Rae Metz scored the first goal of the game for Fairfield but Findlay came back with three unanswered tallies in the second period to build a 3-1 lead and eventually pull out a 4-2 win. Junior Dan Cotter had a goal and an assist in the effort.
Fairfield took control of the tempo early and dictated the attack offensively. At 8:09 of the first, Aaron Cardinal made an indirect breakout pass that Cotter collected in the neutral zone, then dropped to Metz, who cut across the grain and beat Oiler goaltender Jamie VandeSpyker above his left shoulder.
The Oilers stormed out of the gate in the second with three goals, two within a two-minute span. Brant Somerville netted the first at 1:41 when Jeff Radzak found him streaking past a Stag defender to the back door where he found an empty net.
D.J. Vogt scored the next Findlay goal at 6:03 on a breakaway with assists to Radzak and Steve Traver, and Rigel Shaw netted the game-winner at 8:15 with a goal off a faceoff.
Fairfield narrowed the lead to a goal at 6:22 of the third when Cotter forced a turnover at the offensive blue line, and beat VandeSpyker with a low backhand. The Stags called timeout at 19:16 of the third and pulled the goalie but were unable to score.
Russ Kelley netted the final goal of the game into the open net with 19 seconds remaining to seal the win.
VandeSpyker had 22 saves for Findlay in the win. Stag netminder Andrew Martin made 18 saves in his first collegiate start and suffered the loss.
