The Fairfield University women's soccer team will host the Fairfield Women's Soccer Invitational this weekend, welcoming Central Connecticut State University, The College of the Holy Cross and Syracuse University to Lessing Field. The event will consist of four-games, with CCSU and Holy Cross kicking-off the event at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, September 9, with the Stags and Orange meeting at 7:30 that evening. The Blue Devils will take on Syracuse at noon on Sunday, September 11, with Fairfield and Holy Cross meeting in the final game at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.
All four games will be part of the Stags webstreaming package (web portal), with a special tournament price of $15 giving fans access to each contest. Fans that have purchased the Fairfield All-Access pass, or women's soccer pass, will also have access to all four games. Individual games can be viewed for $7.95. All four games will also have livestats available
The weekend's tournament will encompass the Stags celebration of the program's 20th season as a varsity program. Fairfield will welcome back its alumnae on Friday, with celebrations throughout the weekend. Friday night the alumnae will attend the games on Lessing Field and will be recognized on the field at halftime of the game between Fairfield and Syracuse. Saturday at noon there will be an Alumni reception at the Levee, on campus, where current Stags will have the opportunity to interact with those players that have built the program to where it is today. That event there will also be a BBQ hosted in Westport, Conn. to celebrate the program's anniversary. Any alum that would like more information should contact Susie Starr.
“I consider being part of the twentieth anniversary of women's soccer at Fairfield University, both and honor and a privilege,” said Stags head coach Jim O'Brien, “and look forward to welcoming the many alumnae who will be on campus to participate in the weekend's festivities.
“Our anniversary weekend in conjunction with our first ever tournament will provide an action packed weekend of soccer and nostalgia. We will play host to three very well known and highly successful soccer programs that are steeped in tradition. We too are not unlike our opponents and will celebrate two decades of success as a program. Our entire staff and our student athletes are excited to be part of this big weekend and hope to be a large part of the entertainment on the field.”
Friday night's game with Syracuse marks the Stags, 1-1-1, home opener, and the team's first-ever meeting the Orange. The Stags will meet Holy Cross for the ninth-time in program history on Sunday, holding a 6-1-1 mark. CCSU and Holy Cross are 3-3-1 in the all-time series between their soccer programs, while the Orange have won all three previous meetings with the Blue Devils.
Fairfield has blanked its last two opponents and has not allowed a goal in over 260 minutes, since the first-half of the season opener at Boston College. Kelly Boudreau has stopped 17 shots in minding the net for all 290 minutes, and boasts a GAA of 0.31 and a .944 save percentage entering tournament play.
Lauren Reilly notched the Stags lone goal of the season, corralling a rebound from a Nikki Stanton shot in the first-half at Hofstra in the second game of the season. It was the junior's first career game-winning goal.
Adult tickets to each day;s games are $5, youth and seniors, $3, Fairfield University staff, faculty and students are free and students from other schools are $3. On Friday, all fans wearing red, or Fairfield apparel, will receive $1 admission as part of Fairfield Friday. All youth soccer players wearing their jersey will be admitted free, as well all Monroe AYSO and CFC members. Sunday Fairfield will take part in the NCAA Take a Kid To The Game Program, with all children under 12 receiving free admission with the purchase of an adult ticket. In addition all police, fire, EMT and military members, and their families, will receive free admission with valid badge or ID.
