VILLANOVA, Pa. – Trailing 12-10 with just 88 seconds to play at #7/8 Villanova, Fairfield University Men's Lacrosse got back-to-back goals from Joe Rodrigues and Dylan Beckwith to tie the Wildcats, 12-12, and force overtime. However, it was the nationally-ranked hosts who struck in the extra session to escape with 13-12 decision.
 
Travis Ford matched his career high with four goals for the Stags (3-7). All of his tallies came in the second half. Fellow sophomore Beckwith had a five-point day with two goals and three assists.
 
Colin Burke also handed out three assists, moving into 10th place on the Fairfield Lacrosse all-time list with 48 career helpers. With his effort today, Burke also jumped into ninth on the career points list with 130, eclipsing the 128 points racked up by Tristan Sperry '15 in his four-year tenure at Fairfield.
 
In today's game, the Stags also got goals from Jack Brennan, Taylor Strough, Drew Murray, Kendall Keahey and Charlie Horning. Brennan also handed out his seventh assist of the spring.
 
In the midfield, Will Fox went 17-fo-28 on the dot with four ground balls. Jake Tymon also gathered a pair of ground balls, and Burke picked up three to extend possession in the offensive end for the Stags.
 
Max McGuire made his collegiate debut in the cage, registering eight saves with a pair of ground balls. J.B. Smith and George Elmquist each had two caused turnovers to lead the defense.
 
Danny Seibel and Keegan Khan shouldered the offensive load for Villanova (7-2) with six goals apiece. Christian Cuccinello distributed four assists for the Wildcats and Colin Crowley had three. Nick Testa made 11 saves to earn the win in the cage.
 
After two early saves for McGuire, the Stags started the scoring with Murray's fifth of the season. Following nearly 11 minutes of scoreless action, Seibel rattled the cage for Villanova to end the first quarter with the contest tied at 1-1.
 
Fairfield struck first again in the second frame as Brennan cashed in on the opening possession of the quarter. However, his 11 tally of the year ended the Stags' scoring in the period as Villanova ran off five in a row to head into the locker room holding a 6-2 advantage.
 
The dry spell did not continue through the intermission, as Ford netted his first of the day just 51 seconds in. After Fox came away with the ensuing faceoff, it was Keahey potting his first of the year to cut the margin to 6-4.
 
The next two strikes went to Villanova to open up an 8-4 advantage, but the Stags were quick to respond. After Horning's conversion of a Burke pass cut the deficit to 8-5, Fairfield got on the run on a faceoff win by Fox and ground ball pickup for Hunter Keech. The ball settled in the crosse of Burke, who connected with Beckwith for a quick score. Ford was next to light the lamp, shaving the deficit all the way down to 8-7 and force a Villanova timeout with 3:30 to play in the third.
 
A faceoff violation out of the stoppage had the Stags back on the back, and a blast from Ford soon had the game back at level pegging, tied at 8-8 entering the fourth quarter.
 
Villanova started the final frame with a man-up opportunity, which the Stags squashed as Tymon forced a Cuccinello turnover. Fairfield soon found itself on the advantage and, for the 16th time this spring, scored on the EMO as Strough's eighth of the spring put the Stags on top, 9-8, with 13:30 to go.
 
Five minutes later, two quick strikes from Khan had Villanova back in front, 10-9, and Seibel added another to make it an 11-9 advantage with 4:40 remaining. After Elmquist created a turnover, Ford finished a pass from Beckwith to trim the difference to 11-10, but Villanova struck again to take a 12-10 edge with 1:28 remaining.
 
After Tymon won a battle to come away with the ensuing faceoff, Rodrigues scored off a Brennan assist with 1:11 to go. Beckwith then nabbed Fox's next faceoff win and went coast-to-coast to net the equalizer with 56 seconds remaining in regulation. McGuire preserved the deadlock with a save just before the final horn to send the contest into overtime tied at 12-12.
 
The extra session lasted just 33 seconds, however, as Villanova won the opening faceoff and called a timeout. The first shot of the frame was the game-winner as Seibel's sixth of the day staked the Wildcats to a 13-12 win.
 
Up next, Fairfield opens CAA action at Delaware with a noon faceoff on Saturday, March 31. The Blue Hens are 3-4 on the year entering a trip to #11 Rutgers tonight beginning at 7 p.m.
 
The Stags will also visit Hofstra before returning to Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium to host Drexel on Saturday, April 14 at noon as the front-end of the annual Fairfield Lacrosse Military Appreciation Day doubleheader. Tickets are on sale now at FairfieldStags.com/TIX.