Fairfield women’s lacrosse came away with a 12–9 victory during its Senior Day over Canisius on Saturday in a game that stayed close through the first three quarters before Fairfield gained a lead in the last five minutes.

The Stags honored seniors Brynn Donnelly, Kit Zanelli, Keira Savage, Mary Henry, Grace Kiernan and Katherine Shammas for their hard work and dedication to the team over the years. They were joined by their parents and relatives in an on-field celebration prior to the game that allowed players to thank their coaches, teammates and fans and appreciate their contributions to the lacrosse program.

The game started with Canisius taking a 3–2 lead after the first quarter. Fairfield responded in the second, but the Golden Griffins maintained their lead with a 6-5 advantage at halftime.

In the third quarter, both teams kept the tension with the period ending with a score of 7-7.

In the fourth period, Fairfield broke out to a lead with five goals, while Canisius scored two, bringing the final score to 12-9 in favor of the Stags.

For Fairfield, sophomore attacker Tessa Caputo led the way with three goals, helping keep the offense steady throughout the game. Graduate midfield Haley Burns, junior attacker Kelly Haggerty, Zanelli, and Henry each added two goals. An additional point by sophomore attacker Charlotte Loughlin assisted the win.

For Canisius, Megan Previdi, Ella Forcucci, and Makenna Crouse each led the team with two goals each, helping keep the offense competitive throughout the game. Meg Hiltz, Leah Pfeiffer, and Ashlyn Dhandwar each added a goal as well.

Fairfield’s ability to outscore Canisius five to two in the final quarter made the difference, turning a close game into a win and helping the Stags close out the game on their terms.

“That was an outstanding defensive effort against a team that’s been scoring a ton of goals. Katherine Shammas was excellent today, and Haley Burns was all over the place, making key plays as a midfielder. Credit also to the draw team doing a great job limiting Canisius possessions,” head coach Laura Field told fairfieldstags.com.

With the win, Fairfield improves to 8-3 on the season and 3-0 in conference play, while Canisius falls to 8-3 and 2-1.

Next up, Fairfield will travel to face the Rider University Broncos on April 1, before returning home to Conway Field to play the Manhattan University Jaspers.

Canisius will return home to Demske Sports Complex to face the Niagara University Eagles on April 1 and the Marist University Foxes on April 4.