FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- There are two remaining unbeaten teams in the Northeast Conference field hockey standings and both teams will meet at University Field on Friday afternoon as the Stags field hockey team will meet up with Rider University for a 4 pm match. Fairfield enters the contest ranked 24th in the nation and sports a 10-2 overall record with a 2-0 NEC slate. The Broncs have a half-game lead in the standings with their 3-0 conference mark in addition to an impressive 9-3 overall record.

The two programs have competed as conference foes through the years including the last four seasons as members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) field hockey conference. In those four meetings, the two teams split with Fairfield winning in 2016 and 2017 and Rider earning victories in 2015 and 2019.

After losing their season opener to UMass Lowell, Fairfield has won 10 of its last 11 games, a run built around a program-tying best seven straight wins and a current three-game win streak that dates back to the beginning of October. Two of those three victories came against NEC foes, edging Sacred Heart in overtime (1-0) and Bryant )2-1) in the team's last outing. Fairfield will play its seventh home game of the season where it has fared well with a 5-1 record in 2019. 

Danielle Profita has engrained herself into the Stags' offense by scoring four goals in the last five games which includes the game-winner against Holy Cross. Two freshmen have also made contributions to the Stags' offensive success, namely Julianna Kratz and Page Lowry. Kratz places second on the team with four goals and five assists for 13 points. Lowry is next in line ith 11 points off five goals and one assist. Defensively, Zoe Rosen continues to anchor the unit. She ranks 16th in the nation in goals against average (1.34) and 19th in save percentage (.746).

The Broncs have won five of their last six games, most recently edging Merrimack (4-2) and Long Island (2-1). Rider's offense has tantalized opposing defenses as of late, scoring four or more goals in six of its last eight games. Sophomores Julia Divorra and Carly Brosious are at the heart of the offensive success, tallying 29 and 28 points, respectively. Divorra is tied for eighth nationally for goals per game, registering 12 scores in 12 games (1.00). Brosious places 16th for goals per game with 0.86 per outing (eight goals, 12 games). Goalkeeper Lena Vandam also is listed among the nation's leaders with her .747 save percentage (18th) and 1.65 goals against average (1.54).

Friday's game is the final home game for the Stags until November as the team begins a three-game road trip by playing at Villanova University on Sunday afternoon before finishing the road swing with two NEC games. Fairfield will travel to Wagner College on October 24 for a 4 pm game before taking on Merrimack College on October 26 at 6 pm. The Merrimack game will be played on the campus of the University of New Hampshire.