FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Six games on Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium and a revamped seven-game Colonial Athletic Association slate highlight the 2023 schedule for Fairfield University Men's Lacrosse, which was announced on Thursday by Head Coach Andrew Baxter. The campaign begins on Feb. 11 at Lehigh.
 
"Our guys have done a very good job of focusing on practice and getting better every day, but I know that we are excited to get back to regular season competition in just about seven weeks when we head to Lehigh," said Head Coach Andrew Baxter. "Our non-conference schedule is filled with great opportunities to test ourselves against local rivals and teams that will contend for their respective conference titles. And the CAA will be as competitive as ever with the addition of three quality programs in Hampton, Monmouth and Stony Brook."
 
After Saturday scrimmages with LIU and Yale, the 2023 season opens on Saturday, Feb. 11 in Bethlehem, Pa. against Lehigh. The Mountain Hawks went 8-7 overall last season and 5-3 in the Patriot League, falling in overtime in the semifinals of the conference championship at Boston U. The Stags have only met Lehigh once before – a 15-11 setback in Hilton Head, S.C. during the 1997 season.
 
Up next is the first of four rematches on the non-conference slate when the Stags visit Wagner on Staten Island on Saturday, Feb. 18. Fairfield toppled the Seahawks last season at Rafferty Stadium in the first-ever meeting between the two squads.
 
The Stags take to Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium for the first time on Wednesday, Feb. 22, suiting up under the lights for a 7 p.m. visit from crosstown foe Sacred Heart. A 19-16 win for Fairfield at SHU last season moved the all-time series to 4-2 in favor of the Stags.
 
February concludes with the longest road trip of the slate as the Stags make the trip to defending Southern Conference Champion Richmond on Sunday, Feb. 26. The Spiders were 11-5 in 2022, earning a win over #2 Virginia in addition to their run through the SoCon, and falling to #3 Penn in the first round of the NCAA Championship. Fairfield played a home-and-home with Richmond in 2016 and 2017, coming up short in both encounters.
 
The road-heavy opening to the Stags' 2023 slate concludes on Saturday, March 4 at Providence. Fairfield hosted and defeated the Friars last season, improving to 12-5 in the all-time series against the Big East squad.
 
The non-league slate concludes with only stretch of back-to-back home games on the ledger as the Stags host Bryant on Tuesday, March 7 and Binghamton on Saturday, March 11. Fairfield is 4-1 all-time against Bryant, most recently toppling the Bulldogs in overtime during the 2019 season, and knocked off the Bearcats last season in the first-ever meeting between the two teams.
 
The expanded CAA schedule starts across the Long Island Sound at Shuart Stadium, where the Stags will visit Hofstra on Saturday, March 18 for a rare conference night game. Fairfield stays on the road the next Saturday for a noon tilt at Towson.
 
Conference play comes to Rafferty Stadium on Saturday, April 1 with a visit from Drexel followed by a trip to meet the reigning CAA Champion, Delaware, in Newark on April 8.
 
After playing their four traditional CAA rivals, the Stags wrap up the regular season against the league's newcomers beginning at home on Saturday, April 15 against Monmouth. Fairfield then hits the road for the last time to meet a long-time foe in Stony Brook for the first time as CAA colleagues on April 22. The regular season concludes on Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium on Saturday, April 29 against Hampton.
 
Fairfield Men's Lacrosse is entering its fourth season led by Head Coach Andrew Baxter. The Stags' 7-7 record in 2022 was a five-win improvement from the prior campaign. Fairfield also won a pair of CAA games last spring, snapping a 16-game conference losing streak.
 
Single-game tickets for all six home contests will be on sale at FairfieldStags.com/TIX beginning in January.