NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, NY – Niagara erased a four-goal halftime deficit to earn an 11-10 win over previously unbeaten Fairfield Saturday afternoon in MAAC women's lacrosse action from Rafferty Stadium.
 
Freshman Katie Ling made 10 saves in cage for Niagara, while Rachel Crane and Lexi Braniecki scored four goals apiece to help NU improve to 9-6 overall and 3-3 in league play.  
 
Game Recap
First Quarter
• The Stags jumped out to a 3-0 lead with a trio of goals in the first five minutes of play.
• Crane would get her first marker of the day with just over five minutes remaining in the half, but Farifield would regain a three-goal advantage with a woman-up goal in the final minute of the quarter.
 
Second Quarter
• The Stags' lead would increase by two to start the second, before Crane found the back of the net for her 40th goal of the season and second of the game, making it a 6-2 game.
• Niagara would take advantage of a Fairfield yellow card as Braniecki found the back of the net for her first goal of the contest.
• Fairfield would increase its lead to four, 7-3, with 2:40 remaining in the half.
 
Third Quarter
• Down four coming out of the break, NU would rattle off a 4-0 run to tie the game at seven.
• Crane scored the first two goals of the run, less than two mintues apart, followed by a goal from Giordan Peck and Jenna Brill to even the score at seven with 3:05 remaining in the frame.
• After Farifield tallied two in a row, the Purple and White would get one back with just three-seconds remaining in the quarter when Brill beat the Stag goalie for her second goal of the contest.
 
Fourth Quarter
• Niagara would tie the game at nine with Braniecki's third goal of the contest to open the scoring in the final stanza.
• With 5:42 to play, Fairfield would take a 10-9 lead over NU.
• Niagara would get another woman-up advantage later in the quarter and Braniecki would deposit her 37th goal of the season into the back of the net to tie the game at 10-10 with 3:34 to go.
• A total of 19-seconds later, Braniecki would beat the Fairfield keeper once again to give Niagara a 11-10 lead.
• Ling would make a save with 38 seconds remaining to seal the win for Niagara.
 
Niagara Notes
• The Purple Eagles improve to 3-24 all-time against Fairfield.
• With her second goal of the afternoon, Braniecki became the 10th Purple Eagle all-time and third this season to reach 100 career tallies.
• With her eight consecutive multi-goal game, Crane now has a team-best 42 goals this season.
• Catherine Larrow assisted on three of Niagara's 11 goals, a career-high for the Guilford, Conn., native.
• Ling registered her second double-digit save performance of the season.
• Niagara finished the game with 17 ground balls, led by Brill with three.
• Niagara had 14 caused turnovers on the afternoon, with Sydney Huhtala notching five.
 
Up Next
• Niagara will play host to Siena on Wednesday, April 19 for a 3 p.m. opening draw on ESPN+.
 
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