FAIRFIELD, Conn. – It was a special day for Nicole Stryjek and the Fairfield University Women's Soccer team. Not only were Stryjek's parents able to witness their daughter score a goal for the first time at home, they got to enjoy the best match of Stryjek's career. The junior scored three times to complete her first career hat trick, in leading the Stags to a 4-0 victory over LIU.
 
"It feels amazing," Stryjek said. "My parents haven't gotten to see me score yet so scoring three for them is the best feeling ever. It's the most rewarding feeling to come off an injury when I tore my ACL a few years. Being in the best shape of my life and the group of girls that we have here, it's the best feeling ever to be a part of it."
 
"She's a finisher," Head Coach David Barrett said of Stryjek. "That's always been something that we knew about her. I think it has something to do with the mental part of her game that has grown a lot. She's getting tougher, she's been training very well and has been good with the training environment. I am really glad that it all came together for her and hopefully this is the start of something."
 
The first two of Stryjek's three goals were created by her defense as she forced two giveaways in the final third and was able to convert both open chances. Both of those came in the first half, with Stryjek putting the Stags on the board first in the 26th minute on a steal. She would put Fairfield up 2-0 as she took the ball cleanly from the top of the box and beat the goalkeeper in the 33rd minute.
 
The Stags would net their third goal of the contest when Julia McGuire found space from the top of the box and sent a pass down the right side to Stephanie Tsangaris who rifled in her second score of the season.
 
With less than three minute left in the second half, Stryjek dribbled the ball to the right side of the penalty area where she was brought down by a LIU defense. The referee whistled for a penalty kick, which Stryjek took herself and completed her hat trick.
 
Stryjek's hat trick is the 14th ever by a Stag and the eighth on Lessing Field.
 
Fairfield dominated most of the offensive chances, out-shooting LIU 23-6 in the match, with 11 of those on target. LIU's Kayla DeTreauz led the match with seven saves while Gena Pike picked up her third victory with two saves.
 
The Stags will stay home to host Bryant on Thursday at 7pm.