The Fairfield University women's soccer team, winners of five of its last six, hosts Marist College in the home Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) debut for 2013. The Stags are 5-4-0 overall and 1-0-0 in league play, while the Red Foxes are 4-4-2 on the year and 2-0-0 in MAAC play.
Fans can follow the game free via livestats. The game is set for 5 p.m. on Lessing Field and will be followed by the Fairfield men versus Long Island University. All Everton youth players wearing their team jersey will be admitted free, as well members of CFC. Following the game the Stags will be available for autographs and pictures.
Fairfield and Marist, who tied atop the MAAC standings in 2012 at 8-1-0, are meeting for the 20th time in a series that began in 1996. The Stags are 10-4-4 all-time against the Red Foxes, though the last victory for Fairfield came in 2008, at Marist, 1-0 in overtime. Over the last 10 meetings, dating to 2004, the Stags are 2-3-5 against the Red Foxes, including a 4-1 loss in Poughkeepsie last season. Fairfield opened the series with Marist by winning the first six meetings and eight of the first nine.
Fairfield scored a season-high four goals in its MAAC opening win over Saint Peter's on Wednesday, improving the program to 18-2-2 in league opening games all-time. The four goals, all scored by different players, are half the total the team scored in the eight non-conference games played this fall.
Ashley Small tallied a goal for the fifth time in six outings and leads the team with six goals and 12 points. The junior, who scored four times over her first two seasons with the Stags, ranks among the league's top goal scorers this season with her six goals and her three game-winning goals had her tied for the league lead entering the week.
Kathleen Early and Sophia DeVita combined for the Stags second consecutive shutouts and third in five games on Wednesday. Early started and stopped the only shot that the Peacocks put on net, while DeVita minded the net for the second-half. The Stags have not allowed a goal over the last 193:08 of action dating to the second-half at Central Connecticut State on September 20. Early has lowered her GAA to 0.92 with the shutout of Yale and her half of action at Saint Peter's and comes into Saturday with 26 saves against just six goals allowed in 585 minutes. DeVita has stopped five shots in her 228 minutes of action.
A pair of rookies got into the scoring act in the Stags win at Saint Peter's as Sydney Arestivo and Molly Moran both found the back of the net. Arestivo scored her goal just 10:19 into the game, with an assist from senior Shannon Fay, to record the game-winning tally. It marks the second consecutive game that the Stags have had a rookie, Brenna Brown versus Yale, score the deciding goal. Moran tallied the Stags fourth goal, putting a feed from Torey Camporini into the net in the 71st minute.
Nikki Stanton converted her second penalty kick of the year for a goal at the 19:42 mark on Wednesday. Like her tally against Holy Cross, the PK came from Ashley Small being pulled down in the box. Stanton, who has started every game, is second on the team with seven points this season.
Fairfield enters play on Saturday with a 12-10 advantage in goals scored this spring, half of them from the foot of Small. Fairfield has eight assists, three from Stanton, while opponents have just three assists. Fairfield's defense has allowed just 97 shots this season, while the Stags have taken 134. Fairfield is a 51-28 advantage in corner kicks as well for the year.
Amanda Epstein is the Red Foxes leader in points, 10, and assists, four. She is tied for the team lead in goals, with three other players, including Samantha Panzner and Alycia Cartica, both of whom have nine points for the year. Over its 10 games this season the Red Foxes have outscored opponents 15-12. Andrea Wicks has handled the majority of the goalkeeping duties, playing 926 minutes and going 4-3-1 with three shutouts. She enters Saturday's game with a .800 save percentage and a 1.07 GAA. Marist has outshot its foes 151-131 for the year and has a 51-47 edge in corner kick chances.
The Stags remain home on Wednesday when they host Quinnipiac. It marks the first-ever meeting between Fairfield and the Bobcats in women's soccer. Game time is set for 7 p.m. on Lessing Field.
