FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Led by a program-record eight assists from Tessa Caputo, Fairfield University Women's Lacrosse defeated Marist, 17-7, on Saturday afternoon on Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium to win the 2026 MAAC Regular Season Championship. The Stags will host the semifinals and final of the MAAC Championship at Rafferty Stadium on May 1-3.
 
Fairfield will head into the postseason on a nine-game winning streak after finishing the regular season at 13-3 overall and 8-0 in the MAAC. Marist ends its campaign with a 4-12 overall mark and a 3-5 league tally.
 
"I felt like we made a statement today, maybe not to anybody else, but to ourselves. We played with a lot of intensity and energy to put an exclamation point on the regular season," said Head Coach Laura Field. "A regular season championship isn't the end goal, but it's an important step. We took a few moments in the locker room to celebrate that as well as the individual accomplishments from today's game, and now we'll turn our attention to what is sure to be a very competitive MAAC Tournament."
 
The MAAC Regular Season Championship is Fairfield's fourth consecutive and the 17th in program history dating back to 1999. Field has been at the helm for seven of the titles as head coach in addition to five as an assistant coach with the Stags.
 
Today's action against Marist was led by eight assists from Tessa Caputo, surpassing the mark of seven shared by three Stags – Jessica Jordan, Brooke Marotti, and Mary Henry. Caputo's eight helpers also ran her season total to 43, eclipsing the 42 assists registered by Brenna Connolly in 2018.
 
Caputo also scored a goal to total nine points – one short of the single-game program mark.
 
Kyleigh Tufano was Fairfield's top goal scorer with a career-high five markers. Kelly Haggerty added goals – improving her team-best total to 40 on the season – and dished out an assist. Mary Henry, Haley Burns, and Katie Bergen added two goals apiece, with Henry also doling out four assists.
 
Caputo and Charlotte Loughlin each scored once to round out the attack.
 
The Stags' offense kept rolling due in part to an 18-8 advantage on the draw. Brynn Donnelly pulled in seven draw controls, Burns had four, and Sophia Colasacco collected three to go along with three caused turnovers and two ground balls.
 
Katherine Shammas also had three caused turnovers and two ground balls on defense, and Haggerty earned a pair of caused turnovers as a part of the Fairfield ride. Burns pitched in a caused turnover from the defensive midfield to reach 100 in her career – the fifth Stag to hit that milestone.
 
Whitney Robinson started in the Fairfield cage and made six saves.
 
Marist was led by two goals apiece from Kathryn Staker and Amelia Pirozzi. Jesse Manger scored one and dished out three assists for the Red Foxes.
 
Fairfield Women's Lacrosse returns to action on Friday, May 1 in the MAAC Semifinals on Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium. The Stags' opponent will be determined by the results of the MAAC Championship First Round next weekend.