Box Score FAIRFIELD, Conn.— The field hockey team heads home after a successful Philadelphia road trip. Fairfield came out victorious for the second straight game, defeating Villanova 2-1 on Sunday afternoon. It was also their second straight 2-1 win as they defeated Drexel by the same score on Friday night.
The two sides would remain scoreless in the first half. After the break, Fairfield would get on the board in the 51st minute with a goal by junior Julie de Paeuw, her second straight game with a goal. Freshman Ruth Smalbraak would take in a corner that was stopped by Erin Buckley that allowed de Paeuw a perfect shot on net. The assist by Buckley gave her the first point of her career.
Five minutes later, another corner by Smalbraak would set up their second goal and put the Stags up 2-0. Sophomore Jaclyn Gallagher would get an easy tip in goal assisted by classmate Buckley. The goal was marked as Gallagher's first of the season and Buckley's second assist of the day.
With 10 minutes to play, Francesca Bella would put the Wildcats on the board and cut into the Stag lead. Fairfield would regroup and hold steady for the remainder of the game to claim the 2-1 victory. The win tied the all-time series against Villanova at two games apiece.
Junior goalkeeper Caitlin Bennett recorded four saves in the victory. Bennett now has 27 saves in her five starts. The backline in front of her allowed 10 total shots on the afternoon and defended against four penalty corners.
On the offensive side, Fairfield saw shots from five different players including de Paeuw (3), Smalbraak (2), Ann Burgoyne (2), Ariane von Schenck (1), and Gallagher (1). De Paeuw, Gallagher, and Buckley all posted two points on the day, with de Pauew and Gallagher scoring a goal each and Buckley tallying two assists.
Fairfield will look to continue its winning streak as they head home for a Wednesday afternoon matchup against Hofstra at 3:30 pm.
