FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- After a sweep on a neutral field last weekend, the Fairfield University field hockey team will return home for the first time since early September for games against Columbia University on Friday and Providence College on Sunday. Both games will be played at University Field on the Fairfield campus.

The Stags bring a five-game winning streak into Friday afternoon's match up against Columbia, a run which included a victory over nationally-ranked Boston College on the road. Columbia is no stranger to playing nationally ranked teams this year either, having faced teams in the top 25 three times in its first four games of 2019. The Lions have also fared well against the ranked teams, falling to eighth-ranked Iowa before edging #22 Boston University and #24 University of Maine by one-goal margins. On those merits, Columbia brings a 3-1 record into Friday's event with all games coming against non-conference foes.

Jennifer Trieschman leads the team with her four goals which translate into eight points in her four appearances. The senior scored at least one goal in each of the team's first three games, highlighted by a two-goal performance against Central Michigan in the season opener. Kelsey Farkas also has eight points this year, registering three goals and two assists in her four outings. Alison Smith has made the most of her goal scoring chances as all three of her goals thus far represent game winners. Alexa Conomikes has played all 240 minutes in goal, sporting a 2.75 goals against average and a .711 save percentage off 27 stops.

Providence started the weekend with four wins in its first five contests, a group of games that also included against Boston College (2-1) and a win at #24 University of Maine. Since those two dates, the Friars have not allowed a goal in 180 minutes of play, shutting out Bryant University (2-0) and Brown University (3-0) at home before edging Lafayette College (1-0 in OT) at home. 

The team has 11 goals on the season with seven different student-athletes putting at least one ball inside the cage. Izzy Mendez, Niamh Gowing, Oliva Ward, and Kara Sanford each have two goals for four points in 2019. Mikalya Michals claims a team-high two of the team's six assists in five games played. Goalkeeper Lydia Rice, who has appeared on the Big East Honor Roll for three straight weeks, has three clean sheets with a 1.08 goals against average and a .812 save percentage (26 saves) in five starts.

Fairfield, like Providence, boasts a well-rounded attack that features seven different student-athletes as goal scorers. Freshman Page Lowry, who earned the Northeast Conference (NEC) rookie of the week award for her performance last weekend, is responsible for a team-high three goals while her one assist brings her season point total to seven. Classmate Julianna Kratz and junior Danielle Profita are the only Stags with more points as each have accumulated eight points in six games. The duo shares the same scoring totals with two goals and four assists each. Zoe Rosen, this week's NEC defensive player of the week, secured a shutout and allowed just one goal in 120 minutes of work. Based on her efforts, she lowered her goals against average to 1.19 and improved her save percentage to .781