September 30, 2013
Around Friartown
Curley ’85 to Join U.S. Hockey Elite
Cindy Curley ’85 has been selected as just the second woman — joining former Friar Cammi Granato ’93 & ’12Hon. — for individual membership in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. Curley will add enshrinement to a long list of accolades, including membership in the Providence College Athletic Hall of Fame. The third-leading scorer in Friar women’s hockey history, she was a stalwart in international play and served as the first captain of a U.S. Women’s National Team.
Former Goalie Berard ’85 Assumes New Role with Men’s Ice Hockey
Former Friar goalie and assistant coach David Berard ’92 has returned to the program as coordinator of men’s ice hockey operations. Berard, the University of Connecticut interim head coach for 25 games in 2012-13, was a Friar assistant for a total of 15 years under former coaches Paul Pooley and Tim Army ’85, leaving in 2011 for an assistant coaching position at UConn. Berard, who calls this “an exciting time in (Friar hockey) history,” lives in East Greenwich, R.I., with his wife, Lynne ’93 — a former Friar field hockey player — and their two sons.
3 Named All-America in Outdoor Track
Emily Sisson ’14 (Chesterfield, Mo.), Laura Nagel ’14 (Napier, New Zealand), and Shelby Greany ’13 (Suffern, N.Y.) earned All-America honors at the 2013 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship in Eugene, Ore., in June. Sisson, a First-Team All-American, and Nagel, who made the Second Team, placed sixth and 12th, respectively, in the 5,000-meter run. Greany finished 11th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase to claim Second-Team selection.
Friar Teams Potent Academically, Too
Four Friar teams are ranked among the top 10 percent nationally for student-athlete academic progress — measured by an NCAA formula — in their respective sports. The men’s swimming and diving team, along with women’s squads in cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field, received 2012 Public Recognition Awards for high achievement relative to the NCAA’s team Academic Progress Rate assessment. The same four teams were similarly recognized in 2012, while this marks the fourth consecutive year for the swimming and diving team and the outdoor track team.
Tennis Alumni Unite at First Reunion
More than 40 Friar men’s and women’s tennis alumni celebrated both programs recently at the first-ever PC Tennis Reunion on the campus courts. The reunion featured an afternoon of round-robin doubles play, followed by a social gathering. Current women’s coach Kyle LaBranche and former men’s coaches Jacques Faulise and Carl LaBranche participated, along with alums representing more than six decades of Friar tennis. Another reunion is planned for 2014. Those interested should contact Christopher Ditmar ’83 at cditmar@gmail.com.
Ackerman ‘Exact’ Fit for BIG EAST
Val Ackerman, a trailblazing leader with vast experience in professional and amateur sports, was appointed the first commissioner of the reconstituted BIG EAST Conference in June. An Academic All-America basketball player at Virginia who later earned a UCLA law degree, Ackerman is a former NBA executive and served for nine years as founding president of the WNBA. She is also a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. “Val is exactly what the BIG EAST needs,” said College President Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. ’80, calling her an “innovative leader who can shepherd the conference to continued success.”
Men’s Basketball Fundraiser Nets More Than $50,000
A late-May Greenwich, Conn., fundraiser generated more than $50,000 to support the Friar men’s basketball program. The NYC Metro Vision Cup Golf Outing featured the men’s basketball coaching staff, Athletic Director Bob Driscoll, and lacrosse Head Coach Chris Gabrielli. The winning foursome of Pete Peterson ’86, Jim Augur ’87, Bob Andrade, and Jim Hudak earned the opportunity to travel with the team on a charter flight this season. Karl ’88 and Kerry ’88 Anderson hosted a reception the evening before the tournament.
Cox Sports Friar Golf Classic Brings in More Than $100,000
More than $100,000 was raised for the Friars Forever Athletic Fund at the Cox Sports Friar Golf Classic at Warwick (R.I.) Country Club in August. The classic is the Department of Athletics’ primary annual fund-raiser. Proceeds benefit 300 student-athletes through academic scholarships and support, and help improve athletics facilities. Participants included College President Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. ’80 and head coaches Ed Cooley (men’s basketball), Nate Leaman (men’s hockey), Bob Deraney (women’s hockey), and Chris Gabrielli (lacrosse).
