PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Fifty-one weeks after the 2020 season came to an end, Fairfield University Men's Lacrosse opened the 2021 campaign on Wednesday with a non-conference trip to Providence. In a game that featured 35 goals from 18 different players, it was the host Friars who came away with an 18-17 decision. Patrick Drake led the Stags with a career-best six points.
 
With the loss, the Stags open the campaign at 0-1, while Providence improves to 2-2 on the year.
 
A fast-paced contest throughout, the Stags fell behind by a five-goal count, 13-8, midway through the third quarter. At that juncture, four goals in under four minutes from Matt Chlastawa, Dylan Beckwith, Shane Osborne and Drake closed the gap to 13-12 with 4:13 to play in the stanza. Despite the Friars ending the Stags' run on a Tim Hinrichs tally, Drake would answer in rapid succession with two goals in 22 seconds, ending the third quarter tied at 14-14.
 
A two-goal spurt from Providence opened the fourth-quarter scoring, with a Travis Ford goal cutting the deficit to 16-15 with 9:04 to go. The offenses then fell uncharacteristically silent as defense and goalkeeping reigned for more than six minutes. With time winding down, Trent Moran got the equalizer at the 2:44 mark, knotting the game at 16-16.
 
The Friars responded in short order with a Brendan Driscoll goal, then – after gaining a crucial stop – added an insurance tally with 53 seconds to go. That marker would loom large as the Frankie Labetti came away with the ensuing faceoff to facilitate a Dean Ford goal with 36 seconds left that ran the margin to 18-17 in favor of PC. Labetti won the draw yet again, but the Stags were unable to rattle in the cage in the final seconds as Providence held on for the one-goal victory.
 
In addition to his third-quarter hat trick, Drake also distributed three assists to account for his half-dozen points. The junior was one of 11 Stags to record a point or assist in the game. Beckwith had two goals and three helpers to registered five points, and his fellow Preseason All-CAA honoree totaled four points with a hat trick and an assist.
 
Chlastawa – a Division III All-American at Bates – scored his first Fairfield goal less than a minute into his Stags career and finished with two goals and an assist. Travis Ford also had three points country of two goals and one dime. Kyle Borda added a goal and an assist, with Ford, Tyler Wuchte and Osborne each adding a single tally. Osborne's goal was the first of his collegiate career.
 
Labetti rounded out the scoring with one assist from the faceoff spot in addition to an 18-for-28 day with seven ground balls at the X.
 
Lucas Pedersen also did his part in the possession game, coming off the wing to collect five ground balls with one caused turnover. Daniel Wilson and George Elmquist also each nabbed three ground balls with one caused turnover apiece. Elmquist's cohorts on close defense were Jake Tymon, who picked up four ground balls and also won a faceoff, and Tyler Burns, who picked up two ground balls with two caused turnovers in his Fairfield debut.
 
Colin Consoli got the start in the cage and made 16 saves in his first game as a Stag. He also garnered two ground balls from the goalkeeper spot.
 
Ryan Zimmerman led the attack for Providence with four goals and two assists, with Dan Axelson netted two goals to go along with three helpers. Toby Burgdorf made 17 saves to earn the win in the Friars' cage.
 
Providence outshot the Stags, 63-53, and Fairfield had the edge in ground balls by a 34-27 count. Fairfield committed 16 turnovers in the contest while pressuring the Friars into 11 miscues.
 
Up next, the Stags open the home portion of the schedule as well as the CAA slate on Saturday, March 6 with a visit from Delaware. Opening faceoff from Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium and live on Lax Sports Network is slated for 4 p.m.