Fairfield University Men's Lacrosse makes the short trip across town to challenge local rival Sacred Heart in the first midweek game of the season on Tuesday, March 1. Opening faceoff from the Pioneers' Campus Field is slated for 7 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT
The scoring came in bunches for Fairfield at host Villanova this past 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.
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.
On the defensive end for the Stags,
Zack Antoniou collected a career-high five ground balls with three caused turnovers.
Braden Lynch nabbed three grounders, and
Colin Consoli went the distance in the Fairfield cage and finished with 10 saves.
THE SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY PIONEERS
Sacred Heart is currently 1-1 in 2022, falling at Hofstra by a 21-9 count before getting in the win column last Friday, Feb. 25, with a 13-10 home win over Quinnipiac.
Jake Garb (3g, 3a) and Sal Miccio (2g, 4a) pace the Pioneers' attack with six points apiece, and Jake Ward has scored a team-leading four goals through two outings.
Nicky LaBanca has started both games in the cage, posting an even .500 save percentage with nine goals allowed and nine stops, but the majority of the minutes have gone to Alex Pazienza with 22 goals allowed and 17 saves (.436) in 75 minutes of work.
Sacred Heart was picked seventh of eight teams in the NEC Preseason Poll. The Pioneers went 1-12 last spring and are looking to replace a team-best 51 points amassed by current UMass midfielder Logan Liljeberg and the 32 points added by Drew Edwards, now a member of the Providence Friars.
LAST MEETING: FAIRFIELD 14, SACRED HEART 8 (3/17/21 at Rafferty Stadium)
Fairfield scored the first six goals of the 2021 meeting with crosstown foe Sacred Heart and never looked back en route to a 14-8 victory on Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium.
Dylan Beckwith led the attack and matched his career high with nine points in the win.
The nine points from Beckwith led a stable of 12 Stags to record either a point or an assist.
Matt Chlastawa added three points, scoring his seventh goal of the spring and handing out a pair of assists.
Travis Ford scored two goals, with
Trent Moran and
Ryan Lancaster each recording a goal and an assist. The points for Lancaster were the first of his young career with the Stags.
Rounding out the scoring, Fairfield got single goals from
Dean Ford,
Daniel Wilson (first career),
Frankie Labetti and
Malcolm MacInnes.
Labetti also did his part to keep the Stags on the attack, posting a 17-of-24 day at the faceoff X with eight ground balls. A host of midfielders including Lancaster,
Dean Ford,
Jon Wheat and
Braden Lynch each picked up two ground balls as the Stags won that battle over the Pioneers, 33-23.
Dean Ford also recorded a pair of caused turnovers.
Colin Consoli manned the cage for the Stags and made 10 saves to earn the win.
ALL-TIME SERIES
The St. Patrick's Day win last spring moved the Stags into the lead in the all-time series, 3-2. Both teams have hosted the series twice in addition to a 2005 meeting in Boca Raton, Fla.
UP NEXT
The Stags return to Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium on Saturday, March 5 to host Harvard for the first time since 2007.
