FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University men's lacrosse team returns home to Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium on Tuesday, March 1 to host Massachusetts Lowell. Faceoff is slated for 3 p.m. with all of the action broadcast live on FairfieldStags.TV with J.J. Duke on the call.
Fairfield's Last Time Out
Charlie Schnider registered his second five-point game (2g, 3a) of the season and Colin Burke and Drew Murray also scored two goals apiece, but the Stags were topped by host Rutgers, 12-6, on Saturday afternoon.
Fairfield made a run in the second half, eventually cutting a six-goal deficit in half at 9-6 with 12:35 to play, but the Stags would not score again as Rutgers tacked on three late markers to round out the 12-6 final tally.
Schnider, who also turned in a five-point performance (3g, 2a) in the season opener against Richmond on Feb. 15, now leads the Stags in points (12), goals (6, tied with Burke) and assists (6). Murray's two goals were his first of the 2016 campaign and included a man-up tally in the opening frame.
Reigning CAA Rookie of the Year Will Fox returned to form in the faceoff 'X', winning 14-of-22 draws on the day. He also collected a game-high six ground balls. Schnider added four ground balls to the Stags' transition effort.
Tyler Behring got the start in the cage and made 11 saves with three ground balls. Logan Williamson led the defensive effort in front of the junior goalkeeper with two ground balls and a pair of caused turnovers.
Scouting UMass Lowell
Following a 1-13 season in their first campaign as an NCAA Division I squad, the UMass Lowell River Hawks are 0-3 to begin the spring of 2016. The club's three losses have come against a strong trio of opponents: No. RV/20 Boston University (8-6), No. 6/6 Yale (17-7) and perennial MAAC contender Siena (11-7).
Sam Klingsporn leads the River Hawks' offense with nine goals and one assist. He is the only UMass Lowell player to have scored a goal in all three games to date, including a four-goal outing in the season opener against Boston U. Blaine McMahon adds four points with two goals and two assists.
Grant Lardieri has started all three contests and played the majority of the minutes in the cage. He owns a 12.31 goals-against average and .450 save percentage in 160:52. Giles Ober (two goals, four saves in 17:24) and Chris Litchfield (one goal, zero saves in 1:44) have also spent time minding the River Hawks' goal.
Stags vs. River Hawks
In the first meeting between the two clubs last season, Fairfield used goals from nine players en route to an 11-5 win in Lowell on March 17, 2015. Jake Knostman and TJ Neubauer each scored twice for the Stags, while Charlie Schnider contributed a goal and two assists. Among returners to the 2016 squad, Joe Rodrigues, Conor Dalton and Liam DaRos also scored goals.
Defensively, Tyler Behring made the start in goal and registered six saves while picking up seven ground balls.
Up Next
Fairfield continues its home schedule this Saturday, March 5 with a visit from Stony Brook. Faceoff from Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium is slated for 1 p.m. and will be broadcast live on FairfieldStags.TV.
Stony Brook is currently ranked No. 18 in the USILA poll and unranked but receiving votes in the Cascade/Maverik media poll. The Seawolves, who will be playing their first road contest of the season this Saturday, are 2-1 following wins over Sacred Heart and St. John's and a loss to then-No. 9/9 Brown.
