The men’s lacrosse team faced off against Fairfield while the women’s team took on Hofstra at home on Feb. 18, but both teams fell for their first losses of the season.

For the men, the Bison started off strong as they took a 2-0 lead into the second quarter. Strong defense from Matt Gilray ’18 and goalie Christian Klipstein ’19 allowed the Orange and Blue to gain early momentum in the contest. However, Fairfield quickly responded to go on a run of their own, giving them a five-goal lead in the third quarter.

With the help of Sean O’Brien’s ’18 four-goal performance, the Bison rallied back into the game, but their comeback ultimately fell short. The Bison lost by a final score of 13-12, their third game decided by a one-goal differential. The loss brought the team’s overall record to 2-1 on the year.

“Fairfield was a tough loss, but in a way a wake-up call for our team. We now know what it feels like to lose a close game, and unfortunately our late game heroics came up a bit short,” O’Brien said.

The women’s team was also unable to find success at Graham Field against Hofstra. The Bison started strong as Sarah Galzerano ’18 scored just over a minute into the game. Hofstra responded quickly by scoring the next seven goals. The Orange and Blue were unable to overcome the deficit, eventually losing 15-5.

The game still showcased some excellent performances, despite the loss. Morgan Steinhacker ’20 won four draw controls in the game, as did Maddy Molinari ’17. Molinari was the leading scorer for the Bison with two goals. She is focusing her attention on future games and using the loss as a learning experience.

“As a team we will take this non-conference loss and learn from it as we enter Patriot League play in just a few weeks,” Molinari said.

Both lacrosse teams will look to bounce back in their next games. The men’s team will play at home on Feb. 25 when they play Colgate at 3 p.m. in their first conference game of the year.

“Colgate is always a very competitive game. It’’s a rivalry game, and has been that way for years. With the loss this past weekend, I expect our unit to come out with a chip on our shoulder and put together a full game from start to finish,” O’Brien said.

The women’s team will play against Wagner at home on Feb. 25 at 4:30 p.m. The team looks to improve off this loss and continue with their previous wins.