FAIRFIELD, Conn. - A low scoring affair on Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium Wednesday afternoon saw the Fairfield University women's lacrosse team hold their opponent to just four goals for the second straight game en route to a 9-4 victory over Quinnipiac.
The victory sees the Stags score their first single digit victory since the 2019 campaign, and today marks the first time since 2017 where Fairfield has held multiple consecutive teams to five or fewer goals. The Bobcats were shutout in both the first and third quarters entirely, while tacking on just a single goal in the final 33:32 of the contest.
Despite being held to single digits, seven different players still tallied a goal on the day including both Maggie Fort and Rylee Harrell who added two apiece. Amanda Kozak led the point totals with a goal and a pair of assists, with Olivia Doody and Ellie Grefenstette adding a goal and a helper each. Libby Rowe and Elizabeth Talluto rounded out the offensive outputs with one score from each and defensively Harrell had a day with a career-best eight ground balls in addition to a game-high five draw controls. Haley Burns along with Caroline Mangan and Lindsey Barnes each registered three caused turnovers with Keyla Bay and Harrell each adding two on the day.
Holding Quinnipiac off the board for the first 17:08 of the game the Stags scored a pair of woman-up goals in the opening frame and one at even strength to take a 3-0 lead into the second quarter, where the Bobcats would answer with three of their own to level the score with 3:32 in the half. From there Fairfield would net two more, including one less than a minute after the Bobcats leveled the score.
Taking a 5-3 advantage out of the break Harrell would make it a three-goal cushion just 59 seconds into the second half, and the Stags would tack on two more late in the period and take an 8-3 lead into the final quarter. At the 7:20 mark Quinnipiac would net one more score, which was answered by Libby Rowe with 5:41 to go to set the final tally.
Fairfield women's lacrosse is back in action Saturday when they close a three game homestand against Siena. The battle between two of the top teams in the conference is slated for 1:00 p.m. from Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium.
