FAIRFIELD, Conn. – For the second-straight game, the Stags scored their first goal less than three minutes into the game, and Fairfield added another one to give the squad a 2-1 victory over Holy Cross. Cassidy Boegel struck for her first goal of the season and Sydney Arestivo chipped in a goal for the second-straight match.
“More than anything scoring first really controls the game and is a key part of the game,” Head Coach Jim O'Brien said. “To get an early lead is a lot more comfortable.”
Just like they did on their win on Friday, Fairfield (3-5-0) was able to get their first goal on the board in the first few minutes. Just 95 seconds into the contest, Karolyn Collins sent a long free kick into the box, where Boegel was able to get a piece of the ball and head it in for her first score of the year.
“It's definitely important to score early because it gives us the confidence to keep going,” Boegel said. “To know that we're on top and they are in kind of a rut to come back and win.”
Also just like the game on Friday, all the scoring happened in the first half. In the 19th minute, Arestivo was able to find the ball during a scrum in the goal mouth and knock it into the goal for her second of the season. It was Arestivo's second goal in as many games, as the speedy midfielder looks like she is coming back to form after rehabbing last year.
“Coming back from a year of not playing it was a little weird,” Arestivo said. “It's nice to finally get back on the ball and feel my comfort coming back.”
The only down side of the first half came with just three minutes remaining when Andi Seslija put Holy Cross (2-4-1) on the board when she took in a corner kick from Emily George and barely put the ball over the line to cut the Stags lead in half.
After the offense gave the Stags the lead in the first half, it was the defense of the Stags that took over in the second half. The Crusaders controlled play for the majority of the final frame and played nearly the entire stanza in the Fairfield half. The Fairfield backline was able to turn back every chance that Holy Cross threw at them, allowing only seven shots and two easy shots on goal.
The back four was led by Pamela Coufos, who will not have the stats from the box score to show how much she really impacted the game. Coufos was the anchor on the left side, constantly intercepting crosses and forcing turnovers in the final third. Coufos, who just recently was moved to the defensive side had arguably her best outing of the season.
“It's a big difference from the midfield, but the position I'm in kind of allows me to get forward still,” Coufos said. “You just have to learn when you're playing defense that sometimes you have to stay back and compact with your defenders. It's an adjustment but it's good.”
“Pamela never ceases to amaze,” Coach O'Brien said. “Since her freshman year here, she's been very versatile, she's played a lot of different roles for us. From Day One, we plugged her into that left back spot and she's been spectacular.”
In the match, the Stags were out-shot 17-14 and narrowly had a deficit in corners (4-3). Jenna Pike picked up five saves as Brooke Holle led the goalkeeping duo of Holy Cross with two stops.
The Stags, who are now unbeaten in their last 12 games against Holy Cross, will now open up MAAC play and finally close out the home stand when they welcome the Niagara Purple Eagles to Lessing Field on Saturday at 1pm.
