FAIRFIELD, Conn. – TJ Neubauer and Colin Burke combined for nine goals as the Fairfield University men's lacrosse team raced past visiting Quinnipiac, 13-7, on Tuesday evening under the lights on Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium. Neubauer added six ground balls to his five goals scored for the Stags.
Fairfield (4-5) has now won back-to-back games for the first time in 2016 following up on Saturday's 12-7 victory at Colgate. The Stags look to move to .500 this weekend when they travel to nationally-ranked No. 6 Villanova.
With a season-high five goals today, Neubauer moves past Michael Bocklet '07 and Devin Laden '98 into fifth place all-time at Fairfield with 98 career goals. The senior co-captain of the Stags has scored a hat trick or better in five of his last six games. This spring, he has totaled 20 goals in seven contests.
Burke rattled the cage four times to improve his team-leading total to 25 markers. He has scored four goals in three contests this season with at least one marker and two total points in each of the first nine games of his collegiate career. Burke entered the day ranked fourth in the nation among freshmen in goals per game.
Neubauer and Burke are now the top two goal scorers in the CAA with 2.86 and 2.78 goals per game, respectively. Burke also leads the Association with 3.33 points per contest.
In tonight's contest, Joe Rodrigues added two goals with Charlie Horning and Conor Dalton each netting one. Charlie Schnider dished out two assists to improve his CAA-leading total to 17. Rodrigues, Jake Knostman and Drew Murray also distributed assists for the Stags.
On the opposite side of the field, goalkeeper Tyler Behring ceded a season-low seven goals for the second straight game and made eight saves.
The Stags dominated the possession game this evening, winning 17-of-24 faceoffs. Will Fox went 15-of-19 at the 'X' with four ground balls and Joe DeLasho won a pair of draws.
For the first time this season, Fairfield never trailed in the game as unassisted goals from Burke and Neubauer (man-up) staking the hosts to a 2-0 edge. Quinnipiac would tie the score early in the second frame, but the Stags rattled off six unanswered markers – including two more from the crosse of Neubauer – to enter the half with a 7-2 lead.
Burke kept the momentum rolling with a goal to start the action in the third quarter, and Fairfield would add three more in the period to carry an 11-3 advantage into the final 15 minutes of action. Quinnipiac would chip away with four four-quarter markers, but the Stags worked the clock with long, deliberate possession as Neubauer and Dalton added insurance goals in the period to round out the 13-7 final count.
Foster Cuomo and Anthony Carchietta each scored two goals with an assist for Quinnipiac (3-3) to lead the Bobcats' offense. Jack Brust made 11 saves in the cage for the visitors.
The Stags will close out their 2016 non-conference schedule this Saturday, March 26 at No. 6 Villanova. Faceoff from Villanova Stadium is set for 1 p.m.
Fairfield will then open the CAA slate at Hofstra on the following Saturday, April 2, before returning home to host Drexel on Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium on Saturday, April 9 at 3 p.m. That game is the back-end of a doubleheader that will feature Fairfield women's lacrosse hosting MAAC opponent Siena at noon. Both ends of the twin bill will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
