Box Score

DURHAM, N.H. – The Fairfield University field hockey team made history today playing in their first America East Championship tournament.  The Stags faced the #1 Seed and nationally ranked No. 20 New Hampshire in the first semifinal of the day, falling 3-2 in overtime.  New Hampshire won the regular season title in 2012 with a perfect 5-0 conference record.
 
New Hampshire had the first shot of the game with a penalty corner taken by Emma Erler.  Casey Pohlmeyer took the shot but a block by Shealyn Testa prevented any chance on goal. Lindsey Hatch followed up by carrying the ball up field into the circle.  Testa passed from the left side to Christy Starsinic, who took a great shot on goal but Wildcat goalkeeper Carlie Tarbell made a diving save to keep it out of the net. 
 
New Hampshire came back carrying the ball up field as Meg Flatley passed to senior Mary Quill in the circle.  Quill put it past goalkeeper Maddy Sposito for both the first goal of the game and of her season.  Senior defender for the Stags Michelle Loor made two key defensive saves keeping the Wildcats from increasing their lead and giving her five defensive saves on the season.  However with five minutes left in the half, Fairfield couldn't stop Meg Carroll and Megan Bozek.  Assisted by Carroll, Bozek put one in the net from the left side to give New Hampshire the 2-0 lead going into the half.
 
Six minutes into the second half, Felicitas Heinen took a penalty stroke for the Stags and put it past Tarbell to narrow New Hampshire's lead to one goal.  Heinen's goal was the first-ever for Fairfield on Memorial Field in Durham, N.H and her sixth successful penalty stroke on the season.  Seven minutes later, Sposito was challenged one-on-one by Quill but the senior goalkeeper made a diving kick save to deny the Wildcat her second goal. 
 
At 53:57, junior Christy Starsinic tied the game up with a deflection on a long pass from Heinen.  New Hampshire came right back with a penalty corner but shot wide.  Two apiece with one play left in the game, the Wildcats forced a penalty corner but the Fairfield defense pushed the ball out to force the game into overtime.
 
New Hampshire was the first to get a shot off in overtime but Sposito made back-to-back saves to keep Fairfield in the game.  Possession switched to the Stags as Starsinic carried it up field and passed to Taddeo who shot wide.  Flatley for the Wildcats scored at 79:07 on an assist by Kellie Joyce for the win and to advance to the America East Championship game which will played Sunday, November 4.
 

Fairfield goalkeeper and senior Maddy Sposito finished the game with five saves while the Stags' offense took five shots throughout the game.  Sposito and Loor both made the All-Championship squad.


The Stags finish the season with a 10-10 record, the most wins the program has tallied since joining the America East in 2007.  Four student-athletes from Fairfield field hockey earned post-season honors including Felicitas Heinen who earned a spot on the All-Conference First Team, Testa on Second Team, and freshmen Kaitlyn Taddeo and Emily McCauley each earned a spot on the America East All-Rookie Team.