The last time the Fairfield University men’s lacrosse team walked off its home field last year, they were hoisting a Great Western Lacrosse League (GWLL) championship trophy. This season will not end the same way, but it won’t be because of a lack of performance. The Stags have moved this year from the GWLL to the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference, a conference that is made up of many teams that are nationally ranked every season. While the schedule has seen a serious upgrade, the Stags are not too worried about their new competition. “You never know until you play the game, but we train just as hard if not harder than anybody,” says Co-captain Josh Thornton ’06. “It’s great that we step up and get better competition.” The players believe they can at least match their win total from last year. “We are well coached, and we all really want to win” adds Co-captain Trevor Kelly ’06. Their work will certainly be cut out for them. Fairfield was ranked 19th in the Inside Lacrosse Pre-Season Media Poll. Five teams on their schedule are ranked ahead of them: No. 7 Georgetown, No.10 University of Massachusetts and No.13 Pennsylvania State University in the league, and non-conference opponents, North Carolina (15) and Dartmouth College (17), whom the Stags host March 4 in their home opener at Alumni Field. Last year, Fairfield was 3-0 against ECAC opponents, including the 11-10 overtime thriller against Penn State. “There really are no slouches, every team is very competitive,” said Head Coach Ted Spencer. “The ECAC top to bottom is made up of the top 20 teams. The Stags return their top three scorers from last year, but graduate some strong senior leadership. “We have a lot of returners, but anytime you lose a few guys you’re a new team,” said Spencer. “We have some very talented young players, and we’ll have to see how they adjust. Our defense is as strong as it’s ever been.” That defense held powerhouse Syracuse to just one even-strength goal in an exhibition game. The defense is led by goalie Michael Kruger ’07, who last year posted 9.57 goals against average and a .528 save percentage. The loss of captains Tom Werney ’05 and Sean Flynn ’05 will have an impact, even if it is a small one. “You can always have players to step up and replace points, but replacing emotion is a lot harder, and that’s what Tom was so great at,” Kelly said. Werney finished sixth on the team in scoring last year despite being sidelined for more than half the year with a knee injury. His impossible dream of a season – when he went down with a torn ACL early in the year he was told he may never play again for the Stags – ended on the ultimate high-note: a three goal performance in the GWLL championship game against Denver. The players are excited about the new team and the new leadership, and a move to the ECAC is having an impact on the future of the program already. “I am really excited to be part of an up and coming program,” said Gary Raniolo ’09. Josh and Trevor are great captains, and I’m excited to play the big dogs.” Players who have been on the team awhile expect this trend to continue. “Our move to the GWLL brought in more strong, young players, and a move to a conference like the ECAC should really step us up again,” says Greg Downing ’07, the reigning GWLL Player of the Year. Last year, the top three teams from the ECAC made it to the NCAA tournament, while Fairfield had to win their conference to get a bid. So the pressure to win the conference is off a little bit. But that does not change the team goals. “Our goal is ultimately to win a national championship, and moving to the ECAC helps us do that. Some may think that’s a lofty goal, but those people said winning the GWLL was a lofty goal as well,” said Spencer. The favorite to win the conference is Georgetown. Fairfield will open up conference play at Rutgers on March 10. The toughest stretch of the Stags schedule will come in the month of April. In just three weeks, the Stags will play Georgetown at home, North Carolina away, Loyola (Md.) at home and UMass on the road. This stretch could determine the final conference standing for the Stags. So can a conference title in Fairfield’s first year in the ECAC be a real possibility? “We beat the odds in the GWLL last year,” Spencer said. “Fairfield men’s lacrosse is good at surprising people.”
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