For the better part of four months, many of us watched some exciting college lacrosse, whether it was on TV, online, or in person. There were good games, which included all of Championship Weekend, and there were bad games, such as low scoring affairs and of course, the horrendous winter weather. I take a look back at all 69 Division I teams and how they fared this season and what to look forward to in 2016.
Check out previous recaps: NJIT Highlanders, UMass Lowell River Hawks, VMI Keydets, Manhattan Jaspers, Canisius Golden Griffins, Robert Morris Colonials, St. John’s Red Storm, Wagner Seahawks, Binghamton Bearcats, Bellarmine Knights, Jacksonville Dolphins, Furman Paladins, Lafayette Leopards, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers, Siena Saints, Delaware Blue Hens, UMBC Retrievers, Dartmouth Big Green
COMPARING 2014 AND 2015 IN NUMBERS
| 2014 Record | 4-11 |
| 2014 Conference Record | 1-5 (Last in Ivy) |
| 2014 Scoring Offense | 8.53 Goals Per Game (56th in DI) |
| 2014 Scoring Defense | 10.73 Goals Against Per Game (39th in DI) |
| 2014 Goals Leader | #11 Andrew Barton – Senior (31 Gs) |
| 2014 Assists Leader | #33 Sean Wright – Senior (20 As) |
| 2014 Points Leader | #11 Andrew Barton – Senior (47 Pts) |
| 2014 Goaltending Leader | #7 Tyler Himes – Senior (.517 SV %) |
| 2014 Face-Off Leader | #4 Ryan Shaw – Senior (.423 FO %) |
| 2014 Ground Balls Leader | #4 Ryan Shaw – Senior (64 GBs) |
| 2014 Caused Turnovers Leader | #13 Zach Rogers – Senior (22 CTs) |
| 2014 Quality Wins | Fairfield (14-11), Villanova (11-10) |
| 2014 Bad Losses | Brown (12-11 2OT), Georgetown (10-8) |
| 2015 Record | 5-9 |
| 2015 Conference Record | 1-4 (5th in Big East) |
| 2015 Scoring Offense | 8.07 Goals Per Game (60th in DI) |
| 2015 Scoring Defense | 10.86 Goals Against Per Game (46th in DI) |
| 2015 Goals Leader | #33 Will Mazzone – Junior (24 Gs) |
| 2015 Assists Leaders | #33 Will Mazzone – Junior (11 As) #22 Buck McClure – Senior (11 As) |
| 2015 Points Leader | #33 Will Mazzone – Junior (35 Pts) |
| 2015 Goaltending Leader | #6 Peter Badgley – Senior (.560 SV %) |
| 2015 Face-Off Leader | #7 Colin McKendry – Sophomore (.483 FO %) |
| 2015 Ground Balls Leader | #50 Jimmy Cunningham – Sophomore (39 GBs) |
| 2015 Caused Turnovers Leader | #50 Jimmy Cunningham – Sophomore (14 CTs) |
| 2015 Quality Wins | Boston (7-4), Villanova (6-5) |
| 2015 Bad Losses | Bryant (7-5), St. John’s (17-7) |
YEAR IN REVIEW
The Friars lost all of their leaders from 2014 to graduation, but they rebounded quite well from their losses in 2015. Their offense and defense were slightly worst on average than last season, but Providence was a tough team to play at times during the season, and it showed during the first half of play.
The Friars took a season opening loss to Fairfield, before defeating Vermont and a hot Boston team. But the Friars were no match against Duke, as they lost 20-8 to the defending back-to-back National Champions. Providence then had another two game win streak against Sacred Heart and UMass Lowell before things went downhill. The Friars went winless in seven straight games, which started with an 11-goal loss to Hofstra and a two-goal defeat against Bryant. Big East play began with losses to St. John’s, Georgetown, and Marquette, before falling to in-state rival Brown, and then against Denver. The season ended on a good note for another season with a one goal win against Villanova.
The staff of assistants Brett Holm, John Galloway, and Head Coach Chris Gabrielli has made Providence a tough team to face, but in order to be a contender, they have to improve in 2016. Jimmy Cunningham has two years left in Rhode Island, while leading scorer Will Mazzone will return for his senior season. For the Friars, their goal will be to make the Big East Tournament for the first time in program history.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2016
| NAME | POSITION | HIGH SCHOOL |
| Joseph McHale | Midfield | Seton Hall Prep (NJ) |
| Chris Zanelli | Midfield | Summit (NJ) |
| Alex George | Midfield/FO | Simsbury (CT) |
| Thomas Bianchin | Attack | Bishop Ryan (ONT)/Trinity-Pawling (NY) |
| Pat Corcoran | Midfield | Bishop Shanahan (PA) |
| Matt Brisolari | Midfield | DeMatha (MD) |
| Luke Verrochi | Defense/LSM | Fox Lane (NY) |
| David Procopio | Midfield/FO | West Genesee (NY) |
| Brendan Kearns | Attack | Chaminade (NY) |
| Tate Boyce | Goalie | McCallie School (TN) |
| Nick Gray | Goalie | Chaminade (NY) |
| Nick Crews | Defense | Longmeadow (MA) |
| Tyler Wilks | Attack | McCallie School (TN) |
The Friars will lose ten players in 2016, but bring in 13 new recruits for the upcoming season. Thomas Bianchin is arguably one of the best Canadian prospects, and tuned up his skills for one more year at Trinity-Pawling. David Procopio helped West Genny towards a NY State Championship appearance, while Brendan Kearns and Nick Gray played huge roles in Chaminade’s CHSAA championship season on Long Island.
