OPENING FACEOFF
For the fourth straight season, Fairfield Men's Lacrosse opens its campaign against the Mountain Hawks of Lehigh. Opening faceoff from Bethlehem is set for Friday, Feb. 6 at 6 p.m.
 
STARTING POINTS
Fairfield was selected second in the CAA Predicted Order of Finish, voted upon by the league's head coaches. On the national level, the Stags are unranked but received consideration in the three major polls: USILA (Coaches), Inside Lacrosse, and USA Lacrosse.
 
Fairfield rose as high as #12/13 in the nation at the peak of last season's 9-0 start to the spring. The Stags' highest-ever national ranking was #11 in the USILA poll, attained during the 2012 campaign.
 
EVERYBODY'S ALL-AMERICAN
Julian Radossich was a consensus All-America Honorable Mention last spring. He also picked up his second straight All-CAA First Team nod in addition to Defensive Player of the Year laurels. Radossich ranked second in the nation in caused turnovers, posting a CAA-leading and Fairfield program-record 42 caused turnovers.
 
Radossich starts his junior season with a Preseason Third Team All-America selection by the USILA along with Honorable Mention All-America status from Inside Lacrosse and USA Lacrosse.

SERIES VS. LEHIGH
Fairfield's win over Lehigh to begin the 2025 season was the Stags' first-ever victory over the Mountain Hawks. Prior to the recent season-opening series, Fairfield and Lehigh had played just once before -- a 15-11 win for the Hawks in 1997 in Hilton Head, S.C. Friday's game in Bethlehem projects to be slightly colder than that meeting.
 
HOMETOWN HEROES
The Stags finished the 2025 home slate with a record of 8-0 at Rafferty Stadium. The perfect home mark was the first in program history in a full season (the 2020 Stags were 4-0 at home when balance of the season was canceled)
 
Fairfield enters 2026 with the longest active home winning streak in the nation with nine consecutive victories at Rafferty Stadium.
 
PRESEASON ALL-CAA
Five Stags were recognized with Preseason All-CAA plaudits by the conference's head coaches. Midfielder Will Consoli and defenseman Julian Radossich were selected to the Preseason All-CAA team. The trio of attackman Jake Gilbert, midfielder Rob Moore, and goalkeeper Owen Hirsch garnered Preseason All-CAA Honorable Mention status.
 
THE 2026 STAGS
Fairfield's 55-man roster is comprised of 37 returners, 16 true freshmen, and two transfers (Gavin McCarthy -- Bryant, Landon Whitney -- Albany).
 
The Stags welcome back seven of their top eight goal and point scorers. Fairfield returns over 75 percent of its goals and total points from 2025, as well as all but 12 of its 906 goalie minutes, and the trio that started 14 of 15 games on close defense.
 
The biggest change statistically will come at the faceoff 'X' due to the graduation loss of Dylan Smith, who took just about one-third (132) of Fairfield's 397 draws last spring.
 
FAMILY TIES
Brothers Will and Cooper Consoli will be teammates this season, both following in the Fairfield footsteps of their older brother and former Stags' goalkeeper Colin Consoli (2021-24).
 
Additional connection in the Stags' family tree include John Okupski, who is the younger brother of his former teammate Luke Okupski (2022-25), and Keegan Lynch, who is the younger brother of former Stag Braden Lynch (2021-24).
 
A DOZEN DUBS
Fairfield's 12 wins in 2025 matched the program record set in 2012 and then equaled in 2014. Both of those squads finished at 12-4.
 
HOT START, HOT FACTS
Fairfield's 9-0 record to open 2025 was the best start in program history, surpassing the 2012 squad that won its first seven games en route to a 12-4 final mark.
 
The Stags also attained the longest overall winning streak in program annals, topping the streak of seven games set in 2005 and matched in both 2012 and 2014.
 
Fairfield was the nation's last unbeaten team, outlasting Maryland and Army West Point by one week.
 
UP NEXT
Fairfield Men's Lacrosse opens the home slate next Saturday, Feb. 14 with a noon visit from Brown. Admission will be free for all fans.