FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Eight different goal scorers on offense and the best performance of the season on defense led Fairfield University Men's Lacrosse to a 13-11 victory over visiting Lafayette on Wednesday afternoon on Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium. Dylan Beckwith recorded six points to lead the balanced attack.
 
"We've improved every day and we just need to keep making those incremental improvements," said Head Coach Andrew Baxter. "We were better riding and clearing – two things we focused on in practice since Saturday – but we still need to tighten up our overall execution."
 
Beckwith's six points consisted for a game-high four goals to go along with two assists. His pair of helpers were the 88th and 89th of his career, surpassing Colin McLinden '15 to move into sole possession of third place on the Stags' all-time ledger. The graduate student is also fourth all-time on Fairfield's career points list with 175.
 
Taylor Strough and Shane Osborne, who made his first career start in the midfield, were Fairfield's only other multiple-goal scorers with two apiece. Matt Chlastawa, Patrick Drake, Travis Ford, Lucas Pedersen and Malcolm MacInnes each added single tallies. Pedersen's goal was his first of the season and the second of his career as the long-stick midfielder collecting a ground ball from the wing off the restart and went the distance for a pole goal.
 
Ford and MacInnes' goals were both scored on man-up opportunities as the Stags went 2-for-2 with the advantage. MacInnes' tally was also the first of his career.
 
Rounding out the Fairfield attack, Chlastawa and Beckwith each had two assists with Borda, MacInnes and Trent Moran also dishing out one helper. Chlastawa – the all-time leading scorer at Division III Bates – has totaled three points in all three outings of his Fairfield career.
 
"One of our principles offensively is sharing the ball, so we want to continue to do keep the ball moving and get multiple touches on our offense," Baxter said. "It doesn't really matter to us who scores the goal, but balance is a byproduct of what we're trying to do on that end of the field."
 
Keeping the Stags on the attack was Frankie Labetti, who went 16-for-23 in the faceoff circle with 12 ground balls. With his day at the X, Labetti moved past TJ Neubauer '16 for fourth place all-time at Fairfield with 173 career ground balls. He also took over fifth place in career faceoff wins, running his total to 269 to surpass Matt Donahue '02.
 
Dylan Smith added a 3-for-4 showing in relief of Labetti.
 
Fairfield's balance on offense was mirrored on the other end of the field as the Stags held Lafayette to 11 goals – matching their best performance under Baxter. Jake Tymon led the effort with four caused turnovers and four ground balls alongside his fellow starting close defensemen Tyler Burns (1 GB, 1 CT) and George Elmquist (1 CT). LSM Braden Lynch had three ground balls and a caused turnover, and Ryan Lancaster scooped up a pair of ground balls as a short-stick middie.
 
Overall, Fairfield's defensive and midfield play led to a 34-31 advantage ground balls and created 15 Lafayette turnovers.
 
Anchoring the back line was Colin Consoli, who had the best game statistically of his young Fairfield career with 15 saves for a .577 save percentage. Consoli has reeled in a CAA-leading 15.33 saves per game thus far in 2021, turning away an even 50 percent of the shots he has faced.
 
"Colin has been incredible; he's been a presence leading the defense and has really matured beyond his years in a short amount of time," noted Baxter of his rookie goalkeeper.
 
Lafayette (0-2) was led by two goals and an assist from Charlie Cunniffe and two-goal outings by Carter Cecil, John Mathes and Kalman Kraham. Ryan Ness made 14 saves for the Leopards.
 
Up next, the Stags return to CAA action and challenge their first nationally-ranked opponent of the spring with a Sunday, March 14 trip to #16/17 UMass. Opening faceoff on Garber Field is set for 1 p.m. The Minutemen, who were the CAA regular season champions in the last full season of action in 2019, will be making their 2021 debut on Sunday.