FAIRFIELD, Conn. – After several weeks of road games, Head Coach Jackie Kane was pleased to finally get some time on University Field, the home of the Fairfield University field hockey team. Not only was it nice to play in familiar surroundings, but it was also nice to get back on the familiar surface of the facility.

              The Stags like to play fast and use their passing game to create opportunities, something to which the surface at University lends itself unlike the slower turf the team has faced in recent games. And Fairfield took full advantage by recreating its game of precision passing and quick counters up field which ended with a 3-0 win over Bryant University on Saturday afternoon.

              "We were excited to be at home on a field that plays with our speed and how we like to move the ball," Head Coach Jackie Kane said. "We needed those goals after struggling the last two games. Give a lot of credit to Bryant's goalkeepers who kept their team in the game until we were able to score a couple of goals late in the game."

              The homecoming was a welcome change for the team but it seemed Julianna Kratz really took to the return home. The forward scored a pair of goals and assisted on the third to help Fairfield's offense rekindle some of its early season success which resulted in a 3-0 win against Albany and a 3-2 win at Hofstra.

              "Jules really need a day like today because she has been working really hard to regain that success she had last season," Coach Kane said. "That hard work really made a difference for us today."

              Kratz did need much time to get into the flow of today's game as the sophomore pushed the team's first goal into the cage just three minutes from the opening whistle. She converted a pass from Meghan Maguire who collected the ball inside the circle and sent a pass toward the goal. Kratz was able to redirect the ball past the goalkeeper at the 12:25 mark of the first quarter.

              The Stags were relentless in the first half, moving the ball up field consistently and putting pressure inside the circle throughout those 30 minutes. Fairfield was able to send 14 shots toward the Bryant goal but could not find a way to finish or beat goalkeeper Marijn Jaarsma beyond Kratz's quick strike. Jaasrma played the first half only but was able to retain six saves to keep Fairfield only one goal ahead.

              The start of the second half seemed no different as Fairfield again sent the attackers up field with quick short passes from its defensive third into the midfield where the Stags were able to distribute the ball from corner to corner inside the circle. But Bryant's defense clamped down once Fairfield entered the circle and surrendered just five shots over that 15-minute period.

              While the defense managed to keep Fairfield's offense in check during the third quarter, Bryant started to assemble more attackers in its offensive third and moved the ball forward only to see the Stags defensive line stifle any offensive movement before it became too dangerous. It wasn't until the fourth quarter that Bryant was able to find free space for its only shot of the game which goalkeeper Zoe Rosen kicked away to keep her shutout intact.

              Fairfield finally opened the game with a pair of goals in the closing minutes, scoring twice in a five-minute stretch that gave the home team a 3-0 advantage with three minutes remaining. Kratz accepted a pass from Jolanda Richter and used a quick release to double Fairfield's advantage to 2-0 in the 53^rd minute. After, Kratz helped out her team by setting up Meghann Maguire for her first goal of the season, an opportunity that came minutes after she hit the goal post on another attempt.

              Fairfield will continue its three-game home stand by hosting Merrimack on Sunday, April 11 before closing out the regular season with Wagner College on April 15.