WORCESTER, Mass. -- The Fairfield University field hockey team, ranked
23td in the nation, won its ninth game of the season by erasing a one-goal deficit with three second-half goals as the Stags edged the College of the Holy Cross by a 3-1 score.
Fairfield pressured the Crusaders throughout the first half by spending a good portion of the first two quarters in the opponent's circle. But despite outshooting the home team by an 8-6 count in the first half, Holy Cross went into the locker room with a one-goal lead. Holy Cross collected its only goal of the day with one minute remaining in the second quarter. The play began when
Philomena Fitzgerald found some open space on the far side of the goal and sent a pass to the other post where Minke
Kooman was set up. The forward pushed the cross pass Fairfield goalkeeper.
The Stags continued to set up camp in the Holy Cross circle in the second half, gaining more and more opportunities as the game progressed. That pressure finally paid off in the
38th minute of the game when
Page Lowry tied the score by pushing a rebound past the Holy Cross goalkeeper. The goal was set up when
Luzi Persiehl's shot was saved but the ball caromed back into play when Lowry secured the loose ball.
Danielle
Profita gave the lead to Fairfield the lead for the first time with her goal in the fourth quarter.
Malen Iglesias started the play when she received a penalty corner pass and sent the ball back toward the goal.
Profita redirected
Iglesias' pass into the corner of the cage to make the score 2-1 with under 11 minutes remaining in regulation.
Profita, who nearly had a goal in the first half if not for a stellar save by Marcia
LePlante, was pivotal in the team's third goal as the junior earned an assist on
Julianna Kratz's goal just two minutes later, effectively putting the game out of reach.
Zoe Rosen made five saves in the game to keep the Stags' lead intact while
LaPlante made six saves in her 60 minutes of work.
Fairfield will return to Northeast Conference play with its second straight road game, an October 11 date with Bryant University. Game time is slated for 3 pm.
