Box Score
FAIRFIELD, Conn. - The Manhattan women's lacrosse team fell to Fairfield, 12-3, in each team's Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) opener at Rafferty Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
With the loss, the Jaspers move to 2-6 overall, including 0-1 in conference play. Fairfield improves to 5-3 and 1-0 in MAAC play.
Despite Manhattan's ability to find some scoring chances in the first half, the team was unable to find the back of the net in the opening half hour of play. Stags' junior starting goalkeeper Chelsey Sidaras recorded five saves in the first half, all of which came off of Manhattan free position shots.
On the other end, Manhattan senior starting goalkeeper and co-captain Christina Fiorinelli (Massapequa, N.Y. / Massapequa) made four saves in the opening half hour and an even ten for the game, but the potent Fairfield attack managed to tally seven first half goals to take a commanding lead at the break.
The Jaspers displayed resiliency in the second half, scoring three goals, while holding Fairfield to five.
Junior co-captain Kaitlyn Cunningham (Spring Lake, N.J. / Red Bank Catholic) put Manhattan on the board 7:35 into the second stanza when she scored on a free position shot. Just under 16 minutes later, junior Stefanie Ranagan (Yorktown Heights, N.Y. / Yorktown) buried her first of two goals on the afternoon to make the score 11-2. Ranagan added her second with 1:38 remaining to make it an 11-3 game, before Fairfield scored in the final minute to earn the 12-3 victory.
Defensively, junior co-captain Megan Yarusso (Brewster, N.Y. / Brewster) and sophomore Carly Cummings (Owings, Md. / Northern) led the Jaspers with two caused turnovers apiece.
Manhattan returns to action on Wednesday, March 25, when the team hosts Sacred Heart for a midweek, non-conference meeting at Gaelic Park. The opening draw control is scheduled for 3 p.m.
