Fairfield and Hobart are meeting for the eighth time with the Stags holding a 4-3 advantage in the series.  Hobart won last year's meeting, in Geneva, 8-7, snapping a two-game Fairfield win streak in the series.  The teams are 3-3 in league games versus each other.  The Stags won at home in 2010, 14-5, the second-highest scoring game of the series (15-9; 2008).

The Stags are embarking on their seventh season as a member of the ECAC Lacrosse League. The Stags are 6-0 in conference season openers, having defeated Rutgers in each of the first four seasons, Ohio State in 2010 and Air Force in 2011, both at home. Today's game marks the fourth consecutive season that the Stags have played their ECAC opener on their home turf.

The Stags remain ranked among the nation's top program's this season, sitting 16th in both the USILA Coaches and Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media polls this week.  Fairfield was a season-high 13th last week, after opening the season at 6-0 when the poll was released.  The Stags are also ranked second in the NEILA Coaches Poll.  Fairfield has received votes in each of the national polls in all of the five in-season polls to his point.

Hobart snapped a three-game skid this week with an 11-6 win over Canisius on the road.  The Statesmen have one common opponent with Fairfield, dropping an 18-8 decision to Colgate earlier this spring. Cam Snote is the team's leading scorer with 19 points, handing out a team-best 13 assists.  Alex Love has touched net a team-best 16 times and is one of three players with 10 or more goals entering the game.  Bobby Dattilo has won nearly 72 percent of his face-offs, going 79-119 and had 39 ground balls. Peter Zonino has started five times this year, playing 300 minutes and has allowed 62 goals while stopping 68 shots. 

John Snellman enters the game with a team-best 20 goals and tied for the team lead with 22 points. He ranks 21st nationally in goals per game and is 69th in points per game.  Snellman has now scored a goal in 18 consecutive games, dating back to the Stags March 11, 2011 win over Air Force. That streak is the sixth longest active streak in the nation through Wednesday.

A key match-up will be at the X this afternoon as the top two face-off men in the nation are playing.  Michael Roe has won 65.2 percent for the Stags, while Bobby Dattilo is tops in the nation in the category.  Roe has picked up 92 face-of wins this season, which is nearly the total number Fairfield won all of last season, 116. Roe is picking up 4.75 ground balls a game as well and has a goal and two assists in his eight games for the Stags.