June 13, 2005

INTRO

The Providence College field hockey team has a new home. The College community is celebrating the completion of a multi-million dollar artificial turf facility, which will serve as the home venue for Friar field hockey. No one is happier about the new facility than Head Coach Diane Madl and her squad. "We are ecstatic to be able to showcase our new facility," Coach Madl said. "It marks a turning point in our program and we are very appreciative. The completion of the facility will help us tremendously in our recruiting efforts and also will be key in the progress and development of our program and each of our student athletes."

The 2005 campaign also marks the 30th season of Friar field hockey at Providence. The program was established in 1976 and holds an all-time record of 295-236-28 (.553). The Friars are five wins shy of capturing the program's 300th victory.

The Friars have more than just their new home to be excited about. Providence returns 14 players from the 2004 roster, including eight members of the starting lineup. Coach Madl welcomes back the bulk of her offense, losing just two graduated players who cracked the scoring column in 2004. PC returns six of the eight players who appeared in the scoring column in 2004. These six returning players combined to score 99 of PC's 124 points last season, and include junior midfielder Melissa McGow (Branford, Conn.) and senior forward Kati Lary (Canaan, N.H.). McGow, a two-time STX/NFHCA Regional All-America selection and 2004 All-BIG EAST Second-Team honoree, led the Friars in scoring a year ago with 38 points on 11 goals and 16 assists. She became the first player since Erica Hebert in 1999 to score 30-or-more points in a single-season. She finished among the national leaders in NCAA Division I statistics in four categories. McGow finished the year tied for seventh nationally in assists (16), fifth in assists per game (0.800), tied for fourth in defensive saves (seven) and tied for seventh in defensive saves per game (0.350). Her 16 assists tied for first in the BIG EAST Conference and she ranked fifth in the league in overall scoring (38 points). McGow enters her third season with the Friars ranked 14th on PC's all-time career scoring list with 58 points on 20 goals and 18 assists. She also ranks 13th all-time in career assists at PC (18) and is tied for 16th in career goals (20). Lary, one of two seniors on the roster this year, finished second on the team in scoring in 2004 with 24 points on eight goals and eight assists. A STX/NFHCA Second-Team Regional All-America selection in 2003, Lary finished the 2004 season ranked 10th in the BIG EAST Conference in scoring. Entering her final year with the black and white, Lary sits in 20th place on PC's all-time scoring list with 48 career points on 16 goals and 16 assists.

Sophomore forward Abby Maguire (Southbury, Conn.) and junior midfielder Lauren Sickel (Plaistow, N.H.) also return firepower to the Providence offense. Maguire netted 13 points on six goals and one assist as a freshman, while Sickel made the transition from defense to the midfield as a sophomore and scored five goals and two assists for 12 points. Sickel joined McGow as an All-BIG EAST Second-Team selection and was tabbed a STX/NFHCA Second-Team Regional All-American in 2004.

In addition to the 14 returning players, the Friars add six newcomers to the roster. The Class of 2009 includes two-time First-Team High School All-American Stephanie Scavelli (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.). Scavelli is an accomplished goalkeeper, who becomes just the seventh High School All-American ever to sign with Providence College for field hockey, and just the second to have earned All-America recognition twice in high school. In addition, she is the first-ever All-American goalie to sign with PC. The remaining list of talented recruits include forward/midfielder Alex Kister (St. Louis, Mo.), defender Jessica Lane (South Windsor, Conn.), midfielder Ali Kornfeld (Kingston, Pa.), forward Meghan Holden (Worcester, Mass.) and defender Maggie Ciarcia (Dennis, Mass.). Lane is a two-time First-Team All-State selection. Ciarcia and Holden, who both hail from Massachusetts, were each named "Best of 60 in Massachusetts All-Stars." Kornfeld led Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) to the State Championship game twice during her career, and capturing the title as a freshman and finishing as runner-up as a senior. Kister is an All-Metro selection who attended Villa Duschesne School (Mo.).

FORWARDS

The Friars are returning a solid core of experience on the forward line in 2005. Last season the Friar offense (including midfield) combined to score 46 goals. It marked the ninth highest total for goals scored in a single-season in the 29-year history of the PC field hockey program.

Lary, Maguire and junior Jessica Weinstein (Bridgeton, N.J.) are expected to lead the way. Weinstein played 18 games for PC last season with three appearances in the starting lineup. She scored six points on two goals and two assists.

Coach Madl is looking for junior Colleen Walsh (South Easton, Mass.) and sophomore Liz Cherry (Wilmington, N.C.) to step up and increase their playing time. Walsh has been hampered by injury during her two seasons with the Friars and played five games in 2004. Cherry played nine games for PC in her freshman campaign.

Sophomore Amanda Paquin (Tiverton, R.I.), Kister and Holden also will vie for playing time at the forward position. Paquin sat out the 2004 season with an injury, while Kister and Holden enter their first season with the Friars.

MIDFIELD

All-BIG EAST and Regional All-America selections McGow and Sickel will anchor PC's veteran midfield. Joining the talented duo are sophomore Kiley Morgart (Mountaintop, Pa.), Kornfeld and Weinstein. Junior Emily Ewens (Vancouver, B.C.) is making the transition from defense to midfield. Morgart started all 20 games for the Friars during her first collegiate season in 2004. Weinstein will see time at forward and midfield in her third season with the black and white. Ewens started all 20 games for PC at defense last season, and scored six points on two goals and two assists. She also registered one defensive save. Kister, who also is listed as a forward, could possibly see some playing time in the midfield.

DEFENSE

The Friar defensive unit will be held down by senior Kristen Baraiola (Wallingford, Conn.), junior Noel Mahlstadt (Farmingville, N.Y.) and sophomore Michalagh Stoddard (Norwood, Mass.). Joining the three returning defenders are newcomers Lane and Ciarcia. Baraiola played eight games for PC in just her second season of collegiate field hockey during the 2004 season and is one of two seniors on the team this year. Mahlstadt played 12 games at defense for PC in her sophomore campaign and came on down the stretch to crack the starting lineup in each of the last four games of the season. Stoddard played 18 games as a freshman and appeared in the starting lineup 14 times.

GOALKEEPERS

The Friars are young at the goalkeeper position, but Coach Madl is confident in her personnel. Sophomore Katherine Claeys (Lake Forest, Ill.) served as the backup for Meredith Jones (Lake Forest, Ill.) in 2004. She gained valuable experience as a member of team during her first collegiate season, and had a solid spring with the Friars. Scavelli, a two-time High School All-American, will battle with Claeys for the starting position.

SCHEDULE

The Friars will play 13 of their 19 games at the Friar Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex. Providence also is scheduled to play five teams who participated in the 2004 NCAA Field Hockey Tournament -- Boston College, Iowa, Northeastern, Connecticut and Harvard. "We're very excited about adding some national caliber teams to our schedule," Coach Madl commented. "It will be challenging, but a schedule that our program will continue grow from. It also will help us in our preparation for conference play. Given our veteran personnel and the addition of some talented newcomers, I anticipate that we will be able to surprise a few people."

Providence also will host Louisville in BIG EAST Conference action. Louisville is one of five new teams to join the league, and the only new school that sponsors field hockey. "Louisville is a great addition to the BIG EAST Conference," Coach Madl said. "We are looking forward to competing in the league this season. I feel that we can move up a few spots in the league standings with the talent and experience that we have on our roster, and our goal is to make the BIG EAST Tournament."

WRAP-UP

The Friars are embarking on their fourth season under the direction of Head Coach Diane Madl. With veteran leadership, a host of young talent and the completion of the artificial turf facility - Madl is confident that this could be the breakthrough year for the Friars. "We have experience on every line this season and we have made progress, tactically, in a lot of areas on the field," Coach Madl said. "This program is going to continue to set the bar higher and we look forward to playing some exciting, competitive field hockey."