FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Fairfield University Women's Lacrosse concludes the 2018 regular season with a three-game Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) road trip beginning on Wednesday, April 18 at Iona. The 3 p.m. opening draw in New Rochelle will be broadcast live on ESPN+ (subscription required).
 
Fairfield enters the weekend with a record of 3-2 in the MAAC as a part of a 7-6 overall mark. The Stags can clinch a spot in their 13th consecutive MAAC Championship as early as Wednesday with a win coupled with a Manhattan loss against Monmouth. Seeding for the upcoming tournament remains at-large with the top five teams all currently sporting either one or two losses and all eight teams mathematically still in postseason contention at the start of this week.
 
The Stags head to Iona looking to bounce back from an 11-10 loss to Marist on Saturday – their fifth one-goal defeat of the season. Brenna Connolly and Brooke Gallagher each completed hat tricks in the effort, while Paulina DiFatta starred in the cage with 16 saves.

Connolly also had two assists, moving into sixth in the Stags' single-season record book with a team-leading 24 helpers this spring. On the career charts, she slots at second all-time with 63 assists, eight shy of Kristen Coleman's program mark of 71.
 
Gallagher's hat trick ran her scoring total to 20 goals this spring, marking the second consecutive season in which five Stags have netted at least 20 goals. Prior to 2017, a Fairfield team had not accomplished that feat since 2012. Olivia Russell has scored a team-leading 27 goals, followed by 25 for Connolly, 23 for Taylor Mitchell and 21 for Kathleen Hulseman.
 
Also in Saturday's game against Marist, Erin Mammele snagged her 87th and 88th draw controls of the season to surpass her own Fairfield single-season record. The junior already owns the Fairfield career record (182) and single-game record (11) on the draw.
 
DiFatta continues to rate among the MAAC's top goalkeepers in her first season of action. She currently owns a 10.21 goals-against average and .504 save percentage in nearly 800 minutes in the cage.
 
Iona enters its final home game of the season at 7-7 overall and 2-3 in the MAAC. The Gaels, who most recently dropped an 8-7 decision to Manhattan last Wednesday, will need at least one more conference victory to reach the postseason.
 
Pamela Giordano leads Iona with 40 goals and 42 total points this season. The Gaels' attack has also benefitted from 33 points (29g, 4a) from the crosse of Jenna Tolzmann and 254 points (22g, 3a) by Katelyn Noschese. Shannon McCaffrey has played every minute in the cage for Iona, where she holds a MAAC-leading 8.52 goals-against average and slots second in the conference with a .524 save percentage.
 
After Wednesday's game, the Stags head to Buffalo for a Saturday clash at Canisius. The Griffs are currently 8-7 overall and 4-1 in the MAAC. Opening draw from Demske Sports Complex is set for 11 a.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+. Fairfield wraps up the regular season the following Wednesday, April 25, at Manhattan.