FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Three hundred twenty-six days after winning the 2018 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship, Fairfield University Women's Lacrosse officially begins the defense of its fourth conference title with the beginning of the 2019 MAAC schedule. First up on the slate is Quinnipiac, who hosts in the Stags in Hamden on Wednesday, March 27. Opening draw is slated for 3 p.m.

LISTEN: Head Coach Laura Field previews the upcoming MAAC slate on the "Inside Fairfield Lacrosse Podcast"
 
Fairfield wrapped up the non-conference season with a 5-3 mark. Most recently, the Stags raced out to an early lead and then held off visiting Sacred Heart last Wednesday for a 12-11 victory on Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium. Brooke Gallagher paced the attack with three goals and three assists, and Kathleen Hulseman added a four-goal day. Erin Mammele did her part to keep the Fairfield offense on the move with 10 draw controls.
 
Gallagher currently ranks second in the MAAC in points per game (4.29) and leads the conference with 2.00 assists per contest. In raw numbers, she is Fairfield's leader in both assists (14) and total points (30).
 
The Stags' leading goal scorer this spring is Taylor Mitchell, who has netted 18 markers to rank sixth in the conference with 2.57 goals per contest.
 
Scouting Quinnipiac
Following a 10-9 loss at Marist in their MAAC opener on Saturday, Quinnipiac stands at 3-6 on the season with an 0-1 conference tally. The Bobcats trailed the Red Foxes by as many as four goals in the contest over the weekend before netting the final three markers of the game to close the gap in the eventual one-goal defeat.
 
Leading the attack for Quinnipiac is Allison Kuhn with 25 goals and 10 assists for a team-best 35 points. Megan Szawlowski adds 18 points and nine assists as the duo has combined to score nearly half (47.3%) of the team's 91 goals thus far in 2019.
 
A pair of goalkeepers have shared the load in the cage thus far for Quinnipiac. Allie Kelsey got the call most recently, making 12 saves against Marist with 10 goals allowed. On the season, she has appeared in goal for 209:50 of action, owning a 16.01 goals-against average and a .356 save percentage with 31 saves and 56 goals allowed.
 
Sami Walters has played 333:38 in the cage en route to an 11.87 goals-against average and a .445 save percentage. The graduate student, who was previously a member of back-to-back NCAA postseason teams at UMass, has made 53 saves and ceded 66 goals in her seven appearances (four starts) to date at Quinnipiac.
 
All-Time Series (Fairfield leads 9-0)
Last season's 11-10 overtime win extended Fairfield's lead to 9-0 all-time against Quinnipiac. The teams have played annually since 2010 when the Bobcats were a league power in the Northeast Conference and continuing when Quinnipiac joined the MAAC beginning in the 2014 season.
 
Up Next
Fairfield follows up its shortest road trip of the season with its longest – trekking to Niagara to continue MAAC play against the Purple Eagles on Saturday, March 30. Opening draw from Western New York is slated for noon. Niagara, which visits unbeaten #8 Michigan this afternoon, is currently 3-6 overall and 0-1 in the MAAC after most recently dropping a 13-12 home decision to Monmouth on Saturday.
 
Action returns to Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium next Wednesday, April 3, for a visit from Manhattan. The 3 p.m. contest will be broadcast live by the Stags Sports Network on ESPN3.