FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The 2021 MAAC season reaches the halfway point on Saturday as Fairfield University Women's Lacrosse heads to Western New York to challenge Canisius. Opening draw between the Stags and the Golden Griffs is slated for noon.
 
This past weekend, Fairfield swept a home-and-home doubleheader with Manhattan to improve to 5-0 on the season and in the MAAC. Meaghan Graham had a 12-point weekend against the Jaspers to lead the attack, and Brooke Lennon added four goals and an assist in the two games en route to MAAC Rookie of the Week laurels.
 
For the season, Graham's big week moved her atop the Stags' scoring charts with 20 points – 12 goals and a team-leading eight assists. Kelly Horning has scored a team-best 14 goals to go along with five assists.
 
Defensively, Horning also leads the Stags in ground balls (17) and caused turnovers (12) and shares the team high of 17 draw controls with Nicollette LaVista.
 
Canisius is 1-3 on the season, most recently picking up a stunning 16-15 overtime win over Monmouth after trailing the Hawks by a 14-7 count midway through the second half. The Griffs previous lost a pair at Siena and a single game at Quinnipiac.
 
Paige Stachura leads the Canisius attack with eight goals and 11 points. She is one of three Griffs with a team-best three assists alongside sisters Miranda and Marissa Malvaso. Miranda is the only other Canisius player with 10 points, adding seven goals to her three helpers.
 
The majority of minutes in the Canisius cage have gone to Lauren Gilbert. Gilbert has ceded 44 goals with 39 saves in her 204 minutes of work to post a .470 save percentage. Shannon Maroney has added a .417 save percentage (7 goals, 5 saves) in 44 minutes between the pipes.
 
After Saturday's action, the Stags head to Monmouth for a set with the Hawks on April 1 and 3. Action returns to Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium on the following Saturday April 10 with a 1 p.m. visit from Siena.