CONSHOCKEN, Pa. – The Fairfield University field hockey team completed its season-opening two-game road trip with a 3-1 setback against Villanova University.

The Stags scored the game's first goal just a couple of minutes into the game when the team earned a penalty corner. Nora Amme and Carmel Van Dijk combined to set up the scoring chance which Julianna Kratz finished with a crisp shot that skipped across the turf and beat the Wildcats' goalkeeper.

The Wildcats began to find their offensive flow about four minutes later when they took advantage of a pair of penalty corners that set up four shots to apply their first pressure of the game. Two of those shots were blocked by Fairfield defenders and goalkeeper Payton Rahn made her first save of the game during the sequence. Villanova did not break through until the final two minutes of the first quarter when Sabine De Ruijter beat the Stags' defense, finishing a penalty corner chance.             

Neither team could manage much inside the circle during the second quarter until Amanda Middleman secured a pass in open space and directed a shot past the goalkeeper in the 20^th minute of the game. The Stags' only shot of the quarter came in the closing minutes when Hanna Saxon received a pass off a penalty corner and drove a shot that was on target but turned away by goalkeeper Claire Borman.

Fairfield's offense found its footing in the second half with Kratz finding some space inside the circle just a minute into the period, but her shot just went wide to keep the deficit at one goal. Villanova's best opportunity of the quarter came in the last seconds when a shot off a penalty corner was stopped by Madison Hoskins for a defensive save.

The Wildcats scored the final goal of the game in the fourth quarter when Meghan Mitchell released a shot in the 49^th minute that caught the corner to push the lead to 3-1. Fairfield made an attempt to tie the game with under two minutes remaining as Konni Hoffman maneuvered her way to an opening in the circle, but the shot was saved by Borman.

The Stags return to action with a pair of home games next weekend, beginning with the team's home opener against the College of the Holy Cross on Friday September 2. Game time is slated for 4 pm. Fairfield finishes off the weekend by hosting UAlbany at University Field for a 1 pm start on Sunday, September 4.