NEW ROCHELLE, NY - Entering the 2011 MAAC Women's Lacrosse Championship as the number four seed, the Iona College lacrosse team was defeated by regular season champion Fairfield by a score of 10-8 in Friday's second semifinal.  The Stags (13-4) used a 5-3 run over the final 12:39 to narrowly edge the Gaels (5-12).

All-MAAC First Team selection Caitlyn Collins matched Fairfield's Katie Mackay with a game-high three goals while fellow First Team member Elizabeth Coholan added two.  Kylie Gregory, Nina Veneziale, and Emily Taddei rounded out the scorers for the Maroon & Gold.

Facing each other for the second time in eight days, the Stags opened a 2-0 lead to begin the contest.  Taddei was the first to put Iona on the scoreboard, netting a feed from Collins in the 17th minute.  Collins and Gregory pitched in with a pair of goals just over three minutes apart to give the Gaels a 3-2 lead at halftime.

Fairfield came out of the break with three straight tallies to pull in front 5-3, but Iona answered back to tie the game at 5-all with 17:46 to go on scores by Collins and Veneziale.  A 4-0 run by the Stags over a four minute span made an evenly matched game appear more one-sided by the 9-5 score.  The Gaels, however, buckled down and recorded three of the final four goals of the day to pull to within two with 2:35 remaining.

Coholan picked up the rebound off a missed shot by Collins and fired it straight past Fairfield goalie Katie Keenan with 6:15 on the clock, cutting the Stags' run off at four.  Coholan and Collins then netted back-to-back free position shots 30 seconds apart, leading to the 10-8 final.

Fairfield led 21-20 in shots and 14-6 in draw controls while Iona held an 18-12 advantage in ground balls.  All-MAAC Second Team goalie Maria Ortiz made five saves the Gaels' season-ending loss.  Keenan finished with eight saves as the Stags advanced to face No. 2 Canisius in the championship game on Sunday, May 1.