Fall has officially started, and weather reports indicate that this weekend may actually feel like Fall, as the Fairfield University women's soccer team turns its attention to Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play. The Stags will host defending league champion Siena College on Friday night on Lessing Field, before welcoming Marist College on Sunday afternoon. Both games can be viewed on-line with both video ($7.95 per game) and livestats (free) available.
Tickets are $5.00 for adults, $3.00 for youth and seniors, and free for Fairfield University students, faculty and staff with ID. Fairfield will give free admission to fans that on Friday night donate soccer balls, and on Sunday cleats or shin guards, for donation to local youth soccer organizations.
In addition, on Friday, any fan that brings a poster supporting the Stag will receive a discounted ticket and a chance to meet the Stags after the game for autographs. High school teams, that submit rosters in advance, will receive free admission to the game versus Siena as well. On Sunday, all members of Big Brothers Big Sisters will receive free admission.
The MAAC opener has been good to the Stags over the years, going 15-2-2 in the first league game of a season, including a 3-1-2 mark under head coach Jim O'Brien. Friday's game marks only the ninth time in program history that Fairfield has opened league play at home, going 7-1 in those games, while posting a 16-3 mark in the first home MAAC game of a season.
The Stags lead the all-time series with Siena, 12-6-3, but the Saints have had the better of the Stags of late. Fairfield is 0-3-1 over the last four meetings and 1-3-3 under Jim O'Brien. Four of the last seven games have gone to double-overtime with a 7-6 goal edge for the Saints.
The Stags are 10-2-4 all-time against Marist, with a 1-1-2 record over the last four meetings, all contests that required extra-time. Six of the last seven meetings between the two squads have gone to overtime, with the Stags outscoring Marist 7-5 in those games.
Fairfield has struck for three of its four goals over the last three outings (1-1-1), with a tally in each of those games. Torey Camporini notched her first collegiate goal to draw the Stags level against Hartford last week, sharing MAAC Rookie of the Week honors with Marist's Amanda Epstein. Lauren Reilly has tallied two of the Stags four goals, and leads the team with those four points. Shannon Fay has three points, on a goal and an assist, while Nikki Stanton has handed out two assists.
Kelly Boudreau earned her fourth MAAC Defensive Player of the Week honor on Monday, after stopping five shots in the tie with Hartford last week. She has made 34 stops this year, for a .895 save percentage, and now has 347 career saves, 41 shy of Anne Lyons' school record. Boudreau's save percentage ranked 13th in the nation beginning the week, while her .522 GAA is 14th nationally, and both rank tops in the MAAC.
The Stags are ranked 88th in the first RPI report, released by the NCAA this week. It is the highest-ranking of any of the 10 MAAC schools. Siena is the second MAAC school in the listing, at 115, while Marist is third amongst MAAC schools at 128.
