HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – Charlotte Loughlin broke an 8-8 tie with 2:03 remaining to lift Fairfield University Women's Lacrosse past Hofstra, 9-8, on Saturday afternoon on Long Island. Kelly Haggerty, who assisted on the game-winner, scored three goals to eclipse 100 career points.
 
After opening the season with three straight games at Rafferty Stadium, Fairfield wins its first road outing of the campaign to improve to 3-1. Hofstra slips to 2-2 on the year.
 
With three goals and an assist, Haggerty improves her career total to 101 points – 76 goals and 25 assists. The junior is the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year after Second Team All-MAAC laurels last spring.
 
Tessa Caputo also had a four-point afternoon, dishing out four assists to boost her conference-best total to 11 helpers.
 
Loughlin had two goals including the game-winner, with Haley Burns and Kyleigh Tufano also scoring twice. Mary Henry distributed two assists, and Katie Repp had one to cap the scoring.
 
The defensive effort, which has now allowed just 29 goals through four games, was led by three caused turnovers and two ground balls by Sophia Colasacco. Katherine Shammas added two ground balls and two caused turnovers, and Whitney Robinson had two caused turnovers with three grounders in addition to her seven saves in the cage.
 
Hofstra started the game on a 3-0 run, as the Stags needed more than 11 minutes to find the back of the cage. Loughlin lifted the lid for Fairfield off a Mary Henry assist, and then Haggerty scored to close the gap to 3-2 after the first quarter.
 
Caputo assisted on the next three goals in the second frame, helping out Haggety, Tufano, and Haggerty again to push the Stags in front, 5-3. Fairfield added another on a Burns goal assisted by Repp to cap a six-goal spurt that spanned 18:13 of clock time.  Hofstra ended its drought in the closing minutes of the half, sending the game into the intermission with Fairfield on top, 6-4.
 
The Pride struck first out of the break to climb back within a goal, but Tufano ended a dry spell of more than 20 minutes, ending the third quarter with the Stags holding on to a 7-5 lead.
 
The margin grew back to three goals at 8-5 when Burns scored to open the fourth-quarter scoring. But Hofstra responded with two goals in 87 seconds and then came all the way back on a Kristen Redding equalizer with 7:37 to go.
 
The 8-8 deadlock held into the final minutes. After forcing a Hofstra shot clock violation, the Stags regained possession with 3:42 to play. After a successful clear, Fairfield worked the ball around to Haggerty, who connected with a cutting Loughlin for the finish with 2:03 to play.
 
The Pride won the ensuing draw control with a chance to tie, but Lila Berkery stepped up inside the arc and drew an offensive foul and turnover to send possession back to the Stags.

The game of "keep away" worked more than a minute off the clock before Hofstra managed to knock the ball loose, but a Katherine Shammas stick check promptly swung possession back to the Stags as time expired on the 9-8 win.
 
The Stags return home to Rafferty Stadium next Saturday, Feb. 28, to host Drexel at 1 p.m. Admission is free for all fans to all Fairfield Women's Lacrosse regular season home games.
 
The 2-1 Dragons host #21/23 Penn State this weekend before making the trip to Fairfield.