FAIRFIELD, Conn. – For the third consecutive season and the sixth time in program history, Fairfield University Women's Lacrosse is the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Champion. The top-seeded Stags shutdown visiting second-seed Siena on Sunday by a score of 12-8 to hoist the trophy on Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium. Caroline Mangan was named the Championship MVP as the anchor of the Fairfield defense.
 
"We've been talking for the last month that we need to execute on all parts of the field, and I think today was the day you saw it," said Head Coach Laura Field. "We went down early and were able to not only rally back but to keep that energy up for the rest of the game."
 
Field claims her third MAAC Championship as Head Coach of the Stags and her fifth as a member of the Fairfield staff.
 
Fairfield (13-1) earns the MAAC's automatic bid to the 2021 NCAA postseason. The Stag previously won the MAAC Championship in 2001, 2009, 2015, 2018 and 2019. Fairfield's NCAA appearance next week will be the fifth in program history.
 
In today's game, Diana DeVita sparked the attack with two goals and two assists. Kelly Horning, Ellie Grefenstette, Libby Rowe and Arianna Lavelle all added two goals apiece. Maggie Fort netted a goal and an assist, and Elizabeth Talluto scored one goal to round out the attack.
 
Meaghan Graham was the team's top facilitator with three assists, and Maggie Reynolds dished out an assist in addition to her work on defense.
 
That defensive effort was guided by three ground balls and caused turnover for Keyla Bay, two grounders and two caused turnovers for Maggie Reynolds and three caused turnovers for Mangan. Olivia Conquest made six saves to improve to 13-0 in the cage this spring.
 
In total, the Stags limited Siena – which came into the day averaging a league-leading 15.15 goals per contest – to only eight goals. The Saints had previously combined for 41 goals in their two postseason wins and netted 15 against the Stags in the 15-11 decision on April 10.
 
"Top to bottom, Siena is a really good team. Every attacker and midfielder is a threat," said Field of the MAAC's highest scoring offense. "We needed a good game plan and we needed to execute it well."
 
For the third straight tournament game, Fairfield fell behind early as Siena jumped out to a 4-1 lead. The Stags responded with a four-goal run with Grefenstette providing the first and last markers of the stretch to put the Stags on top, 5-4. The clubs traded goals to a 6-6 score before Talluto and Lavelle each rattled the cage to send Fairfield into the intermission holding an 8-6 advantage.
 
Siena came out firing in the second half, scoring just 38 seconds into the frame to cut the deficit in half at 8-7. But at that point, the Stags kept the visiting Saints off the board for the ensuing 26:19 of gametime. Fairfield was also scoreless until the midway point of the half, when Kelly Horning scored back-to-back goals and Rowe buried her second to extend the lead to 11-7. Kerry Gerety scored a late goal to end the Siena drought, but Rowe responded with 88 seconds to play, rounding out the final score at 12-8.
 
Caroline Mangan totaled eight caused turnovers in Fairfield's three postseason games en route to MVP honors. She was joined on the All-Championship Team by Horning – Fairfield's leading scorer in the tournament with nine goals and two assists in addition to 10 ground balls, nine draw controls and four caused turnovers. DeVita (4g, 5a), Rowe (6g, 2a) and defender Reynolds capped the Stags' complement of All-Championship performers.
 
"Caroline drew a key charge late, she did a great job on Annie Brennan all game, and she brought a ton of leadership to the field," said Field. "Overall, credit to the entire defense. They were exceptional today."
 
The 2021 NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Lacrosse Championship Selection Show will air live on ESPNU tonight at 9 p.m. Fairfield will be a part of the 29-team field that comprises the 2021 NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship.