BALTIMORE – Fairfield University Women's Lacrosse closed the gap early in the fourth quarter at eighth-seeded and #9 nationally ranked Loyola Maryland in the NCAA Championship First Round on Friday in Baltimore. However, the MAAC Champion Stags were unable to overcome their early deficit as the Patriot League Champion Greyhounds held on for an 11-6 decision.
 
Fairfield concludes its fifth consecutive MAAC Championship campaign with a record of 14-5. Loyola improves to 18-2 and will challenge the winner of this evening's Stony Brook vs. Penn State game on Sunday for a berth in the NCAA Quarterfinals.
 
"I think we played well in moments, but we had 30 minutes in the first half where we were hesitant. And when you spot a quick lead to a phenomenal team like Loyola, it's difficult to rebound and come out of that hole," said Head Coach Laura Field. "But I'm really proud of the way we changed the game within the game. This is where our senior leadership came into play. When you feel nervous, sometimes you play nervous. But when you play like there's nothing to lose, often times you also play like there's nothing to lose, and that makes a big difference."
 
In today's game, Libby Rowe and Ellie Grefenstette each scored two goals. Elizabeth Talluto and Amanda Kozak added one marker apiece. Grace Slater also dished out a helper, and Olivia Doody recorded her 40th assist on the season – only the second time that a Stag reached the 40-assist mark in a season.
 
On the other end of the field, MAAC Defensive Player of the Year Caroline Mangan had four caused turnovers to run her single-season mark to 42 – the most by a Stag since 1999. She also finishes second on the career charts with 113 caused turnovers.
 
Mangan has had three of the Stags' six draw controls and scooped up a pair of ground balls. Avery O'Connell and Haley Burns also collected two grounders apiece. In the cage, Casey Collins made seven saves.
 
Chase Boyle led Loyola with four goals, with Jillian Wilson adding a hat trick, an assist and nine draw controls. Lauren Spence made 11 saves to earn the win in the Greyhounds' goal.
 
Fairfield Women's Lacrosse has won the last five MAAC Championships (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023) while also earning four MAAC regular season titles in that time. Laura Field, who was named the MAAC Coach of the Year for the first time in her career this spring, has been at the helm for all of those titles in addition to serving as an assistant coach for Fairfield's 2009 and 2015 MAAC Championships.
 
This year's upperclassmen group (2019-pres.) won four MAAC Championships and posted an overall record of 57-23.
 
"What I'll remember about this these seniors and graduate students are the steps that we've taken together, and how they are helping our program transform," said Field of her 16 underclassmen. "They bought in, are they have set the tone for what we want to be."