2018 Men’s Lacrosse Year in Review: #50 Providence Friars

With the 2018 college lacrosse season complete, it’s time to start looking back at how all 71 teams did during the season, as well as what to expect from each squad for 2019.

We’ve already begun looking back to 2018 with some team recaps thus far and continued our series yesterday with UMBC.

So with that, let’s continue the recaps!

#50 Providence Friars

Conference: Big East
2018 Record: 5-10 (1-4 in Big East play)
Head coach: Chris Gabrielli (6th Year)

Statistical Leaders

Goals: Sean Leahey (26)
Assists: Evan McGreen (18)
Points: Sean Leahey (36)
Faceoffs: Alex George (75-of-144; 52.1%)
Ground balls: Alex George (47)
Caused turnovers: James Barclay (17)
Goals against average: Tate Boyce (9.65 GAA)
Save percentage: Tate Boyce (52.9%)

Personnel Losses

Key seniors departing: D James Barclay (18 GBs, 17 CTs, 1 A), A Austin Goltz (15 Gs, 4 As), D Ian Grey (16 GBs, 6 CTs), LSM Austin Yezarski (18 GBs, 5 CTs, 1 G), M Joshua Keller (9 Gs, 2 As), SSDM Conner Byrne (26 GBs, 3 CTs, 2 Gs, 1 A)
Senior scoring departing: 39 of 214 points (18.2%)
Senior starts lost: 37 of 150 (24.7%)

Season Summary

A year off of coming one goal short of winning the Big East championship, Providence had some high expectations coming into 2018. Could they be the dark horse to win the conference thanks to a stud goalie in Tate Boyce?

The season started with the Friars going 3-1 with wins over Holy Cross, Bryant, and St. Joe’s. But that’s when the losing really began. Providence lost nine of their final 11 games, including a stretch where they lost five straight, all within four goals. Three of those games were decided by a goal, with two of them needing overtime.

After a St. John’s win, the Friars lost four of their final five games (all of the losses in Big East play), but did record their first ever victory over Brown in program history en route to an Ocean State Cup title.

The results didn’t go Providence’s way in 2018. The Big East squad went 2-6 in one-goal games and 1-4 in overtime affairs. The overall scoring went down from a year ago, especially from leading scorers Brendan Kearns and Nick Hatzipetrakos, who each had 23 points this season after scoring over 40 points in 2017. Sean Leahey’s 26 goals and 36 points led all Friars.

Goalie Tate Boyce also saw a setback in his junior year after a solid sophomore campaign. He gave up 1.6 more goals than last year and his save percentage dropped to 52.9%.

Looking Ahead

The loss of Jarrod Neumann didn’t help Providence entering this season, and the Friars will have to undergo more changes to the defense for 2019. James Barclay and Ian Grey graduate, leaving junior Nick Crews and sophomore Rob Stovel as the returning starters from a year ago. LSM Austin Yezarski also graduates, leaving freshman Zach Masessa as the top long stick. Boyce has one more year left in goal, and so does FOGO Alex George.

The only big loss on offense is Austin Goltz at attack. Kearns and Hatzipetrakos will look for bounce-back seasons, while sophomores Leahey and Ryan Nawrocki all look to build on their seasons and not suffer the same regression that Kearns and Hatzipetrakos saw this past year.

Here’s who the Friars will be adding to their roster for next year.*

*Compiled from a multitude of websites. Schools usually officially announce their recruiting class during the fall semester.