FAIRFIELD, CT — It was not the result that the Siena Women's Lacrosse team wanted as the Saints dropped the MAAC Championship Game to top-seed and host Fairfield 13-4 on Sunday morning at Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium, but it was a season to build upon toward the future.
The Saints (12-7) finished with the second-most victories in a single season, had become the highest seed in 27 years to reach a MAAC Women's Lacrosse Championship as a No. 5 seed, ranked Top-10 in the nation in scoring defense and have the opportunity to bring back nearly the entirety of their roster for the 2027 season with just three seniors on its roster.
But, it was Fairfield (15-3) who had too firepower with a dominant possession game and a punchy third quarter that resulted in seven of their goals as the Stags raised their league-leading 10
th conference championship on their own turf. Freshman Sara MacLeod connected for a game-high six goals to be named Tournament MVP.
Fairfield, winners of 11 straight games, held a 30-17 advantage on shots including 17-7 for shots on goal.
The Saints received goals from
Avery Connolly,
Elizabeth Wamp,
Olivia Nicholson and
Cassidy Morrow.
Faye Gorman led the defense with three caused turnovers and three ground balls.
McAllister Salter made seven saves and had 24 saves for the tournament as the sophomore was named to the MAAC All-Championship Team. Joining her was Wamp, who scored five goals and added an assist in the tournament and Bonura, who tallied seven goals, an assist and nine draw controls over the last three tournament games.
The Stags opened the scoring at 8:58 with a goal by Kyleigh Tufano, assisted by Lizzie Getz. Mary Henry extended the Stags' lead with a goal at 5:19, set up by Tessa Caputo. Macleod added two more goals for Fairfield, with assists from both Henry and Caputo, bringing the score to 4–0. Connolly put the Saints on the scoreboard at 1:27, with an assist from
Jenna Pollicino, ending the first quarter at 4–1 in favor of Fairfield.
The Saints narrowed the margin against the Stags in the second quarter, highlighted by Wamp's player-up goal at 4:29. The quarter featured strong defensive efforts, with Salter making crucial saves on shots from Kelly Haggerty and Caputo.
Faye Gorman played a pivotal role defensively, causing multiple turnovers and collecting ground balls. Despite several attempts by both teams, the Saints' lone goal brought the score to 4–2 in Fairfield's favor by the end of the quarter.
The Stags dominated the third quarter, extending their lead significantly over the Saints. Haggerty initiated the scoring with a goal at 13:49, followed by another at 11:58, assisted by Haley Burns. Shortly thereafter, Macleod added two goals, both assisted by Caputo, increasing Fairfield's advantage. A free-position goal by Burns at 7:53 compounded the pressure on the Saints. Despite draw controls by Bonura and
Hailey Deptula, the Saints struggled to convert possession into points. Fairfield continued its offensive push, with Tufano scoring twice, assisted by Haggerty and Caputo, respectively. The quarter concluded with the Saints trailing 11–2.
Fairfield opened the fourth quarter with momentum, capitalizing on a turnover by Pollicino with a free position goal from Macleod at 13:19. Macleod added another goal shortly after, assisted by Caputo, extending Fairfield's lead. The Saints responded with
Olivia Nicholson scoring a player-up goal, assisted by
Cassidy Morrow, narrowing the gap. Morrow continued the Saints' push with an unassisted goal at 2:38, but Fairfield maintained its lead, ending the quarter with a 13–4 victory.
