The Boston University men's lacrosse team will begin its sixth season on Sunday when the Terriers travel to Providence to face the Friars. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.

FRIARS A FAMILIAR FOE

• This is the sixth straight season that the Terriers have faced off against Providence and the fourth consecutive year that the teams have opened their respective seasons with one another.
• BU has won each of the last three meetings, including a thrilling 12-11 overtime win at Nickerson Field in the opening game of 2018,
• Two years ago at Providence, the Terriers came back to earn a dramatic 8-7 double-overtime victory to begin the 2017 campaign.
• The series stands at 3-2, as Providence won each of the first two tilts.
• The teams are tied, 40-40, in the all-time score, showing how close all five games have been.

STELLAR IN SEASON OPENERS

• BU has won its last four season openers dating back to the 2015 season.
• The lone loss on opening day came during the program's inaugural campaign in 2014.
• Three of those four victories have been against the Friars.

LAST YEAR'S THRILLER

• Trailing by as many as three in the second half, Ryan Hilburn ('18) tied the game with 7.8 seconds remaining in regulation before the Terriers notched the game-winner with 47 seconds left in overtime for a 12-11 victory over Providence on Feb. 3 at Nickerson Field.
• The Friars led, 10-7, early in the third quarter before BU eventually evened the score, 10-10, with 6:26 to play.
• PC took an 11-10 lead with just 1:38 on the clock and then won the ensuing faceoff.
• After a Terrier timeout, Chase Levesque and Isaac Lipton ('18) to force a turnover and give BU a final possession, which Hilburn converted.
• Chris Gray assisted on the game-winner, one of his five points (2g, 3a) during his collegiate debut.
• James Burr collected four points (2g, 2a) while Tommy Nook found the back of the net.
• Joe McSorley made 12 saves in his first collegiate start for the Terriers.
• Levesque finished with six ground balls and three caused turnovers.

FORECASTING THE FRIARS

• Providence was picked to finish fifth in the 2019 BIG EAST preseason poll after ending the 2018 season with a 5-10 record.
• The Friars were 2-6 in one-goal games in 2018, including their loss at BU.
• Senior goaltender Tate Boyce and senior faceoff specialist Alex George were both named to the preseason All-BIG EAST team.
• Boyce posted a 9.65 goals-against average and a .529 save percentage in 2018.
• George led the Friars with 47 ground balls and won 75 of the 144 faceoffs he took for a .512 win percentage.
• Junior Sean Leahey led the Friars in goals (26) and points (36) last year while sophomore Evan McGreen led Providence with 18 assists as a rookie last year.
• Senior Nick Hatzipetrakos notched 22 goals last season.
• Senior Nick Crews, who caused eight turnovers and collected 20 ground balls last year, will anchor the Providence defense.

GRAY NAMED PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN

• Sophomore Chris Gray was named a preseason All-American by Inside Lacrosse.
• He was also selected to the Preseason All-Patriot League Team.
• Gray was outstanding in his debut season last year en route to being named Patriot League Rookie of the Year.
• He scored 31 goals and led the Terriers with 40 assists and 71 points last year, both of which were single-season program records. • The dynamic rookie was one of just seven players in the entire country to score 30 goals and add 40 assists in 2018.
• Gray was selected as a Third Team All-American by both Inside Lacrosse and the USILA last year.

TERRIERS TABBED FOURTH IN PL POLL

• The Terriers were picked to finish fourth in the Patriot League preseason poll, which was voted on by the conference's coaches and sports information directors. 
• That is the highest spot the Terriers have ever achieved in the league's preseason poll.
• BU received 89 points, well clear of Army West Point (62 points) in fifth. 
• Defending champion Loyola Maryland was picked to finish first with 128 points, followed by Lehigh (109) and Navy (96). 
• Bucknell (57), Colgate (56), Holy Cross (24) and Lafayette (20) round out the poll.

BURR CLOSING IN ON CENTURY MARK

• Senior James Burr needs just three goals to become the second player in program history to score 100 career goals.
• He enters the year with 97 goals, a program-record 45 of which came in 2018.
• Jack Wilson ('18) is the only other Terrier with 100 goals; he finished his storied BU career with 108 goals.
• Burr is also third in career points with 122 (97g, 25a), trailing only Wilson (170 points) and 2017 graduate Cal Dearth (153 points).
• He enters the 2019 season on a 17-game goal streak, which is tied for fourth longest in the NCAA.
• It is tied for the longest such streak among Patriot League players.

THE VOTES ARE IN

• BU received votes in the preseason Inside Lacrosse media poll.
• The Terriers will face eight squads this season that are either in the top 20 or received a vote in the Inside Lacrosse media poll or the USILA coaches poll.