this season and are tied with the most minutes on the field.

As the team begins conference play on Sept. 22 against Villanova, the Friars will enter the game with the second-best record in the Big East, behind only 10th-ranked Georgetown University, who has yet to lose a game. Last season, PC earned the third seed in the tournament, and they returned many of their key contributors this season, as they look to challenge Georgetown for the Big East crown.

While there is still plenty of the fall season left for PC’s sports teams, as each team begins conference play within the next couple weeks, the women’s soccer team has proven that they can compete with some of the best teams in the country (losing by 1 goal to Duke and UNC) which only bodes well for them when they take on the top teams in the Big East. While PC’s other teams still have a chance to move up in the standings, the women’s soccer team is already near the top and will be able to surpass their last season’s win total of 10.