The Fairfield University women's soccer team honors its senior class Saturday as it plays its final home game of the 2013 season, hosting Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) foe Niagara University at 1 p.m. The Stags, winners of three straight, are 9-5-1 overall and 5-1-1 in league play, while the Purple Eagles are 4-10-1 on the year and 3-3-1 in MAAC action.
The game will be available on MAAC.tv (PPV) and livestats (FREE). All CFC youth players that wear their team jersey to the game will be admitted free and the Stags will be available following the game for autographs and pictures. Be sure to arrive early as the senior ceremony will begin at 12:50 p.m.
Saturday marks the final time that Carly Beyar, Shannon Fay, Sarah Frassetto, Jac Ley and Nikki Stanton will don their home uniforms on Lessing Field. In the past four seasons the group has led the Stags to 34 victories and a share of the 2012 MAAC Regular Season Crown. The group has had tremendous on-field success, with numerous All-MAAC selections, but has been more impressive off of the field - earning All-Academic Team and Dean's List recognition.
The Stags attempt to become the first team in program history to go unbeaten at home in a season, entering play today at 6-0-1 on Lessing Field. The 1997 Stags, which won a school record 18 games, posted a 9-1-0 record at home, the best in program history, but lost the home opener. Fairfield has had good home success under Jim O'Brien, now in his ninth season, posting a 43-19-13 record on campus under his tutelage.
Ashley Small scored her team-leading 10th goal in the Stags win over Iona on Wednesday evening, the 13th best single-season effort in program history. The tally was the decisive goal in the game, her sixth game-winner of the year, and moved her into a tie for ninth-place all-time with eight career game-winning goals. Small leads the Stags with 21 points, which is second in the league through games of October 16.
Kathleen Early made two saves on Wednesday night for her fifth solo shutout of the year, and sixth overall on the season. She lowered her GAA to 0.79 and has given up just three goals over the last 261 minutes of action. Early has 44 saves and a .815 save percentage over her 1,136 minutes of action.
The match on Saturday will be the 26th all-time meeting between the two teams, with Fairfield holding an 18-6-1 mark in the series. The Stags have not allowed a goal in three consecutive meetings, going 2-0-1 in that stretch, including a 2-0 win at home last fall. The Stags won the first 11 meetings between the two squads Niagara won five of seven meetings from 2003-2006, before back-to-back Stag wins in 2006 and 2007. Niagara's last victory came in the 2009 MAAC Tournament and the lone tie came in 2011.
Niagara tied Quinnipiac in its last outing, a week ago, after a 1-0 loss at home to Siena on October 9 snapped a three-game win streak. The Purple Eagles have outscored foes 6-4 over the past five games but are being outscored 23-14 on the season. All told, Niagara is 4-10-1 on the season with a 2-4-1 record in road games and are 3-3-1 in league play. Breanna Catipovic has accounted for half, seven, of the team's goals this season and leads the squad with 14 points. Catherine Meyer has a team-best four assists and with her goal is second on the team with six points. Claire Feiertag has played 14 games and nearly 1,300 minutes in goal and has a 1.36 GAA, 68 saves and a .782 save percentage.
