Fairfield Men's Club Lacrosse had competitive match ups this past weekend on Sunday, March 22nd against Holy Cross and Providence College. Fairfield has started off strong so far this spring season with recent games against Fordham, where Fairfield dominated with a 12-3 win and a win against Army 10-8.
Fairfield began the game against Holy Cross with a solid starting lineup. In goal was junior Rocco Portante, backed by junior defenders Johnathan Bourfarah, Sean Acheson, and freshman Keith Lam. Sophomore George O'Keefe started at SSDM with junior Robert Principe at LSM. The midfield unit included seniors Andrew Epifania, Joseph Scandalios, and Sean Tennyson, while sophomore Justin Weeda handled the faceoff. On attack were freshmen CJ Driver and Owen Packard along with junior Tyler Sacchetti.
Fairfield started strong and won the faceoff followed by the first goal in the game scored by Andrew Epifania. Holy Cross responded and the game remained close through the first quarter. Fairfield continued to move the ball well on offense and create scoring opportunities, with Tyler Sacchetti and Owen Packard contributing key goals to keep Fairfield in control heading into halftime with a 5–3 lead.
In the second half, Fairfield continued to build momentum. Faceoff wins helped Fairfield maintain possession, while strong saves in goal and solid defensive stops helped slow Holy Cross's offense. Tyler Sacchetti led the offense with multiple goals, and additional goals from Joseph Scandalios, Liam McCarvill, and Brady Hemenway helped Fairfield pull away late in the game. Fairfield finished with a strong 12–7 win over Holy Cross.
Between the games against Holy Cross and Providence College, Providence dominated against Holy Cross and took on the win. Providence was a competitive game for Fairfield and although it didn't end in their favor, Fairfield still had some standout plays as well as players. Fairfield started the game with a similar starting lineup with a couple changes: Teddy O'Keefe in goal replacing Rocco Portante and Desmond McQuillan at midfield replacing Sean Tennyson. The game started as a defensive and physical battle, with both teams competing hard for possession. Providence scored late in the first quarter to take a 1–0 lead, but Fairfield responded, and the game was tied 1–1 at the end of the first quarter. Fairfield then took control offensively, with number Tommy Esposito scoring back-to-back goals to give Fairfield a 3–1 lead. Providence answered before halftime, but Fairfield still held a 3–2 lead going into the half.
The second half remained very competitive, with both teams trading goals and the game tied 4–4 going into the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter was intense, with both teams playing very physically and fighting for possession. Providence took a 5–4 lead with under six minutes remaining, but Fairfield responded with a goal scored by CJ Driver to tie the game 5–5 with about four minutes left.
In the final minute of the game, Providence scored with 21 seconds remaining to take a 6–5 lead and secure the win. Although Fairfield came up just short, it was a hard-fought and competitive game with strong offensive movement, physical defense, and solid goalie play throughout the second half.
Overall, Fairfield had a strong showing this weekend with a big win over Holy Cross and a hard-fought, competitive game against Providence. The team showed strong offensive movement, physical defense, and consistent effort throughout both games. Even in the close loss to Providence, Fairfield continued to battle until the final seconds and showed strong teamwork and determination. Senior goalie Teddy O'Keefe reflected on the weekend saying, "It was a hard-fought battle, and both teams came out ready to compete. It was a very physical game, but moving forward we just need to continue playing well and building off this weekend." With the season continuing, Fairfield looks to carry this momentum into their upcoming games.