FAIRFIELD, Conn. – In their final outing before the start of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play, Fairfield University Field Hockey was on the short side of 3-2 margin this afternoon on University Field against visiting Dartmouth. Andrea Soler scored both goals for the Stags with Hannah Pike and Emma Matlach recording the assists.
 
Soler's first multi-goal game for the Stags runs her team-leading season totals to four goals and nine points. Pike's assist is her team-high third of the fall, while the helper by Matlach is her first. On the opposite side of the field, Caitlin Gilligan made six saves in goal.
 
Fairfield (2-7) started the day's scoring just 3:09 into the contest as Pike connected with Soler, who slapped home a backhand from 10 yards out to put the Stags on top, 1-0. That margin held into the 31st minute when Dartmouth's (3-5) Katie Spanos corralled a rebound and put it home to knot the match at 1-1. The Stags responded just before the half as Soler's converted Matlach's feed to send the hosts into the intermission back on top, 2-1.
 
However, Big Green struck twice in the second half to escape University Field with the result. Spanos' second of the day came at 42:16 to tie the game at 2-2, and the game-winner came off the stick of Lia Constantine at 61:53. The Stags held possession for the majority of the closing minutes, including a penalty corner just before time expired, but could not find the equalizer as the clock ran out on a 3-2 final.
 
Fairfield outshot Dartmouth, 15-10, with both clubs putting nine shots on target, and each team was awarded six penalty corners. Hailey Valerio made seven saves for Big Green.
 
The Stags' MAAC slate begins this Friday, Sept. 29 in Brooklyn with a visit to LIU Brooklyn at 4 p.m. After a non-conference trip to Providence, Fairfield returns home to host Monmouth in a rematch of the 2016 MAAC Championship Game on Friday, Oct. 6 at 4 p.m.