FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- Senior Day is supposed to be about the seniors. And on this particular day, the Class of 2017 certainly made the most of its final home appearance as the group led the Fairfield University field hockey team to a 10-0 win over LIU Brooklyn in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game.
Seniors Julie de Paeuw (one goal, three assists), Maclaine Matties (one goal), Ann Burgoyne (one goal, two assists) and goalkeeper Caitlin Bennett (three saves) were at the heart of today's victory. And, Head Coach Jackie Kane also mixed the talents of several underclassmen who also made the day enjoyable for Stags fans. Most notably, Emma Clark posted three goals in the win to showcase the underclassmen.
The Blackbirds entered the game looking for their first win of the season, falling in their previous 13 outings. But as a first-year program with literally an entire roster of freshmen, LIU Brooklyn struggled against the experienced Stags, but did show a few moments of brilliance on the offensive end. The team managed four shots toward the cage, most of which came off penalty corners. But Bennett turned away any serious threat to secure the shutout.
Fairfield opened the game with a pair of goals in the first two minutes of the game as Sam Giordano started the festivities with a goal off a pass from Jamie Appelberg. Appelberg made it 2-0 when she converted a cross from Hannah Pike just 2:19 into the contest. Clark took over from there with the next two goals, both of which were set up by an assist from de Paeuw, which made it a 4-0 lead with 19 minutes on the clock. The Stags ended the half with one more goal as Pike knocked home the team's fifth goal at the 18:44 mark.
The second half proved to be just as successful for the Stags, beginning with Maclaine Matties' blast off a penalty corner. The senior's shot nicked the near post and caromed into the back of the cage to make it 6-0 with 32 minutes left on the clock.
Burgoyne added to her season point total with a goal in the 44th minute of play, accepting a pass from Jaclyn Gallagher and spinning around the approaching goalkeeper for a shot at an open goal. de Paeuw was next on the senior list to score a second-half goal, as Pike's penalty corner pass was placed perfectly on the stick her teammate.
Clark finished off her hat trick game with a goal in the 47th minute, a play that was started by another strong effort from Burgoyne. Burgoyne followed up with an assist on the team's final goal as she whirled around her defender and sent a pass onto the stick of Maddi Heberi, who one-timed a shot into the goal for the Stags' final tally.
The Stags will return to action next week as a member of the four-team MAAC Tournament which will be hosted by Monmouth University. The semifinals will be played on Friday with the championship to follow on Sunday. Fairfield will look to defend their 2015 tournament crown beginning next weekend.
