FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University field hockey team will host their last two home games of the season as they welcome Bryant and Siena to University Field this weekend. The weekend begins on Friday at 3:00 pm when they take on Bryant and then continues on Sunday when they battle Siena at 1:00 pm for Senior Day.
Fairfield (4-8, 0-2 MAAC) vs. Bryant (3-12, 1-2 MAAC): The Stags are 1-0 all-time against the Bulldogs. The first meeting between the two sides came on September 16, 2009 with a 2-0 victory for Fairfield.
A Look at the Bulldogs: Bryant is 3-12 this season and is coming off their first MAAC victory with a 1-0 win over Sacred Heart. Offensively, the team is led by junior forward Victoria Danby and freshman midfielder Emily Perryman. Danby has 22 points this season with 10 goals and two assists. Perryman is second on the team with 13 points off five goals and three assists. Freshman Marissa Elizardo has started 13 games at goalkeeper for the Bulldogs. She posts a 3.17 goals against average and 73 saves.
Fairfield vs. Siena (3-10, 2-1 MAAC): The Stags are 17-6 all-time against the Saints. Last season, Fairfield won 3-1 on September 20. Fairfield has won the last six meetings between the two sides.
A Look at the Saints: Siena is 3-10 this season and has two victories in the MAAC. They are led on offense by junior forward Ashley Dona and junior midfielder Fabiana Citro. Dona is the team leader with nine points off four goals and one assist. Citro is in second with seven points off three goals and one assist. Senior goalkeeper Mary Drabich was made 13 starts this season. The senior has recorded 82 saves this season with a 3.85 goals against average. Drabich ranks 13th in the nation with 6.31 saves per game.
Last Time Out: In their last match, the Stags closed out non-conference play when they hosted Columbia on Sunday and fell 7-4. Fairfield scored four goals for the second straight game, but was unable to claim the victory. Ann Burgoyne scored two goals for the second consecutive contest, as she recorded eight points last week. Julie de Paeuw registered three points on the game with one goal and one assist. To round out the scoring, Erin Buckley added one goal while Jamie Appelberg and Kaitlyn Taddeo each had an assist. Caitlin Bennett and Emma Singer both saw action in cage, with Bennet earning the start. Buckley had one defensive save, to bring her season total to two.
Senior Day: On Sunday, the field hockey team will honor the careers of four seniors. Erin Connors, Emily McCauley, Kaitlyn Taddeo, and Elizabeth Thiroway have all contributed to the team's success in the past four years. These seniors have been a part of 32 wins as members of the field hockey team.
Final Home Games: This weekend's games will be the final two home games of the regular season for the Stags. In total Fairfield will have played nine games at University Field. So far they have a 1-6 record on their home turf with the lone win coming in their season opener against Colgate.
National Notice: Ann Burgoyne is back in the national standings after scoring four goals last week. The junior now sits seventh with 0.92 goals per game and is tied for 22nd with 1.83 points per game. She leads the team with 11 goals and 22 points. Caitlin Bennett also finds her name among the nation's best, ranked 25th with 5.55 saves per game. Bennett has started 11 games this season and has made 61 saves.
Looking Ahead: After the weekend, the Stags will close out the regular season with two MAAC games against Sacred Heart and Quinnipiac.
