FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University Women's Soccer team displayed their most dominant outing of the season as they shutout the visiting Lafayette Leopards 4-0 on Lessing Field. The Stags set a season-high with 29 shots and tied their highest scoring output of the year with those four scores.
 
"I thought the team played as well as we have seen them play including back in the spring," Head Coach David Barrett said. "We were mobile, we moved the ball really well, and we defended well in the midfield. I thought Hanley (Courter) and Gabby (Diodati) were terrific in the middle. Holly (Habyan) had a real good game on the right. I thought overall the performance was really strong and it's going to the be important for us to use this as a standard and a benchmark as a team going forward when we're setting the bar for us and where we want to be heading into MAAC play."
 
Powered by four different goal scorers, the Stags (4-2-0) won their second-straight home match while scoring eight total goals in that span. The Stags were in control from the opening whistle as they recorded the first eight shots of the match, leading to a 29-8 final margin.
 
Freshman Stephanie Tsangaris opened the scoring output as she headed in a cross by Nicole Stryjek to put the Stags up 1-0, four minutes into the match. The goal was the first collegiate score for Tsangaris, and the assist was also the first career point for Stryjek.
 
The Stags kept putting pressure on the Lafayette (3-3-0) defensive unit by hammering six more shots in a seven minute span. Only one of those attempts were on target with Maggie Pohl stopping Stryjek's chance in the 8th minute. Pohl would finish with nine saves as the Stags were able to put 13 of their 29 shots on target.
 
Fairfield was held off the scoreboard until the 37th minute when Gabby Diodati connected on her first collegiate goal to increase the Stags lead to a pair. On a free kick, Diodati sent a lined shot that went off the wall of defenders and settled into the back of the net. Fairfield had one more chance before the halftime whistle but Alex Madden's shot rung off the post and Shannon Ryan's shot on the rebound was blocked out of bounds for a corner kick.
 
The best chance for the Leopards came six minutes into the second half as Gabrielle Martone's shot also hit the post.
 
Fairfield took advantage two minutes later when Holly Habyan sent a cross into the box where Brooke Hernon was able to beat the goalkeeper by tapping the pass with her left foot. It was the first career goal for the rookie Hernon.
 
Madden would cap the scoring for the Stags when Sara Plowman sent a ball into the box where Madden was able to line past the keeper for her fifth score of the season. The five goals is not only the most in the MAAC, but also ties Madden for 12th in the country.
 
In a game where the Stags dictated the tempo, Fairfield out-shot the Leopards 29-8 and held Lafayette without a shot on goal. Fairfield also had nine corner kicks in the match compared to Lafayette's three.
 
The Stags are back in action on Sunday afternoon when they host Delaware State at 3pm.