DURHAM, N.H. – For the second time this season, the 24^th-ranked Fairfield University field hockey team tied the program standard with its seventh straight win as the Stags erased a one-goal deficit to post a 3-1 victory over Merrimack College. The decision also kept Fairfield as the only unbeaten team in Northeast Conference play, improving to 5-0 in conference play.

                The Stags did not need any fourth quarter comeback today as they used two third-quarter goals to break a 1-1 tie. The home team broke out first with a first-quarter goal, beating the Stags defense just six minutes into the game. Juliane Ohmen carried the ball just inside the circle and unleashed a shot that caught a corner and pushed Merrimack in front.

                The goal would stand for nearly 15 minutes until the Stags put together some action in front of the Merrimack goal in the 23^rd minute. With the ball loose, defender Emily Halderson was able to gain control and put a shot on goal that raced past the goalkeeper, tying the game at 1-1 with 7:35 remaining in the first half. Halderson's shot was the only one on goal that goalkeeper Katharina Ohmen did not stop as she was able to kick away seven other attempts that were on target.

                Fairfield was much more efficient in the third quarter as the team scored on two of its four shots on cage. The Stags first goal of the quarter as Kelly Buckley left the defensive third to make trouble in the team's offensive third. The defender stepped up and put her team in the lead for good when she pushed a shot past Ohmen that rattled in the corner for a 2-1 edge. Buckley added an insurance goal with an unassisted goal just three minutes later, making the score 3-1 for the Stags with 3:18 remaining in the third quarter.

                The Stags' defense took over the game from that point forward as Merrimack struggled to gain any momentum on the Fairfield side of the pitch. After putting two of its three shots on goal in the third quarter, Merrimack was not able to muster any shots overall in the fourth quarter. Zoe Rosen needed just three saves in the game to record the victory as the junior faced just five shots overall.

                Today's game marked the final regular-season road for Fairfield, coming home for a pair of games next week. The Stags will LIU on Friday for the final NEC game before closing the regular-season with a non-conference match up against Drexel University on November 3.