BUFFALO, N.Y. – Maddie Mills opened the game with a goal and dished out the game-winning tally to
Angela Filosa as the Stags took a 2-1 victory over the Canisius Golden Griffs on Saturday afternoon. The win was Fairfield's fourth-straight victory and puts them in a tie atop the MAAC standings with 21 points.
"It was a very tough game today," Head Coach
David Barrett said. "The conditions were challenging with strong wind and rain that really impacted the play but we found a way. After a long week of three road games at tough venues, we are happy to be coming back with three more points."
Mills opened the scoring in just the third minute when she launched a long free kick from 35 yards over the head of the Canisius goalkeeper for a 1-0 lead. The goal snapped a Canisius streak of 530-straight minutes without surrendering a goal. The goal was the fifth of the season for Mills who has recorded a point in eight of the 12 matches she has appeared in this season.
Fairfield would increase that lead to 2-0 in the 42nd minute on another opportunity set up by Mills. With three minutes left in the half, Mills sent a corner kick to the back post where Filosa was able to collect the pass and push it into the net for her first goal of the season.
Canisius had entered the match with a conference-best 0.57 goals against average including a 0.29 mark in MAAC matches.
Katie Wright and the defense would make that lead hold as the freshman goalkeeper made seven saves with five coming in the second half. The Golden Griffs would inch closer with a goal in the 70th minute but Wright would record three saves in the final 15 minutes.
The Stags were out-shot 12-8 in the match including an 8-3 margin with shots on goal. The eight shots were the fewest taken by the team in a MAAC game this season.
The victory combined with Quinnipiac's 1-0 loss to Iona puts the Stags and the Bobcats tied atop the MAAC standings with 21 points.
Fairfield will have two matches left in the regular season starting with a Saturday afternoon game against Niagara on Saturday at noon. Before the game, the program will honor the nine-member senior class.
