FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University women's lacrosse team will take on The College of the Holy Cross on Tuesday, March 24 for their seventh home contest of the season. The game is slated for 7:00 p.m. at Rafferty Stadium.
Fairfield (5-3; 1-0 MAAC) vs. Holy Cross: The Stags are 6-8 all-time against the Crusaders in a series dating back to 1997. Fairfield is currently on a three-game winning streak against Holy Cross. Last season, the Stags defeated Holy Cross, 8-1, on February 26 in Worcester, Mass. In that contest, Courtney Chmil recorded a hat trick for Fairfield who also received goals from Julieanne Mascera. Goalkeeper Chelsey Sidaras manned the net for the Stags, making eight saves.
Scouting the Crusaders: Holy Cross is currently 2-8 on the season, and is coming off a 13-9 loss to Lafayette last Sunday. The Crusaders have posted victories over Colgate and American and have fallen to Bryant, New Hampshire, Sacred Heart, Massachusetts, Boston College, Brown, Boston University, and Lafayette. Holy Cross returns standouts Laura Ryan and Kate Martino. Last season, Ryan scored 29 goals with 13 assists for a total of 42 points while Martino tallied 30 goals with 11 assists to total 41 points. This year, Laura Ryan is Holy Cross' leading scorer, tallying 20 goals and eight assists. Junior goalkeeper Katie Boyle will be charged with keeping the ball out the net for the Crusaders. Boyle has tallied 53 saves with a save percentage of .356.
Last Time Out: The Fairfield women's lacrosse team notched their first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) victory, 12-3, over Manhattan, on Saturday, March 21 on Dedication Day at Rafferty Stadium. In that contest, Julieanne Mascera tallied four goals while Jenna Fuchs netted three for the Stags, who also received goals from Jamie Leone, Alex Fehmel, Maeve Quinn, and Olivia Russell. Goalkeeper Chelsey Sidaras tallied nine saves while Caleigh O'Connor recorded one.
National Notice: Entering the week, the Stags are among the national statistical leaders in several categories. Junior goalie Chelsey Sidaras is ranked second in save percentage (0.568) and seventh in goals against average (6.24). Senior Meghan Reda is tied for third in ground balls per game (3.50). As a team, Fairfield is ranked second in saves percentage (.567) and is tied for fifth in scoring defense (6.50).
Ready for Rafferty: The Fairfield men's and women's lacrosse teams will celebrate their inaugural season at Rafferty Stadium throughout the spring of 2015. The construction of Rafferty Stadium was made possible through the generosity of Fairfield alumni, parents and friends. The stadium is named in recognition of the principal leadership gift from Larry Rafferty '64 and his family, and the field is named in recognition of a gift from Tim Conway '76 and family. Several other locations around the stadium are named to recognize major supporters and contributors to the project, who will be recognized along with additional donors on a plaque located inside the stadium.
Rafferty Stadium seats 3,500 fans in grandstands spanning both sidelines. The FieldTurf playing surface is complemented by state-of-the-art lighting, which provides optimal light levels for both competition and practice, and a Daktronics high-definition video scoreboard. In addition, the stadium includes a terrace level with a fully-enclosed press box that includes a large media suite, two VIP suites and a production suite to support the video capabilities of the scoreboard, television broadcasts and web streaming. On the ground level are two team rooms, food/beverage and apparel concessions, restrooms, a box office and entry plaza.
Looking Ahead: After Tuesday's contest, the Stags will resume MAAC play on the road. Fairfield will travel to Loudonville, N.Y. to take on the Siena Saints on Saturday, March 28 at 1:00 p.m.
It's Not Too Late: Last weekend was the Stags' second annual “Faceoff For A Cause” doubleheader, where men's and women's lacrosse fundraised and competed as Proud Supporters of the Wounded Warrior Project. Fans can still make a donation of $15, $20, or $30 and receive a specially designed hat or t-shirt commemorating the event, while supplies last. All funds raised go directly to the Wounded Warrior Project. Please email fairfieldlacrossewwp@gmail.com if interested in making a donation.
About the Wounded Warrior Project: The Wounded Warrior Project was established 11 years ago to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. The project's purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public's aid for the needs of injured service members; to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other; and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. Tens of thousands of wounded service members, family members, and caregivers receive support each year through WWP programs.
Run with the Stags: Fairfield lacrosse season ticket packages and individual game tickets are available now. For more information and for group rates, please contact the athletics ticket office at StagsTickets@fairfield.edu or (203) 254-4136 or visit FairfieldStags.com/tix.
