HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – In a game dominated by the defenses, four different players found the back of the net Saturday as Fairfield University women's lacrosse fell to Hofstra 9-5.

Kelly Horning led the Stags' offense with a pair of goals, ahead of three players who scored once, including Brooke Marotti who netted the first goal of her collegiate career early in the third quarter. Defensively, Horning and Nicolette LaVista each collected a pair of draw controls, and Horning finished alongside Caroline Mangan and Julia Rigolizzo with two ground balls apiece. In the cage, Casey Collins made a career-high 12 saves in the second start of her career, a .571 save percentage.

Collins made three of those saves in the early going, as it took more than 10 minutes of action before the game's first goal, before Hofstra broke the scoreless tie with 4:59 to go in the opening frame, the first of two goals late by the home side, who took a 2-0 lead into the first quarter stoppage. The Pride were able to extend their lead to 3-0 in the second, before Horning netted her first of the day to cut the deficit to two. Hofstra added to goals less that three minutes apart in the middle of the period, and saw a 5-1 lead into the locker room at halftime.

After another goal by the Pride, Marotti scored to bring the Stags back to within four, but the two sides would exchange goals in the final five minutes, leaving Fairfield down 7-3 heading into the fourth quarter. Hofstra would strike first in the final frame as well, scoring twice to extend a six-goal advantage. Cameryn Dera and Rylee Harrell would score for the Stags late in the period to erase those two scores by the Pride, but the home team would see out a four-goal win, as Fairfield moves to 3-2 on the year.

Fairfield women's lacrosse is back in action Wednesday, playing game two of a three-game road trip when they take on Lafayette. Opening draw between the Stags and the Leopards is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.