VILLANOVA, Pa. – The scoring came in bunches for Fairfield University Men's Lacrosse at host Villanova on Saturday as the momentum swung throughout much of the non-conference contest.  Ultimately, the host Wildcats scored six of the game's final eight goals to pull away with a 16-9 decision. Jack McKenna paced the Stags' offense with his first career hat trick.
 
With his hat trick today, McKenna – the reigning CAA Rookie of the Week – has scored seven goals with two assists through the first three games of his collegiate career.
 
Taylor Strough also had a three-point day for Fairfield with two goals and an assist, and Max Paparozzi notched two points with a pair of helpers as a starting attackman.
 
The Fairfield attack featured a trio of two-goal spurts, including the first two markers of the day as McKenna started the scoring and Dylan Johannes added a man-up goal for his first career score as a Stag. Next up was Villanova's first run of the day – a four-goal stretch to surge in front as the first quarter came to a close.

The second quarter started with a flourish as Frankie Labetti collected the opening faceoff – one of his nine wins on the draw this afternoon – and finished the job himself for his second goal of the spring. Just 48 seconds later, Mike Drake got on the board with the equalizer that knotted the game at 4-4.
 
Once again, Villanova had an answer as they needed just 31 seconds to regain the lead, then extended the margin to 6-4 just six second later as faceoff man Justin Coppola scored off of a win from the dot. Two more Wildcat goals sandwiched around Strough's ninth strike of the year sent the Stags into the locker room facing an 8-5 deficit.
 
After Villanova tacked on two to start the three quarter, the Stags fired back with McKenna finishing a feed from Kyle Borda and Strough netting an unassisted marker to cut the margin to 10-7.
 
However, the Wildcats once again had a quick answer as they needed just eight seconds to get back on the board with Luke Keating scoring off a J.P. Basile feed. That tandem teamed up once again to make it a 12-7 Villanova advantage.
 
McKenna would complete his hat trick later in the third period, and Ryan Lancaster added his first goal of the spring in the fourth frame, but the Villanova continued to pour in goals down the stretch to seal the 16-9 final.
 
On the defensive end for the Stags, Zack Antoniou collected five ground balls with three caused turnovers. Braedn Lynch nabbed three grounders, and Colin Consoli went the distance in the cage and finished with 10 saves.
 
Villanova was led by three players to post five points apiece: Matt Campbell (3g, 2a), Keating (4g, 1a) and Basile (3g, 2a). Will Vitton made 12 saves in the Wildcats' cage, and Coppola won 18 of 27 faceoffs with 13 ground balls in addition to his goal.
 
Up next, the Stags will make the short trip to Sacred Heart on Tuesday, March 1 for their first midweek clash of the season, then return home to Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium next Saturday, March 5 to host Harvard at 1 p.m.