FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Julianna Kratz scored a pair of goals while Luzi Persiehl and Danielle Profita each added a goal and an assist as the Fairfield University field hockey closed out the 2021 home portion of its regular-season schedule with a 5-1 win over Saint Francis University. The victory kept the Stags unbeaten in Northeast Conference play heading into Sunday's match with Merrimack College.

Fairfield established a season high for goals in the victory, a number which was certainly aided by the team's season-best 16 penalty corners. Two of the Stags' first three goals came off the set play, enabling them to take command early in the contest.

The home team need just five minutes to post the game's first goal which set up after Danielle Profita's insertion off a penalty corner. The ball worked its way around the circle until it landed on the stick of Malen Iglesias, who one-timed a shot from the left side of the circle to grab an early lead.

Just four minutes later, Fairfield doubled its advantage with a nifty play from Mackenzie Boyle. The defender carried the ball into the circle from the right corner and sent a cross to the center of the circle where Kratz was stationed. The forward quickly released a shot that found the far corner of the goal to push the lead to 2-0.
Early in the second quarter, senior Persiehl blasted a shot from the top of the circle off a penalty corner as Profita fed Gabby Saxon who stopped the ball for Persiehl. The defender ripped a shot that carried into the left corner of the goal to make the score 3-0, a margin which fed into halftime.

Saint Francis broke up the shutout for goalkeeper Zoe Rosen when Ella Mallie uncorked a shot that was saved by Rosen before Riley Kromer put back the rebound by swatting the ball out of the air and into the back of the cage. The rally did not last long as Fairfield responded with its fourth goal of the match just a minute later.
Once again, Persiehl found herself at the top of the circle with the ball and she promptly took a shot that required a diving save from goalkeeper Chloe South. However, the ball caromed back to Kratz who backhanded the ball back into the goal to regain a three-goal lead in the 42^nd minute.

The Stags ended the scoring with a goal just two minutes into the fourth quarter when Profita converted a pass from Gabby Saxon in the 47^th minute. Saxon picked up her first two assists of the season in the game.

Fairfield will play its final three regular-season games on the road, beginning with the Merrimack game on Sunday. The Stags close out the conference slate with a game at Bryant on October 29 before playing their regular-season finale at Vermont on October 31.