The Fairfield University women’s lacrosse team used a game-ending 11-1 run to defeat host Connecticut on Wednesday, 18-13.  The win is the eighth in a row for the Stags, equaling the program record, set in 2002.

UConn was the team in 2002 that snapped the Stags record winning streak, and after opening the second half with a 3-0 run, taking a 12-7 lead with 18:22 to play, seemed primed to snap the 2008 winning streak.

The Stags (8-1) had different plans however, as rookie Kristen Coleman jumpstarted an 8-0 run over an 11:50 span, to take the lead 15-12. Mary Vallely fed Coleman for the first goal with 17:28 to play, and than 31 seconds Coleman hit Abbey Goodwin for a tally.  Coleman continued the Stag run 27 seconds later with a free position goal, cutting the deficit to just two, 12-10, with 16:30 to play.  That was the first of three straight goals for Coleman, the others coming at 15:38 and 14:11, as Fairfield tied the game 12-12.

Erin Rigby would net the go ahead goal for the Stags, with 9:26 to play in the game, on a pass from Coleman.  Coleman would put the Stags up 14-12, with 7:26 to play, from an Amy Kelleher pass, and Rigby netted the final goal of the run at the 5:38 mark, to put the Stags ahead 15-12.

UConn (1-10) snapped the run with a goal with 4:50 to play, but Kylee Martin answered for the Stags less than a minute later, to push the lead back to three goals, 16-13.  Rigby and Rebecca White tacked on goals in the closing minutes for the final margin.

Coleman led all scorers with nine points on the day, netting seven goals and dishing out two assists.  The nine points is the second-best single-game effort in program history, as is the seven goals.

Fairfield had seven players tally points in the game, with five recording multiple points.  Rigby would finish the game with four goals, while Goodwin also had four points, with two goals and two assists.  Cristin Lucena finished with two goals and an assist, while White tallied a pair of goals.  Martin had a goal, and Vallely and Kelleher each finished with an assist.

The Stags were dominant on the draw as well, winning 21 for the afternoon.  Martin finished with five draw controls, while Rigby and Kelly Barnes each captured four as well.  Fairfield had eight caused turnovers in the victory, with two from Barnes and Vallely, apiece.  The Stags also had 12 ground balls, with two each from Kelleher, Barnes and Lucena.

The Stags out shot the Huskies 35-27 for the game, and allowed just eight second-half shots, after UConn tallied 19 in the first half.  Lauren Chatnik picked up the win for the Stags in goal, finishing with six saves.

Trailing 3-2, just over 10:00 into the game, Lucena tied the game, starting a 3-0 Fairfield run, with goals coming by White (16:47) and Lucena again, at 14:10, to give the Stags a 5-3 lead. The Huskies would answer with a 5-2 run of their own, taking an 8-6 lead with 70 seconds remaining in the quarter.  Erin Rigby got the Stags within one goal, 8-7, with a score with 55 seconds remaining, but the Huskies answered 15 seconds later for the halftime lead.

The Stags return to Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Lacrosse League play this weekend, traveling to Manhattan College for a 7 p.m. game on Friday in Riverdale, N.Y.  Fairfield will host Iona College on Sunday, April 6, at 1 p.m. on Lessing Field.