Fairfield University Men s Lacrosse

Transcription

1 Fairfield University Men s Lacrosse 2015 Game Notes Fairfield University Athletic Communications Walsh Athletic Center 1073 North Benson Rd. Fairfield, CT SID: Drew Kingsley dkingsley@fairfield.edu O: (203) ext C: (203) F: (203) SCHEDULE & RESULTS Feb. 14 Holy Cross... L, 10-9 Feb. 18 at Providence... W, 10-6 Feb. 21 Manhattan... W, 15-4 Feb. 28 at Stony Brook... L, 10-9 March 7 at No. 6 Yale... L, 9-8 (OT) March 10 at Bucknell... L, 10-9 March 14 Colgate... W, 13-9 March 17 at Massachusetts-Lowell... W, 11-5 March 21 No. 20 Villanova (ESPN3/SNY)...W, 11-4 March 28 at Drexel*... W, 7-4 April 4 at Massachusetts*... W, 10-9 April 11 No. 16 Towson*... L, 8-7 April 18 Delaware*... W, (2OT) April 24 Hofstra*... W, 5-4 April 30 Massachusetts#... 7:00 PM May 2 CAA Championship Game#... 1:00 PM * Colonial Athletic Association game # Colonial Athletic Association Championship game Home games (in bold) played at Rafferty Stadium QUICK FACTS Location...Fairfield, Conn. Founded Enrollment...3,300 Affiliation...NCAA Division I Conference... Colonial Athletic Association School Color... Red Nickname... Stags Home Field...Rafferty Stadium (3,500) Program History First Season First Varsity Season Varsity Record NCAA Appearances (2) , 2005 Team Information Head Coach...Andy Copelan (Bucknell 03) Record at Fairfield (7th season) Career Record (9th season) Assistant Coaches...Colin Hulme...Andy Whitley, Derek Marks 2014 Record ECAC Lacrosse League Record (1st) Starters Returning/Lost... 6/4 Total Returning/Lost...26/18 No. 19 Fairfield (9-5) STAGS Last Meeting... Fairfield, 10-9 (4/4/15 in Amherst) All-Time Series... Massachusetts, 7-3 Copelan vs. Massachusetts Live Video... CAA.TV Live Massachusetts (4-9) MINUTEMEN CAA Championship Semifinals April 30, PM Fairfield, Conn. Rafferty Stadium (3,500) The Lead The Fairfield University men s lacrosse team enters the postseason as top seed and host of the 2015 Colonial Athletic Association Championship. The Stags will meet fourth-seeded Massachusetts in the semifinals at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 30 at Rafferty Stadium. Fairfield won a 10-9 contest at UMass on April 4 as a part of the CAA regular season slate. The other side of the bracket will feature second-seeded Drexel and thirdseeded Towson in action at Rafferty Stadium at 4 p.m. Fairfield s Last Time Out The Stags scored the first five goals of their regular season finale against visiting Hofstra on April 24, and the defense made the early run stand up in a 5-4 win on Senior Night at Rafferty Stadium. With the victory, Fairfield clinched a share of the Colonial Athletic Association regular season title. The Stags won the outright crown the following afternoon via Drexel s home win over Towson. Five different Stags scored as Fairfield jumped out to a 5-0 lead after the first quarter: Tristan Sperry, Jake Knostman (Drew Federico assist), Joe Rodrigues (Sperry assist), TJ Neubauer (Colin McLinden assist) and Dave Fleming. Fairfield s defense put forth one of its strongest efforts of the season, including two scoreless quarters. Tyler Behring made 11 saves for the Stags to improve to 6-1 as a starting goalkeeper. Fairfield s Possible Starters # Name Yr. Pos. G A P Additional Stats/Info 1 Tristan Sperry Sr. A GB / First Team All-CAA 4 Colin McLinden Sr. A GB / Second Team All-CAA 41 Dave Fleming So. A GB 3 Drew Federico Sr. M GB / CAA All-Academic 5 Charlie Schnider Jr. M GB / Second Team All-CAA 15 TJ Neubauer Jr. M GB / First Team All-CAA 9 Tom Lukacovic Sr. D GB, 8 CT 26 Max Buchanan Sr. D GB, 8 CT / First Team All-CAA 44 Matt Borda So. D GB, team-high 16 CT 40 Tyler Behring So. GK GAA,.645 save pct. Second Team All-CAA 12 Will Fox Fr. F/O faceoff (.576), 48 GB CAA Rookie of the Year Second Team All-CAA 2015 Game Notes Fairfield University Men s Lacrosse

2 Fox and Copelan Earn Major Awards, 11 Stags Recognized with CAA Honors Sperry, Neubauer and Buchanan collect First Team All-CAA laurels RICHMOND, Va. Will Fox was named the 2015 Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Year as 11 members of the No. 19 Fairfield University men s lacrosse team were recognized on the All-CAA Teams. Head Coach Andy Copelan was chosen as the Coach of the Year after leading the Stags to the CAA regular season championship in their first season as members of the conference. Fairfield, which hosts the CAA Championship this weekend, tied with Hofstra and Towson with a conference-best three First Team All-CAA honorees. The Stags nabbed a league-best eight total All-CAA honors in addition to three All-Rookie nods (tying Drexel for the CAA-high) and an All-Academic Team selection. Having this number of All-CAA selections, and having a representative from every position, exemplifies the type of balance that we have, said Copelan. All of our honorees would tell you that these awards belong to the entire team. We have come a long way from our 2-4 start, and I m remarkably proud of our guys for that. Fox, who was selected as Second Team All-CAA and a member of the CAA All-Rookie Team in addition to his Rookie of the Year nod, ranks among the conference and national leaders as a faceoff specialist. The five-time CAA Rookie of the Week owns a win percentage of.576 (106-of-184) at the faceoff X, slotting him at second in CAA and 15th nationally. His average of 3.43 ground balls per contest ranks him fifth in the CAA and 65th among all Division I players. In the Stags five CAA outings, Fox won 43-of-73 (.589) draws and scooped up an average of five ground balls per game. Seventh-year head coach Andy Copelan earns his first Coach of the Year honor as leader of the Stags and the second of his career; Copelan was previously named MAAC Coach of the Year as head coach at Marist College in This spring, Copelan guided Fairfield to a record of 9-5 overall and 4-1 in the CAA en route to the Stags second straight regular season title (2014 ECAC Lacrosse League). Under his leadership, Fairfield also garnered a USILA national ranking for the fourth consecutive season and, after besting then-no. 20 Villanova on March 21 at Rafferty Stadium, the Stags have knocked off a nationally-ranked opponent in all seven of his campaigns at the helm. Copelan, who has never closed a season with a sub-.500 record overall or in conference play, is at Fairfield and as a head coach overall. Three Stags all co-captains of the 2015 club earned First Team All-CAA recognition at three different positions. Heading the list is senior attackman Tristan Sperry, Fairfield s leading scorer in A First Team All-ECAC honoree last spring, Sperry has scored 20 goals and handed out a team-leading 23 assists to account for his 43 points. He adds 33 ground balls and three caused turnovers. Against CAA competition, Sperry scored five goals including the double-overtime game-winner against Delaware on April 18 and doled out eight assists. For his career, Sperry ranks ninth all-time in the Fairfield record books with 124 points and sits seventh in assists with 53. His 71 career goals are two short of the all-time top-10 in Stags history. Junior midfielder TJ Neubauer adds a First Team All-CAA nod to his career résumé, which also includes 2014 First Team All-ECAC and All-NEILA laurels. An Inside Lacrosse Preseason All-America Honorable Mention and Preseason All-CAA selection this spring, Neubauer has been Fairfield s leading goal scorer for the second straight campaign with 29 markers. He has also distributed three assists and ranks second on the team behind Fox with 44 ground balls. Neubauer scored 10 goals in CAA action. With his senior campaign still ahead of him, Neubauer already ranks ninth in Fairfield history with 76 career goals Game Notes 2 Fairfield University Men s Lacrosse

3 Rounding out Fairfield s First Team All-CAA honoree is senior defenseman Max Buchanan. A Preseason All-CAA pick, Buchanan adds the first postseason all-conference honor of his career after starting all 14 games to date for the nation s second-ranked scoring defense with 7.36 goals allowed per game. Buchanan has grabbed 27 ground balls this spring with eight caused turnovers. The Stags placed five student-athletes, including Fox at faceoff specialist, on the All-CAA Second Team. Up front, senior attackman Colin McLinden picks up the third all-conference nod of his career. The two-time All-ECAC selection, who was also a USILA All-America Honorable Mention in 2014 and an Inside Lacrosse Preseason All-America Honorable Mention this season, has scored 12 goals and doled out 20 assists in McLinden scored eight points with four goals and four assists in the Stags five CAA contests. After tallying at least one point in every game this spring, McLinden continues to climb the charts in Fairfield s career record books. He is currently tied for sixth all-time with 139 career points and slots third all-time with 87 career assists. A newcomer to the Fairfield lineup, junior Charlie Schnider earns Second Team All-CAA honors in the Stags midfield. The transfer from Ohio State totaled 17 goals and 13 assists this season, including a run of 11 straight games with a goal from February 18 to April 11. Schnider also grabbed 11 ground balls with three caused turnovers. Conor Barr is another first-time honoree for the Stags as a long stick midfielder. Barr collects Second Team All-CAA laurels on the heels of collecting 22 ground balls with 11 caused turnovers as a part of Fairfield s defensive effort. The Stags starting goalkeeper for the last seven contests, including all five CAA games, Tyler Behring adds Second Team All-CAA honors to a season that has previously included NCAA.com Division I Defensive Player of the Week, Inside Lacrosse Player of the Week and CAA Player of the Week honors. In a total of 443:22 between the posts, Behring owns a 5.95 goals-against average and.645 save percentage in addition to 18 ground balls and three caused turnovers. As the CAA Rookie of the Year, Fox also heads the list of All-Rookie Team honorees. He is joined by classmates Jesse Gwozdz and Joe Rodrigues. Gwozdz has appeared in all 14 games in the defensive midfield, collecting two ground balls with four caused turnovers. Rodrigues took the field as an attack in all 14 contests, including seven starts, and racked up 11 goals and two assists. Senior midfielder Drew Federico is Fairfield s representative on the CAA All-Academic Team. The Finance major and co-captain of the 2015 Stags has registered eight goals and nine assists along with 13 ground balls this spring. In addition to Fox and Copelan, the CAA s major awards went to Player of the Year Sam Llinares from Hofstra and Defensive Player of the Year Tyler White from Towson. #GoStags Game CAA Championship Semifinals

4 Head Coach Andy Copelan Seventh Season Bucknell CAA Coach of the Year The 2015 season is Andy Copelan s seventh at the helm of the Fairfield University men s lacrosse team. He has posted a record with the Stags and, in the midst of his ninth campaign, owns an NCAA Division I head coaching record of Copelan was named the program s third head coach in varsity history on August 25, 2008 and has returned the Stags to the national conversation. Fairfield ranked as high as 11th in the polls last spring, having entered the national ledger in each of the last three seasons and five of Copelan s first six years on the sidelines. The 2014 edition of the club boasted a final record of 12-4, tying the program s single-season wins mark. The campaign included a seven-game winning streak, the team s first-ever ECAC Lacrosse League Regular Season Championship and a trip to ECAC Championship Game. Fairfield student-athletes also continued to gain the national spotlight individually as 2014 ECAC Goalkeeper of the Year Jack Murphy was drafted by the Boston Cannons in the eighth round of the Major League Lacrosse Collegiate Draft. Murphy represents the eighth Stag during Copelan s tenure to be drafted or signed as a free agent into the MLL ranks, and Fairfield has had at least one MLL draftee in each of the last three seasons following the selections of Sam Snow and Marshall Johnson in 2013 and Brent Adams and Charlie Cipriano in In addition, Colin McLinden was tabbed as a USILA All-America Honorable Mention last spring, marking the fourth Stag to earn All-America laurels in the last three seasons. McLinden was also one of three All-NEILA and one of nine All-ECAC honorees from Copelan s squad. Fairfield made four consecutive ECAC postseason appearances from , including three trips to the ECAC Championship Game. Along the way, the program has earned several landmark victories. Copelan s 2013 club recorded the Stags first-ever victory over the nation s top-ranked team with an overtime triumph at No. 1 Denver, and the 2010 Fairfield team topped a Notre Dame club that went on to reach the NCAA National Championship Game. All told, the Stags have bested at least one ranked opponent in each of Copelan s six seasons at Fairfield. Copelan has seen his student-athletes excel in the classroom as well. During his stay at the helm, every student-athlete that has completed his eligibility has also earned a degree from Fairfield. The Stags have had 39 student-athletes earn All-ECAC Academic Team honors under Copelan s tutelage, including a program-high 10 honorees in Signs of the Stags return to national prominence were immediate when Copelan took the reins for the 2009 season. His first team went 7-6 overall to earn the program s first winning record since 2005 and a winning mark (4-3) in the ECAC Lacrosse League for the first time since joining the league in Fairfield has continued its upward trend under Copelan; the Stags have never closed the year with a sub-.500 record overall or in conference play during his tenure. Fairfield is the second head coaching stop on Copelan s resume, who was the youngest head coach in the nation when he was hired to lead Marist College in In his first season with the Red Foxes, he was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Coach of the Year following a MAAC Regular Season Championship and the program s first winning season in six years. In 2005, he led Marist to its firstever NCAA postseason berth. His two-year run with the Red Foxes produced nine All-MAAC honorees, including 2004 Offensive Player and Rookie of the Year Keith Detelj and 2005 Rookie of the Year Dan Needle. After his stint at Marist, Copelan held an assistant coaching position at the University of Maryland from , rising to the offensive coordinator position for his last campaign with the Terps. Maryland reached the NCAA Tournament in each of Copelan s three seasons, highlighted by a trip to the 2006 Final Four. Copelan also served as the recruiting coordinator for Maryland in his final two seasons, with great success. Inside Lacrosse ranked the Terps 2007 incoming class as the second best in the nation, and the 2008 class was dubbed as a third-best in the country. Individually, Copeland helped the Terps to secure six of 2008 s top-50 high school recruits Game Notes 4 Fairfield University Men s Lacrosse

5 The Inaugural Season The Fairfield men s and women s lacrosse teams held the official dedication of Rafferty Stadium on Saturday, March 21 as a part of a season-long celebration of the venue s inaugural season. The construction of Rafferty Stadium was made possible through the generosity of Fairfield alumni, parents and friends. The stadium is named in recognition of the principal leadership gift from Larry Rafferty 64 and his family, and the field is named in recognition of a gift from Tim Conway 76 and family. Two victories on the newly-named Conway Field highlighted the March 21 festivities as the Fairfield women s squad downed Manhattan, 12-3, and the men s team topped No. 20 Villanova, Fairfield University President Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J. performed a blessing of Rafferty Stadium and delivered the afternoon s keynote address. Scouting Massachusetts The Minutemen from the University of Massachusetts enter the postseason with a record of 4-9 overall and 2-3 in the CAA. UMass most recently lost a last-second decision to Delaware, 10-9, in Amherst to conclude the regular season on April 24. The CAA s top-scoring offense with 9.92 goals per game is led by Second Team All-CAA attackman Nick Mariano. Mariano has racked up 21 goals and 16 assist, leading the Minutemen in both categories. Peter Lindley adds 25 points (16g, 9a) and Gianni Bianchin has contributed 24 (12g, 12a). Two All-CAA performers head the defensive unit in First Team defenseman Kyle Karaska and Second Team midfielder Ryan Izzo. The UMass defense ceded a CAAworst goals per game on the season as a whole, but did not allow more than 10 goals in a CAA game (Fairfield, Delaware) this spring. Zach Oliveri spent the majority of time in goal for the Minutemen, compiling a goals-against average and a.496 save percentage. UMass leads the all-time series with the Stags, 7-3, but Fairfield has picked up a victory over the Minutemen in each of the last two seasons. The 2014 meeting renewed a series that had been dormant since Aside from the CAA slate, Fairfield and UMass did not share any common opponents in A complete recap of the regular season meeting between the Stags and Minutemen is available on page 20. The Nation Takes Notice After clinching the CAA regular season title with Friday s win over Hofstra, the Stags re-entered the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Division I Coaches Poll this week at No. 19. Fairfield previously held a national ranking on April 6, claiming the No. 20 spot in both the USILA poll and the Inside Lacrosse Cascade/Maverik Media Poll on the heels of a five-game winning streak. The Stags have earned a USILA national ranking in each of the last four seasons under Head Coach Andy Copelan. Consistency Is Key Tristan Sperry and Colin McLinden have both tallied at least one point in every game this season. Not surprisingly, the duo also ranks among the Stags scoring leaders. Sperry has piled up a team-best 43 points (20g, team-high 23a) while McLinden has amassed 32 points (12g, 20a). Spanning back to 2014, McLinden is in the midst of a 17-game streak with at least one point, while Sperry has notched at least one point in 15 consecutive contests. The team leader in goals for the second straight season is TJ Neubauer, who has scored 29 markers from the Stags midfield. Neubauer, who scored a team-best 33 goals en route to 38 total points during the 2014 campaign, has also doled out three assists this spring. In addition, his 44 ground balls are among the most by non-faceoff specialists in the CAA this season. USILA DIVISION I COACHES POLL Week 11 - April Syracuse (11-2) 2. Notre Dame (9-2) 3. North Carolina (12-3) 4. Denver (11-2) Duke (11-5) 6. Maryland (12-2) 7. Albany (13-2) 8. Virginia (10-4) 9. Brown (12-3) 10. Cornell (10-4) 11. Yale (9-4) 12. Colgate (10-4) 13. Georgetown (9-5) 14. Ohio State (10-5) 15. Princeton (8-5) 16. Johns Hopkins (7-6) 17. Stony Brook (12-4) 18. Army West Point (10-6) 19. Fairfield (9-5) Marquette (10-5) Also receiving votes: Navy, Towson, Richmond, Bucknell, Marist, Loyola, Harvard, High Point, Drexel CASCADE/MAVERIK MEDIA POLL Week 11 - April Syracuse (11-2) 2. Notre Dame (9-2) 3. Denver (11-2) 4. North Carolina (12-3) 5. Duke (11-5) 6. Maryland (12-2) 7. Albany (13-2) 8. Virginia (10-4) 9. Brown (12-3) 10. Cornell (10-4) 11. Yale (9-4) 12. Georgetown (9-5) 13. Colgate (10-4) 14. Ohio State (10-5) 15. Princeton (8-5) 16. Stony Brook (12-4) 17. Johns Hopkins (7-6) 18. Army West Point (10-6) 19. Marquette (10-5) 20. Richmond (10-4) Also receiving votes: Navy, Towson, Fairfield, Marist, Harvard, Bucknell, Drexel, Loyola, Saint Joseph s LACROSSE MAGAZINE WEEKLY RANKINGS Week 11 - April Syracuse (11-2) 2. Notre Dame (9-2) 3. North Carolina (12-3) 4. Denver (11-2) 5. Duke (11-5) 6. Maryland (12-2) 7. Virginia (10-4) 8. Albany (13-2) 9. Brown (12-3) 10. Cornell (10-4) 11. Yale (9-4) 12. Georgetown (9-5) 13. Ohio State (10-5) 14. Colgate (10-4) 15. Marquette (10-5) 16. Johns Hopkins (7-6) 17. Princeton (8-5) 18. Fairfield (9-5) 19. Army West Point (10-6) 20. Stony Brook (12-4) Also considered (alphabetical): Bucknell, Harvard, Loyola, Marist, Navy, Richmond, St. Joseph s, Towson Game CAA Championship Semifinals

6 Becoming a Regular Occurrence The 2015 CAA regular season championship marks the Stags second consecutive regular season title. Fairfield won the 2014 ECAC Lacrosse League regular season crown in the league s final year of existence. Since joining the NCAA Division I varsity ranks in 1993, the Stags had not won a conference regular season title prior to Defense Does It Fairfield s defense has registered a scoreless quarter (in regulation) in six contests, and all 14 foes to date have been limited to one goal or fewer in at least one quarter of action against the Stags. Including their most recent outing against Hofstra on April 24, the stags have allowed a season-low four goals in four contests this spring. Behring Down After posting a 3.56 goals-against average with a.759 save percentage in Fairfield victories on March 17 and March 21, sophomore goalkeeper Tyler Behring earned NCAA.com Division I Defensive Player of the Week, Inside Lacrosse Player of the Week and CAA Player of the Week honors. In eight appearances this spring, including the first seven starts of his collegiate career, Behring owns a 5.95 goalsagainst average and.645 save percentage in addition to 18 ground balls and three caused turnovers. Behring would currently lead the nation in goals-against average if he had logged enough minutes to qualify for the national ledger. The Second Team All-CAA selection made a career-best 16 saves while surrending just four goals in consecutive starts - the March 21 win over then-no. 20 Villanova and the March 28 win at Drexel in the Stags CAA opener. Longest Fairfield Final Opponent Drought Run Result Holy Cross 9: L, 10-9 at Providence 21: W, 10-6 Manhattan 18: W, 15-4 at Stony Brook 13: L, 10-9 at Yale 17: L, 9-8 (OT) at Bucknell 18: L, 10-9 Colgate 26: W, 13-9 at Mass.-Lowell 29: W, 11-5 Villanova 40: W at Drexel* 18: W, 7-4 at Massachusetts* 33: W, 10-9 Towson* 29: L, 8-7 Delaware* 13: W, (2OT) Hofstra* 30: W, 5-4 For the season as a whole, Fairfield shares the No. 2 ranking in the nation and top spot in the CAA with Towson with an average of 7.36 goals per game allowed. Rookie Recognition Will Fox s CAA Rookie of the Year nod comes after the freshman faceoff specialist was named the Association s Rookie of the Week on a league-high five occasions in the 2015 regular season. Fox, who was also named Second Team All-CAA, CAA All-Rookie and the Fairfield Athletics Male Freshman of the Year, owns a win percentage of.576 (106-of-184) at the faceoff X to rank second in CAA and 15th nationally. His average of 3.43 ground balls per contest ranks him fifth in the CAA and 65th among all Division I players. In the Stags five CAA outings, Fox won 43-of-73 (.589) draws and scooped up an average of five ground balls per game. STAGS IN THE CAA (through games played April 28) Team Stats (6 Teams) Scoring Offense nd Man-Up Offense th Assists Per Game nd Points Per Game nd Shot Percentage rd Scoring Defense st Man-Down Defense th Ground Balls/Game st Fewest Turnovers/Game th Caused Turnovers/Game rd Faceoff Percentage nd Individual Stats (Top 10) Goals Per Game 3. TJ Neubauer Man-Up Goals 2. TJ Neubauer Jake Knostman... 4 Assists Per Game 2. Tristan Sperry Colin McLinden Charlie Schnider Points Per Game 3. Tristan Sperry Charlie Schnider Colin McLinden TJ Neubauer Ground Balls Per Game 5. Will Fox Caused Turnovers Per Game 4. Matt Borda Faceoff Percentage 2. Will Fox ( ) STAGS IN THE NCAA (through games played April 28) Team Stats (69 Teams) Scoring Offense th Man-Up Offense st Assists Per Game th Points Per Game th Shot Percentage nd Scoring Defense nd Man-Down Defense st Ground Balls/Game st Fewest Turnovers/Game th Caused Turnovers/Game th Faceoff Percentage th Individual Stats Goals Per Game 58. TJ Neubauer Man-Up Goals 26. TJ Neubauer Jake Knostman... 4 Assists Per Game 33. Tristan Sperry Colin McLinden Charlie Schnider Points Per Game 71. Tristan Sperry Charlie Schnider Colin McLinden TJ Neubauer Ground Balls Per Game 65. Will Fox Caused Turnovers Per Game 56. Matt Borda Faceoff Percentage 15. Will Fox ( ) 2015 Game Notes 6 Fairfield University Men s Lacrosse

7 KEEPING UP WITH THE COMPETITION (through games played April 28) The Stags 2015 non-caa opponents are a combined Three Fairfield foes appear in the most recent USILA Coaches Poll in addition to Bucknell, Drexel and Towson, all of whom are currently unranked but receiving votes on the ledger. A complete listing of three major national polls is on page 3. Opponent Current Record Current USILA Ranking Postseason Status Holy Cross None at Providence None Manhattan None at Stony Brook America East Semis, 4/30 at Yale Ivy League Semis, 5/1 at Bucknell 9-6 RV Patriot League Semifinalist Colgate Patriot League Champion at Mass.-Lowell None Villanova Big East Semis, 4/30 at Drexel* 7-7 RV CAA Semifinals, 4/30 at Massachusetts* CAA Semifinals, 4/30 Towson* 9-5 RV CAA Semifinals, 4/30 Delaware* None Hofstra* None Overtime Odds & Ends The double-overtime win against Delaware on April 18 marked the Stags return to their winning ways when a game exceeds 60 minutes of action; the March 7 loss at No. 6 Yale ended a six-game winning streak for Fairfield in overtime contests. Fairfield s last game to reach multiple overtimes was a triple-overtime victory at Hofstra in That game was a part of a three-game stretch that also saw the Stags top Bryant, 9-8 in double overtime and UMBC in overtime all in the span of eight days. The Stags are 8-3 overall under Head Coach Andy Copelan when a game goes beyond regulation. Fairfield has played at least one overtime game in each of Copelan s seven seasons and last completed an entire season without an overtime contest in Prior to the past two contests with Yale, Fairfield last played overtime contests against the same team in consecutive seasons during the 2012 and 2013 seasons. The Stags upended then-no. 10 Denver, 9-8, in overtime in 2012 and followed with a 10-9 overtime win at then-no. 1 Denver in the program s first-ever victory over the nation s topranked team. Share the Wealth Nine different Stags scored goals at Massachusetts-Lowell on March 17 with Jake Knostman and TJ Neubauer as the only players to net multiple tallies in the 11-5 win. The last time nine Stags scored in one game was on Feb. 22, 2014 in a victory over Manhattan. Ten or more Fairfield players last scored in the same game on March 13, a win over visiting Lafayette. Former Friar Catches Fire Sophomore attackman Alex Corboy - in his first season at Fairfield - made the most of his first start and second overall appearance with the Stags on March 14. Corboy scored a team-high four goals in the 13-9 win over Colgate. Corboy ranked third on the team as a freshman at Providence last spring with 20 goals and 22 total points scored for the Friars. Five Nets Five Junior midfielder Charlie Schnider had his first breakout offensive performance for the Stags in the 15-4 win over Manhattan on Feb. 21. The transfer from Ohio State scored five goals - fueled by a first-period hat trick - and handed out an assist in the victory. For Openers... In 23 years as an NCAA varsity program, the Stags are 14-9 in their season opener. Fairfield has won 12 of its last 14 season openers and has begun the campaign at 1-0 in five of seven years under Head Coach Andy Copelan. Fairfield vs. Ranked Opponents Following the March 21 win over then-no. 20 Villanova, Fairfield has defeated at least one ranked opponent (in the USILA Coaches Poll) in each of Andy Copelan s seven seasons at the helm - including a win at then-no. 1 Denver during the 2013 season. Game CAA Championship Semifinals

8 2015 Roster No. Name Cl. Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown/High School (Last School) 1 Tristan Sperry Sr. A Saratoga Springs, N.Y./Saratoga Springs 2 Conor Barr Jr. LSM Wilton, Conn./Fairfield Prep 3 Drew Federico Sr. A/M West Islip, N.Y./West Islip 4 Colin McLinden Sr. A/M Madison, N.J./Madison 5 Charlie Schnider Jr. M Bethesda, Md./Landon (Ohio State) 6 Andrew Eidenshink So. D Wyncote, Pa./LaSalle Prep 7 Nico Panepinto So. A/M Needham, Mass./Needham 8 Drew Murray Fr. A Langhorne, Pa./William Penn Charter 9 Tom Lukacovic Sr. D Syosset, N.Y./Chaminade 11 Cameron Parker Sr. M Bainbridge Island, Wash./Bainbridge 12 Will Fox Fr. M Mullica Hill, N.J./St. Augustine 13 Bryan Barry Sr. M Duxbury, Mass./Duxbury 14 Joe Guidarelli Jr. M Huntington, N.Y./Harborfields 15 TJ Neubauer Jr. M Glen Arm, Md./Loyola-Blakefield 16 Brad Nordstrom Fr. G Phoenix, Ariz./Brophy College Prep 18 Alex Corboy So. A College Park, Md./Gonzaga Prep (Providence) 19 Kip McMahon Sr. LSM Weston, Conn./Weston 21 Christopher Giorgio So. M Sudbury, Mass./Lincoln-Sudbury 22 Daniel Costa Fr. G Huntington, N.Y./St. Anthony s 23 Logan Williamson So. D New Rochelle, N.Y./Fordham Prep 24 Frank Borgognone Jr. M Manhasset, N.Y./Manhasset 25 Conor Walsh So. M Rumson, N.J./Rumson-Fair Haven 26 Max Buchanan Sr. D Wyckoff, N.J./Don Bosco Prep 27 Nick Guida Sr. A Chatham, N.J./Chatham 28 Joe DeLasho Fr. M Tuckahoe, N.Y./Fordham Prep 29 Jake Knostman So. M Bainbridge Island, Wash./Bainbridge 30 Dan DeLaney So. M Sudbury, Mass./Lincoln-Sudbury 31 Benny Borgognone Fr. D Manhasset, N.Y./Manhasset 32 Riley Peters Fr. M Bethesda, Md./Boys Latin 33 Louis DiGiacomo Sr. M Norwalk, Conn./Brien McMahon 34 Joe Rodrigues Fr. A/M Saratoga, Calif./Bellarmine College Prep 35 JB Smith Fr. D Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Jerome 36 Nick Panara Fr. D Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Sutherland 37 Evan Gagne Fr. A/M Westhampton, N.Y./Westhampton Beach 38 Tyler Murphy Fr. A/M The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands 40 Tyler Behring So. G Little Silver, N.J./Berkshire School 41 Dave Fleming So. A/M San Carlos, Calif./Saint Ignatius Prep 43 Jay Walsh So. LSM Duxbury, Mass./Duxbury 44 Matt Borda So. D Kensington, Md./Gonzaga Prep 45 Conor Dalton Jr. A/M Ellicott City, Md./Loyola-Blakefield 46 Liam DaRos Fr. M Patterson, N.Y./Brewster 47 Spencer Noonan Fr. D Sammamish, Wash./Skyline 48 Jesse Gwozdz Fr. M Taunton, Mass./Governors Academy 49 Regan McDuffee Fr. A Huntington, N.Y./St. Anthony s Head Coach Andy Copelan Seventh Season Bucknell 03 Assistant Coach Colin Hulme Third Season Colgate 07 Assistant Coach Andy Whitley Sixth Season Franklin & Marshall 96 Assistant Coach Derek Marks First Season Sacred Heart 08 Pronunciations #9 Tom Lukacovic... luke-uh-vick #37 Evan Gagne... GAG-knee #14 Joe Guidarelli... GWEE-duh-rel-ee #40 Tyler Behring... Bearing #24 Frank Borgognone... BORG-in-yown #46 Liam DaRos...da-ROUSE #27 Nick Guida... GWEE-duh #48 Jesse Gwozdz... gah-vush #31 Benny Borgognone... BORG-in-yown #49 Regan McDuffee...REE-gan #33 Louis DiGiacomo... de-jock-omo 2015 Game Notes 8 Fairfield University Men s Lacrosse

9 2015 Statistics RECORD: OVERALL HOME AWAY NEUTRAL ALL GAMES CONFERENCE NON-CONFERENCE Date Opponent Score Att. Feb 14 HOLY CROSS L Feb 18 at Providence W Feb 21 MANHATTAN W Feb 28 at Stony Brook L Mar 07 at #6 Yale Lot Mar 10 at Bucknell L Mar 14 COLGATE W Mar 17 at UMass-Lowell W Mar 21 #20 VILLANOVA W * Mar 28 at Drexel W * Apr 04 at Massachusetts W * Apr 11 #16 TOWSON L * Apr 18 DELAWARE Wo * Apr 24 HOFSTRA W TEAM STATISTICS FFD OPP SHOT STATISTICS Goals-Shot attempts Goals scored per game Shot pct Shots on goal-attempts SOG pct Shots/Game Assists MAN-UP OPPORTUNITIES Goals-Opportunities Conversion Percent GOAL BREAKDOWN Total Goals Man-up 16 8 Man-down 1 0 Unassisted Overtime 1 1 Goals scored average GROUND BALLS TURNOVERS CAUSED TURNOVERS FACEOFFS (W-L) Faceoff W-L Pct CLEARS Clear Pct PENALTIES Number Minutes 21:30 35:30 ATTENDANCE Total Dates/Avg Per Date 7/1305 7/428 Neutral Site #/Avg 0/0 ## PLAYER GP G A Pts Sh Gw Up Dn GB Faceoff 1 Sperry, Tristan Neubauer, TJ McLinden, Colin Schnider, Charlie Knostman, Jake Federico, Drew Rodrigues, Joe Fleming, Dave Corboy, Alex Murray, Drew Dalton, Conor Guida, Nick Parker, Cameron Barry, Bryan DaRos, Liam Panepinto, Nico Williamson, Logan Fox, Will Smith, JB DeLaney, Dan Barr, Conor Gwozdz, Jesse Noonan, Spencer Borda, Matt Behring, Tyler Murphy, Tyler Panara, Nick DiGiacomo, Louis Borgognone, Benn DeLasho, Joe Buchanan, Max Borgognone, Fran Costa, Daniel Giorgio, Christopher McMahon, Kip Nordstrom, Brad Guidarelli, Joe Lukacovic, Tom Eidenshink, Andre Total Opponents ## Goalie GP Min. GA GAAvg Save Pct W-L-T 40 Behring, Tyler 8 443: Nordstrom, Brad 7 401: Costa, Daniel 2 3: Total : Opponents : Goals by Period 1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT OT2 Total Fairfield Opponents Saves by Period 1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT OT2 Total Fairfield Opponents Shots by Period 1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT OT2 Total Fairfield Opponents Shots on Goal 1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT OT2 Total Fairfield Opponents Game CAA Championship Semifinals

10 Game 1: Fairfield vs. Holy Cross Neubauer Nets Four, Stags Edged by Holy Cross on Opening Day at Rafferty Stadium Sperry records hat trick, including the first two goals in Rafferty Stadium history FAIRFIELD, Conn. The Fairfield University men s lacrosse team took the field at Rafferty Stadium for the first time on Saturday afternoon, opening the 2015 season against visiting Holy Cross. Before an Opening Day crowd of 2,365, the Stags were clipped by the Crusaders, 10-9, on a goal with 3:40 left to play. TJ Neubauer scored a game-high four goals for Fairfield (0-1), including three in the second half. The first two goals in Rafferty Stadium history went to Tristan Sperry, who recorded a first-half hat trick for the Stags in addition to two assists. Colin McLinden and Dave Fleming also found the back of the net, with helpers dished out by Drew Federico, Drew Murray and Charlie Schnider. On the other half of the field, Bryan Barry scooped up four ground balls, and Max Buchanan registered a pair of ground balls and a pair of caused turnovers. Brad Nordstrom made nine saves between the posts in his collegiate debut. Louis DiGiacomo and Will Fox share duties in the faceoff X and each posted an above-.500 mark. DiGiacomo went 8-for-14 on faceoffs, and Fox was 5-for-9 in his first game with the Stags. Holy Cross (1-0) was led by five points from Sean Wilkinson, who scored three goals and distributed two assists. Logan LeBlond and Marc Buermann each scored twice for the Crusaders. Michael Ortlieb made 13 saves, including five in the fourth quarter, in the winning effort for the visitors. The first goal at Rafferty Stadium came just 72 seconds into the contest when Sperry buried an unassisted marker to stake the Stags to a 1-0 lead. The senior attackman struck again at the 11:17 mark of the opening frame to double the advantage to 2-0. The Stags extended the lead further when Federico connected with a streaking Fleming for a one-timer that staked Fairfield to a 3-0 edge midway through the opening quarter. Holy Cross would get on the board on Wilkinson s first goal of the day, but Fairfield rebuilt a three-goal margin as McLinden struck at the 5:43 mark with what proved to be the final tally of the opening frame. Holy Cross (1-0) vs. Fairfield (0-1) Date: Feb 14, 2015 Attendance: 2365 Weather: low 30s, flurries SCORE Total Holy Cross Fairfield Holy Cross SCORING: GOALS: Wilkinson, Sean 3; LeBlond, Logan 2; Buermann, Marc 2; Lux, Kevin 1; Haarmann, Clay 1; McKenna, Terry 1. ASSISTS: Wilkinson, Sean 2; LeBlond, Logan 1; Lux, Kevin 1. Fairfield SCORING: GOALS: Neubauer, TJ 4; Sperry, Tristan 3; McLinden, Colin 1; Fleming, Dave 1. ASSISTS: Sperry, Tristan 2; Federico, Drew 1; Murray, Drew 1; Schnider, Charlie 1. SHOTS Total Holy Cross Fairfield GROUND BALLS Total Holy Cross Fairfield FACE-OFFS Total Holy Cross Fairfield It was Wilkinson again who got the Crusaders offense going with a goal to cut into the lead, but the Stags again responded. This time it was a two-goal spurt as Sperry completed his hat trick and then connected with fellow co-captain Neubauer, who scored his first goal of the season to stretch the edge to 6-2. The Crusaders answered with the final goal of the second frame at the 7:36 mark, as both defenses locked down in the quarter. The first half expired with the Stags doubling-up Holy Cross by a 6-3 count. In the third quarter, Wilkinson and LeBlond each buried a goal in the opening minutes to trim the Stags lead to 6-5. At that point, Fairfield capitalized on a man-up situation as Neubauer turned a feed from Schnider into his second goal of the day. After Buermann struck for the Crusaders, another man-up opportunity led to another Stags marker. Once again it was Neubauer finishing the play on the first assist of Murray s career and extending the Fairfield advantage to 8-6. However, the Crusaders struck twice in the final ticks of the quarter as Buermann at 1:38 and LeBlond with just five seconds remaining knotted the score at 8-8 heading into the fourth quarter. Neubauer continued to come through in the clutch for the Stags, as he broke the deadlock at the 13:40 mark of the final quarter. This time, it was Sperry helping out on the goal to complete his five-point performance on Opening Day. F/O VIOLATIONS Total Holy Cross Fairfield EXTRA-MAN OPPS Total Holy Cross Fairfield SAVES Total Holy Cross Fairfield TURNOVERS Total Holy Cross Fairfield The newly-built 9-8 cushion, however, marked the last goal that the Stags would score on the day. A Clay Haarmann goal at the 6:47 mark tied the score, and Terry McKenna s tally with 3:40 to play gave the Crusaders their first and only lead of the contest at Nordstrom made a pair of key saves down the stretch to keep the Stags within striking distance, but Fairfield was unable to gain another possession on the offensive end as the final seconds expired Game Notes 10 Fairfield University Men s Lacrosse

11 Game 2: Fairfield at Providence Fairfield Surges Past Host Providence, 10-6 Eight players score goals in the Stags first win of 2015 PROVIDENCE, R.I. The Fairfield University men s lacrosse team scored six unanswered goals in the third quarter to power past host Providence, 10-6, on Wednesday afternoon. Eight Stags scored in the club s first win of 2015, including two goals apiece from Dave Fleming and Tristan Sperry. The Stags (1-1) six-goal run broke a 4-4 tie as the defense kept Providence off the board for more than 20 minutes of game time spanning the third and fourth quarters. In addition to a pair of markers for Fleming and Sperry, Joe Rodrigues, Bryan Barry, Charlie Schnider, Colin McLinden, Drew Murray and Drew Federico all scored for the Stags. McLinden also dealt a pair of assists as a part of a three-point day. With his effort, McLinden moves into a tie for 10th all-time at Fairfield with 111 career points. Fairfield (1-1) at Providence (0-1) Date: Feb 18, 2015 Attendance: 220 Weather: mid-30s SCORE Total Fairfield Providence Fairfield SCORING: GOALS: Sperry, Tristan 2; Fleming, Dave 2; McLinden, Colin 1; Murray, Drew 1; Schnider, Charlie 1; Federico, Drew 1; Barry, Bryan 1; Rodrigues, Joe 1. ASSISTS: McLinden, Colin 2; Murray, Drew 1; Schnider, Charlie 1; Sperry, Tristan 1. An assist for Sperry capped his three-point performance, with assists also coming from Schnider and Murray. The goals from Rodrigues and Murray were the first of their respective collegiate careers, and Schnider s tally was his first as a Stag after netting three goals for Ohio State from Will Fox turned in a strong showing in the faceoff X, winning 12 of his 16 attempts and scooping up six ground balls. Sperry picked up three ground balls, while Barry, Federico and TJ Neubauer had three apiece. Defensively, Brad Nordstrom earned his first collegiate victory with 10 saves. The freshman goalkeeper also snagged a pair of ground balls. Max Buchanan and Conor Barr helmed the defense and each caused two turnovers. Providence (0-1) was led by a hat trick from Greg FitzMaurice, who also handed out an assist. Peter Badgley made 15 saves for the hosts. The Friars claimed the first two goals of the afternoon, but the Stags quickly answered to knot the contest at 2-2. Rodrigues put Fairfield on the board with his first career goal a man-up tally assisted by Sperry and Barry found the back of the net off a feed from Murray round out the first-quarter scoring. In the second frame, Providence once again started the scoring with a man-up goal less than two minutes into the quarter. Once again, the Stags provided a quick response in the form of Schnider s unassisted goal to tie the contest at 3-3. The final of the half staked Fairfield to its first lead of the contest as Fleming banged home a pass from McLinden to send the Stags into the locker room with a 4-3 edge. After the Friars tied the score just 67 seconds into the third quarter, the Stags broke the game open with six unanswered goals to cap the stanza. Sperry scored twice during the stretch, which also included goals from McLinden, Fleming, Murray and Federico. Fairfield s 10-4 advantage held deep into the fourth quarter, as the Stags kept Providence off the board for a total of 21:59 of clock time. The Friars ended the drought with 6:54 to play and tacked on another goal in the final 90 seconds of action, but the lead proved insurmountable as the Stags claimed a 10-6 road triumph. The Stags outshot the Friars, 42-25, and held a advantage in ground balls. Fairfield won 13-of-19 total faceoffs and committed 10 turnovers while forcing 16 Providence miscues. Providence SCORING: GOALS: FitzMaurice, Greg 3; Mazzone, Will 1; Mcclure, Buck 1; Preston, Nick 1. ASSISTS: Mazzone, Will 2; FitzMaurice, Greg 1; Mcclure, Buck 1. SHOTS Total Fairfield Providence GROUND BALLS Total Fairfield Providence FACE-OFFS Total Fairfield Providence F/O VIOLATIONS Total Fairfield Providence EXTRA-MAN OPPS Total Fairfield Providence SAVES Total Fairfield Providence TURNOVERS Total Fairfield Providence Game CAA Championship Semifinals

12 Game 3: Fairfield vs. Manhattan Schnider, McLinden Lead Men s Lacrosse Past Manhattan, 15-4 Neubauer adds hat trick in non-conference win at Rafferty Stadium FAIRFIELD, Conn. Charlie Schnider racked up six points and Colin McLinden distributed four assists to lead the Fairfield University men s lacrosse team past Manhattan, 15-4, on Saturday, Feb. 21 at Rafferty Stadium. TJ Neubauer added a hat trick for the Stags in the non-conference victory. Schnider paced Fairfield with five goals. Neubauer notched an assist to go along with his trio of goals, and Tristan Sperry scored two goals and handed out three assists. Rounding out the Stags offense were goals from Joe Rodrigues, Dave Fleming, Cameron Parker, Drew Federico and Drew Murray. Parker s tally was the first of his collegiate career. In the midfield, Neubauer and Louis DiGiacomo each scooped up five ground balls. DiGiacomo was also a force in the faceoff X with 11 wins on 15 attempts. Will Fox added a 4-for-5 day in the X. Andrew Eidenshink caused three turnovers with three ground balls in the defensive zone, while Brad Nordstrom made four saves en route to victory. Tyler Behring and Daniel Costa also both saw time between the posts in relief of the freshman netminder. As a unit, the Stags outshot Manhattan, 50-14, and picked up 38 ground balls to the Jaspers 18. Fairfield committed 12 turnovers while pressuring the visitors into 20 miscues. The Stags never trailed in the contest, as Schnider picked up the first two goals of the afternoon. Neubauer got into the scoring act shortly thereafter and, following a Manhattan goal by Nick Stutler, Schnider completed his first-quarter hat trick and staked Fairfield to a 4-1 lead after 15 minutes of action. Though the Jaspers struck first in the second quarter to cut the deficit to 4-2, Fairfield would light the lamp three times in the final five minutes of the half. Schnider started the streak with his fourth goal of the day, and Sperry added two tallies less than three minutes apart to send the Stags into the locker room holding a 7-2 lead. A man-up goal just 83 seconds into the second half capped Schnider s scoring day, and was followed less than one minute later by a goal from Murray. After Kevin Cox scored to end the Jaspers scoring drought at 18:12 of game time, Fairfield quickly took that goal back on a Federico goal. Neubauer tacked on two more including a man-up goal to extend the lead to 12-3 before a late Jaspers goal ended the third quarter with Fairfield in front, Manhattan (0-3) at Fairfield (2-1) Date: Feb 21, 2015 Attendance: 633 Weather: low 20s SCORE Total Manhattan Fairfield Manhattan SCORING: GOALS: Stutler, Nick 1; Cox, Kevin 1; Strano, Nick 1; Abiog, Alex 1. ASSISTS: Frankauski, Nick 1; Hurst, Andrew 1; Stutler, Nick 1. Fairfield SCORING: GOALS: Schnider, Charlie 5; Neubauer, TJ 3; Sperry, Tristan 2; Rodrigues, Joe 1; Fleming, Dave 1; Parker, Cameron 1; Federico, Drew 1; Murray, Drew 1. ASSISTS: McLinden, Colin 4; Sperry, Tristan 3; Neubauer, TJ 1; Rodrigues, Joe 1; Schnider, Charlie 1. SHOTS Total Manhattan Fairfield GROUND BALLS Total Manhattan Fairfield FACE-OFFS Total Manhattan Fairfield F/O VIOLATIONS Total Manhattan Fairfield Three more Stags goals accounted for all of the fourth quarter scoring as markers from Rodrigues, Fleming and Parker capped off the 15-4 triumph. After his four-assist performance, McLinden stands in ninth place all-time in Fairfield lacrosse history with 115 career points. The senior midfielder-turned-attackman had six helpers in the Stags overtime win at Yale last season. The contest was originally scheduled to be played this evening in Riverdale, N.Y., but the forecast of inclement weather moved the action to Rafferty Stadium for an 11 a.m. outing. EXTRA-MAN OPPS Total Manhattan Fairfield SAVES Total Manhattan Fairfield TURNOVERS Total Manhattan Fairfield Game Notes 12 Fairfield University Men s Lacrosse