FAIRFIELD, Conn. – In their last road test of the 2017 regular season, the Fairfield University Women's Soccer team will head to West Long Branch, N.J., to take on the reigning Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Champions Monmouth on Wednesday night. This match could have important seeding implications for next week's MAAC Tournament, as the Stags are fighting for a top-five spot and a first-round bye, while the Hawks can clinch the tournament's top overall seed with a victory. The match is slated to begin at 7pm on ESPN3.
 
The Stags are coming off a 2-0 setback to the Manhattan Jaspers, currently the second place team in the MAAC table. The Jaspers were helped by two goals by Arianna Montefusco and a shutout performance by the conference's Defensive Player of the Week Kelly DiGregorio. Fairfield out-shot the Jaspers by a slim 12-10 margin, but only three of their attempts were on target. Melanie Hingher had the closest chance for the Stags as her header off a set piece just sailed wide of the top corner of the goal.
 
Alex Madden, who still leads all rookies in the conference with six goals, was one of the three Stags to have a shot on goal in the match. Fairfield also had a few chances that won't appear on the box score, as a couple of crosses to Liz Dumas in the final third were either deflected or stopped by Manhattan's goalkeeper.
 
The Stags were the only team in the MAAC to have taken a point from Monmouth last season, as their scoreless draw was the lone blemish for the Hawks. Overall, the Stags are 1-5-1 against the Hawks, with their lone win in the series coming in 1997.
 
This will be the final road game for the 2017 regular season for the Stags, who will conclude their regular season on Senior Day on Saturday at 1pm against Marist.