FAIRFIELD, CT. – For a second straight game, the Purple Eagles lacrosse team shut out its opponent in the second half, coming back from a halftime deficit for the win. Trailing 7-5 at the half against the Fairfield Stags, Niagara (9-7, 5-2 MAAC) scored three goals in 10 minutes to start the second period on the way to a 9-7 win over Fairfield Saturday afternoon at Rafferty Stadium.
 
"Today was once again a total team effort," head coach Wendy Stone said. "We came out hard and maintained pressure throughout the entire game. We could not be happier with the effort from each and every one of our players today."
 
Taylor Wolf led Niagara scorers with two goals and one assists, with all three points coming in the run to start the second half. Freshman Alexis Morales scored two goals in the win, including her team-leading fourth game-winning goal of the season. Sarah Arndt also tallied two goals, while Caroline Crump, Jillian Ford, and Rachel MacCheyne rounded out the goal scoring for the Purple Eagles.
 
At the defensive end, Andrea Francisco turned in another phenomenal second-period effort, making four key saves after halftime to finish the day with six saves. Francisco finished the week with nine second-half saves as Niagara held a 12-0 scoring advantage after halftime in wins over Siena and Fairfield.
 
Danielle Maio caused a team-high four turnovers in addition to collecting two ground balls and two draw controls. Elizabeth Benedict (three ground balls, one caused turnover, one draw control) and Kara Martin (two ground balls, two caused turnovers) were also significant factors in the defensive effort Saturday.
 
Niagara and Fairfield alternated goals in the early minutes, with the Purple Eagles taking a 3-2 lead midway through the first period on tallies by Arndt, Crump, and MacCheyne. Starting at the 10:05 mark of the first, however, the Stags rattled off four goals in 3:23 for the host's first lead of the afternoon. Arndt ended the run on a free position shot before Cailyn Negus fed Morales in the closing minute to help Niagara draw within one. A last-second Fairfield goal made it a 7-5 advantage for the Stags at halftime.
 
Fairfield (7-8, 3-4 MAAC) continued its late momentum into the start of the second half, but Francisco made two huge saves on the Stags' Maeve Quinn to halt the attack. Wolf drew Niagara within one on a free position tally before driving the cage for the tying goal just 1:07 later. Just past the 21-minute mark, Wolf then fed Morales in front of the net, and the freshman shoveled a low shot past Fairfield goalkeeper Kelsey Sidaras for the eventual game-winning goal, giving Niagara the 8-7 lead. 
 
For the final 20 minutes of the game, Niagara kept the possession largely in the Fairfield end, adding an insurance goal as Ford buried a high shot past Sidaras with 15:47 to play for the 9-7 lead. Niagara's defense locked out the Stags on all fronts, causing four turnovers in the final half of the second period and only allowing one Fairfield shot on goal, which Francisco turned away.
 
The win gives Niagara its first-ever five-win season in MAAC play and puts Niagara one win away from the most in a season in program history, when the team finished 10-6 in 2003. The regular season concludes with the Purple Eagles' annual Battle of the Bridge matchup with Canisius. Niagara will also honor its seven graduating players for Senior Night prior to the matchup with the Golden Griffins, which is slated for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 27.
 
Stay connected with the Purple Eagles through social media. Follow Niagara Athletics on Twitter @NUPurpleEagles and for lacrosse updates, follow @NiagaraWLAX. Check in with the Purple Eagles on Facebook.com/PurpleEagles and on Instagram @NUPurpleEagles.