FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University field hockey team dropped another one goal game on Sunday afternoon at Columbia, 3-2.
The two sides were even in shots (13) and shots on goal (8), but it was the home side that was able to score just one more to earn the victory.
The Lions put their first goal in just about nine minutes into the game. Maeve Doherty was the shot taker as Meredith Kalberer inserted the corner and Rebecca Bard set up the shot for Doherty to score to put her team out in front.
Fairfield responded in the 24th minute when Julie de Paeuw received a pass from Hannah Pike and took a hard shot from the left elbow beating the keeper to the far side. This leveled the score at 1-1.
But Columbia's offense would answer and tack on two more before the end of the first half. First Katie Ruesterholz scored off a rebound on the right side of the cage. Then Bard redirected a Ruesterholz shot from close-range to give the Lions a two goal advantage.
Both defenses stepped it up in the second frame as the Stags only allowed five Columbia shots. And Fairfield's offense was held in check for nearly 30 minutes. In the 67th minute, Ann Burgoyne was able to cut into the two goal lead with her fourth score of the season. The senior grabbed a rebound in front of the cage and pushed it past the goalkeeper to bring the score to 3-2 with just about three and a half minutes to play.
Senior Caitlin Bennett played all 70 minutes in cage and was credited with three saves on the day.
The Stags have just a few days to prepare for their next match when they travel to Worcester, Massachusetts to take on Holy Cross on Wednesday, September 21 at 7:00 p.m.
