FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Nine days after last Wednesday's convincing win over crosstown foe Sacred Heart, Fairfield University Men's Lacrosse returns to action and returns to CAA play this Friday, March 26 for a visit from #19 Hofstra. Opening faceoff under the lights on Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium is slated for 7 p.m. with J.J. Duke on the call on the Lax Sports Network and Facebook Live.
The Stags moved to 2-3 on the season with the win over the Pioneers, led by five goals and four assists from
Dylan Beckwith. The nine-point day earned the graduate student attackman a place on the USILA Division I Team of the Week.
Matt Chlastawa added his fifth consecutive three-point effort on the attack, and
Colin Consoli made 10 saves to anchor the defensive effort. In the midfield,
Frankie Labetti went 17-for-24 on the draw with eight ground balls and a goal scored from the faceoff spot.
For the season, Beckwith leads the Stags with 13 goals and 12 assists. Chlastawa has posted seven goals and eight assists for 15 points, and
Taylor Strough has scored 10 goals with a pair of assists. Consoli has played all 300 minutes in the Fairfield cage en route to a .504 save percentage.
The Stags are seeking their first CAA win after falling to Delaware and UMass – both currently ranked in the top-15 nationally in both major polls – to begin the conference slate. Hofstra is currently ranked #19 in the nation by
Inside Lacrosse and is unranked but receiving votes from the USILA. The Pride is 3-1 on the season and will be taking the field for the first time since March 2 due to Covid-19 protocols within the program. Friday's game is the first CAA outing for the year for Hofstra.
Standout attackman Ryan Tierney is the offensive leader of the Pride with 23 goals and seven assists in four games. Alex Concannon adds 15 goals with four helpers. Collectively, Hofstra is averaging over 17 goals per game and ceding an even 12 per contest.
The platoon of Brian Herber and Chase Patterson has been very strong at the faceoff X. Herber is 46-for-72 (.639) and Patterson is 41-for-58 (.707); each faceoff man has also dished out an assist off of the restart.
Mac Gates has been in goal for the duration of all four Hofstra games this spring. In 241 minutes of action, he has allowed 48 goals with 44 saves for a .478 save percentage.
Friday's action is the start of a run of six consecutive CAA games to close out the regular season for Fairfield. The Stags are set to play consecutive road games for the first time this season, heading to Delaware for a return contest on April 2 and then trekking down to Towson on April 10.
Action returns to Rafferty Stadium for the final two home games of the spring against Drexel on April 17 and UMass on April 24.
