Fairfield, CT – A seven-goal halftime deficit was too much to overcome for the Hofstra women's lacrosse team (2-2) as the Fairfield Stags (3-2) defeated the Pride, 15-7 at Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
 
Taylor Mennella and Nikki Mennella led Hofstra with three goals each while Kerry Walser scored one goal, Hofstra's first of the contest. Defensively, Trinity Reed led the Pride with four caused turnovers while Ashlyn McDonald had two and tied for a team-high three ground balls. Jackie Gatti also picked up three ground balls and pulled down two draw controls.
 
Fairfield's Elizabeth Talluto scored the first two goals of the game within the first three minutes before Walser put Hofstra on the board at the 10:31 mark, but Fairfield went on to score seven of the game's next eight goals, giving the Stags a 9-2 halftime advantage.
 
Hofstra came out of halftime with a vengeance as Taylor Mennella found the back of the net 1:40 into the third quarter for her second of the day. Mennella's goal at the 13:20 mark was the first of three third quarter goals for Hofstra, as Nikki Mennella scored twice in the frame as well.
 
The Mennella sisters finished off their hat tricks in the final period, as Taylor Mennella scored her sixth goal of the season with 11:10 to go while Nikki Mennella added her 13th goal of her freshman campaign with 1:33 remaining in the contest.
 
Hofstra stopped seven Fairfield shots during the contest, as Jess Smith recorded four saves while Samantha Tarpey added three.
 
The Pride is back in action on Wednesday, March 1 as the Pride hosts Marist in a mid-week matchup against Marist. Opening draw is set for 3 p.m.
 
NOTES
-Hofstra is now Hofstra is now 14-5 against Fairfield
-The hat trick was Nikki Mennella's third in three games and also third of the season, while Taylor Mennella's was first of the season. Nikki Mennella also had hat tricks against #25 Vanderbilt and Brown.  
-Nikki Mennella led Hofstra in scoring for the third time this season