For the third consecutive year the Fairfield University women's soccer team boasts the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Defensive Player of the Year. Junior back Emma Pichl (New York, N.Y.) received the award at the annual tournament banquet held at Walt Disney World's Hollywood Studios Saturday night.

Pichl was also named to the All-MAAC First Team by the league's 11 head coaches, and was joined on the squad by graduate student Nikki Stanton (North Bend, Wash.) and junior Ashley Small (Melville. N.Y.). Sydney Arestivo (Northport, N.Y.), Anna Borea (New Canaan, Conn.) and Molly Moran (Monson, Mass.) represented the Stags on the MAAC All-Rookie Team.

Pichl anchored a Stags defense that is among the tops in the league and nation. Through the quarterfinals of the MAAC Championship, Fairfield has posted nine clean sheets and is allowing opponents just 3.1 shots per game on goal per game. The Stags have a team GAA of just 0.77, which is 49th in the nation and the team ranks 57^th in the nation in shutouts. Pichl started each of the 16 games that she started and finished the season with two assists. The junior was named to the All-MAAC Rookie Team in 2011.

It marks the fourth time since 2006 that the Stags have won the Defensive Player of the Year. Brett Maron earned the award in 2006, Kelly Boudreau in 2011 and Alli Walsh last season.

Stanton earns her third consecutive All-MAAC First Team selection, having started all 19 games the Stags have played in the central midfield. She has recorded a career-best seven assists this season and when combined with her two goals, is second on the Stags roster with 11 total points. Stanton is just the seventh Stag in program history to earn First Team league honors three times and the first in five years.

Small's selection to the All-MAAC First Team is a first for the junior, who was a 2011 All-MAAC Rookie Team honoree. She finished the regular season tied for the league lead with 12 goals and is currently the team leader with 25 points. Small scored six game-winning goals this season, tops on the squad, and is now ranked seventh in program history on that category with eight decisive tallies.

Arestivo has started 14 of the 16 games that she has played in as a rookie for the Stags. She has scored twice, with her first career goal the game-winner in her MAAC debut at Saint Peter's.

Borea has started 15 games this season as she has appeared in every game as part of the Stags back line. She has also aided the offense, scoring her first collegiate goal in the Stags Senior Day win over Niagara.

Moran has played in 17 games for the Stags, with four starts to her credit. She has collected four points this season, with goals against Saint Peter's and Iona and an assist in the win at Siena.

The Stags had a dozen student-athletes named to the MAAC All-Academic Team. To be eligible for the recognition, a student-athlete must complete two semesters at their institutions and maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 3.2 or better.
Stanton earned her fourth All-Academic Team selection, while seniors Sarah Frassetto (Trumbull, Conn.) and Jac Ley (Marine, Minn.) were both honored for the third time. Carly Beyar (South Hempstead, N.Y.), Jessica Broadbent (North Haven, Conn.), Michelle Kowalski (Pound Ridge, N.Y.), Megan O'Brien (West Hartford, Conn.) and Small earned the honor for the second time, and Torey Camporini (Safety Harbor, Fla.), Michelle Coate (Pembroke, Mass.), Sophia DeVita (Westfield, N.J.) and Sarah Gerali (Avon, Conn.) all earning the award for the second time.

The Stags are in action on Sunday in the semifinals of the MAAC Championship, taking on Siena at 2 p.m. The match will air live on ESPN3.