FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- Hannah Pike scored a pair of goals and five other teammates found the back of the net to provide the Fairfield University field hockey team with a 7-1 win over Sacred Heart University in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game. The offensive effort represented a season high in scoring for the Stags, surpassing the five goals tallied in a 5-1 win over Saint Louis and 6-5 setback at Hofstra.

Fairfield started the game quickly by scoring on its first shot on goal of the game as Jaclyn Gallagher caught the net just inside the near post, converting a cross from Julie de Paeuw just three minutes into the contest. The Pioneers found their mettle at that point and kept the Stags off the scoreboard for most of the half. 

The home team finally broke through in the 26th minute when Ann Burgoyne accepted a pass from the top of the circle by Kaley McMullen and carried the ball around the goalkeeper and shot into the open cage. The score would remain at 2-0 at intermission with Fairfield holding a slight edge in shots at 6-4.

Once again, Fairfield took advantage of an early strike to start the half, this time using a shot from Pike's backhand, an attempt that was set up by Emma Clark. The Pioneers gained some momentum back when Rebecca Hauser released a shot from right circle that beat the goalkeeper near side, closing the gap to 3-1 with 30 minutes left in the game.

Fairfield took control from that point, beginning with Clark's goal just five minutes later as Burgoyne created some magic at mid-circle and found Clark open in front of the goal. Corrine Persichetti showed excellent field vision when she spotted Pike breaking toward the circle and sent a pass 35 yards away to the stick of her teammate. Pike ended the run with another untouchable shot that beat the Sacred Heart goalkeeper to the lower corner to push the lead to 5-1.

In the final 10 minutes, Fairfield added a pair of goals on more creativity beginning with Gallagher identifying a seam in the Sacred Heart defense and sending a pass to Maddi Habert, who one-timed a shot into the center of the goal to bring the score to 6-1. Fairfield was awarded a penalty corner with no time left on the clock, but managed to convert the opportunity into its seventh goal when Shannon Doherty deflected a pass from Corrine Baliga.

Caitlin Bennett made five saves in the Fairfield goal while Emily DeGennaro and Lauren Musselman combined to make nine saves for the Pioneers.

The Stags will return to the field on Sunday when they travel to Monmouth University for an afternoon game.