Providence College Athletics
Bob's Blog - Entry 1
9/19/2008 12:00:00 AM | General
Dear Friar Fans,
It's a great day to be a Friar. There are so many wonderful things happening at Providence College and I am so thrilled to share the news about our growth with you. We are starting a new blog to share updates with our loyal fans and to help keep our faithful Friar supporters better informed about all the happenings at Providence College.
Since 2005, Providence College has invested more than $30 million in facility upgrades and program enhancements. Funding for these projects has been made possible through generous donations from alumni and friends of Friar Athletics. To show our gratitude for all your support, Providence College is hosting the 2008 Providence College Athletics Donor Appreciation Night on Thursday, September 18. All donors contributing an annual amount of $2,500.00 or more are invited to Warwick Country Club for a dinner among athletes and coaches, including Keno Davis, Phil Seymore, Tim Army and Bob Deraney. President Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. also will be in attendance. This is a special night to thank our most loyal donors for their generosity and support.
With the help of our devoted donors, we were able to raise a record of over $2 million during the 2006-07 fiscal year, surpassing the previous record set in 2006. Last year, we raised $2.3 million and have a new goal of $2.5 million for the upcoming fiscal year. We are ecstatic about our continued growth and all the possibilities that come with it.
Because of these donations, many projects have been initiated and completed over the past year. One of these projects was the opening of the brand new Canavan Sports Medicine Center in the spring of 2007. This impressive training facility features the most innovative equipment to recuperate and condition our student-athletes. It features a new rehabilitation area, physician examination rooms, office space for the staff, and a hydrotherapy room which includes a SwimEx rehab pool and two plunges for cold/hot therapy. This contemporary and modern equipment will only propel our Friars to a higher level of competition.
It is also very exciting for me to report to everyone that the $80 million renovation of the Dunkin' Donuts Center is complete. On September 6, we participated in the Grand Re-opening Ceremony at the Dunk'. More than 17,000 fans passed through the arena and got to experience many interactive exhibits and view the completed renovations. Over the past three years, the Dunk' has been turned into a state-of-the-art facility. With a beautiful new lobby, new black seats with cup-holders, luxury boxes, a high-tech video scoreboard, updated concession stands, and new locker rooms, the Dunkin' Donuts Center is truly a top-notch entertainment venue. The improved facility now holds more that 12,000 fans and as a result of these efforts, Providence College and the Dunkin' Donuts Center have been selected to host the First and Second Rounds of the 2010 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship.
As the fall season begins, our athletic teams have shown great success. Our men's soccer team had a thrilling 1-0 victory over fourth-ranked Boston College on September 1. The win propelled the team to a No. 25 ranking in the Soccer America national poll which was released on September 8. It marks the first time since October 16, 2006 that Providence has been ranked nationally. Our women's soccer team is also having a solid start to the 2008 campaign. The women started the season with three straight wins while allowing only one goal in all three competitions. Once again, the men's and women's cross country teams are off to great starts. On August 30, both programs captured their first meet of the season as they defeated New Hampshire, Boston College, and Georgia College. The field hockey team defeated Yale, 5-0, in non-conference play on September 7. This win at home boosted their record to 3-1 on the season.
Volleyball has also started the season with four wins, the most recent a sweep of Quinnipiac on September 6. The women's tennis team welcomes new Head Coach, Kyle LaBranche. This former Providence College assistant coach is the son of Carl LaBranche, PC's former men's and women's tennis coach and current Associate Athletic Director.
On the men's basketball side, Head Coach Keno Davis and his staff have been very busy recruiting. They have already received several commitments from student athletes and are talking with some of the top high school players in the country. Certain to assist the recruiting efforts are some tremendous improvements to the men's basketball facilities. In addition to the renovations to the Dunkin' Donuts Center, the entire men's basketball complex is being redone, including the coaches' offices, reception area, video suite, players' lounge, and locker rooms. Also part of the renovations is the refurbishing of the hallway running adjacent to the office. This hall, which will feature museum type exhibits highlighting Friar Basketball, will be named the Joe Calabria Hallway of Legends.
All of us in the Friar family appreciate your continued generosity and support of Providence College athletics. I look forward to many successes we will share this upcoming season.
Go Friars!
Bob Driscoll
