FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University women's lacrosse team raced past the Quinnipiac Bobcats, 17-3, on Wednesday afternoon to move to 3-3 in MAAC play.
Eleven Fairfield players got in on the scoring action, with five players getting their first goals of the season, and three notching their first career goals.
The Stags jumped out to 3-0 lead before Quinnipiac was able to get their first score at the 25:24 mark. Fairfield's first two came off free position shots, first from Alex Fehmel and Riley Hellstein. Lily Crager then notched her sixth of the season with a pass from Brenna Connolly to give the Stags an early three goal lead.
After the Bobcats got their first, the Stags tacked on the next eight goals to build an 11-1 advantage in the first half. During their eight goal outburst, Fehmel and Jenna Fuchs each tallied two scores, Hellstein and Crager notched their second of the day, while Julieanne Mascera and Colleen Reynolds got their names on the board for the first time.
Once Quinnipiac brought the deficit to under 10, Olivia Russell tallied her first goal of the season to put the Stags up 12-2 heading into the halftime break.
The Fairfield defense allowed just one goal in the second half, for a total of three on the day, their best defensive effort all season long. The offense also racked up 17 goals on the day, the highest output this season.
In the second half, Mascera opened the scoring with her second goal of the day. The final four goals of the game came from Fairfield with Erin Mammele, Brooke Gallagher, and Kathleen Hulseman each recording their first career goals. Mary Smyth had the final tally of the afternoon as she fired a shot past the keeper as the buzzer sounded for her first goal of the season.
Fairfield played three goalkeepers on the day as senior Chelsey Sidaras earned the start while junior Caleigh O'Connor and sophomore Amy White split the final minutes of the second half. As a team, they faced only seven total shots and made three saves between the pipes.
"We had 13 different point scorers and we are really proud that the level of play didn't drop off with all of those players seeing the field," said head Coach Laura Field. "Erin Mammele had a great game on the draw and it was really nice to see her come up big."
Up next, Fairfield hosts it final home game of the regular season with Niagara coming to town. The game is slated for Saturday, April 23 at noon with a pregame senior day ceremony beginning at 11:45 am.
