The Fairfield University women's soccer team continues its non-conference slate with two games – one on the road and one at home – this week. The Stags will travel to Stony Brook on Thursday for a 7 p.m. game, and will then host Army on Sunday at 1 p.m.
The game on Sunday is Military Appreciate Day and all military personnel and their families will receive free admission with a valid military ID. It is also the Stags 'Take A Kid To The Game' Day, with all youth age 12 and under receiving free admission with the purchase of an adult ticket.
The Stags are 3-3 on the year and have lost three straight after opening the season with three consecutive shutouts (Bryant, Binghamton, American) Two of the Stags three losses have been to two of the nation's top teams – with Boston College fourth in the nation this week and Georgetown moving up to 15th.
Fairfield has been outscored 8-5 over the first six games of the year, and has been outscored 8-1 in its three defeats. Five different Stags have scored goals for the Stags this season, with four different players tallying an assist on the year. Only one of the team's goals, Shannon Fay's tally at Georgetown, has been unassisted.
The Stags offense continues to be quite dangerous however, with 27 corner kick chances in its six games – nearly five opportunities per game – which is good for third in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). And despite six goals in the last two games, Fairfield's defense is continues to statistically be among the best in the league. The team's 1.31 GAA average is fourth in the conference, while its 6.5 saves per game is third in the MAAC entering the week.
Kelly Boudreau leads the MAAC at 6.17 saves per game, with 37 in her time in net this year. Her three shutouts is tied for first in the conference, while her .841 save percentage is second and her 1.17 GAA is fifth.
The Stags are taking on Stony Brook for the sixth-time in program history and are 3-1-1 in those meetings. Fairfield is looking for its first-ever road win in the series, having lost 3-0 in 2—4 and tied 2-2 in 2002. The Stags won the last meeting in the series, 3-0, last year, and earned a 3-0 win in the first meeting, 2002, and are 3-0 at home. Two of the team's meetings, 2002 and 2003, have gone to double overtime.
Stony Brook is 0-6-1 on the year, having been outscored 16-4 on the year. For different Seawolves have touched net during the season with Dominique Adamo and Sa'sha Kershaw leading the way with three total points. Chelsea Morales has played all 650 minutes in goal this season for Stony Brook, making 33 saves, and enters Thursday's contest with a .673 save percentage and a GAA of 2.22.
Fairfield and Army are also meeting for the sixth-time, with the Black Knights winning three of the first five meetings. The team's met last season, at Army, in a game the Black Knights won 2-1, snapping a two-game win streak for the Stags. Army won the first two meetings of the series, 3-1 (1993) and 4-3 (1994). The Stags first win came in 1995, 5-1, at Army, and again 2-1, in 2004.
Army begins the week at 6-1-0 and ranked seventh in the NSCAA Mid-Atlantic Region. The Black Knights are coming off 3-0 blankings of Marist and Vermont over the weekend in capturing their own Black Knight Classic along with stretching their shutout streak to six straight. Army is ranked second in the nation entering the week with a team save percentage of 95.5 percent, with 21 saves and only one goal allowed. Army is third in the nation with a GAA of .143
Senior keeper Alex Lostetter is 3-1-0 for Army, with three shutouts, and is sixth in the nation with a 0.25 GAA. Her .925 save percentage is also ranked 10th in the nation beginning the week. Freshman Kim An is the team, and Patriot League, leader with five goals and is among the nation's elite in goals per game and points per game this week.
The Stags have never lost four straight games under the tutelage of sixth-year head coach Jim O'Brien.
