FAIRFIELD, Conn. - Coming off the program's fourth consecutive MAAC championship last spring, Fairfield University women's lacrosse Head Coach Laura Field announced a 16-game schedule for the Stags in 2023 this afternoon, leading up to the MAAC Championships beginning in late April.

This season's non-conference calendar for Field and the women's lacrosse team will see the squad face eight opponents representing the CAA, NEC, BIG EAST, America East, and Patriot League, including three defending league champions, before facing the eight-team MAAC contingent in the latter half of the campaign. Within the 16 total contests, the Stags will make seven appearances on the brand-new turf from Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium, including the season opener in February.

Fairfield will debut with three of its first five contests at home, before spending the entirety of the month of March on the road, with four matches on the docket that month, including the annual battle of Fairfield as the Stags head across town to play Sacred Heart. The road swing closes with the MAAC opener at Iona before a trio of home games that await the first week of April, followed by a trip to Maryland for the first in-conference meeting with Mount St. Mary's. One final date at home will see the Stags host Niagara, before back-to-back games in the Empire State to end the regular season.

"We're particularly excited for our non-conference slate this year which looks to be one of the most difficult schedules we've faced in awhile," said Coach Field, who enters her eighth season at the helm of the program, and 15th overall. "The high level competition includes several 2022 champions in their respective conferences and will prepare us well for the MAAC side of the calendar which continues to get more competitive year in and year out."

Fairfield women's lacrosse will open 2023 with the same opponent they debuted against last season as they take on Holy Cross, with the venue switching places this time around, to the friendly confines of Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 1:00 p.m. The first road venture of the year will be a short trip as the team makes its way up to Storrs, to take on UConn in the midweek at 2:00 p.m. on Feb. 15.

A return home on Feb. 18 sees the Stags host Wagner, who are coming off a run to the NEC title game last season, before the first trip out of state on Wednesday the 22^nd to upstate New York to take on Albany, runner ups in the America East championship a year ago. One final contest in the month of February on the 25^th will see Fairfield play its third straight Saturday at home, taking on Hosftra before heading on the road a week later.

Road warriors for the month of March, the Stags will play all four matches away from home, and three out of state as they embark on a four-game road trip Mar. 4 when they take on defending America East champion Vermont in Burlington. The following Saturday Fairfield will head down to the Quaker State to take on defending CAA champion Drexel in Philadelphia on Mar. 11 at 1:00 p.m. followed by a brief trip back to Connecticut to take on Sacred Heart across town at 3:00 p.m. in the final non-conference bout before having a two-week break in the schedule to prepare for the MAAC slate.

Conference play kicks off on Wednesday, Mar. 29 as the Stags head down to New Rochelle, N.Y. for a meeting with Iona before returning to Fairfield on Apr. 1 to open a three-game homestand that Saturday against Marist. The MAAC's Nutmeg State contingent will go head-to-head from Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium on Wednesday, Apr. 5 at 3:00 p.m. as the Stags host Quinnipiac before wrapping the quick homestretch on the eighth with a meeting against Siena. The meeting with the Saints is the first since Fairfield upset No. 3 seeded Siena at home 10-8 in the MAAC semifinals last season en route to the 2022 championship.

From there the Stags will end the year with three of their final four contests on the road beginning on Apr. 12 as they head to Emmitsburg, Md. for the first MAAC meeting against Mount St. Mary's, playing their first season in the league after leaving the Northeast Conference where the Knights claimed the 2022 NEC Title over Wagner in double overtime. In seven prior meetings with The Mount, Fairfield holds a 4-3 edge in the all-time series as the teams square off for the first time since Mar. 14, 2009, when the Stags claimed a 15-13 victory in Connecticut.

The home side of the calendar wraps up when Fairfield return home on Wednesday, Apr. 15 for one final time as the host Niagara at 12:00 p.m. The regular season schedule comes to a close with a pair of matches in the final week of the regular season heading to Manhattan in the midweek, Apr. 19 at 3:00 p.m. before heading up to Buffalo, N.Y. to take on Canisius that Saturday, Apr. 22.

The top six teams in the conference will compete for the 2023 MAAC Championships beginning with first-round action beginning on Apr. 29 hosted by the No. 3 and No. 4 seed hosting the No. 6 and No. 5 seeds, respectively, with the winners advancing to the semifinals on May 5, and the champion being crowned on May 7.

Stay tuned for FairfieldStags.com and @StagsWomensLax on Twitter and Instagram for the latest on Fairfield women's lacrosse in the build-up to the Stags' chase at a fifth consecutive MAAC title.