The No. 23 Harvard men’s lacrosse team made the hour-long trip to Providence College yesterday afternoon, but it didn’t take the Crimson (3-0) nearly that much time to put the game out of reach.

Harvard shot out to a 4-0 advantage by the end of the first quarter and led 9-1 at halftime before cruising to the eventual 11-3 margin.

The Crimson defeated the Friars (1-2) last season by a score of 8-4, but the win was an unsatisfying one for Harvard.

“From last year when we played this team, we knew they’re a team who really like to sit on the ball,” said junior midfielder Doug Logigian. “They held the ball basically for the first five minutes.”

The Crimson was determined not to let that happen again, and its early outburst forced Providence to abandon its possession game as it became increasingly desperate to score.

Magnifying the Friars’ sense of urgency was the added incentive of attempting to match their 6-0 home mark from 2001.

Harvard, though, wasn’t the least bit intimidated, although it was aware that the wet, muddy conditions could play to the advantage of the less-skilled Providence squad.

“With the wetness, your sticks start to throw kind of funny,” Logigian said.

Also, the muddy grass makes it more difficult to pick up ground balls and causes shots to take unexpected bounces.

Crimson sophomore goalie Jake McKenna, though, was his usual stellar self, making 11 saves and conceding only one goal before yielding his post with 10 minutes to go and the game well in hand.

“Jake’s been absolutely outstanding,” Logigian said. “I don’t think any goalie in the country’s been nearly as consistent as he has. Just having him is such a reassurance to the rest of us.”

McKenna had help in front of him, however, as his defense, led by senior Mike Packard and sophomores Spencer Stenmark and Hani Rimlawi, turned in a commanding performance. Rimlawi’s outing was especially pivotal for Harvard, as he filled in admirably for junior Andrew Crocco, who missed the game with a dislocated shoulder.

Junior Jay Wich provided the impetus for the scoring explosion, figuring in more than half of the Crimson’s tallies with three goals and three assists and continuing his seamless transition from his midfield role last season to the Harvard attack.

Wich had help, though, as Logigian took the first step toward breaking out of his recent mini-slump, chipping in with a goal and two assists.

Junior Joe Nejman contributed on the wing from his long stick midfielder position, while classmate Matt Primm and freshman Mike McBride helped balance the Crimson scoring.

Indeed, Harvard’s many-pronged attack is one of the primary reasons for its success this season.

“I don’t think anyone feels that they have to have a good game or else the team isn’t going to win,” co-captain midfielder Michael Baly said. “There are other people who will have good games.”

Still, although the Crimson managed to avoid becoming complacent and suffering a letdown against a weaker opponent, the players weren’t entirely pleased with their performance.

“It wasn’t the cleanest game we’ve played,” Baly said. “But it was a good win, anyway.”

Saturday’s game at Jordan Field against Fairfield, though, should be a completely different story.

Harvard won’t match up nearly as well with the traditionally aggressive Stags as it did with the less athletic Friars, but Crocco’s return should give the team a boost. And as long as the Crimson players can keep their cool and aren’t flustered or intimidated, the team should be able to keep its unblemished mark intact.