FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- The Fairfield University field hockey team closes out the home portion of its regular season on Friday when it hosts Saint Francis University in  Northeast Conference (NEC) match. The game time has been moved to 3:30 pm at University Field.

The Stags have enjoyed their time at University Field this month, winning their first three October home games before falling in a shootout against Hofstra last Sunday. All three of those victories came against NEC opponents, namely LIU, Rider, and Sacred Heart. Fairfield will try to remain unbeaten in conference play, coming with a 4-0 record against NEC opponents. After Friday's game, the team will play two more NEC road games, heading to Merrimack College on Sunday and Bryant University on October 29.

Fairfield's recent success can be traced back to the strong defensive effort put forth by the back line and goalkeeper Zoe Rosen. The Stags have posted five shutouts in the last seven games and yielded just three goals total during the stretch. Rosen picked up her fifth shutout of the season with the team's win over Wagner College last weekend and earned the NEC Defensive Player of the Week for her efforts in a 1-1 week. For the season, Rosen owns a 1.24 goals against average with 76 saves in 15 starts which translates into a .800 save percentage. She ranks 16^th in the nation for goals against average, and ninth in save percentage. Mackenzie Boyle, who also garnered an NEC defensive player of the week award this year, remains the stable force on the back line.

Up front, the Stags have received ample support from several teammates with Juliana Kratz (Rider), Malen Iglesias (Sacred Heart), and Agustina Casteluchi (Wagner) each posting a game with two goals. Iglesias remains the team's top scorer with six goals and one assist for 13 points, followed closely by Danielle Profita's three goals and four assists for 10 points, and Kratz's four goals and one assist for nine points.

Saint Francis brings a 6-9 overall record and a 2-2 NEC mark into this weekend's action, coming off a 2-1 win over Georgetown in a shootout last weekend. The team has scored regularly over the last four games, registering a 3-1 record over the last four games which includes a season-high five goals in a shutout at Bryant University as well as a 4-3 shootout victory against Georgetown last Sunday. 

Eva Valentini paces the Red Flash offense with six goals and six assists for 18 points, putting a team-high 39 shots on goal which is more than twice as many as any of her teammates. Claudia Ortiz is also enjoying a solid season with six goals and three assists for 15 points, which includes one game-winning goal. Julia Breneman also has reached double figures in the scoring column with five goals for 10 points. Goalkeeper Chloe South has spent a majority of the minutes in the Saint Francis cage, making 76 saves in her 15 appearances and sporting a 2.08 goals against average.