FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- For the third straight week, the Fairfield University field hockey team begins play as a nationally-ranked team as the Stags check into this week's action ranked #23 in the latest National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) poll. Head Coach Jackie Kane will bring her team to Bryant University on Friday afternoon, checking into this match with a 9-2 overall record and a 1-0 mark in Northeast Conference (NEC) play.

The Stags won their conference opener last Friday in dramatic fashion, scoring the game's only goal in the first overtime to send the team to a 1-0 victory over Sacred Heart University at home. Fairfield made it 2-0 on the week when it followed up with a 3-1 win over the College of the Holy Cross last Sunday. Luzi Persiehl, who earned the NEC Offensive Player of the Week for last week's play, scored the game-winner against the Pioneers and added an assist in the win over the Crusaders. Julianna Kratz also secured three points on the week including setting up Persiehl's game winner against Sacred Heart, a performance strong enough to win another NEC Rookie of the Week award.

Danielle Profita, who also picked up three more points last week, remains the team's top scorer with 15 points, netting five goals while distributing five assists in her 11 appearances this season. Kratz is just off that team-leading pace with 13 points, posting four goals and five assists, followed by Page Lowry's 11 points, almost all of which comes off her five goals. Persiehl, a defender by trade, has also reached double figures in the scoring column with 10 points with four goals and two assists.

Goalkeeper Zoe Rosen has anchored the Stags' defensive efforts this season with three shutouts, the last of which came in the team's win over Sacred Heart. The junior ranks 19th in the nation with her 1.37 goals against average and is tied for 19th in save percentage (.750). 

Bryant opened up its NEC schedule with a 2-1 setback against Merrimack College in overtime, yielding the tying goal in the third quarter before the game winner found the back of the cage in the second overtime. The Bulldogs outshot their opposition by a 22-6 count but Merrimack was able to put four of those shots toward goal in the overtime periods. Taryn Rauff scored the team's lone goal of the game, taking a shot from the point that caught the corner of the goal in the 27th minute.

Rauff accounts for three of the team's six goals scored this year, including the game-winning goal with under 10 minutes remaining in regulation against Lehigh. Both her goal total and her six points represent team-highs for Bryant, Eva Bazen, Aisling Madden and Isa Oldecamp are responsible for the team's other three goals.  Goalkeeper Marijn Jaarsma owns a 2.46 goals against average with a .707 save percentage off 70 saves in 12 games. 

The Stags will return home for a NEC game on Friday, October 18 when they host Rider University at University Field. The game is scheduled for a 4 pm start.