FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Kelly Haggerty scored five goals in the second half as Fairfield University Women's Lacrosse flipped a 6-2 deficit to a 9-8 victory on Wednesday afternoon on Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium. Amanda Kozak added a three-point day for the Stags with a goal and two assists.
 
With the victory, the Stags improve to 5-6 on the season and 3-0 in the MAAC. The Bobcats fall to 5-6 on the year with an 0-3 league mark.
 
"Not every win is pretty, but I think we showed a lot of fight, and that's something that we needed to see," said Head Coach Laura Field. "Brynn Donnelly did a tremendous job on the draw. Winning draws, 15-5, means so much in terms of having all of those extra possessions in what proved to be a one-goal game. Kelly Haggerty was tremendous with five goals, and Amanda Kozak was in a face guard all game and still finished with three points. Overall, it was just an exceptional second half."
 
In addition to Haggerty's five goals – a new career high for the sophomore – Brooke Marotti scored two goals in the first half. Her pair of markers were vital as the only two scores for the Stags prior to the intermission, as the Stags went into the locker room facing a 6-2 deficit.
 
Fairfield began the second half on a 4-0 run – getting a goal from Mary Henry followed by three straight from Haggerty to knot the game at 6-6. Quinnipiac struck next, regaining the lead at 7-6, but the Bobcats would not score again for a span of 17:20. During that stretch, Haggerty scored twice and Kozak potted her marker as Fairfield surged in front for the first time.

The Quinnipiac goal came with 2:01 remaining, shaving the deficit to 9-8. The Bobcats won the ensuing draw, but the Fairfield defense forced a turnover on the QU possession, regaining control of the ball with 61 seconds to play. The Bobcats did force a final turnover and get a desperation heave off before the horn, but Keira Furey knocked down the half-field shot for her ninth and final save of the day to see out the 9-8 Fairfield victory.
 
Furey posted her second straight game above .500 in the cage to secure the win, and the rookie goalkeeper also picked up five ground balls. The defensive unit in front of her was led by two caused turnovers and three ground balls by Haley Burns. Delaney Brimhall and Katelyn Greeley added one caused turnover and two ground balls apiece.
 
The 15-5 advantage on draw controls was led by nine from Donnelly working from the X. Burns had three coming from the wing while Kozak, Eva Petrone and Kit Zanelli each collected one.
 
The Stags' comeback was aided by a boost in the clearing game. After just a 5-for-10 showing in the first half, Fairfield successfully shepherded the ball to its offensive third on all 10 of its clear attempts after the break.
 
"We didn't make any strategic changes, it was just better execution," said Field of her team's perfect second half in the clearing game. "We know that we can trust our offense to have a good possession even with a short clock, so it's just about taking our time and making smart decisions rather than rushing the clear to the point where we turn it over."
 
Quinnipiac sisters Mia and EllaGrace Delmond each netted a hat trick for the Bobcats. Shannon Alden made 10 saves protecting the QU cage.
 
An arduous MAAC road trip is up next for the Stags with a Saturday, April 5 clash at The Mount followed by a Wednesday, April 9 meeting at Canisius.
 
Action returns to Rafferty Stadium on the following Saturday, April 12 when the Stags host Manhattan at 1 p.m.