Men's Lacrosse Travels To No. 10 Denver

GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS

PROVIDENCE TRAVELS TO NO. 10 DENVER… The Providence College men's lacrosse team will travel to Denver, Colo. on Fri, Apr. 21 to face 10th-ranked Denver in BIG EAST action. It marks the final regular-season road game for Providence. Opening face-off is set for 9:00 p.m. (ET).

NATIONAL TELEVISION / LIVE STATS… The game will be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network. A link to the live stats can be found on Friars.com by navigating to the men's lacrosse schedule.

SERIES BREAKDOWN… Since 2000, the Friars and Pioneers have met 14 times. Denver leads the all-time series, 14-0.

MOST RECENT MEETING... The teams last met during the 2022 campaign. The Friars fell to then-No. 13 Denver, 16-3, at Anderson Stadium. Three different Friars scored in the game.

FRIARS FALL AT HOME... Providence fell to No. 13 Villanova on Apr. 15, recording their first home loss of the 2023 season. Providence trailed by five (12-7) at halftime, but were outscored 8-1 in the second half and fell to Denver, 20-8.

Ryan Bell recorded a game-high four assists.

PROVIDENCE DEFEATED BY NO. 10 GEORGETOWN... Providence led 3-2 midway through the first quarter, but the Hoyas closed out the opening half with a 7-1 advantage on the scoreboard to take a 9-4 lead at halftime. Georgetown scored two goals to open the third quarter to take an 11-4 advantage. The Friars responded down the stretch and outscored 7-2, but the come-back effort fell short (13-11).

Jack Horrigan and Michael Chabra each scored a team-high four goals. Ryan Bell recorded a game-high seven points on five assists an two goals.

PROVIDENCE COMES OUT ON TOP... Providence used a strong first quarter to record a 16-14 BIG EAST home-opening victory over Marquette. The Friars were able to hold the Golden Eagles scoreless through 14 minutes of action in the first frame, scoring five goals of their own. Using this 5-1 advantage, the Friars took the 8-6 lead at half. Providence continued their success into the second half, scoring five goals in the third quarter. Matt Grillo scored Providence's final two goals of the game, giving the Friars a four-goal advantage with three minutes remaining. Marquette scored two goals in the final three minutes of regulation, but Providence held on for the 16-14 lead.

Grillo scored a season-high five goals. Ryan Bell recorded a season-high five assists. James Corasaniti compiled 19 saves and a .576 save percentage on the day.

FRIARS FALL TO NO. 14 TAR HEELS... The Tar Heels took a commanding 9-2 lead in the first quarter which they built upon throughout the remaining three frames. Providence made a fourth quarter push, scoring four goals, but the Tar Heels maintained a double-digit lead and won the game 25-8.

Chris Simonton scored his first-career points on a goal and an assist. Albert Paniccia recorded his first-career assist. Richie Joseph led with two goals.

THE BATTLE AT USA HEADQUARTERS...The Friars dropped to 4-4 on the season after a loss to Hobart (13-11) on Saturday, Mar. 18 at the FCA Lacrosse Invitational. Providence was able to mount a three-point advantage going into half, but the Statesmen used a strong fourth quarter to clinch the victory. Ryan Bell led the Friars with six points on two goals and four assists. Michael Chabra scored a team-best four goals.

GOLDEN GOAL VICTORY... Providence earned its second-straight victory and fourth win overall during the 2023 season on Saturday, Mar. 11, over the Stony Brook Seawolves. The Friars earned a 10-9 win in overtime. Providence got off to a strong 3-0 start, but the Seawolves closed the quarter with three unanswered goals to tie the game (3-3). Stony Brook took its only lead of the game at the 13:16 mark of the second quarter (4-3), but Providence responded with four-consecutive goals to mount a 7-4 advantage with 12:48 to play in the third. Stony Brook tied the game, twice, in the fourth quarter at the 6:12 mark (8-8) and forced OT with 1-second left in regulation (9-9). Jack Horrigan scored the game-winning goal with 2:28 remaining in overtime to give the Friars a 10-9 win. Horrigan scored a career-high four goals in the game, and recorded his fourth hat trick of the season.

DOWN GO THE STAGS... The Friars got off to an early 6-1 start and led wire-to-wire in their 17-10 victory over Fairfield. Michael Chabra paced the Providence offense with four goals. Richie Joseph notched his first career-hat trick, adding three goals. Jack Horrigan and Ryan Bell tallied four points each on two goals and two assists. Providence won 15-31 face-off opportunities, led by Quinn McConnaughey (14-30), who also collected a team-high six groundballs.

FRIARS IN PHILLY...Providence was defeated by No. 12 Saint Joseph's, 19-6, on Saturday, Feb. 25. Michael Chabra and Jack Horrigan scored two goals each to lead Providence in scoring for the day. Stephen Markowski notched the first two points of his career on a goal and an assist. James Corasaniti made a game-high 13 saves in goal.

PROVIDENCE FALLS TO BROWN...Providence fell to Brown University, 13-7, in the second of two Ocean State Cup games on Tuesday, Feb 21. Michael Chabra recorded his sixth career-hat trick and led the Friars with four goals. Going into halftime, Brown held a one-goal advantage over Providence, but the Bears held the Friars scoreless in the third frame to take a 10-5 lead.

FOURTH QUARTER PUSH TO VICTORY...Providence used a dominant fourth quarter to defeat Siena on Saturday, Feb. 18. The Friars outscored the Saints 7-0 in the final period to earn the 18-11 victory. Three players tallied hat tricks including Michael Chabra (three goals), Ty Thureson (three goals) and Jack Horrigan (three goals). Ryan Bell added two goals and two assists for four points.

On the defensive end, goalkeeper James Corasaniti recorded 17 saves and successfully shut out the Saints in the final quarter.

FIRST OCEAN STATE CUP GAME... Providence fell to Bryant, 15-14, in an Ocean State Cup battle on Saturday, Feb. 11. Ryan Bell recorded a career-best 10 points on a career-high six goals and four assists. Jack Horrigan posted his second hat trick of the season with three goals. Chad Cannon scored his first collegiate goal. Goalkeeper James Corasaniti tallied a season-high 18 saves.

Providence outscored Bryant 5-1 in the fourth quarter to mount a late comeback effort. Bell scored three of the Friars' five goals - all in the final 10 minutes of the game.

PROVIDENCE POWERS PAST HOLY CROSS... Providence got out to a 3-0 lead and never trailed en route to a 12-9 victory in the season opener vs. Holy Cross on Feb. 5 at Anderson Stadium. The match-up was featured by Lax.com as the organization's first-ever Game of the Week.

Michael Chabra and Jack Horrigan each recorded hat tricks in the game. Chabra finished with four goals; Horrigan tallied three.

Patrick McAleavey and Richie Joseph each tallied a game-high two assists. James Corasaniti, a graduate transfer from Fairfield University, made his debut with the Friars in goal and earned the win with 15 saves.

MATT GRILLO MAKES PROGRAM HISTORY… Matt Grillo has amassed 115 career goals. Grillo ranks second all-time at Providence in career goals, behind Ed Loiselle '92 (136). Grillo also ranks 12th in career scoring, with 141 points. Ken Leahy '00 is the Friars' all-time leading scorer with 188 points on 115 goals and 76 assists.

RYAN BELL CLIMBS THE LADDER... In just his second season with the Friars, Ryan Bell has worked his way into 10th place at Providence College in career assists, with 69. Bell recorded 34 assists as a freshman in 2022. This season, Bell has compiled 35 assists.

PROGRAM BEGINS BOBBY BENSON ERA… The Friars welcomed a new coaching staff for the 2023 season led by Head Coach Bobby Benson. Benson spent the last two seasons at Maryland as the offensive coordinator during the Terps' run to the NCAA title in 2022. Maryland registered a 33-1 record during Benson's two seasons in College Park, earned two Big Ten Championships and made back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Championship game. Before joining the Terps, Benson spent 14 seasons as the offensive coordinator at his alma mater, Johns Hopkins. He helped Hopkins to 11 NCAA appearances, eight quarterfinal bids, three Final Fours and two National Championship games.

MEET THE STAFF... Casey Brodersen, who spent the last 12 seasons as the Associate Head Coach at Bryant University, was hired by Bobby Benson to serve as Associate Head Coach at Providence. He helped the Bulldogs to six Northeast Conference titles and five NCAA Tournament appearances. Carroll Kennedy joined the Friars as an Assistant Coach. Kennedy worked alongside Benson at Maryland during the 2022 season and was previously named USILA Assistant Coach of the Year while at Limestone University in 2015. Colin Munro joined the staff as a Volunteer Assistant after completing his collegiate career at fellow BIG EAST Conference member, Georgetown, in 2022.

WELCOME TO FRIARTOWN… The Friars have 12 freshmen on the roster in 2023. Newcomers include Tyler Flynn (Setauket, N.Y.), Dean Metzger (Garden City South, N.Y.), Harrison Sweeney (West Hartford, Conn.), Richie Joseph (Longmeadow, Mass.), Jackson Coutu (Upton, Mass.), Eddie Perry (Bridgewater, Mass.), Owen Finetto (Haworth, N.J.), Luke Schmitt (Garden City, N.Y.), Eric Webb (Westfield, N.J.), Ian Olenik (Windham, N.H.), Frankie Carroll (East Setauket, N.Y.), and Tom Sarni (Lynnfield, Mass.).

Additionally, three transfers joined the Friars roster upon Bobby Benson's arrival as Head Coach. James Corasaniti (New York, N.Y.), a graduate transfer from Fairfield University highlights the goaltending unit. Sophomores Pierce Gregory (Sherborn, Mass.) and Vincent Horton (Scituate, Mass.) come to Providence after playing at Bryant University as rookies in 2022.

SEVEN PLAYERS RECORD DOUBLE-DIGIT POINTS… Senior John Hoffman, juniors Michael Chabra and Ty Thureson, sophomores Ryan Bell, Jack Horrigan and Patrick McAleavey, and freshman Richie Joseph have led the Friar offense so far throughout the 2023 season. Bell leads Providence in points (53) on 18 goals and a BIG EAST-best 35 assists. The midfielder ranks second in the conference in points per game (4.42) and leads in assists per game (2.92). Horrigan has recorded a team-high 29 goals and has contributed seven assists for 36 points. The sophomore has compiled 10 multi-goal contests and has scored in 12-straight games. He is tied for first in the BIG EAST with five man-up goals this season. Chabra has recorded 28 goals.

Patrick McAleavey has collected 17 points on nine goals and eight assists. He has scored in four of the five most recent games, including a career-high two goals against Hobart. Richie Joseph has started his rookie season strong, recording 15 points on 10 goals and five assists. Joseph has scored in three of the last four games and added his first career-hat trick against Fairfield. Ty Thureson has recorded 10 points on 10 goals. John Hoffman is the latest Friar to break double digits. The senior has 12 points on eight goals and four assists.

DEFENSIVE LEADERS... Senior Grant Latimer continues to anchor Providence on the defensive end with help from Gregg Dennison and Jack Kilian. Latimer has collected 22 ground balls with a team-high 12 caused turnovers. Dennison has collected 27 ground balls, while tallying 11 caused turnovers. Kilian has added an additional 10 caused turnovers and 16 ground balls. Graduate transfer goalkeeper James Corasaniti has earned a BIG EAST best .531 save percentage and 10 double-digit save games this season, also leading the conference in saves per game (14.92).

FRIARS ON THE FACE-OFF... Sophomore Quinn McConnaughey has emerged as the Friars' primary face-off specialist. McConnaughey has gone 76-168 from the 'X', averaging a .452 face-off percentage. McConnaughey's season so far is highlighted by his 12-for-17 performance against Hobart on Mar. 25. The sophomore has collected a team-high 33 ground balls. Additionally, Tom Fegley has picked up a .404 face-off percentage (44-109) including string performances against then-No. 14 North Carolina (9-4) and No. 13 Villanova (7-7).

FRIARS ON A NATIONAL LEVEL... Providence ranks second in the nation in saves per game (15.50) with 186 total saves. With 19 saves on 30 extra-man opportunity goal attempts (.633), the Providence defense ranks 37th in man-down defenses. The Friars also have the 10th highest shot percentage in the country at .328.

Ryan Bell ranks third among Division I players in assists per game (2.92) and 26th in points per game (4.42). Averaging 14.92 saves per game, James Corasaniti is third in the nation in saves per game.

FRIARS PICKED TO FINISH FIFTH IN BIG EAST POLL... Providence was picked to finish fifth in the 2023 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll (9 points). Georgetown was picked to win the league, having collected five first-place votes and 25 points overall. Denver (20 points) was second and Villanova, who received one first-place vote and 18 points was selected third. Rounding out the conference standings was Marquette (13 points) in fourth and St. John's (five points) in sixth.

SCOUTING NO. 10 DENVER… The No. 10 Pioneers currently sit in a tie for second place in the BIG EAST standings with a 2-1 record. However, the Pioneers hold the tiebreaker over Villanova, having defeated the Wildcats 12-6 on April 8. The Pioneers are 7-4 overall (2-1 BIG EAST). Denver was selected to finish second in the conference. Additionally, defenseman Jack DiBenedetto has received conference and USILA weekly recognition twice this season and also was named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team.

Denver is third in the BIG EAST in assists per game. The Pioneers lead the conference and rank sixth in the nation in face-off winning percentage (.601).

PLAYERS TO WATCH… Attackman JJ Sillstrop leads the offensive line with 30 points on 25 goals and five assists. The senior recorded multi-goal performances in the Pioneers' two most recent games. Michael Lampert, ranking third on the team in points (25), tallied a six-point performance against St. John's on Apr. 15., recording a season-high four goals and two assists. On the defensive end, DiBenedetto has caused a team-best 10 turnovers and picked up 12 ground balls.

Face-off specialist Alec Stathakis has gone 161-268 at the face-off 'X', recording a .601 face off percentage. He ranks fifth in the nation in ground balls per game with 9.18.

WHAT'S NEXT… The Friars will face St. John's on Apr. 29 to close out the regular-season schedule. Opening face-off is set for 12:00 p.m. on Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium. Prior to the start of the game, a Senior Day ceremony will be held to recognize the program's seniors and graduate members.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Ryan Bell

Chad Cannon

Frankie Carroll

Michael Chabra

James Corasaniti

Jackson Coutu

Gregg Dennison

Tom Fegley

Owen Finetto

Tyler Flynn

Pierce Gregory

Matt Grillo

John Hoffman

Jack Horrigan

Vincent Horton

Richie Joseph

Jack Kilian

Grant Latimer

Stephen Markowski

Patrick McAleavey

Quinn McConnaughey

Dean Metzger

Ian Olenik

Albert Paniccia

Eddie Perry

Tom Sarni

Luke Schmitt

Chris Simonton

Harrison Sweeney

Ty Thureson

Eric Webb

Completed Event: Men's Lacrosse at RV/#19 Fairfield on March 1, 2025 , Loss , 7, to, 15

Completed Event: Men's Lacrosse versus Loyola (Md.) on March 8, 2025 , Win , 12, to, 11

Completed Event: Men's Lacrosse at #6/#8 Duke on March 12, 2025 , Loss , 10, to, 16

Completed Event: Men's Lacrosse at #18/#19 Saint Joseph's on March 22, 2025 , Loss , 8, to, 16

Completed Event: Men's Lacrosse at #17/#15 Georgetown on March 29, 2025 , Loss , 13, to, 14

Completed Event: Men's Lacrosse versus Villanova on April 5, 2025 , Loss , 8, to, 11

Completed Event: Men's Lacrosse versus Marquette on April 12, 2025 , Win , 14, to, 2

Completed Event: Men's Lacrosse at #16/#16 Denver on April 19, 2025 , Win , 10, to, 6

Completed Event: Men's Lacrosse versus St. John's on April 25, 2025 , Win , 16, to, 10

Completed Event: Men's Lacrosse versus No. 2 Villanova on May 1, 2025 , Loss , 14, to, 16

Providence College Athletics