FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- The Fairfield University field hockey team will open Northeast Conference play on Thursday night when it travels to Sacred Heart University, the first of six conference games. The Stags captured the 2019 conference regular-season and tournament titles after going unbeaten in Northeast Conference action during that campaign.

Fairfield won both of its non-conference matches, opening the season with a 3-0 win over the University at Albany and a 3-2 road victory against Hofstra University. Now, the Stags will concentrate on conference play with the hopes of capturing the NEC's NCAA tournament berth for the second straight season. The team's offense has received support from Faith Spaziano and Julianna Kratz who started the year with a pair of goals in the first two contests. Spaziano has posted a goal in each of the team's first two games while Kratz netted both of her goals in the win against Hofstra.

The Stags' defense has also merited attention by allowing just two goals in two games including the season-opening shutout of Albany. Goalkeeper Zoe Rosen picked up where she left off in 2019, earning the shutout with five saves before adding two more stops in the win against Hofstra. 

Sacred Heart dropped its season opener to Hofstra University on the road, the team's lone non-conference game of the spring season. The Pioneers put together a solid defensive effort against the Pride with the play of goalkeeper Hailey Power. The senior entered the 2021 spring season as the reigning NEC Goalkeeper of the Year after registering a 2.63 goals against average and a .784 save percentage in her junior season.

Fairfield will return to campus for its first NEC home game on Monday, March 22 when its hosts Bryant University at University Field. The game is scheduled for a 4 pm start. The Bryant game marks one of three conference home games for the Stags as they also host Merrimack College on April 11 and Wagner College on April 15.