Box Score FAIRFIELD, Conn. – A two-goal lead with just over 10 minutes remaining didn't hold up as the Sacred Heart men's lacrosse team saw Fairfield go on a 4-0 fourth quarter run to come away with a 12-11 victory from Campus Field on Saturday afternoon. The Pioneers' second straight loss drops SHU's record to 1-3 on the season while the Stags jump to 1-1 in 2019.
In the first meeting between the two crosstown foes since 2005, the result came down to the final seconds as the Pioneers had the ball with a chance to tie with under a minute on the clock but couldn't find the back of the net as the Stag bench went into hysterics following the final horn.
SCORE
Fairfield 12 / Sacred Heart 11
RECORDS
Sacred Heart (1-3) / Fairfield (1-1)
LOCATION
Campus Field / Fairfield, CT
First Half (6-4 SHU)
- The game swung back-and-forth throughout the first quarter as the two sides traded goals for the first 10 minutes before consecutive Fairfield strikes from Brian Reda and Patrick Drake gave the Stags a 4-2 lead
- SHU answered the mini Fairfield run with their best 15+ minute stretch of the season as the Pioneers rode a 4-0 run to give the Pioneers the 6-4 halftime advantage
- Max Tuttle started the four-goal spurt with his first and only goal of the game and SHU dominated the second quarter, outscoring the Stags 3-0
- Logan Liljeberg got the scoring started with his sixth of the season before two Pioneer goals in a matter of 13 seconds, first from Joseph Cipoletti followed by a Jake Lindahl strike, made it 6-4 SHU at the half
- Brooks Dutton played well in the cage throughout (14 saves for the game) but was at his best in the first half as the junior recorded eight saves in the first two quarters (five in the first quarter alone)
Second Half (12-11 FFD)
- A two-goal halftime lead was quickly whipped away as the Stags scored twice in a span of 54 seconds to make it 6-6
- With the game later tied at 7-7, SHU responded with a 3-1 scoring spree to widen their lead back up to two goals at 10-8 with 10:39 remaining
- Donovan Lacey started the momentum with his first career goal followed by a highlight reel goal from Joe Saggese who took a feed from Liljeberg, wrapped around the Stag cage and beat Fairfield's goalkeeper James Corasaniti with a behind the back shot
- However, the final 10:39 belonged to the Stags who went on a game-deciding 4-0 run over the span of 3:26 that made it 12-10 with 4:15 remaining
- Dylan Beckwith dominated the ball for the Stags and made the most of it, assisting on three of the Stag goals in the 4-0 run to give him seven points (two goals, five assists) on the day
- A late strike from Reed Avveduti set the stage for the final minute in which the Stags won the ensuing faceoff but turned the ball over to the Pioneers with 50 seconds remaining
- Needing a goal to force overtime, the Pioneers couldn't find a hole in the Stags' defense and were limited to a last-gasp shot attempt from Avveduti that went wide
NOTES
- Redshirt senior attack Saggese continued to produce for the Pioneers, leading the team with five points (two goals, three assists)
- Saggese leads the Pioneers in every major offensive statistical category this season as he leads the team in points (21), goals (12) and assists (nine)
- Saggese was the lone Pioneer to record a multi-goal game as nine different SHU players scored one goal on the afternoon
- Liljeberg, Avveduti, Connor O'Reilly and Alex Weiss each finished with one goal and one assist
- Landon Kramer was all over the field for the Pioneers, racking up a couple of career-highs with six ground balls and six caused turnovers
- Kramer's six caused turnovers is tied for the second-most by a Pioneer in a single-game in program history, matching Ryan O'Donoghue '16 who posted six caused turnovers twice in his career
- Another force on the defensive end was Joseph Cipoletti, as the senior went for a career-high seven ground balls to go along with three caused turnovers
- Cipoletti ranks amongst the nation's leaders in caused turnovers as he has 13 on the season (3.33 per game)
- Dutton was solid throughout in the cage, posting 14 for a new season-high while also upping his double digit save streak to three straight games
- Max Tuttle (105 goals, 51 assists) continues to sit in third place all-time in terms of career points (156) in SHU's Division I history (since 2000)
- Saggese (94 goals, 58 assists) is right behind Tuttle with 152 career points which stands fourth all-time at SHU
- Faceoffs were a major trouble spot for the Pioneers, as the Stags dominated in terms of faceoff wins (22-5)
- Fairfield also made the most of their extra-man opportunities, going 4-for-5 on their chances for the game while also scoring the ultimate game-winner on the man-up
NEXT GAME
SHU continues their non-conference slate on the road as the Pioneers head on a season-long three-game road swing starting with a game at Providence on Saturday, March 2. Opening faceoff is set for 1 PM.
