FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Fairfield University Women's Lacrosse will open the 2019 season this Saturday, Feb. 9 in Worcester, Mass. against Holy Cross. The defending MAAC Champion Stags return seven starters and 19 student-athletes in total from last year's 13-7 campaign.
 
LISTEN: Head Coach Laura Field previews the 2019 season on the Inside Fairfield Lacrosse Podcast
 
Among the Stags' key returners are seven players who scored 15 of more points in 2018. Preseason All-MAAC honoree Kathleen Hulseman leads that crop with 54 points scored last spring (32 goals, 22 assists), while Taylor Mitchell netted a team-best 40 goals to go along with three assists. Also back in the fold offensively are Brooke Gallagher (30-7-37), Kelly Horning (25-5-30), Jillian Winwood (15-8-23), Diana DeVita (10-7-17) and Meaghan Graham (11-4-15).
 
On the defensive end, the Stags welcome back a pair of All-MAAC starters in Megan Beach and Erin Mammele – both of whom also earned Preseason All-MAAC recognition. Maggie Reynolds is back for her sophomore campaign after starting all 20 contests as a rookie.
 
For the first time since 2011, Fairfield has been ranked #1 in the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Stags went 6-2 in the conference last spring to share the regular season crown with Marist, Canisius and Monmouth. Fairfield was the third-seeded team in the MAAC Championship, becoming the first team to ever win three games in a single MAAC Women's Lacrosse postseason en route to the title.
 
Scouting Holy Cross
Selected to finish seventh of 10 teams in the Patriot League Preseason Poll, Holy Cross is coming off a 6-12 campaign in 2018.  The Crusaders welcome back their top four scorers and seven of their top eight point collectors from last season. Leading the way is First Team All-Patriot League attacker Keely Connors, who paced the Crusaders with 37 goals and set a program single-season record with 93 draw controls. Holy Cross also returns Baker Earl (31 points) and Bryn Carroll (28) along with Maggie Moriarty, who led the team with 16 assists while chipping in nine goals of her own.
 
The Crusaders graduated their stalwart in the cage in Julia Maloney, who started all 18 games last year. Holy Cross lists four goalkeepers on the 2019 roster: juniors Sophie Ochs and Juliana Kubler – who appeared in four and three games, respectively, last spring – and newcomers Grace Flink and Maddie Peplinski.
 
All-Time Series
The Stags have closed the gap in the all-time series with the Crusaders with wins in seven of the last nine meetings dating back to 2008. Holy Cross maintains a 9-8 advantage on the ledger thanks to a 7-1 showing in the first eight clashes with the Stags.
 
The teams are meeting to open their seasons for the third straight year. The Stags used a six-point day from Hulseman (3g, 3a) and three points apiece from Brenna Connolly and Lily Crager to win last season's encounter, 14-5. The win on Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium avenged an 11-8 loss in Worcester to begin the 2017 campaign.
 
Up Next
The Stags kick off the 2019 home slate on Wednesday, Feb. 13 with a 3 p.m. visit from UConn. The Huskies will begin their first season as a part of the new American Athletic Conference on Friday, Feb. 8 at #15 Syracuse.
 
Admission is free for all fans for all Fairfield Women's Lacrosse regular season home games this season.