Fairfield Women’s Lacrosse dominated Mount Saint Mary’s 12-4 on Wednesday on Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium, advancing to 6-0 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play.
The matchup was pivotal, as both teams entered tied atop the MAAC standings.
“The girls did an outstanding job of getting information in and really playing clean. They had played with a lot of poise and a lot of patience,” said head coach Laura Field.
Fairfield controlled the pace of the game from the opening draw, taking an early 4-0 lead in the first quarter. The Stags’ offense overwhelmed the Mountaineers, taking 31 shots overall and 18 shots on goal, compared to the Mount’s 13 shots and four on goal. Junior Kelly Haggerty scored three goals, one of them marking her 100th career goal.
The third quarter was decisive for Fairfield, as they scored four additional goals while keeping the Mount off the scoreboard.
“All the pieces and the components, whether we’re clearing the ball, shooting the ball, on the draw, were outstanding, and I think we’ve been looking for a complete game,” Field said.
Controlling possession, the Stags went 18-18 on clears. Their defense was dominant, holding the Mountaineers to a season-low four goals.
Fairfield’s goals also came from junior Paige Gardner, sophomore Charlotte Loughlin, and graduate students Haley Burns, Kyleigh Tufano, and Katie Bergen.
The Stags got contributions from across the lineup, including two goals and an assist from sophomore Tessa Caputo and a goal with two assists from senior Mary Henry. Graduate goalie Whitney Robinson also made two saves to help maintain Fairfield’s advantage.
“I think the team prepared. We knew what we were facing. Obviously, the Mount is a very, very well-coached team,” said Field. The Mountaineers are one of Fairfield’s biggest MAAC competitors.
First-year Ava Kraszewski was the Mount’s leading scorer, with two points. Sophomore Brooke Molchanoff is the top scorer on the team, averaging more than three goals a game. The Stags held her to just one in Wednesday’s competition.
The Stags are set to play against the Quinnipiac Bobcats in Hamden on Saturday, April 11 at 11:00 a.m. Mount Saint Mary’s will head back to Maryland to match up against Canisius University in Baltimore on April 11 at noon.
