Lacrosse Game Notes vs No. 6/5 Duke

PROVIDENCE SET TO FACE DUKE… The Providence men's lacrosse team is set to face No. 5 Duke on Saturday, March 14. Opening face-off is set for 1:00 p.m. in Farmingdale, N.Y. at the Weldon E. Howitt Middle School.

LIVE STATS AND STREAM… The game will be streamed on YouTube via T&D Sports Video Production. Direct links to the broadcast, in addition to live stats, can be found on Friars.com by navigating to the men's lacrosse schedule.

SERIES BREAKDOWN... Wednesday's game between Providence and Duke will mark the fifth meeting between the two programs all-time. Duke leads the series, 4-0. Providence is 0-3 vs. Duke in regular-season play and 0-1 vs. the Blue Demons in the NCAA Tournament.

MOST RECENT MEETING... The teams last met during the 2025 campaign in Durham, N.C. The Friars were defeated by the Blue Devils, 16-10. Chris Matia recorded three points on one goal and two assists.

FRIARS DEFEATED BY LOYOLA MARYLAND... The Providence College men's lacrosse team was defeated by Loyola Maryland, 15-9, on Saturday, March 7 in Baltimore, Md. Richie Joseph scored a hat trick for the Friars. Jack Bonello scored his first career goal and tallied a career-high three points.

RHETT CHAMBERS NAMED TO THE BIG EAST WEEKLY HONOR ROLL... Rhett Chambers was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on March 9. Chambers recorded 11 points on three goals and eight assists in two games last week for the Friars. He tallied a career-high 10 points on three goals and a career-best seven assists in Providence's 16-9 win over Merrimack (March 2). Chambers added one assist in the Friars 15-9 loss at Loyola Maryland (March 7).

RICHIE JOSEPH REACHES 100-GOAL MILESTONE... Richie Joseph reached 100 career goals on March 2 in the Friars 16-9 win over Merrimack. He became just the seventh player in program history to achieve the feat.

RICHIE JOSEPH MOVING UP ALL-TIME CAREER SCORING AND GOALS LIST... Senior Richie Joseph is currently tied for 16th on the Friars' all-time scoring list and tied for fifth on the all-time career goals list. Heading into Saturday's game, Joseph owns 139 career points on 104 goals and 35 assists.

RHETT CHAMBERS RANKS SECOND IN THE BIG EAST IN POINTS AND ASSISTS PER GAME... Through seven games, Rhett Chambers has recorded team-highs in points (33), goals (14) and assists (19). Chambers ranks second in the BIG EAST and tied for 12th among NCAA Division I players in points per game (4.71). He is also second in the BIG EAST and is fourth in the NCAA in assists per game (2.71).

THE FRIARS' OFFENSE... Through seven games, Providence ranks fifth in the BIG EAST in goals per game (10.57). Rhett Chambers has paced the Friars' offense with team-bests in points (33), goals (14) and assists (19). The rest of the Friars' attack has been balanced. Matt Lazzaro is second on the team in points (21), third in goals (12) and ranks second in assists (nine). Richie Joseph is second in goals (14) and has added three assists for 17 points. Jay Wilkerson has scored 11 goals for the Friars. Sixteen players have scored at least one goal this season.

CAM STERRITT BETWEEN THE PIPES... Sophomore goaltender Cam Sterritt made his collegiate debut for the Friars this season. He has started all seven games and has compiled 87 saves with a .561 save percentage and a 9.82 goals against average. The sophomore ranks first in the BIG EAST in saves per game (12.43) and third in goals against average (9.82). He also ranks second in the BIG EAST and 14th among NCAA Division I goaltenders in save percentage (.561). Sterritt has recorded a .590 save percentage or better in four out of the Friars seven games.

FROM THE FACE-OFF 'X'... Chris Esposito has emerged as the Friars primary face-off man. The junior has tallied a 52-99 face-off record overall for a .525 win percentage. He ranks second in the BIG EAST in face-off percentage (.542) with a minumum of 50 attempts. Esposito has also recorded a team-high 19 ground balls. Jack Cooper also has been productive from the face-off 'X' with a .453 win percentage (29-64) and 12 ground balls.

DEFENSIVE LEADERS... Ian Olenik, Jack Bourget and Dean Metzger have anchored the Friars defensively this season. Long-stick midfielder Olenik leads the team in caused turnovers (14) and is second in ground balls (18). He is tied for second in the BIG EAST in caused turnovers per game (2.00). Olenik has emerged as a dual threat with two goals and is tied for third on the team in assists (three). Bourget ranks second on the team in caused turnovers (eight) and has picked up 10 ground balls. Metzger has registered 13 ground balls and four caused turnovers for the Friars.

RICHIE JOSEPH AND MATT LAZZARO NAMED TO NEILA 2026 PRESEASON WATCH LIST... Richie Joseph and Matt Lazzaro were named to the NEILA 2026 Preseason Watch List. Joseph was named to the returning players watch list while Lazzaro was named to the incoming players list.

CAM STERRITT NAMED TO THE BIG EAST WEEKLY HONOR ROLL... Cam Sterritt was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll for the third time this season on March 2. The sophomore goalie recorded 12 saves on a .600 save percentage in the Friars 8-7 loss to Fairfield (Feb. 21).

CAM STERRITT NAMED TO THE BIG EAST WEEKLY HONOR ROLL... Cam Sterritt was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Feb. 23. The sophomore goalie recorded a career-high 18 saves on a .692 save percentage in the Friars' overtime loss to Brown (Feb. 21).

RHETT CHAMBERS, IAN OLENIK AND CAM STERRITT EARN BIG EAST WEEKLY HONORS... Rhett Chambers, Ian Olenik and Cam Sterritt each earned BIG EAST Weekly Honors on Feb. 9. Chambers was named Offensive Player of the Week and Olenik earned Specialist of the Week. Sterritt was featured on the Honor Roll. The awards span the first two weeks of the 2026 season. Providence defeated Holy Cross 15-10 (Jan. 31) and Bryant 16-11 (Feb. 6) during that time.

RHETT CHAMBERS NAMED USA LACROSSE PLAYER OF THE WEEK... Following his nine-point performance against Bryant - with a career-high nine points on four goals and career-best five assists - Rhett Chambers was named USA Lacrosse Player of the Week via USA Lacrosse Magazine on Feb. 10. Chambers also was named the Inside Lacrosse AXIA Time Player of the Week on Feb. 10 after winning a closely contested fan vote.

FRIARS DEFEAT MERRIMACK... The Providence College men's lacrosse teams defeated Merrimack, 16-9, on Monday, March 2 on Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium in Providence, R.I. Rhett Chambers recorded a career high 10 points on three goals and a career best seven assists. Richie Joseph scored two goals and eclipsed 100 goals for his career. Brady Garcia scored three goals, marking the first of his career (and first hat trick).

FRIARS DEFEATED BY FAIRFIELD... The Providence College men's lacrosse team was defeated by Fairfield, 8-7, on Saturday, Feb. 28 on Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium in Providence R.I. Jay Wilkerson scored three goals for the Friars. Ian Olenik led the Friars' defense with three caused turnovers and three groundballs. Cam Sterritt recorded 12 saves on a .600 save percentage.

FRIARS FALL TO BROWN IN OVERTIME... The Providence College men's lacrosse team was defeated by Brown, 8-7, in overtime on Saturday, Feb. 21 on Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium in Providence R.I. The Friars moved to 2-2 on the season. Rhett Chambers paced the offense with two goals and two assists. Jack Bourget tallied career-highs in caused turnovers (three) and ground balls (four). Cam Sterritt recorded a career-high 18 saves on a .692 save percentage.

FRIARS DEFEATED BY NO. 12/12 HARVARD... The Providence College men's lacrosse team was defeated by No. 12/12 Harvard, 10-4, on Saturday, Feb. 14 in Cambridge Mass. It marked the Friars' first loss of the season and moved to 2-1 on the year.

FRIARS DEFEAT BRYANT... Providence defeated Bryant in its home opener, 16-11, on Feb. 6 in Providence, R.I. Rhett Chambers let the Friars' offense with a career-high nine points on four goals and a career-best five assists. Long-stick midfielder Ian Olenik recorded career-bests in caused turnovers (six) and ground balls (five). Cam Sterritt added a career-high 16 saves and posted a .593 save percentage.

FRIARS DEFEAT HOLY CROSS... Providence defeated Holy Cross, 15-10, in its season opener on Jan. 31 in Worcester, Mass. Rhett Chambers led the Friar offense with six points on a career-best four goals and added two assists. Matt Lazzaro added career-highs in points (five), goals (three) and assists (two). Jay Wilkerson also scored a career-best four goals. Cam Sterritt made his collegiate debut for the Friars in goal and recorded 10 saves and a save percentage of .600. Chris Esposito won 15-22 face-off opportunities and picked up five ground balls in his Friar debut.

TWO FRIARS EARN PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST HONORS… Attackers Richie Joseph and Rhett Chambers were named to the 2026 Preseason All-BIG EAST Team. Joseph, who earned Preseason All-BIG EAST recognition for the second-straight year, also was named Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Joseph was one of nine unanimous selections on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team. Last season, Joseph earned First-Team All-BIG EAST and BIG EAST All-Tournament Team honors.

RICHIE JOSEPH BECOMES SECOND FRIAR ALL-TIME TO BE NAMED PRESEASON BIG EAST OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR... A Friar has earned Preseason BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year honors for the second-consecutive season. Richie Joseph earned the honor heading into the 2026 campaign, while Ryan Bell was recognized last season (2025). They are the only two players Providence College men's lacrosse history to earn Preseason BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year, since the league began sponsoring men's lacrosse in 2010.

HOW THE FRIARS FARED IN 2025... Providence College posted a 7-8 overall record in 2025, including a 3-2 mark in the BIG EAST. The Friars earned the No. 3 seed in the BIG EAST Tournament and fell to No. 2 Villanova, 14-13, in the semifinals. The Friars compiled a 4-2 record at home on Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium and were 3-5 on the road. One of the season highlights was a 10-6 victory over No. 16 Denver in Denver, Colo. The victory helped Providence clinch a spot in the BIG EAST Tournament with one game remaining on the schedule. It also marked the Friars' first win over Denver all-time, snapping a 15-game winless streak to the Pioneers. Providence faced six nationally-ranked opponents during the 2025 season and compiled a 1-5 record.

MEET THE STAFF... Providence enters its fourth season under Head Coach Bobby Benson. He is the first coach in program history to guide the Friars to a BIG EAST berth in three-straight seasons (2023, 2024, 2025). Prior to Providence, Benson spent 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 tenure, earned two Big Ten Championships and made back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Championship game. Casey Brodersen, who spent 12 seasons as the Associate Head Coach at Bryant, was hired by Bobby Benson to serve as Associate Head Coach at Providence in 2023. He helped the Bulldogs to six NEC titles and five NCAA Tournament appearances. Carroll Kennedy joined the Friars as an Assistant Coach in 2023. 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. Shawn Ewert joined the staff for the 2024 season as an Assistant Coach. Before joining the Providence staff, Ewert spent the previous two seasons at Florida Southern, where he served as assistant coach and offensive coordinator. During his tenure, he helped guide Florida Southern to a 25-11 record.

KEY RETURNERS… The Friars are bringing back three out of their top five point scorers from last season. Richie Joseph returns for his senior season after finishing second on the team in goals (37) and assists (11), and third in points (48). Joseph was named to the All-BIG EAST First Team and the BIG EAST All-Tournament Team. Junior Rhett Chambers will look to build on his successful 2025 campaign. He finished fourth on the team in points (26), goals (18), and assists (eight), all of which marked career bests. Chambers was recognized with NEILA Division I All-New England Second Team honors. Jay Wilkerson will return for his sophomore year after finishing his rookie campaign fifth on the team in scoring with 15 points on 12 goals and three assists.

Senior Dean Metzger will anchor the Providence defense. Metzger started all 15 games for the Friars last season and recorded seven caused turnovers and 20 ground balls. Senior Ian Olenik will provide defensive support at midfield as a long stick midfielder. Olenik registered a team-best 16 caused turnovers and added 25 ground balls last season.

WELCOME TO FRIARTOWN… The Friars welcomed 12 freshmen to the men's lacrosse program in the fall of 2025. The incoming freshmen include Cooper Anderson (Minneapolis, Minn.), Jack Bonello (Great Falls, Va.), Sam Clark (Glen Ellyn, Ill.), Aiden Eriksen (Tampa, Fla.), Brady Garcia (Baldwinsville, N.Y.), Luke Jaeger (Southlake, Texas), Cannon Ridinger (Charlotte, N.C.), Nate Smith (Avon Lake, Ohio), Ben Stone (Greenwood Village, Colo.), Cam Wheelans (Oshawa, Ont.), Robby White (Whitby, Ont.) and Trent Yelton (Liberty Township, Ohio).

Additionally, three transfers joined the Friars roster in the fall of 2025. The transfers include junior Chris Esposito (Gloucester, Mass.) from Stony Brook, junior Matt Lazzaro (Franklin, Mass.) from Penn State and junior Cam Mesh (Spencerport, N.Y.) from SUNY Brockport.

FRIARS PICKED TO FINISH FIFTH IN BIG EAST PRESEASON POLL... Providence was picked to finish fifth in the 2026 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll (11 points). Georgetown was picked to win the league, having collected five first-place votes and 25 points overall. Villanova (21 points) was second and Denver (16 points) was selected third. Marquette was selected fourth (12 points). Rounding out the conference standings was St. John's (five points).

SCOUTING DUKE… The Blue Devils have are currently ranked fifth in the USILA Coaches' Poll and sixth in the KANE Men's Division I Media Poll. Most recently, Duke defeated Air Force, 21-6, on March 7.

BLUE DEVILS TO WATCH… Duke's offense is led by junior attackman Benn Johnston who has recorded team-highs in points (26) and goals (23). Sophomore Kyle Colsey has tallied 21 points on 15 goals and is tied for second on the team in assists (six).

Senior Charlie Johnson leads Duke's defense with a team-high 11 caused turnovers paired with 15 ground balls.

Cal Girard has been the Blue Devils primary face-off man this season. The junior has tallied a 69-110 face-off record overall for a .627 win percentage and has picked up a team-best 48 ground balls.

Junior Max Watkinson has started all six games in goal for Duke. He has made 48 saves on a .585 save percentage and a 6.59 goals against average this season.

WHAT'S NEXT... The Friars will return to Providence, R.I. to face Quinnipiac on Wednesday, March 18 at 6:00 p.m. The game will be played on Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium and streamed on Friars Live.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Cooper Anderson

Ryan Bell

Jack Bonello

Jack Bourget

Rhett Chambers

Sam Clark

Jack Cooper

Aiden Eriksen

Chris Esposito

Brady Garcia

Luke Jaeger

Richie Joseph

Matt Lazzaro

Chris Matia

Cam Mesh

Dean Metzger

Ian Olenik

Cannon Ridinger

Nate Smith

Cam Sterritt

Ben Stone

Cam Wheelans

Robby White

Jay Wilkerson

Trent Yelton

Completed Event: Men's Lacrosse at #12/#12 Harvard on February 14, 2026 , Loss , 4, to, 10

Completed Event: Men's Lacrosse versus Brown on February 21, 2026 , Loss , 7, to, 8 , (OT)

Completed Event: Men's Lacrosse versus Fairfield on February 28, 2026 , Loss , 7, to, 8

Completed Event: Men's Lacrosse versus Merrimack on March 2, 2026 , Win , 16, to, 9

Completed Event: Men's Lacrosse at Loyola (Md.) on March 7, 2026 , Loss , 9, to, 15

Upcoming Event: Men's Lacrosse versus #6/#5 Duke on March 14, 2026 at 1:00 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Men's Lacrosse versus Quinnipiac on March 18, 2026 at 6:00 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Men's Lacrosse versus Air Force on March 21, 2026 at 12:00 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Men's Lacrosse at Marquette on March 28, 2026 at 12:30 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Men's Lacrosse versus Georgetown on April 4, 2026 at 12:00 p.m.

Providence College Athletics