FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- The Fairfield University field hockey team was picked as the preseason favorite by the Northeast Conference (NEC) coaches as the Stags garnered five of the seven first-place votes in the 2019 coaches' poll.

The rest of the poll was completed with Rider taking second place and one first-place vote, while Bryant University secured third in the rankings as well as the final first-place selection. Sacred Heart University earned the fourth spot in the preseason poll, followed by LIU and Merrimack which tied for fifth place. Wagner College completed the rankings with the seventh-place slot.

The Stags are looking to build on their success last season, reaching the championship game of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference which was one year removed from winning the conference title and earning a trip to the NCAA tournament in 2017. Fairfield posted a 12-9 overall record and won nine of their first 10 games including a school-record seven straight victories. 

The team returns its top scorers from a year ago as well as its starting goalkeeper, three student-athletes who will continue to impact success for the 2019 campaign. Emma Matlach posted a team-best 12 goals and seven assists for 31 points which included five game-winning goals. Danielle Profita placed second among her teammates with 19 points, registering seven goals and five assists with one deciding goal to her credit. Malen Iglesias was the team's top scoring newcomer and reserve, coming off the bench 17 times in 19 appearances to score four goals and two assists for 10 points.

Defensively, goalkeeper Zoe Rosen garnered national recognition with her performance in the cage, sporting a 1.05 goals against average with a .769 save percentage and six shutouts. She ranked fourth in the nation with her goals against average while save percentage was seventh best in Division I. 

Fairfield will open up the 2019 campaign on the road, heading to Massachusetts for an August 30 match at UMass Lowell and a September 1 meeting with Boston College. The Stags' home opener come on September 6 when they host the University of Vermont at 4 pm. The team's NEC opener is scheduled for October 4 when it hosts Sacred Heart University at 4 pm.