FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University field hockey team will play in its first MAAC Tournament game on Friday, November 6 at Monmouth University. As the number four seed, the Stags will face the top seeded Hawks at 11:00 am.
Fairfield (7-9, 3-3 MAAC) vs. Monmouth (8-10, 5-1 MAAC): The Stags are 10-4 all-time against the Hawks. Earlier this season, Fairfield hosted Monmouth on October 10, and the Hawks claimed a 2-1 victory.
A Look at the Hawks: Monmouth posted a 5-1 record against MAAC opponents this season and host this year's MAAC Championship Tournament. The Hawks are the defending league champions and have the advantage of playing at home again this year. The Hawks offense is led by senior midfielder Cori Allen and junior midfielder Alyssa Ercolino. Allen leads the team with nine goals and 21 points, while Ercolino is second with seven goals and 18 points. In goal sophomore Christen Piersanti has logged every minute for Monmouth this season. Piersanti has 80 saves on the year and is second best in the MAAC with a 2.33 goals against average.
Defensive Player of the Week: Junior goalkeeper Caitlin Bennett was named the MAAC Defensive Player of the Week for her performance in last week's contests, her second award this season.
The junior goalkeeper posted her first shutout of the season on Friday night against Sacred Heart. Bennett faced 15 shots on the night and made nine saves for the Stags. She kept a clean sheet in her 70 minutes of work and allowed Fairfield to win the game 1-0. The goalkeeper has made 15 starts this season recording 81 saves and posting a 2.90 goals against average.
National Notice: Junior forward Ann Burgoyne finished the regular season ranked fourth in the nation with 1.06 goals per game and tied for seventh with 2.19 points per game. Burgoyne scored 17 goals and 35 points during the season to lead both her team and the conference.
Looking Ahead: If Fairfield can get the win on Friday they will advance to the MAAC Championship game on Sunday at 11:00 am. The Stags would play the winner of the second semifinal game between Quinnipiac and Rider.
