(Photo Courtesy of Denver Athletics)
College lacrosse has a rich history, filled with endless stories and legends.
And while the game is still growing at the college level and some programs have been around way longer than others, there is a certain amount of history at every program that can be heralded. Continue reading “The Best Season For Every Big East Program” →
(Photo Courtesy of St. John’s Athletics)
The St. John’s Red Storm are the 50th DI program to announce their 2020 men’s lacrosse schedule. The Red Storm come into the 2020 season following a 2019 campaign in which they went 4-10 overall and 0-5 in the Big East, making in the third consecutive season in which they have failed to win a conference game. Continue reading “2020 Schedule Preview: St. John’s Red Storm” →
(Photo Courtesy of Denver Athletics)
On Wednesday, Denver Vice Chancellor for Athletics, Recreation and Ritchie Center Operations Karlton Creech announced that head men’s lacrosse coach Bill Tierney had signed an extension to remain at the helm of the Pioneers through the 2024 season. Continue reading “Bill Tierney Signs Extension With Devner Through 2024” →
(Photo Courtesy of Georgetown Athletics)
The Georgetown Hoyas are the 41st DI team to announce their 2020 men’s lacrosse schedule. The Hoyas come into the 2020 season following a 2019 campaign which saw them go 13-5 overall and 3-2 in the Big East. Georgetown won the Big East tournament and lost to Yale in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Continue reading “2020 Schedule Preview: Georgetown Hoyas” →
(Photo Courtesy of Villanova Athletics)
The Villanova Wildcats are the 31st DI team to release their 2020 schedule. The Wildcats come into the 2020 season after going 8-7 overall and 3-2 in the Big East last season. Villanova’s 2019 season ended with a loss against Denver in the Big East semifinals. Continue reading “2020 Schedule Preview: Villanova Wildcats” →
(Photo Courtesy of Providence Athletics)
The Providence Friars are the 24th DI team to release their 2020 schedule. The Friars come into the 2020 season following a 2019 campaign that saw them go 7-9 overall and 3-2 in the Big East. Providence ended their season with a loss to Georgetown in the Big East semifinals. Continue reading “2020 Schedule Preview: Providence Friars” →
(Photo Courtesy of Georgetown Athletics)
As the calendar turns to November it marks the end of fall ball and the beginning of, essentially, the pre-season for NCAA lacrosse. While it is still early and there is only so much you can take from fall ball scrimmages, let’s take a look at who some of the early contenders in each conference are. Continue reading “Early Contenders: Big East” →
After Saturday’s games the regular season is over and it’s time for the post-season. In the Big East their conference tournament will start on Thursday, May 2nd with the semifinals and end with the championship game on Saturday, May 4th. The tournament will be held in Denver, Colo. at Peter Barton Stadium.
In the Big East tournament Denver has the top seed and they will play the fourth seeded Villanova, and the number two seeded Georgetown will take on number three seed Providence. The Big East tournament always seems to end up being crazy and playing spoiler in the NCAA tournament and I wouldn’t expect anything different this year.
#2 Georgetown vs #3 Providence – Semifinals
The Georgetown Hoyas will take on the Providence Friars in the first semifinal game on Thursday. In the regular season meeting between these two was closer than many expected as Georgetown won 17-15 in a two-goal victory. If this semifinal matchup is anything like the regular season one then it should be a very exciting one to kick off the Big East tournament.
Georgetown has been very good all season and they come into the post-season after winning their last three games in the regular season. Their offense has been the catalyst to their success. That duo of Jake Carraway and Daniel Bucaro is deadly if you don’t try to at least shut one guy off. Carraway has 75 points (48G,27A) so far this season while Bucaro has 71 points (48G,23A). While they are a little younger on the defensive end of the field, sophomore goalie Owen Mcelroy has been very good in cage while making 169 saves with a 53% save percentage. The Hoyas like to get out and run to utilize their offensive prowess so expect them to try and do that all they can in their semifinal game. When they are on they are dangerous.
Providence has has a bumpy season as they needed that win over Villanova on Saturday to slide themselves into the Big East tournament. The Friars defense has been very good with senior goalie Tate Boyce in between the pipes. Boyce has racked up 190 saves with a 57% save percentage so far this season. On the offensive of end the Friars haven’t always been the best this season but they are led by a pair of senior attackmen in Brendan Kearns and Nick Hatzipetrakos. Both has 43 points on the season thus far. The Friars will need to play one of their best games of the season on both ends if they want any piece of this game. They are a scrappy team and could very much cause some havoc.
#1 Denver vs #4 Villanova – Semifinals
In the second semifinal game the Denver Pioneers face the Villanova Wildcats. This was a very good regular season matchup where Villanova won 12-11, and the post-season meeting should be nothing but the same. Both sides are pretty evenly matched and play some great lacrosse.
Denver has been pretty solid all year but is certainly not the Denver teams of the past. Despite that, they are still a force in the Big East and when they get going can be very dangerous. The Pioneers are led by Ethan Walker on the offensive end as the junior attackman has 46 points (35G,11) on the season thus far. Walker is the leader of this offense, no question. On the defensive end grad transfer LSM/D Matt Neufeldt has been leading the way in front of the cage while Alex Ready has been pretty good in between the pipes. The senior has racked up 83 saves with a 47% save percentage this season. The Pioneers will be looking to prove their worth in this tournament, and show the country that they haven’t “dropped off.”
The Wildcats have been a very good team this season but are coming off of a rocky finish in the regular season. The Villanova offense has been stellar with Connor Kirst and Keegan Khan leading the way for the Wildcats. The junior midfielder Kirst has 45 points (29G,16A) on the season thus far while the sophomore attackman Khan has 45 points as well. In goal anchoring the defense for the Wildcats has been freshman goalie Will Vitton. He has been stellar this season with 134 saves and a 53% save percentage. This is a Villanova team that can hang with anyone and force the ball down their opponents throat. This is going to be a very good matchup for sure.
Semifinal 1 Winner vs Semifinal 2 Winner – Championship
The winners of each semifinal game will meet in the Big East championship game on Saturday May, 4th.
The Boston U. Terriers started off 2019 the same way as they did 2018, with a one goal win over the Providence Friars. The only difference was it was on the road and no overtime was needed.
It was a tight contest the whole way as no team ever led by more than two goal the entire game. Sophomore attackman Chris Gray led the Terriers with 4 points (3G,1A) while attackman James Burr and midfielder Jack Collins each tallied 2 goals apiece. Goalie Joe McSorley made a career-high 24 saves to lead the Boston U. defense. Canisius transfer LSM Reece Eddy also made an impact in his first game as Terrier with 2 ground balls and 2 caused turnovers.
Providence saw senior attackman Brendan Kearns led the Friars with 2 points (1G,1A) while attackman Sean Lahey tallied 1 goal, along with others. Emmett Jennings led the Friars defense with 2 caused turnovers and 2 ground balls.
Chris Gray got the game started off as he scored two goal for the Terrier within a minute to make it a 2-0 game with 7:14 in the first. Matt Grillo would get the Friars on the board late in the first quarter to cut it to a 2-1 game. It was very back and fourth to end the first quarter the Terriers held a 4-3 lead heading into the second.
Providence started off the second quarter hot as they pushed out to a 5-4 lead, their first of the game, with 9:05 in the second. After a few big defensive stands from both sides James Burr scored late in the second to make it a 5-5 tie game heading into the half.
It was defensive heavy third quarter as Sean Leahey scored the only goal of the quarter to put Providence up 6-5 late in the third. Boston U. woke up early in the fourth as they started with a three-goal run that put them up 8-6. That run would help them secure the win as Providence got one goal late in the quarter from Brendan Kearns. The Friars could not comeback as the Terriers won their fourth straight game against the Friars in the two teams sixth straight meeting.
Here’s how Chris Gray opened the scoring in 2019: pic.twitter.com/16uPKEB8py
— BU Men’s Lacrosse (@TerrierMLAX) February 3, 2019
GOAL! Matt Grillo scores the first goal of his career on a nice move from behind the net #GoFriars pic.twitter.com/QU3yPpuAvp
— Providence Lacrosse (@PCFriarsLax) February 3, 2019
Outstanding vision from Chris leads to Jack’s second goal of the game! pic.twitter.com/ZISXYvTXyp
— BU Men’s Lacrosse (@TerrierMLAX) February 3, 2019
Providence grabs its first lead of the year as Ryan Nawrocki makes it 5-4 Friars! #GoFriars pic.twitter.com/waOcXP1K0E
— Providence Lacrosse (@PCFriarsLax) February 3, 2019
Jim picks out the top corner and we’re all tied up at 5-5! pic.twitter.com/OHbDYZZNTK
— BU Men’s Lacrosse (@TerrierMLAX) February 3, 2019
HOW DID THAT STAY OUT?! What a save by Joe McSorley! #SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/9aus6HeADt
— BU Men’s Lacrosse (@TerrierMLAX) February 3, 2019
Brendan Kearns from Ryan Nawrocki brings us back to a one-goal game! #GoFriars pic.twitter.com/TX4WgNqSvD
— Providence Lacrosse (@PCFriarsLax) February 3, 2019
We’re heading back to Boston with a win!! pic.twitter.com/N6Bxf12JBP
— BU Men’s Lacrosse (@TerrierMLAX) February 3, 2019
New England sports fans should be getting up for a pretty good contest today and it’s not the Super Bowl. It’s the Boston Terriers traveling I-95 to take on the Providence Friars in an afternoon tilt.
These two programs have payed each other every year since 2014 (Boston U.’s inaugural season) and have opened the season against each other since 2016. This matchup is always a sneaky good one as it’s been close every year, and went into overtime last season.
Both of these teams coming into this game wanting to start off the 2019 season off on a high note, and both squads have much to prove this year as well.
Offensively for Providence the majority of production will likely come from the midfield. Junior midfielder Sean Lahey, sophomore midfielder Evan McGreen, and senior midfielder Nick Hatzipetrakos will be looking to carry the majority of load this season and want to get 2019 started off on a high note against Boston U.
The Friar’s defense will be anchored again this season by senior goalie Tate Boyce and around him will be a younger core of sophomore Zach Masessa and company. How the Friars look on that end of the field will be one of the more interesting things to watch in this game. It should be a great first test for such a young defense with just one starter back from last season.
Boston U. returns a ton of firepower on offense with sophomore attackman Chris Gray who had a breakout freshman campaign and looks to continue to build on that this season. Senior attackman James Burr will be another player that is poised to make a big impact again for the Terriers this season.
On the defensive side of the ball the Terriers will be leaning on junior Chase Levesque to do some of the heavy lifting again this season. This first game will also be a test for them as they have a younger defense than last season. In cage junior Joe McSorley looks to start off the season on a good note and build off his success last season.
This game should be a close one as both teams may be looking to feel things out for at least the first quarter. If the past says anything then this one could be another great game between these two squads.
You can watch the game via stream through Providence Athletics. You can fins Live State here.
