NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – The Niagara University lacrosse team (1-7, 0-3) will be playing for its first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference win of the season when it meets Marist College (5-4, 2-1) and Fairfield University (5-8, 2-1) in games this weekend. The Purple Eagles play the Red Foxes Friday at 1:30 p.m. and the Stags Sunday at 3:30 p.m. The Marist game will be at Dietz Stadium in Kingston, N.Y.

Niagara is coming off a 17-3 loss to cross-town rival Canisius College Tuesday. Sophomore Vanessa Schultz (Clarence, N.Y./Clarence) scored all three of the Purple Eagles’ goals and is tied for third on the team in scoring with nine goals, two assists and 11 points.

Senior Lindsay Hamann (Camillus, N.Y.) registered an assist vs. the Golden Griffins. She now has 19 career assists and ranks ninth on Niagara’s all-time list. She enters the weekend with a team-leading 14 points from nine goals and four assists.

Junior Emma-Lee Harrison (Lakefield, Ont.) has a squad-best 10 goals and is second in points with 13.

In net, senior Kristen Engel (Plainview, N.Y.) has started all eight games for the Purple Eagles, and has a 14.75 goals-against average and .398 save percentage.

Marist sits in a three-way tie for second place with Fairfield and Siena College in the current MAAC standings. It has won four of its last five games, including a 22-13 win vs. Sacred Heart Tuesday.

The Red Foxes are led offensively by Liz Falco, Lindsey Diener and Stephanie Garland. Falco tops the team with 26 goals and 28 points while Diener also has a squad-best 28 points on 19 goals and nine assists. Garland has a team-leading 11 assists to go with 21 points.

In net, Marist uses both Liz Burkhard and Kyle Jansky. Burkhard has started six of seven games and has an 11.14 goals-against average, .480 save percentage and 2-4 record. Jansky has started three of five games and sports an 11.37 goals-against average, .446 save percentage and 3-0 record.

Niagara leads the all-time series with Marist, 7-5, but lost last year’s meeting on Monteagle Ridge, 15-4.

Fairfield enters the weekend on a three-game losing streak after falling 14-9 to Holy Cross on Wednesday.

Amy Neville leads the Stags’ offense with a team-leading 27 goals and 32 points. Sarah Masterson tops the squad in assists with 10 and has 25 points.

In net, Lauren Chatnik has started all 13 games for Fairfield and has an 11.80 goals-against average, .464 save percentage and 5-8 record.

Niagara will be looking for its first win in the series with Fairfield after losing the last nine games, including a 15-13 game in 2005.