They knew the stakes.
For the Fairfield men’s lacrosse team, a season that began in perfection with a 5-0 record slowly developed into a struggle against the nation’s premier teams.
To stop the slide and pull the team back into the NCAA playoff picture, the team needed a big win over North Carolina, the 10th ranked team in the nation.
Playing on a soaked Alumni Field in an absolute downpour may have had an impact on the Stags, but it certainly didn’t faze their opposition. The Tar Heels started off strong, using an impressive offense to keep Fairfield at a comfortable distance in their 12-8 victory this past Saturday.
The loss drops the Stags out of the USILA’s national rakings. They are now 5-4 overall (1-3 in ECAC) with three crucial games remaining, all of which are against ECAC teams.
Led by a talented midfielder trio, consisting of preseason All-American candidate and All-ACC selection Nick Tintle, the Tar Heels scored four straight goals at the outset of the game, taking a 4-0 lead at 6:42.
“They came out strong,” said senior midfielder Greg Downing. “Those first two quarters they really put it on us. They took the wind out of our sails [right away].”
The Stags battled back, though, in the latter part of the quarter.
Downing scored his first of three goals to pull Fairfield within two.
Moments later, defensive midfielder and senior captain Tim Gazinni, one of the team’s emotional leaders, hit the back of the net to make it a one-goal game and deliver the momentum back to Fairfield.
“I think we fought back hard,” said Fairfield Head Coach Ted Spencer. “Anytime you go down 4-0, you’re always climbing up-hill. Our kids fought hard.”
It finally appeared as if the Stags had found a spark that had been missing over the past few losses.
At least until the second quarter began.
North Carolina scored quick on a Ben Hunt shot at 13:44 in the second quarter, which would set up the Tar Heels for a devastating 5-0 stretch that would effectively take Fairfield out of the game.
“That was the best offense we’ve seen all year,” said senior goaltender Mike Kruger, who finished the day with 13 saves on 25 shots on goal.
Playing from behind, Fairfield was unable to keep up with the high-octane, talented Tar Heels offense, which marched to a 12-8 victory despite an away game in adverse conditions.
“It was difficult to keep up,” said Downing. “It seemed like a goal, then a possession for them, another goal, another possession for them. It was a tough spot to be in.”
Spencer did mention a few positives in the game. In addition to Downing’s strong play, he mentioned that, aside from the second quarter, the team was executing.
“The second quarter was really where we faltered,” said Spencer. “You look at the rest of the game, we outscored them 5-3 in the second half. But they had a comfortable lead.”
While the loss certainly does not help the Stags, the team still feels that the goal of a postseason berth is a possibility.
“We’ve still got three ECAC games to go. That could put us at 8-4 and gives us a shot at getting into the NCAA tournament,” said Spencer.
While not a certainty, the wins would likely put Fairfield back into the national rankings and secure the team a postseason berth.
However, the fact that the teams remaining on the schedule include Loyola (MD), on the 14th-ranked team in the nation, and UMass-Amherst, last season’s national runner-up, means three straight wins will be no small task.
Both teams are a combined 6-3 in ECAC play.
Last season, the Stags and Greyhounds battled till the bitter end, when the Stags came out with a thrilling 13-12 victory that was decided in the waning moments of the game.
The win marked the first time in the program’s history that the team defeated Loyola.
As for their next opponent, UMass has come on strong lately.
Currently, the Minutemen are on a three-game winning streak. They recently recorded an overtime victory over Penn State and followed that up with an impressive 17-12 win over Hobart.
Spencer said that he spent a great deal of time talking to the team about approaching these next few key games with the best mindset possible.
“We have to keep fighting,” said Spencer.
Leave a Reply