TOWSON, Md. – A goal for #19 Delaware in the first possession of overtime was the deciding tally as Fairfield University Men's Lacrosse saw its 2024 season come to an end in the CAA Championship Semifinals, 13-12. The Stags were led by three-point days for Keegan Lynch and Dean Ford.
 
With the loss, Fairfield's 2024 campaign finishes at 8-7 – the Stags' first winning record in a full season since 2016. Fairfield was the third seed in the CAA Championship after posting a 5-2 mark in league play. The two-time defending CAA Champ Delaware advances to the final, where the Blue Hens will challenge top seed and host #15 Towson, with a record of 9-4.
 
Neither team led by two in the contest, which featured three lead changes and seven ties. The Stags scored first on a Will Consoli rip, and John Okupski added one in the first quarter. The Hens, however, doubled-up Fairfield in the opening frame to take a 4-2 lead after 15 minutes of action.
 
The Stags needed less than five minutes to pull even in the second quarter on back-to-back tallies from Jake Gilbert – one assisted by Ryan Lancaster and one aided by Dean Ford. After Delaware reclaimed a 5-4 lead on a Mike Robinson marker, the Stags ended the half on a 3-0 run. The goals came from Bryce Ford, Jake Coleman and John Okupski to send the Stags into the intermission holding a 7-5 advantage.
 
Delaware quickly tied the score in the third quarter on back-to-back goals from Matt and Cam Acchione just 52 seconds out of the locker room. The Fairfield response came from the CAA Rookie of the Year as Julian Radossich uncorked a transition strike with the long pole to regain the lead. Bryce Ford added his second to establish a 9-7 lead. JP Ward and Hank D'Ambrogi each netted one for Delaware in the back-half of the third quarter, and Keegan Lynch tacked one on for the Stags, who brought a 10-9 lead into the final period.
 
Lynch also opened the fourth quarter scoring, doubling the Fairfield edge to 11-9 with 13:37 remaining. Delaware's rebuttal came from D'Ambrogi and Ward, leveling the game once again at 11-11 with time winding down.
 
Fairfield took the lead for what proved to be the final time when Dean Ford got loose and rifled one home with 3:46 left. The Stags' defense went on to force a turnover on one Delaware possession, and Owen Hirsch made a save on a second, but the Blue Hens struck on their last chance to save their season as Robinson netted the equalizer with 1:08 to play.
 
Neither team would take a shot over the final 68 seconds of regulation, as Rory Thompson's ground ball thwarted the last Blue Hens possession in the closing seconds to send the game into overtime.
 
The first overtime for either side in 2024 – and Fairfield's first since 2019 – lasted just 38 seconds as Delaware won the opening faceoff of the extra session and Robinson went top shelf to complete his hat trick and send the Hens to the CAA Championship Game with a 13-12 win.
 
Keegan Lynch finished with two goals and an assist for the Stags, while Dean Ford had one goal and a pair of helpers. Bryce Ford, Gilbert and Okupski also each had two markers for the Stags.
 
For Bryce Ford, he wraps up 2024 with a team-best 52 points. He is ranked fifth all-time at Fairfield with 162 career points, while he surpassed Hall of Famer Greg Downing tonight to move into seventh place with 102 career goals.
 
Dylan Smith took every draw and went 11-for-29 at faceoff X, collecting eight ground balls and also winning back a pair of losses with two caused turnovers. Matt Rice picked up four grounders with two caused turnovers in the defensive midfield.
 
In addition to his second goal of the spring, Radossich had one caused turnover to extend his Fairfield single-season record to 27 on the year.
 
Hirsch went the distance in the cage and made 10 saves.
 
The 2024 season was the fifth for Fairfield led by Head Coach Andrew Baxter. The Stags made their first appearance in the CAA postseason since 2016, also recording a winning record both overall and in conference play for the first time since that season.