NEWARK, Del. – Fairfield University Men's Lacrosse used a 6-2 run to close the second quarter on top of #12 Delaware, 8-5, on Friday afternoon in Newark. But the nationally-ranked Blue Hens responded with a 6-0 third quarter and never looked back en route to taking a 16-11 decision. Dylan Beckwith and Taylor Strough each scored two goals for the Stags.

Beckwith also dished out two assists for Fairfield (2-5, 0-4 CAA) to extend his team high totals to 16 goals, 16 assists and 32 total points on the year. Strough has racked up five markers in the last two games and 15 goals for the season.

The Stags attack also got single tallies from Jake Coleman, Matt Chlastawa, Travis Ford, Trent Moran, Tyler Burns, Dean Ford and Tyler Wuchte. Coleman's goal was the first of his Stags' career in his first career start on attack. Burns' goal was his first as a Stag after netting two with the long pole during his career at Division III St. Lawrence from 2017-20.

Rounding out the offense, Kyle Borda dished two assists with one helper apiece coming from Coleman and Ryan Lancaster.

In the midfield, Frankie Labetti was 12-for-21 at the X with nine ground balls. Dean Ford and Wuchte corralled three ground balls apiece working in the defensive midfield and on the wings, with Wuchte also tallying two caused turnovers.

The defensive effort was guided by George Elmquist with four caused turnovers. Benjamin Rivera made his Fairfield debut on close defense and nabbed three ground balls.

Colin Consoli protected the cage to the tune of 16 saves – his seventh-straight outing with double-digit stops and third consecutive game with a save percentage of .500 or better.

A defensive-minded first quarter saw Travis Ford get the Stags on the board off a feed from Borda and even the score at 1-1 at the 9:51 mark. That was also of the scoring in the opening frame until the final seconds when Beckwith ripped home a Borda pass with only five seconds left to stake Fairfield to a 2-1 lead after 15 minutes.

The Blue Hens pushed their way in front with goals from Drew Lenkaitis and Mike Robinson's second of the day, but the Stags needed less than two minutes to reclaim the lead. Back-to-back hookups from Beckwith to Strough, a pole goal in transition for Burns and a Coleman strike from the ensuing faceoff all came in just 1:47 to put Fairfield on top, 6-3.

Delaware would get the next two markers to draw within one before Moran and Wuchte each struck late in the half to send the Stags into the intermission with an 8-5 lead.

In the third quarter, however, the Blue Hens took over led by five goals in the stanza from Robinson. In total, Delaware outscored the Stags 7-0 in the frame to carry a 12-8 advantage into the fourth.

An early Beckwith goal in the fourth ended the Delaware run, but the Hens promptly started a new one with the next four markers – keeping Fairfield scoreless for more than 12 minutes. Dean Ford buried a goal and Chlastawa ripped the corner for a man-up marker down the stretch to round out the 16-11 final.

Robinson finished the day with seven goals and an assist, and Charlie Kitchen added a hat trick and a trio of helpers. Matt Kilkeary had 13 saves in the Delaware cage.

Up next, the Stags will complete their first set of consecutive road games with a trek down to Towson on April 10. The Tigers (3-5, 0-2 CAA) will visit Hofstra this Saturday before hosting Fairfield one week later.

Action returns to Rafferty Stadium for the final two home games of the spring against Drexel on April 17 and UMass on April 24.