SETTING THE TABLE
Fairfield University women's lacrosse returns to action Wednesday when they return home to host Boston University. Opening draw between the Stags and the Terriers is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
HISTORY VS BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Fairfield and Boston University's women's lacrosse teams have faced each other just five times prior to Saturday, but have gone head-to-head each year since 2016, with the exception of last season, when Fairfield played a MAAC-only calendar during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
LAST TIME OUT
After entering the locker room down three goals at halftime, Fairfield University women's lacrosse outscored Wagner 8-3 in the second half to pull away for a 12-10 victory Saturday afternoon. Kelly Horning led the Stags on offense, scoring a hat-trick with all three of her shot attempts on the day reaching the back of the net.
Arianna Lavelle and Rylee Harrell each netted a pair of goals to join Horning as the only multi-goal scorers on the day, as five other Stags contributed to the final tally, including Libby Rowe and Elizabeth Talluto who each added a goal, and are the only players for Fairfield who have scored at least once in every game this season. Rowe also added an assist on the day, alongside three other players who provided a single helper against the Seahawks.
As a team, Fairfield collected six ground balls, with Horning collecting two to lead the category, while also forcing two turnovers in the game. In the cage, Phoebe Proctor made 11 saves in a full day's work and posted a .524 save percentage.
SCOUTING THE STAGS (2-1, 0-0 MAAC)
Elizabeth Talluto and Rylee Harrell sit atop the scoring column for Fairfield on the young season with nine goals apiece, ahead of Libby Rowe with seven goals, and a pair of players with five each. Rowe has also dished out a team-high five assists and sits alongside Talluto for the team lead in points with 12.
On defense, Nicolette LaVista has corralled a team high 20 draw controls, more than double the next best mark, and Kelly Horning has forced the most turnovers with seven on the year. Phoebe Proctor has been the only Stag to log minutes in the cage, making 32 saves while posting a .516 save percentage and 10.00 goals-against average.
SCOUTING THE TERRIERS (0-2, 0-0 PATRIOT)
Boston University enters competition for just the third time this season when they take on the Stags Wednesday, still seeking their first win of the season. Cassie Reinertson and Lauren Kaye lead the team with four goals each, while Reinertson leads the overall points total with six, dishing out the only two helpers on the year for the Terriers.
Defensively, Jennifer Marry has collected 17 draw controls to lead the team, and Kennady Smith sits tied with Reilly Agres for most ground balls collected with four. Agres has also played the majority of minutes in-goal for B.U. making 11 saves.
PROCTOR NABS MAAC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
It took just two weeks for a member of the Fairfield University women's lacrosse team to earn weekly honors from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), as goalkeeper Phoebe Proctor was named Defensive Player of the Week by the league Monday. The award for Proctor follows a two-match week that saw her play all 120 minutes in the cage and picked up her second win of the season on the road last Saturday at Wagner.
HORNING SETS PROGRAM RECORD FOR GROUND BALLS
With a ground ball in the first half of a Feb. 16 meeting with UConn Kelly Horning collected the 170th ground ball of her career, passing Mary Tortora, for the all-time record at Fairfield University.
STAGS EARN TOP SPOT IN MAAC PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
With less than two weeks before the season opener for Fairfield University Women's Lacrosse, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) announced the results of the 2022 Preseason Coaches' Poll, with the Stags tabbed to finish atop the conference standings once again.
The three-time defending MAAC champions, Fairfield took home 77 overall points in the poll, including six first-place nods, finishing just ahead of 2019 and 2021Â runner-up Siena with 75 points and the remaining three votes. Monmouth, Niagara, and Quinnipiac round out the top five, followed by Marist, Canisius, Manhattan, and Iona who make up No. 6 through No. 9 in the poll.
HORNING NAMED MAAC PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
In addition to the Coaches' poll, Kelly Horning was named the 2022 Preseason Player of the Year, after leading the team with 37 goals last season. Horning and Caroline Mangan were selected as Preseason All-MAAC.
Horning's preseason nod comes as she returns to the Stags for a fifth-year after garnering MAAC Midfielder of the Year honors following the 2021 regular season and has made the All-MAAC First-Team squad in each of the last two seasons.
Mangan was the 2021 MAAC Championship MVP after racking up eight caused turnover in the Stags' run to the title. She was also an All-MAAC Second Team honoree, compiling 18 caused turnovers and 14 ground balls while often charged with marking one of the opposition's top attackers.
SEASON SNAPSHOT
The 2022 schedule includes 16 dates overall, including seven games within the friendly confines of Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium. The first half of the schedule features matchups from five different conferences before an eight-game MAAC slate as the Stags look to claim their fourth consecutive conference championship.
LOOKING AHEAD
Fairfield women's lacrosse is back in action Saturday, Feb. 23 when they head back out on the road to take on Hofstra. Opening draw between the Stags and the Pride is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. from Hempstead, N.Y.
