PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Kicking off the season with a top 20 matchup, the No. 17 Harvard Crimson men's lacrosse team battled the No. 20 Providence College Friars this afternoon in a tightly contested game that featured six lead changes and five tied scores. In the end, Harvard (1-0, 0-0 Ivy) prevailed, handing Providence (2-1, 0-0 BIG EAST) its first loss of the season.
Sam King's seven points and
Teddy Malone's four goals proved too much for the Friars, who were stymied by first-year goalkeeper
Graham Stevens' 13 saves in his collegiate debut.
How It Happened
The Harvard Crimson men's lacrosse team traveled to Rhode Island this afternoon to open its 2025 season against No. 20 Providence. The Crimson and the Friars met at Anderson Stadium in a highly anticipated top 20 showdown.
Providence struck first in the bout, scoring two quick goals less than a minute into the contest. Harvard's starting goalkeeper,
Graham Stevens, settled things down after the early flurry, making four saves to hold off the Friars for the next 11 minutes of game action.
Miles Botkiss scored Harvard's first goal of the season with three minutes left in the first quarter to cut into the Providence lead. The Crimson was forced to respond again after another quick Providence goal, and Botkiss answered the call once more. A successive goal by
Jack Speidell brought the score to 3-3 at the end of the first quarter.
Harvard took the lead early in the second frame with a spectacular "goal of the year" candidate from Speidell. With his back to the net, the sophomore attack scooped up a ground ball and flung a no-look shot over his shoulder and into the cage, giving Harvard its first lead of the game. Providence responded with two more goals to reclaim the lead, but Speidell completed his first-half hat trick to tie the game at 5-5.
Harvard's final goal of the half came with just under two minutes on the clock as
Teddy Malone scored his first goal of the season on a Crimson extra-man opportunity. The Friars countered with a goal of their own, sending the game into halftime tied at 6-6.
Stevens continued his strong play in the second half, making an early save to ignite the Harvard attack. The Crimson retook the lead early in the third quarter when Malone scored his second goal of the day. However, Providence quickly responded to even the score at 7-7. On the following possession,
Owen Gaffney—making his first appearance since the 2023 season—gave the Crimson a lead they would not relinquish with his first goal of the year. Malone followed up with another strike, sending Harvard into the final quarter with a 9-7 advantage.
Providence cut into the Crimson lead early in the fourth quarter, scoring its eighth goal after Stevens stopped an initial shot. Stevens made two more key saves on successive possessions to preserve the lead. Gaffney halted the Friars' momentum with a crucial goal nine minutes into the quarter, restoring Harvard's two-goal lead. Moments later, Malone found the net again, giving the Crimson their largest lead of the game. However, Providence responded quickly with a goal of its own, narrowing the gap to 11-9.
Senior captain
Sam King put the finishing touch on Harvard's victory, dodging past three defenders off the restart before scoring his first goal of the game, extending the Crimson's lead to 12-9. The Friars added a late goal, but it wasn't enough, as Harvard returned home with a season-opening top-20 win.
Harvard Highlights
- Sam King led the team with seven points (six assists, one goal).
- Teddy Malone recorded a team-high four goals.
- Graham Stevens made 13 saves while allowing just 10 goals in his collegiate debut.
- Ray Dearth led the team with three caused turnovers.
- Jack Speidell notched a hat trick with three goals.
- Dearth and Malone each collected three ground balls.
- Harvard's ride forced six turnovers on Providence clear attempts.
Up Next
Harvard will open its home schedule this Tuesday at Jordan Field, hosting the Colgate Raiders in Cambridge. The non-conference matchup is set for 6:30 PM and will stream live on ESPN+.
