EDISON, N.J. – After protecting the cage in a pair of crucial road victories for Fairfield University Women's Lacrosse, Paulina DiFatta has been selected as the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Defensive Player and Rookie of the Week. DiFatta posted a .575 save percentage and 8.50 goals-against average in the wins at Iona and Canisius that propelled the Stags into a tie for first place in the conference standings.
 
DiFatta made a total of 23 saves while ceding 17 goals on the week to go along with five ground balls. Her 12-save outing in the 11-8 win at Canisius anchored a Fairfield defense that held the Griffs to their lowest scoring output in a MAAC regular season game since the Stags defeated them by a 12-8 count on April 10, 2011.
 
DiFatta is now a three-time MAAC Defensive Player of the Week and two-time MAAC Rookie of the Week in her first active campaign with the Stags. On the season as a whole, she ranks second in the MAAC with a 9.98 goals-against average and a .513 save percentage.
 
At 9-6 overall and 5-2 in MAAC action, Fairfield sits in a five-way tie atop the conference standings alongside Canisius, Marist, Monmouth and Niagara. The Stags conclude the regular season on Wednesday with a 6 p.m. visit to Manhattan. Fairfield would clinch a share of the MAAC Regular Season Championship with a win.
 
The 2018 MAAC Championship begins on Saturday, April 28 with the #3 and #4 seeds hosting the #6 and #5 seeds, respectively. The two advancing teams will join the #1 and #2 seeds the following weekend for the semifinals and finals hosted by the top-seeded team on May 3 and 5. Seeding for the upcoming MAAC postseason will be determined by results throughout the league on Wednesday.