SETTING THE TABLE

Fairfield University women's lacrosse returns to action this afternoon in the backend of a two-game homestand, hosting Iona in the first MAAC contest of the season. Opening draw between the Stags and the Gaels is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. from Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium.

HISTORY VS IONA

The Stags have owned the all-time series against the Gaels, winning all 20 previous meetings, including a pair of victories during the 2021 MAAC only schedule. Last time the two sides squared off was April 18 of last year, when the Stags took a 16-12 victory in New Rochelle, N.Y. just two days after an eight-goal win over the Gaels in the first game of that weekend's series.

LAST TIME OUT

A late defensive stand against their crosstown rivals saw Fairfield women's lacrosse rally back from a one-goal deficit at the half to take down Sacred Heart, 11-10 last Saturday.

The Stags spread the wealth on offense Saturday afternoon, with nine different players finding the back of the net, highlighted by Elizabeth Talluto, Olivia Doody, and co-captain Kelly Horning, who each scored a pair, while Doody led the team in total points with four, having also dished out two assists. Ellie Grefenstette added a goal and a pair of helpers on the day, leading five Fairfield players who tallied a single score.

Defensively, Horning and Nicollette LaVista led the team on the draw with three controls apiece, along with Rylee Harrell who also had three. Julia Rigolizzo led the ground ball totals with three, followed by six different Stags who each corralled a pair. In the cage, Casey Collins played all 60 minutes between the pipes, making seven saves.

SCOUTING THE STAGS

Fairfield will play its second consecutive game within the friendly confines of Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium Wednesday before they head out on the road for their next three matches. The meeting with the Gaels this afternoon will also mark the 2022 MAAC opener for the Stags after posting a 5-3 record in non-conference play, with two of the three losses coming against top-25 opponents.

Libby Rowe paces the Stags offense in assists with nine and total points with 24. Rylee Harrell leads the team in goals with 19, three ahead of Elizabeth Talluto with 16, and the pair sit second and third on the team, with 23 and 22 points, respectively.

On defense, Nicolette LaVista has corralled a team-high 40 draw controls, more than double the next best mark, that being 17  controls by Harrell and co-Captain Kelly Horning. Horning leads the team with 17  ground balls on the year and also leads all active Division I players in ground balls for a career, and she has also caused the most turnovers of any Stag, forcing 17 thus far.

SCOUTING THE GAELS

After a one-score defeat to La Salle in the season opener, Iona went on a run the remainder of the non-conference slate, winning seven matches in a row, before falling to Siena in the MAAC opener for the Gaels last week. The defeat against the Saints came in a high-scoring affair that saw a handful of late scores as the difference, as Siena rallied back late to take a thrilling 21-20 victory.

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.

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.

STAGS EARN TOP SPOT IN MAAC PRESEASON COACHES' POLL

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 2021 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 was also selected to the Preseason All-MAAC roster.

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 NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-MAAC ROSTER

After racking up eight caused turnovers in the Stags' run to the title last season and being named the 2021 MAAC Championship MVP, co-captain Caroline Mangan was named to the 2022 preseason All-MAAC roster. Mangan in addition to her postseason accolades was named 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 making a trip up to upstate New York. to take on Marist in the first of three straight matches on the road. Opening draw against the Red Foxes is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. from Tenney Stadium in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.