BURLINGTON, Vt. – While the number 13 may not be appreciated by most especially on Halloween, the Fairfield University field hockey team has taken a liking to the number. For the 13^th time in 19 games, the Stags did not surrender more than one goal in a game and the result was a 1-0 road win against Vermont in the regular-season finale.

Fairfield posted its eighth shutout of the season behind an outstanding effort by the team's back line and goalkeeper. When the Stags have yielded one goal or less this season, they have won 12 times with the lone exception being a 1-0 double-overtime setback to Temple.

Goalkeeper Zoe Rosen was exceptional this afternoon as evident by the 16 saves she registered to register the clean sheet. While every one of those stops was important in preserving the win, perhaps the most vital save came late in the third quarter with the Stags up 1-0.

Fairfield was whistled for an infraction that resulted in a penalty stroke, providing the best scoring chance of the day for Vermont. Haley Buffenbarger stood over the ball in an effort to convert the stroke but Rosen's intuitively dove to her right and deflected the ball away from goal to keep the Stags in the lead.

"Zoe was definitely focused and was not allowing the shutout to slip away," Head Coach Jackie Kane said. "Her leadership in the cage propelled the entire team to today's win."

Rosen was kept busy from the outset as Vermont pushed forward and attacked often in the first quarter. The offensive pressure kept the Stags pinned inside their half of the pitch for nearly the entire 15 minutes with a few occasional counter attacks releasing some of the pressure. By the end of the quarter, the Catamounts held a 5-0 advantage in shots with Rosen being forced to make three saves.

The Stags were most aggressive in the second quarter and had most of the better scoring chances including one shot that nearly trickled in before goalkeeper Sierra Espeland was able to swat the ball off the line with a sweep of her stick. Fairfield took four shots in the period but only the one made it through to the goalkeeper.

In the third quarter, the Stags earned a penalty corner in the 35^th minute to provide a scoring chance. Danielle Profita inserted the ball directly to Julianna Kratz who sent a shot toward goal. Profita worked her way toward the goal after the restart and was able to tip the ball over the goalkeeper as the ball hit the crossbar and but caromed into the back of the cage for a 1-0 lead.

The goal would stand for the rest of the game as Fairfield's defense would not relent against Vermont's pressure. By game's end, the Catamounts would take 22 shots with 16 being on target but none of the attempts could make it past Rosen. The Stags offense worked their way to 10 attempts with three being on goal.

Fairfield will now prepare for the upcoming Northeast Conference (NEC) Tournament which takes place from November 5-7. Wagner College will serve as host for the Friday semifinals and Sunday's championship game. The Stags enter the tournament as the number one seed after going unbeaten in NEC play and plays fourth-seeded Rider University in their semifinal game.