Women's Lacrosse Drops Opener to Fairfield, 17-10

(box score)

3/8/07-- The Long Island University women’s lacrosse team opened the 2007 season with a 17-10 loss to Fairfield on Thursday afternoon at LIU Field.

Senior Amy Rizzo (Jackson, N.J.) notched four goals to lead the Blackbirds. Freshmen Kristina Scheerer (West Chester, Pa.) and Christie Wienckowski (Newton Square, Pa.) each chipped in with two goals, while senior Jackie McCormick (Liverpool, N.Y.) had a team-high three assists.

LIU (0-1) fell into an early 8-0 hole and was unable to recover, despite a second-half comeback. Fairfield managed to hold off the late rally with a string of four-straight goals midway through the final stanza.

Amy Neville gave the Stags a quick start, scoring the first of three-straight goals, just 2:20 into the game. Fairfield continued to control the play on offense in the early-going as Kim Fuchs made it 4-0 before Mary Vallely and Neville alternated the next four goals making it 8-0 at the 20:47 mark.

Long Island got onto the scoreboard when Amy Rizzo notched her first goal of the season at the 16:11 mark. Fairfield added two more tallies before Wienckowski scored with just over two minutes to play in the half to cut the LIU deficit to 10-2 heading into halftime.

The Stags continued their torrid scoring in the second half as Fuchs and Neville scored goals pushing the lead to double-figures before the Blackbirds scored five-straight goals.

Rizzo sparked the comeback with two straight goals, the first coming at the 25:35 mark off an assist from freshman Jillian Maricondo (Syracuse, N.Y.). Scheerer followed with an unassisted goal, before Rizzo and McCormick teamed up for a goal to make it 12-6 with 17:50 to play.

Wienckowski cut the deficit to 12-7 on her second goal of the day at the 12:48 mark, but Fairfield responded with a goal from Abbey Goodwin to end the LIU scoring streak. Neville picked up her seventh goal of the day before Sarah Masterson tallied consecutive goals to make it 16-7.

Scheerer added a goal with just under three minutes to play before Goodwin followed with another goal for the Stags. Sophomore Allison Funk (Lumberton, N.J.) and Maricondo rounded out the scoring for LIU in the last two minutes for the final margin.

Fairfield was led by Neville, who scored seven goals with an assist. Vallely, Masterson and Fuchs all added a pair of goals. Sophomore Kimberly Campbell (Malvern, Pa.) made 12 saves for LIU, while Lauren Chatnik had seven for Fairfield.

The Blackbirds return to action on Friday, March 9, with a 4:00 p.m. game against Le Moyne on LIU Field.