On March 19, Kelly Horning ‘21 of the Fairfield University women’s lacrosse team surpassed 100 career points, a milestone few players have achieved before her. With an assist to a goal scored by Diana DeVita ‘21 in the second half of their contest against Manhattan College, Horning finally broke the century mark.
“I didn’t really realize that’s where I was in my career,” Horning said. “But before the game, my coach actually came up to me and told me I was really close, and that I was going to break it that day.”
Coming from a lacrosse-oriented family, Horning was destined for an achievement such as this one. From the age of four, she was coached by her father, Charlie Horning, through the ranks until she came to play at Fairfield.
The team has fought their way through the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference thus far into the season, and they are currently sitting atop the competition with a 5-0 record. They are currently the only undefeated team in the MAAC.
“Every game has pretty much been a battle,” Horning said about the teams they have played this season. After two close bouts with Quinnipiac University, a tight race against Niagara University and two big wins against Manhattan University, the team has proved that they can bring home yet another MAAC championship, just as they have done in their last two full seasons.
This season is a bit different from the last, however, as the 2020 Spring season was cut short due to the early spread of the pandemic. “We’ve always said we wanted to get four rings and that was our dream, but we couldn’t get one last year so getting three would be really awesome,” Horning said.
The team secured the MAAC championship in 2018 and 2019, and are looking to repeat this success in 2021.
Thinking more long-term, Horning hopes that she and her teammates can continue to play their game throughout the season and stay undefeated in the MAAC, which will be no easy feat.
For Horning, personally, the April 1 and April 3 games against Monmouth University are on the radar. “They definitely want to beat us, and I know that for sure because we’ve seen it in the past. It’s always a fun one.”
As a senior, Horning intends to play another year of lacrosse at Fairfield after she graduates; she will be capitalizing on the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s new ruling that grants seniors with an extra year of eligibility. This way, she may be able to get the fourth ring that she and her teammates dreamt of after their first MAAC championship in 2018.
Beyond lacrosse, however, Horning plans to attend graduate school at Fairfield University to gain a master’s degree in education.
In the coming weeks, the women’s lacrosse team will take on Monmouth University in two games on the road, as well as hosting Siena College on Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium on April 7 at 1:00 p.m.
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