Box Score

The Fairfield University men's lacrosse team scored the final three goals of the game to remain undefeated in ECAC Lacrosse League play with a 9-7 win over #17 Hobart College on Saturday afternoon.  The Stags, winners of three straight, improve to 5-2 overall and 3-0 in league play, while the Statesmen fall to 5-3 on the year and 1-2 in ECAC action.

It marks the first time in the Stags four seasons in the ECAC that they have opened league play with three straight wins.  The three-game ECAC win streak is also the first in the Stags history, having not won three straight league games since doing so twice during the 1999 season as members of the MAAC Lacrosse League.

The Stags played from behind for most of the game as Hobart struck for two goals in the first 2:12 of the game.  John Snellman put the Stags on the board at the 9:08 mark of the first-half, with his 12^th goal of the season.  Ryan Mulford netted his first tally of the season with four seconds remaining in the first quarter, to tie the score 2-2.

The Statesmen struck quickly in the second quarter, winning the opening face-off and taking a 3-2 lead 10 seconds into the period.  They again pushed the advantage to two goals, 89 seconds later, for a 4-2 advantage.  The two goal advantage was short lived as Mulford struck for his second with 12:42 to play in the second quarter.  The team's again exchanged goals, with Jeff Colburn scoring with 8:57 to play for Hobart and Brent Adams answering for the Stags with 8:01 to play in the quarter for a 5-4 Hobart lead.  The Statesmen scored a man-up goal with 3:29 to play in the half, to take a 6-4 edge into halftime.

The Stags dominated the second half of play on both sides of the field.  Chris Trombino started the Stags comeback with an unassisted goal 5:03 into the third quarter.  Matt Lanzaro scored his first goal of the game just under three minutes later for the Stags, tying the game 6-6. 

Hobart retooke the lead for the last time with 5:35 to play in the third quarter at Colburn fed Tyler Cassell for a 7-6 lead.  That advantage was short-lived however as the Stags won the ensuing face-off and Matt Petre scored 10 seconds later to the game 7-7.  Mulford completed his hat trick with 1:51 to play in the third, netting a pass from Chris Ajemian, to give the Stags their first lead of the game 8-7.

The two teams played the rest of the third quarter and most of the fourth quarter with neither team tallying a goal.  Charlie Cipriano made five of his 12 saves in the fourth quarter, not allowing the Statesmen to even the score.  The Stags Mike Esposito scored his first goal of the season, unassisted, with 95 seconds to play, to give the final margin of victory 9-7.

Hobart out shot the Stags 36-33 for the game and corralled more ground balls 30-20 on the day.  The Statesmen also won 12-18 face-offs and were nearly perfect clearing the ball, 14-16.  The Stags cleared at 60 percent for the contest, 15-25.

Fairfield returns home on Tuesday, March, 31, when it hosts Vermont at Alumni Stadium.  Game time is set for 3 p.m. and fans can watch live on B2 Networks and listen at WVOF 88.5 FM or at Fairfieldstags.com.