Lacrosse Game Notes vs Merrimack

PROVIDENCE SET TO FACE MERRIMACK… The Providence men's lacrosse team will host Merrimack College on Monday, March 2. Opening face-off is set for 2:00 p.m. on Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium in Providence, R.I.

LIVE STATS AND STREAM… The game will be streamed on ESPN+. 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... Monday's game between Providence and Merrimack will mark the third meeting between the two programs all-time. The Friars lead the series 2-0. The Friars last defeated Merrimack during the 2025 season. Providence won the game, 18-7, in Merrimack, N.H.

MOST RECENT MEETING... The two teams last met during the 2025 season in Merrimack, N.H. Providence defeated the Warriors, 18-7. Jay Wilkerson scored two goals for the Friars. Richie Joseph recorded three goals and one assist. Jay Wilkerson, Rhett Chambers and Chris Matia each scored two goals for the Friars.

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.

100-GOAL MILESTONE... Richie Joseph enters Monday's game with 99 career goals. He needs just one to reach the 100-goal milestone in his career. Should he achieve the feat, he will become the seventh player in program history to do so.

RICHIE JOSEPH MOVING UP ALL-TIME CAREER SCORING AND GOALS LIST... Senior Richie Joseph is currently 17th on the Friars' all-time scoring list and seventh on the all-time career goals list. Heading into Monday's game, Joseph owns 134 career points on 99 goals and 35 assists.

THE FRIARS' OFFENSE... Through five games Rhett Chambers leads the team in points (22), goals (11) and assists (11). Chambers is second in the BIG EAST in points per game (4.40). The rest of the Friars' attack has been balanced to start the season. Matt Lazzaro is second on the team in points (16) and goals (10) and assists (six). Richie Joseph is tied for third on the team in points (12) and goals (nine). Jay Wilkerson is also tied for third for the Friars in goals with nine.

CAM STERRITT BETWEEN THE PIPES... Sophomore goaltender Cam Sterritt made his collegiate debut for the Friars this season. Sterritt has started all five games and has compiled 70 saves with a .598 save percentage and a 9.35 goals against average. The sophomore ranks first in the BIG EAST in saves per game (14.00). Sterritt also ranks second in the BIG EAST in save percentage (.598) and goals against average (9.35). Sterritt has recorded a .600 save percentage or better in three out of the Friars five games.

FROM THE FACE-OFF 'X'... Chris Esposito and Jack Cooper have split time as the Friars' primary face-off men this season. Esposito has tallied a 33-65 face-off record overall for a .508 win percentage and is second on the team in ground balls (12). Cooper has recorded a .489 face-off percentage (23-47) with 10 ground balls.

DEFENSIVE LEADERS... Ian Olenik and Jack Bourget have anchored the Friars defensively this season. Long-stick midfielder Olenik leads the team in caused turnovers (11) and ground balls (15). Olenik is second in the BIG EAST in caused turnovers per game (2.20). Jack Bourget ranks second on the team in caused turnovers (seven) and has picked up six ground balls.

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).

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.

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 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 MERRIMACK… The Warriors have started their season with a 1-4 overall record. Most recently, Merrimack was defeated by Dartmouth, 19-10, on Feb. 24.

WARRIORS TO WATCH… Merrimack's offense is led by junior attackman Colin Kruger who leads Merrimack in points (15) and goals (11). Casey Herod has tallied nine points on four goals and a team-best five assists.

Colin Butters leads Merrimack's defense with a team-high six caused turnovers paired with six ground balls.

Daniel Bezrutchenko has been the Warriors primary face-off man this season. The Junior has tallied a 50-100 face-off record overall for a .500 win percentage and has picked up a team best three ground balls.

Merrimack has rotated through three goalies this season. Jesse D'Alonzo started in the Warriors most recent game against Dartmouth. He been the most productive among amongst the three with 20 saves on a .513 save percentage in three games played. The trio allows 14.64 goals per game on a .467 save percentage.

WHAT'S NEXT... Providence College will travel to Baltimore, Md. to face Loyola (Md.) on Saturday, March 7. The game is scheduled to begin at 12:00 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.

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 versus Bryant on February 6, 2026 , Win , 16, to, 11

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

Upcoming Event: Men's Lacrosse at Loyola (Md.) on March 7, 2026 at 12:00 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Men's Lacrosse versus 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.

Providence College Athletics