FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University field hockey team will play their final two regular season games as they travel to Sacred Heart and Quinnipiac. The weekend begins on Friday at 7:00 pm when they travel to the campus of Yale University to take on Sacred Heart and then continues on Sunday at Quinnipiac for a 1:00 pm game time.
Fairfield (6-8, 2-2 MAAC) vs. Sacred Heart (2-13, 0-5 MAAC): The Stags are 10-4 all-time against the Pioneers. Last season, Fairfield topped Sacred Heart 4-1 on September 19.
A Look at the Pioneers: Sacred Heart is 2-13 this season and has lost their last 10 games. The last win for the Pioneers came on September 13 against Holy Cross. Offensively, the team is led by senior midfielder Rachel Claroni and junior forward Danielle Gallagher. Both are tied for the team lead in goals (3), assists (3), and points (9). Senior goalkeeper Mary Altepeter has started all 15 games this season. The senior has 132 saves on the season and ranks fourth in the nation with 8.80 saves per game.
Fairfield vs. Quinnipiac (7-10, 4-1 MAAC): The Stags are 4-4 all-time against the Bobcats. The last meeting between the two sides was on September 17, 2008 in which the Stags fell 6-2.
A Look at the Bobcats: Quinnipiac is 7-10 this season and has four victories in the MAAC. They are led on offense by redshirt senior Savanna Reilly and senior Meghan McCullough. Both are tied for the team lead with 16 points. Reilly leads the team with seven goals, while McCullough is the team leader with 10 assists. Senior goalkeeper Megan Conaboy has made 15 starts this season. She has 91 saves and posts a 2.78 goals against average.
Last Time Out: On Senior Day, the team had a dominating performance against MAAC opponent Siena, claiming a 6-1 win. Five different players scored for the Stags including Kaitlyn Taddeo, Jaclyn Gallagher, Ann Burgoyne, Ruth Smalbraak, and Elizabeth Thiroway. Smalbraak led the way with five points, scoring two goals and recording an assist. Thiroway scored her first career goal in the 60th minute, in her final home game.
Fantastic Freshman: Ruth Smalbraak was named MAAC Rookie of the Week for her performance in last weekend's games. She had her best offensive performance of the season against Siena. The freshman had two goals and one assist on the day. Her two goals came just 58 seconds apart in the second half of Fairfield's 6-1 win. Smalbraak is second on the team this season in goals (5), assists (4), and points (14). In conference play, her four goals and ten points are second best only to teammate Ann Burgoyne.
MAAC Tournament: With the regular season winding down, all eyes are on the conference standings. The Stags earned two wins last weekend to bring their MAAC record to 2-2, and are tied with the third best record in the league. Monmouth and Quinnipiac sit atop the standings, each having four conference wins. The top four teams qualify for the conference tournament which will be hosted by the highest seeded team.
National Notice: Ann Burgoyne ranks among the nation's best as she sits tied for fourth with 1.00 goals per game and is seventh with 2.07 points per game. She leads the team and the MAAC with 14 goals and 29 points.
Looking Ahead: After the weekend, the Stags will hope to qualify for the MAAC Championships which are set to begin on Friday, November 6. The four-team tournament will be hosted by the highest seeded team.
