Women's lacrosse preps for final home games of season

Women's lacrosse preps for final home games of season


Image: Women's lacrosse The Fairfield University women's lacrosse team plays its final two home games of the 2011 season as it hosts Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Lacrosse League foes Niagara and Canisius this weekend. The Stags host the Purple Eagles Friday at 3 p.m. and will welcome the Golden Griffs on Sunday at noon.

Both games will be available online to watch and follow via Livestats . Admission to the games is free. Be sure to arrive early for Sunday's game as the Stags will honor the program's Class of 2011: Brittany Bare (Mason, Ohio), Kristen Coleman (Potomac, Md.), Katie Mackay (Salem, Conn.) and Rebecca Rostowsky (West Hartford, Conn.).

The Stags will also look to equal history this weekend as they attempt to match the team and MAAC record for consecutive regular season victories. Fairfield, three-time defending MAAC regular season champions, have won 20 consecutive games versus MAAC foes in the regular season, and are two shy of tying the record, also held by the Stags. Fairfield won 22 straight regular season games against league rivals April 15, 2000 through April 4, 2004.

Canisius is the answer to the trivia question of the team that Fairfield defeated for the record setting 22nd win seven seasons ago. The Stags knocked off the Griffs 16-6 that afternoon, also at home. It is one of the Stags 10 victories in the all-time series with Canisius. Fairfield is 10-3 against Canisius and has won four straight meetings, including a 13-7 victory in Buffalo last season. The Griffs last victory over Fairfield came in 2006, with a 16-12 victory in the MAAC Tournament, which followed a 14-9 regular season win.

Fairfield meets Niagara for the 14th time and has never lost a meeting with the Purple Eagles. The Stags have scored 18 or more goals in each of the last four meetings with Niagara, while not allowing the Purple Eagles to reach double digits in any of the four games. The closest game of the series came in 2005 with the Stags prevailing 15-13 at home.

The Stags have won three straight games, scoring at least 12 in each of those games, while not allowing any opponent to reach double-digits. Fairfield opened MAAC play with a 19-4 win at Siena, giving up just one first-half goal, and then defeated Marist 12-9 at home in the last game.

Chloe Mangan (Sayville, N.Y.) equaled a season-high with five goals in the win over Marist and has taken over the team lead with 27 goals and 37 points. Her 3.36 points per game is tops in the MAAC and is 58th in the nation beginning this week. Mackay continues to provide the Stags an offensive punch as well and is second on the roster with 36 points. She has handed out a team-best 14 assists, which ranks 42nd in the nation.

Katie Keenan (Wantagh, N.Y.) has continued to anchor the Stags defense in net, and begins the week with a league leading 9.61 GAA and is the only MAAC keeper with a single-digit goals-against. She has stopped 78 shots this season and has minded the net for 692 of 720 minutes.

The Stags defense is allowing just six goals per game to its opponents in the last three games, lowering the season average to 9.92. Numerous players are contributing on the defensive end, led by graduate student Renee L'Heureux (Glastonbury, Conn.) who has 15 ground balls and six caused turnovers in the last five games. Bare is leading the team with 15 caused turnovers, while also totaling 15 points this season as well as picking up a team-best 27 ground balls.

A trio of rookies is also providing the Stags with valuable minutes on the field and have all scored at least 11 times this season. Addie Reilly (Locust Valley, N.Y.) is the reigning MAAC Rookie of the Week, an award that she has won twice this season. She is fourth on the team in scoring, 24 points, with 22 goals, including a game-winning tally. Melanie Raso (Farmingdale, N.Y.) has also won the league's rookie accolade twice this season and is third on the team in scoring with 28 points. She is also atop the team in draw controls with 33, and her 2.75 per game is third in the MAAC and 38th in the nation this week. Jenna Slowey (Moorestown, N.J.) was the March 1 recipient of the MAAC Rookie of the Week award and has touched net 11 times this season, good for sixth on the team.

Posted On: 04-07-2011 11:04 AM

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