March 28, 2024

EPHS Girls Athletics In the News: Basketball Plays for State Championship on Saturday

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EPHS Girls in State Title Game Sat March 4th, 3:15 at RIC

Girls basketball at EPHS has made it to a State Championship game for the first time in program history. Although experiencing some great seasons throughout the years, the 2017 team is the first to play in a State Championship game. The Townies will take on an undefeated Johnston High in a Division II State Title game. The game will be played at Rhode Island College on Saturday, March 4th at 3:15 p.m.

The Townies went into overtime on Thursday evening March 2nd to defeat a tough Westerly High. Westerly had previously East Providence at the end of the regular season to gain a number one seed in the tournament. "I am so proud of these ladies as they fought through a rollercoaster evening in a great win over Westerly and the program's first ever trip to the finals," said Head Coach Mike Solitro. "This is exciting, we want everyone there at RIC this Saturday as we take on the undefeated Panthers."

East Providence led at halftime after a fast start built up a comfortable lead. Westerly fought back, went ahead and then with the Townies going ahead late in the game, the contest went to overtime. With great foul shooting, the Townies pulled out a close overtime 42-40 win to get to the state final on Saturday. Earlier Johnston High defeated Rogers 39 to 35 to remain undefeated and face the Townies.

East Providence had an opening bye, then defeated Ponaganset and Westerly to make it to the title game. "We will have to be on top of our game this Saturday," said Coach Solitro. "Johnston hasn't lost a game this season. We'll give it our best shot."

The Townies roster: Shaniah Hazard, Guard Jr; Courtney Dorr, Guard, Jr; Julia Andra, Guard Sr; Savannah Feola, Guard, Fr; Emma DaSilva, Forward, So; Mia Jackson, Guard, Fr; Lillian Conti, Guard, Jr; Ashley Cassino-Henriquez, Guard, Fr; Arianna Calouro, Guard, Sr; Amber Drainville, Forward, Sr; Hailey Hannon, Forward, So; Michaela Doro, Forward So; Jazmyn Ivy Forward, Sr; Paige Chakouinan, Forward Jr.

EPHS Soccer Gets Award

The East Providence Townie girls soccer team was honored with the 2016 Max Preps/National Guard Tour of Champions Award on February 1, 2017. The Townie girls were 1 of the 10 Tour of Champions Award Recipients of the 16,000 varsity girls soccer teams nationwide. The Townies girls soccer team was ranked number 1 in Rhode Island and number 79 nationwide. Our girls brought home the first ever State girls soccer title in the history of East Providence High School.

Alice Sullivan Scholarships Available

RI Interscholastic League Director of Multimedia Content, Carolyn Thornton, has announced that Alice Sullivan Memorial Scholarship Applications are available for female student-athletes.

Alice Sullivan was a retired physical-education teacher and former vice principal of East Providence High School. She was the first director of girls sports for the Interscholastic League, a position she held for 24 years. "Alice Sullivan’s time as a teacher and administrator at East Providence High School spanned four decades. That is an impressive length of service all on its own, but Sullivan’s contributions to Rhode Island’s student-athletes, especially girls, went even further than that," said Thornton. The driving force behind girls sports being added to the Rhode Island Interscholastic League in the late 1960s, she became the league’s director of girls sports and then its first assistant executive director.

By the time Sullivan stepped down from her position at the RIIL in 1996, the league was offering 14 sports for girls. Even after her retirement, she continued to work tirelessly to ensure that girls received the best athletic opportunities possible until her death in November 2003 at the age of 78. Shortly after her passing, a foundation and scholarship was created in Sullivan’s name “to sustain in perpetuity Alice Sullivan’s life, character and enthusiasm for girls athletics.”

She was inducted into the Rhode Island Interscholastic League Hall of Fame and also the East Providence High School Hall of Fame. Her numerous honors include: 1983, the Rhode Island Board of Women's Basketball Officials names its annual award for outstanding and dedicated service the Alice Sullivan Award; 1981, "Service to Women in Rhode Island," by the Permanent Advisory Commission on Women; 1967, National Jaycees Physical Fitness Leadership Award, the first woman ever selected.

Applications are currently being accepted for the Alice Sullivan Scholarship, which is open to female high school or collegiate student-athletes planning to pursue a career in coaching, officiating or athletic administration.

Deadline to submit an application is April 17, 2017. Click here for an application, which can also be found at riil.org. (Go to “Resources” and then “Documents and Forms”)

Photos in this story are provided by Tyler Maxwell Photos. Tyler is a 2015 graduate of EPHS.

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