University of Massachusets Athletics
Saturday, April 21
Fairfield, Conn.
1 p.m.
University of Massachusetts
9-4, 4-0CAA
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Fairfield
4-10, 1-3CAA
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Photo by: Thom Kendall - UMass Athletics
Massachusetts Secures 11-4 Win At Fairfield With 10-Goal Run
April 21, 2018 | Men's Lacrosse
Minutemen claim CAA Regular Season Championship with their fourth league victory
AMHERST, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts men's lacrosse program clinched the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Regular Season Championship with an 11-4 victory over Fairfield at Rafferty Stadium on Saturday. The Maroon and White secured the win with a 10-goal run as the Minuteman defense kept the Stags scoreless for 35 minutes.
The win clinched Massachusetts the No. 1 seed in the upcoming CAA Championship and secured the hosting rights to the postseason tournament.
The Minutemen improved to 9-4 overall and 4-0 in the CAA with the win. Fairfield dropped to 4-10 and 1-3 with the loss.
Starting goalie Sean Sconone (East Islip, N.Y.) backstopped the defensive effort with a career-high 20 saves, including eight in the opening frame alone. He stopped the final 12 on-target shots he faced before Sconone rotated out of the lineup with one minute, 45 seconds remaining in the game.
Sconone's 20 saves mark the first game of 20 or more stops by a Minuteman since current associate head coach Doc Schneider had 21 against Hobart during a 7-6 win on April 11, 2009.
Buddy Carr (Exeter, N.H.) and Chris Connolly (Glastonbury, Conn.) each posted five points – Carr via four goals and an assist and Connolly on five helpers. Devin Spencer (Danville, Calif.) added two goals and an assist while Jeff Trainor (Billerica, Mass.) also secured a multi-point outing with one tally alongside an assist.
Jake Marino (Harrison, N.Y.), Billy Philpott (Sandwich, Mass.), Clayton Proctor (St. Davids, Pa.) and Ben Spencer (Danville, Calif.) converted once apiece. Jesse Leung (Brookline, Mass.) rounded out the scorers with an assist.
Isaac Paparo (Westport, Conn.) had seven groundballs and three caused turnovers while Luc Valenza (Foxborough, Mass.) added two caused turnovers and as many groundballs.
Senior faceoff specialist Noah Rak (Norwich, Conn.) improved upon his program records for faceoff wins and groundballs with a 9-of-16 showing at the faceoff dot and six groundballs.
Hampered by turnovers early in the game, Massachusetts turned its 3-1 disadvantage midway through the second quarter into an eight-goal lead through a combination of efficient offensive possessions and stifling defensive efforts over the course of the remainder of play.
Carr and Devin Spencer kept the Minutemen from trailing entering halftime when Carr scored his 26th of the season unassisted at the 6:35 mark before Spencer beat the halftime buzzer with his second tally of the day.
Carr rolled the offensive momentum into the second half with back-to-back third quarter strikes separated by only 49 seconds. They marked his 27th and 28th goals of the year and earned Carr his seventh career hat trick.
Transition play then guided the Minutemen to a 7-3 lead as Marino and Philpott, short-stick defensive midfielders, scored in succession following Carr's double.
Philpott caught a pass, dodged into the center of the Fairfield defense and ripped a shot by Fairfield goalie Sean McKee with 12:20 on the clock for Philpott's sixth tally of the year. Sixty-eight seconds later, Marino turned a Sconone caused turnover into the seventh UMass tally of the afternoon.
Trainor, Proctor, Carr and Ben Spencer increased the distance between the teams with a goal each spanning the third and fourth quarter.
The Maroon and White (9-4 overall, 4-0 CAA) conclude the regular season with Senior Night on Garber Field (5-6, 1-2) against Hofstra at 5 p.m. on Fri., April 27. The contest will be broadcast live by Lax Sports Network.
Follow the team on Twitter (@UMassMLacrosse) and Instagram (@UMassMLAX).
The win clinched Massachusetts the No. 1 seed in the upcoming CAA Championship and secured the hosting rights to the postseason tournament.
The Minutemen improved to 9-4 overall and 4-0 in the CAA with the win. Fairfield dropped to 4-10 and 1-3 with the loss.
Starting goalie Sean Sconone (East Islip, N.Y.) backstopped the defensive effort with a career-high 20 saves, including eight in the opening frame alone. He stopped the final 12 on-target shots he faced before Sconone rotated out of the lineup with one minute, 45 seconds remaining in the game.
Sconone's 20 saves mark the first game of 20 or more stops by a Minuteman since current associate head coach Doc Schneider had 21 against Hobart during a 7-6 win on April 11, 2009.
Buddy Carr (Exeter, N.H.) and Chris Connolly (Glastonbury, Conn.) each posted five points – Carr via four goals and an assist and Connolly on five helpers. Devin Spencer (Danville, Calif.) added two goals and an assist while Jeff Trainor (Billerica, Mass.) also secured a multi-point outing with one tally alongside an assist.
Jake Marino (Harrison, N.Y.), Billy Philpott (Sandwich, Mass.), Clayton Proctor (St. Davids, Pa.) and Ben Spencer (Danville, Calif.) converted once apiece. Jesse Leung (Brookline, Mass.) rounded out the scorers with an assist.
Isaac Paparo (Westport, Conn.) had seven groundballs and three caused turnovers while Luc Valenza (Foxborough, Mass.) added two caused turnovers and as many groundballs.
Senior faceoff specialist Noah Rak (Norwich, Conn.) improved upon his program records for faceoff wins and groundballs with a 9-of-16 showing at the faceoff dot and six groundballs.
Hampered by turnovers early in the game, Massachusetts turned its 3-1 disadvantage midway through the second quarter into an eight-goal lead through a combination of efficient offensive possessions and stifling defensive efforts over the course of the remainder of play.
Carr and Devin Spencer kept the Minutemen from trailing entering halftime when Carr scored his 26th of the season unassisted at the 6:35 mark before Spencer beat the halftime buzzer with his second tally of the day.
Carr rolled the offensive momentum into the second half with back-to-back third quarter strikes separated by only 49 seconds. They marked his 27th and 28th goals of the year and earned Carr his seventh career hat trick.
Transition play then guided the Minutemen to a 7-3 lead as Marino and Philpott, short-stick defensive midfielders, scored in succession following Carr's double.
Philpott caught a pass, dodged into the center of the Fairfield defense and ripped a shot by Fairfield goalie Sean McKee with 12:20 on the clock for Philpott's sixth tally of the year. Sixty-eight seconds later, Marino turned a Sconone caused turnover into the seventh UMass tally of the afternoon.
Trainor, Proctor, Carr and Ben Spencer increased the distance between the teams with a goal each spanning the third and fourth quarter.
The Maroon and White (9-4 overall, 4-0 CAA) conclude the regular season with Senior Night on Garber Field (5-6, 1-2) against Hofstra at 5 p.m. on Fri., April 27. The contest will be broadcast live by Lax Sports Network.
Follow the team on Twitter (@UMassMLacrosse) and Instagram (@UMassMLAX).
Team Stats
UMASS
FFD
Shots
28
37
Turnovers
14
12
Caused Turnovers
10
7
Faceoffs Won
9
8
Extra-Man Opps
3
4
Ground Balls
22
27
Game Leaders
G
4
A
1
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
0
CT
0
G
2
A
1
FO
-
Pen
1-30
GB
2
CT
0
G
1
A
0
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
0
CT
0
G
1
A
1
FO
-
Pen
1-30
GB
2
CT
0
Players Mentioned
A
/ Men's Lacrosse
A
/ Men's Lacrosse
A
/ Men's Lacrosse
M
/ Men's Lacrosse
D
/ Men's Lacrosse
M
/ Men's Lacrosse
A
/ Men's Lacrosse
G
/ Men's LacrosseM
/ Men's LacrosseA
/ Men's LacrosseM
/ Men's Lacrosse
D
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