Fairfield team extended the nation's longest winning streak to 13 games and clinched the top seed for the MAAC Tournament with a 12-4 victory over the Canisius College women's lacrosse team. The loss drops the Griffs to 6-8 on the season and 1-2 in MAAC play.
“We ran into a good team today,” said Canisius head coach Scott Teeter. “It's tough to win when you don't bring your ?A' game. Their top players stepped up. If you get shutout in a half of play, it is very difficult to win.”
Senior Lauren Walsh (pictured) led the Griffs with three points, recording two goals and an assist. Walsh's assist raised her season total to 31, setting a new school record. The senior captain topped her previous mark of 30, which she set during the 2006 season.
Junior Chelsea Martinez and freshman Taylor Gray also tallied goals for the Griffs. Martinez and junior Ashley Gray both added an assist.
Freshman Allison Daley recorded 10 saves in goal to anchor the Canisius defense.
The Stags (13-1, 5-0 MAAC) started quickly, scoring just 40 seconds into the contest. The Griffs responded with a goal at the 22:30 mark when Ashley Gray fed Walsh for her first goal of the day but Fairfield would quickly answer back. The Stags won the ensuing draw control and reclaimed the lead with a score just eight seconds later.
Martinez knotted the game at two when she picked up a ground ball and quickly found the back of the net for her 26th score of the season but once again the game would not remain tied for long. Fairfield scored 41 seconds later to spark a 5-1 run. Taylor Gray scored her first goal of the day with Walsh recording her record-setting 31st assist with just 1:36 left in the first half as Canisius cut the Stags' lead to three, 7-4. However, Fairfield would once again take the ensuing draw control and score just eight seconds later to head into intermission with an 8-4 advantage.
The Stags scored all four goals in the second half en route to the 12-4 victory. Fairfield goalie Lauren Chatnik recorded 14 saves in goal, including 10 in the second frame, to earn the win. Rebecca White led the Stags with four goals.
“We now just need to focus on the next game,” Teeter said. “We control our own destiny (for the MAAC Tournament). If we play our game, we can be a powerhouse in the MAAC. If we don't play our game, we are an average team.”
The Griffs continue MAAC play when they host Niagara at the Demske Sports Complex on Wednesday. The Battle of the Bridge showdown is set to begin at 7 p.m. The game will also mark the final home contest for five Canisius seniors.
Game Notes: Walsh, who owns the school record with 92 career assists, has three of the top four single-season assists marks in the program's history ... Ashley Gray was held without a goal for the first time this season but extended her point streak to 16 games ... The Griffs committed 20 turnovers in the game, including 16 in the first half ... Canisius was shutout in a half for the second time this season. The Griffs also failed to score in the second frame against Le Moyne.
