FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University women's lacrosse team opens Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship Tournament play on Friday, May 1 at 4:30 p.m. at the Demske Sports Complex in Buffalo, N.Y. The second-seeded Stags will take on the third-seeded Monmouth Hawks in the semifinal.  

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Fairfield (12-4; 7-1 MAAC) vs. Monmouth (12-5; 6-2 MAAC): The Stags defeated the Hawks, 8-7, in an exciting contest on April 15. Sophomore Riley Hellstein scored a goal with just 9.8 seconds left in regulation, completing a hat trick and lifting Fairfield to a 5-1 overall MAAC record at Rafferty Stadium. Sophomore goalkeeper Caleigh O'Connor made seven saves. Fairfield is 8-5 all-time against Monmouth and is currently on an eight-game winning streak against the Hawks.

Scouting the Hawks: Monmouth is seeking their first MAAC Championship Tournament title. The Hawks only fell to conference foes Canisius and the Stags this season. Monmouth's home win over sixth-seeded Niagara on April 25 allowed the Hawks to enter the 2015 MAAC Tournament as the No. 3 seed. Monmouth has outscored its opponents 175-141 this year, having outscored opponents 88-66 in the second half of games. The Hawks have scored 10.29 goals per game and have tallied 24.8 shots per game. Junior Marial Pierce is Monmouth's leading scorer, with 28 goals and 19 assists for 47 points. Sophomore Olivia Higson has 32 goals while senior Allison Stathius follows with 30. Senior goalkeeper Katie Donohoe has a 8.38 GAA with 102 saves, earning a save percentage of .455.

MAAC Attack: Top-seeded Canisius (11-6; 8-0 MAAC) will face fifth-seeded Marist (8-8; 3-5 MAAC) in the second semifinal game on Friday, May 1 at 8:00 p.m. The winners of both semifinal games will compete on Sunday, May 3 for the 2015 MAAC Championships Tournament title and a berth into the NCAA Tournament.

Fairfield in the MAAC Championship Tournament: The Stags have appeared in each of the last nine MAAC Championship Tournaments dating back to the 2006 season. Fairfield has advanced to the finals in five of those appearances (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012) and has captured the MAAC Championship Tournament title twice in program history (2001, 2009). Last season, the Stags were clipped by Canisius, 12-10, in the semifinals.

Last Time Out: The Stags topped Quinnipiac, 18-3, on April 22 in Hamden, Conn. for their 2015 regular-season finale. Junior Jenna Fuchs led the Stags' offense with her second consecutive hat trick. In addition to three goals from Fuchs, Alex Fehmel, Riley Hellstein, and Riley Smith each scored twice for the Stags. Adding single markers in the victory were Kaitlyn Arnold, Kelly Camardo, Courtney Chmil, Brittany Danielewski, Julieanne Mascera, Maeve Quinn, Olivia Russell, Mary Smyth, and Scarlett Sulliman.

Fairfield vs. the MAAC: The Stags are 7-1 in conference play this season. Fairfield is scoring 12.25 goals per game while holding league opponents to just 6.75 goals per game. The Stags defense is holding opponents to a .378 shot percentage. Fairfield is outscoring league opponents 51-27 in the first half of conference contests. The Stags are also picking up 53.1 percent (126-111) of ground balls and 53.6 percent (90-78) of draw controls.

National Notice: Entering the week, the Stags are among the national statistical leaders in several categories. Junior goalkeeper Chelsey Sidaras is the national leader in save percentage (.537) and is ranked fifth in goals against average (6.59). As a team, Fairfield tops the chart in save percentage (.540), is ranked fourth in scoring defense (6.81), and is tied for 17th in win percentage (.750). The Stags are also ranked 25th in scoring margin (3.25).