Fairfield, Conn. - The Fairfield University women's lacrosse team defeated visiting Canisius College 18-7 on Lessing Field Friday afternoon and in the process captured its second consecutive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Lacrosse League regular season title. The win, the Stags seventh in a row, improved the team's record to 13-2 overall and 5-0 in league play, while the Griffs fell to 8-8 overall and 4-1 in conference action.

Fairfield scored five goals in a 141 second span in the first half to take control of the game. Rebecca White (Spring Lake, N.J.) tallied the first two goals of the game, at 28:48 on a free position shot and 11 seconds later after winning the draw control for a 2-0 edge.

Erin Rigby (Fair Haven, N.J.) fed Abbey Goodwin (Columbus, Ohio) for a 3-0 lead 22 seconds later, and Kylee Martin (Wyckoff, N.J.) made it 4-0 with an unassisted goal with 27:35 to play in the first half. Rigby tallied the Stags fifth goal 3:33 into the game, and became the fourth player this season, and eight in program history, to reach 100 career goals.

Canisius broke through at the 23:22 mark as Ashley Gray (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) set the Griffs career goal mark with a free position tally. The Stags answered with three goals of their own, taking an 8-1 lead on a tally from Kristen Coleman (Potomac, Md.) with 7:49 to play in the first-half. After another Gray tally made it 8-2, White scored her third of the game, and the eventual game-winner on a pass from Rigby with 5:59 to play. Canisius scored last in the half with 1:27 to play to make the halftime score 9-3.

Fairfield struck quickly in the second-half as well, scoring the first four of the period, the last by Goodwin 5:18 into the period for a 13-3 edge. Canisius scored three consecutive goals to cut the deficit to 13-6, with 14:45 to play, but again White answered with an unassisted goal to stop the run 13 seconds later. It was the first of four straight goals for the Stags, who scored five of the last six goals in the game.

White led the way with four goals on the afternoon, while Rigby also had four points on two goals and two assists. Martin, Goodwin, Coleman and Brittany Bare (Mason, Ohio) all had two goals apiece as 10 Stag players scored in the game.

Lauren Chatnik (Schenectady, N.Y.) earned the win in net for the Stags making 15 saves and allowing seven goals, in her 58:18 of action. Kelley Brady (Olney, Md.) minded the net for the final 1:42 and did not face a shot.

Allison Daley (Peterborough, Ontario) took the loss for Canisius, allowing 18 goals and making 11 saves in playing the entire contest. Marissa Brown (Syracuse, N.Y.) led the Griffs with three points, netting two goals, while Gray also scored twice in the effort.

Fairfield will close out the regular season on Sunday when it hosts MAAC Lacrosse League foe Niagara University at noon on Lessing Field. The six members of the Stags senior class will be honored prior to the game.

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Senior Ashley Gray (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) scored two goals to set the Canisius women's lacrosse record in career goals but it wasn't enough to top Fairfield on Friday as the host Stags won, 18-7. With the victory, Fairfield clinches the top seed for the MAAC Tournament and improves to 13-2 on the season and 5-0 in MAAC play. The loss was the first for the Griffs in conference play as the team drops to 8-8 overall and 4-1 in the MAAC.

Gray has now amassed 139 goals during her career, breaking a tie with former teammate Whitney Card, who tallied 137 scores from 2005 to 2008. The senior has also added 54 assists during her career for 193 points, just seven shy of the program's standard.

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2009-04-17