Perhaps the most intense aspect of sports is the “Game 7,” “Do-or-Die,” or “Must-Win,” game. This weekend the 17th ranked Fairfield men’s lacrosse team faces the same challenge. On Saturday, the men will face No. 12 Denver at home with the Great Western Lacrosse League championship and an automatic NCAA tournament birth on the line. “We’ve been in big games and won them,” said Head Coach Ted Spencer. “At this point it’s do or die, you win you move on. I think our kids are ready.” Last weekend the Stags needed one victory to have a shot at the league crown. What should have been an arguably easy victory over last place and winless Butler turned into a heart-breaking 12-11 overtime loss on Friday. But, with their backs to the wall, they got the win they needed Sunday in Columbus, Ohio. With the season on the line, sophomore midfielder Greg Downing delivered perhaps the most spectacular performance of his already star-worthy career. Led by Downing’s career-high six goals, the Stags beat Ohio State 14-10 and improved to 3-1 in the Great Western Lacrosse League. “This weekend, despite the loss to Butler, was big for us that we beat Ohio State,” said goalkeeper Mike Kruger ’07, who notched his fourth-straight game with double-digit saves with 10 in Sunday’s win. “It was an exciting weekend, to comeback and dominate Ohio State is an amazing job,” said Spencer. “The kids got it done. I’m real proud of them.” A win this Saturday would put the Stags in a tie with Denver (4-0 GWLL) for first place in the league. But by winning the only head-to-head match-up of the season, the Stags would have won the tie-breaker, making them league champions and giving them their first NCAA tournament bid since 2002. In fact, as Spencer looks towards Saturday’s game, he may have a feeling of déjà vu. In 2002 the Stags faced a remarkably similar situation. That time, with the league title on the line, the Stags had to go on the road and play a heavily favored Notre Dame team. They defeated the Fightin’ Irish 11-10 in what Spencer considers the biggest victory in school history, and went on to play UMass in the first round of the NCAA’s. The Stags were overpowered in the tournament game and lost 17-4. If they were to win Saturday, they would have an opportunity to become the first team in school history to win a NCAA tournament game. Despite the anxiety and implications of this Saturday’s game, Spencer said he feels the team is prepared, and that it is business as usual. They are studying game film and will be practicing hard through Friday. The only difference, he said, is that the team will practice at night under the lights in order to simulate the conditions of the game. “Everyone’s going to have to play well for us to win this game,” said Kruger.”We’re all pretty psyched and it’s all we can think about.” “Our major focus is to figure out a way to beat Denver,” Spencer said. “We couldn’t have written it any better. Playing for the championship at home at Fairfield is fantastic,” he said. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday night at Lessing Field.

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