by The Cowl Editor on October 7, 2021
Friar Sports
Ben Bilotti ’23
Sports Staff
The Providence College Women’s Soccer team is having a very nice season so far. Since the start of the season, the team has improved their record to 6-3-1. This amounts to a winning percentage of .650. The team has been especially successful at home, winning five of their six games.
The Friars’ most recent win came against the Creighton University Blue Jays. This marked Providence’s first win in Big East Conference play. The Friars won the match with a score of 1-0.
Kyla Gallagher ’23 scored the winning goal in the 94 minute of the match. Goalkeeper Emma Bodmer ’24 earned her third shutout of the season. In the match she had four saves. Creighton’s goalkeeper Keelan Terrell had four saves of her own. However, the one goal against would ultimately decide the match and send the Friars home victorious.
Creighton University is currently 6-5-2 on the season and in preseason play looked to be one of the top teams in the Conference. However, in Conference play this season, the Blue Jays are 0-3-1. The Blue Jays’ lone tie in conference play came against Georgetown University, who is currently sitting on top of the standings with a record of 2-0-2.
Providence College took on #23 Georgetown University on Sunday, Oct. 3, drawing 1-1. They did well to silence Hoya junior Gia Vicari, who entered the game having seven goals coming on 11 shots on goal. The Hoyas also had a talented goalkeeper Allie Auger, who has 34 saves and only seven goals against. Friar forward Gillian Kenney ’25 was able to slide one past Auger in the second half to equalize against the Hoyas, only nine minutes after Georgetown took the lead in the second half. The game would end level and was not a bad result on the road against a talented opponent.
The Friars have one of the top goalkeepers in the Big East in Emma Bodmer. Bodmer was named to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll on Monday, Sept. 27. For the week Bodmer posted a save percentage of .889. Opponents averaged fewer than one goal against the junior, averaging a 0.48 goal against percentage. In one week, she had eight saves and only one goal allowed. While Bodner has three shutouts in the short season, her shutout against Creighton University was her first individual shutout performance.
This season, Bodmer has a save percentage of .793. She has made 46 saves: only allowing 12 goals in 10 games played. While Georgetown goalkeeper, Allie Auger, has allowed fewer goals against, Bodmer has 12 more saves on the season.
Bodmer has been a very big part of the Friars’ success. She is averaging 1.19 goals against. So far, the sophomore has only allowed more than one goal against twice. The only time this occurred was against No. 5-ranked Wisconsin and No. 22-ranked Rutgers. It’s safe to say when the Friars score two or more goals, they achieve a win with Bodmer in net.
Meg Hughes ’24 and Kyla Gallagher ’24 have been another crucial key to Providence’s success. Hughes has six goals and two assists on the season. Her best performance came against Monmouth University on Sept. 5,, where she led the charge with two goals. The Friars won the match 3-1. Gillian Kenney ’25 also scored her first collegiate goal that match. Gallagher has four goals, and one assist on the season so far. The sophomore’s best performance of the season came against Creighton when she scored the game-winning goal late in the game. Gallagher and Hughes are Providence’s leading goal-scorers thus far.
Providence heads to Villanova, PA to take on the Villanova University Wildcats on Thursday, Oct. 7. In conference play this season, Villanova has come up short with a record of 0-3. The Friars will most certainly look to capitalize and gain some ground in the Big East standings.
After their matchup with the Villanova Wildcats, the Friars will take on Marquette at home on Oct. 10. Then they head to Indianapolis to take on the Butler Bulldogs. Both Butler and Marquette currently sit atop the Friars in the standings. Butler is tied for first along with Georgetown and St. John’s, who all have a conference record of 2-0-2. Marquette sits one place ahead of the Friars with a record of 2-1.
These will be two tough matchups for the Friars. However, do not count them out. Although the team is currently 1-1 in conference play, they showed early that they are a competitive team and are never out of a match.
After their two matches against Marquette and Butler, Providence travels to Queens, NY to take on a tough opponent in first place, St. John’s University. St. John’s looks like they are one of the top teams in the Big East. Like Providence, they play extremely well at home with an overall record of 3-0-2.
The top of the Big East is strong with heavily competitive teams. Strength of schedule does not favor the Providence Friars in the middle of their season. Over their next five matches, the Friars will go up against four of the top teams in the conference. However, the Friars have proven they are a strong and capable squad.
Be sure to mark your calendars for Oct. 21 when the Friars will be playing their Pink Out Game against the University of Connecticut.