Fairfield University men's lacrosse opens its 2016 campaign at noon on Saturday, Feb. 13 on Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium against Richmond. The game is the first half of a doubleheader that also features Fairfield women's lacrosse hosting LIU Brooklyn at 3 p.m. The doubleheader is a part of the $20 Stags Ultimate Weekend Pass that includes admission to five home games in four days.
Visit FairfieldStags.com/TIX to purchase Fairfield lacrosse single-game and season tickets.
FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Five All-CAA performers head a roster of 27 returning student-athletes that comprise the 2016 edition of the Fairfield University men's lacrosse team. The Stags, who earned a USILA national ranking for the fourth consecutive season en route to the CAA regular season championship last spring, also welcome 13 newcomers into the fold for the upcoming campaign.
Attack
Over the past four years, the Stags played only two of 62 games without both Colin McLinden '15 and Tristan Sperry '15 on the field. This spring, Fairfield looks to replace two of the most prolific scorers in program history – and two of the team's top three scorers from last season – with a combination of veterans and promising newcomers.
Among the returners, senior Conor Dalton has made the most appearances for the Stags with 39 games played, racking up 11 goals and five assists over the past three years. Dalton, who scored goals in 2015 at Bucknell and UMass Lowell, also netted a hat trick in the 2014 victory over Manhattan.
Sophomore Drew Murray made the most of his five appearances as a rookie, netting two goals with three assists. Junior Nico Panepinto also took the field in five contests in 2015, entering the Stags' offensive rotation for the stretch run last spring.
A newcomer to the Stags but not to the collegiate game, Charlie Horning joins the corps of Fairfield attackmen from Villanova. The sophomore totaled four goals and five assists for the Wildcats last season, including a marker in Fairfield's 11-4 win over Villanova on March 21 at Rafferty Stadium.
Regan McDuffee – a sophomore from St. Anthony's High School who redshirted for the 2015 campaign – and true freshmen Colin Burke, Brendan Quinn and McKay Sheahan round out the Stags' roster of attackmen.
Midfield
Leading the midfield for his senior campaign is the most decorated individual player on the current Fairfield roster – TJ Neubauer. One of the four captains of the 2016 Stags, Neubauer is a 2016 Inside Lacrosse Preseason All-America Honorable Mention and Preseason All-CAA pick. He earned First Team All-CAA and First Team All-New England honors in 2015 after heading the offense as the Stags' leading scorer for the second straight season. He scored 31 goals last season – moving into ninth place on the Stags' all-time list with 78 career markers – ranked second on the team with 49 ground balls in 2015.
Another senior co-captain and Preseason All-CAA honoree, Charlie Schnider returns for his second campaign with the Stags. Schnider claimed Second Team All-CAA honors last spring after tallying 17 goals and 13 assists, including a run of 11 straight games with a goal from Feb. 18 to April 11. A transfer from Ohio State, Schnider also grabbed 11 ground balls with three caused turnovers.
The Stags' returning firepower in the midfield for 2016 features a third co-captain in Jake Knostman. The junior netted 16 markers in 2015, including four man-up goals. He sent home his first career hat trick in the CAA win at Massachusetts.
Now two years removed from his 2014 ECAC Rookie of the Year nod, Dave Fleming continued his strong midfield play in his sophomore campaign with nine goals. Fleming found the back of the net in three straight games to open the 2015 slate as well as in the final three regular season outings of the campaign.
Just as Fleming did in 2015, Joe Rodrigues will look to build upon a strong freshman showing in the spring of 2016. A member of the CAA All-Rookie Team, Rodrigues scored 12 goals with two assists. He turned in one of his best performances with a three-point effort in Fairfield's double-overtime win over CAA foe Delaware.
Other returners to the midfield include senior Joe Guidarelli, junior Christopher Giorgio and sophomore Liam DaRos. The Stags will also incorporate sophomore Riley Peters – a redshirt in 2015 – and newcomers Ryan Antell, Kendall Keahey, Liam Lynch, Samuel Murphy, Adam Riestis and Matt Sharpe.
Long-Stick Midfielders
A Second Team All-CAA selection in 2015, senior co-captain Conor Barr will resume his post as the Stags' primary long-stick midfielder in 2016. Barr, who was tabbed as a Preseason All-CAA specialist this spring, Barr scooped up 22 ground balls with 11 caused turnovers for the Stags last season.
After missing all of 2015 due to injury, Jay Walsh will also see time at the LSM spot. In his 2014 season, Walsh was selected to the ECAC All-Rookie Team after collecting 15 ground balls with seven caused turnovers while appearing in all 16 contests.
Sophomore J.B. Smith took the field for five games as a rookie, collecting a ground ball in the Feb. 21 win over Manhattan.
Defense
The Stags' defense was one of the hallmarks of the 2015 squad, ranking third in the nation with just 7.47 goals per game allowed. After the graduation of Thomas Lukacovic '15 and First Team All-CAA defensemen Max Buchanan '15, several student-athletes will see increased roles on the back line.
Junior Matt Borda is the one returning starter of the group. Borda appeared in all 15 contests with 11 starts last spring, recording 31 ground balls with a team-leading 16 caused turnovers.
Logan Williamson also took the field in all 15 games in 2015, including two starts, and Andrew Eidenshink appeared in eight contests. In addition, defensemen Spencer Noonan and Nick Panara both got their first experience with the collegiate game in limited action during their rookie campaigns.
Senior Robert Popdan and freshmen Tim Gillis and Ryan Zoll all join the Stags this spring looking to contribute to the defense.
Faceoffs
Will Fox looks to build on his 2015 CAA Rookie of the Year season as he returns for his second campaign as Fairfield's primary faceoff man. All a Second Team All-CAA pick, Fox boasted a .586 win percentage at 119-of-203, winning at least half of his draws in 12 of the Stags' 15 games. Fox was a five-time CAA Rookie of the Week.
Joe DeLasho moves up the depth chart as Fairfield's second faceoff specialist as a sophomore. DeLasho went 7-of-11 on draws in 2015.
Goalkeepers
Tyler Behring played the bulk of the minutes in goal last spring, turning in a Second Team All-CAA campaign between the posts. His 6.32 goals-against average and .624 save percentage both would have led the nation had Behring recorded enough minutes to qualify. His sophomore campaign was highlighted by national honors as the NCAA.com Division I Defensive Player of the Week and Inside Lacrosse Player of the Week after making 22 saves while ceding just seven goals to post a 3.56 GAA and .759 save percentage a pair of Fairfield wins.
In an injury-shortened freshman campaign, Brad Nordstrom posted an 8.53 GAA and .544 save percentage. Nordstrom started the first seven games for the Stags, making 10 or more saves in four of those contests.
Sophomore Daniel Costa made one save in his two appearances as a freshman, logging 3:30 in goal. Freshman Sam Gindhart joins the fold as a netminder after a scholastic career at Bishop Shanahan High School in Downingtown, Pennsylvania.
