FAIRFIELD, Conn. – For the second consecutive season, 60 minutes was not enough to decide a clash between Fairfield University Women's Lacrosse and Boston University. Unfortunately for the Stags, the result was also the same for the second straight campaign as the visiting Terriers came away with an 11-10 decision in double overtime on Wednesday afternoon at Rafferty Stadium. Brenna Connolly paced the Fairfield attack with six points in the club's non-conference finale.
 
The loss puts the Stags at 4-4 overall with Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play set to begin next Saturday, March 24 on Conway Field with a noon visit from Siena. All four of Fairfield's losses this season have been by a one-goal margin. Today's defeat was the Stags' second overtime contest of the year after topping Hofstra, 13-12, last month on Long Island. Boston U. improves to 2-3 with the win.
 
Connolly's four goals matched her career high established in that overtime win at Hofstra in February. Coupled with her two assists this afternoon, Connolly currently sits at 99 career points.
 
Meaghan Graham was also key to the scoring effort with two goals and an assist. Among her pair of tallies was the game-tying marker with less than two minutes to play that sent the action into overtime.
 
Olivia Russell also scored two goals, with Mary Smyth and Lily Crager each netting one. Smyth, Kelly Horning and Kathleen Hulseman handed out one assist apiece for the Stags to help facilitate the attack.
 
In the midfield, Erin Mammele pulled down a game-high seven draw controls. With that effort, she passes Melanie Raso '14 to move into second place all-time with 157 in her career. Mammele is 13 draw controls shy of the program-record 170 collected by her former teammate Riley Hellstein '17. With 63 draw controls this season, Mammele also ranks second on the single-season list behind only her own record of 86 draw controls established last spring.
 
Horning aided the effort in the midfield with a career-high six draw controls as the Stags claimed a 15-9 advantage on the draw.
 
In the cage, Paulina DiFatta made nine saves, including two in overtime. Her defense was fueled by four ground balls by Kennedy Slater as well as a pivotal caused turnover to stifle the Terriers in the final minute of regulation. Katie FitzPatrick added a pair of caused turnovers, while Megan Beach and Maggie Reynolds each nabbed two ground balls.
 
Avery Donahoe led the Terriers with six goals and an assist, with Kailey Conry netting a goal and three assists for the visitors. Christine Laible made 12 saves in the cage to earn the win.
 
It took a pair of Fairfield rebuttals to force the extra session after Boston U. scored four straight goals to take a 9-7 lead with 8:42 to play. First, Connolly scored back-to-back goals in a span of 55 seconds – assisted by Smyth and Horning, respectively – to knot the game at 9-9. After the Terriers responded to take a 10-9 lead, it was Graham netting the equalizer with 1:51 left on the clock.
 
The 10-10 deadlock held up through the first six-minute overtime. In the second extra session, Kelly Matthews won the draw for Boston U. and converted a feed from Conry to net the game-winner and send the Terriers to an 11-10 win.
 
The Stags outshot their guests, 34-23, with the Terriers claiming a 23-19 advantage in ground balls. The Stags committed 21 turnovers compared to 19 for Boston U. Fairfield went 22-for-24 on the clear, and the Terriers were 22-for-29.
 
MAAC play begins next Saturday, March 24 at noon with a visit from Siena. The Saints are currently an even 3-3 on the season and will host St. Bonaventure next Wednesday, March 21, before making the trip to Rafferty Stadium.

Next Saturday's game is the annual Herd for a Cure game for Fairfield Women's Lacrosse. The Stags will be selling t-shirts and accepting donations with 100 percent of the proceeds to benefit the Norma Pfriem Breast Center. All fans are encouraged to wear pink to support breast cancer awareness.