FAIRFIELD, Conn. – After a weekend on the road, the Fairfield University field hockey team will have a weekend on its home pitch beginning with Friday's match with Holy Cross. The Stags will remain on campus for a Sunday afternoon meeting with the University at Albany.

Head Coach Jackie Kane should welcome that her squad will play the next four games at University Field. Over the last five seasons, the Stags own a .692 winning percentage on their home pitch, posting a 27-12 mark beginning with the 2017 campaign. Fairfield posted a winning home slate in each of those five seasons.

Fairfield will try to pick up on that success but will face two formidable opponents on the docket, both of whom have familiarity with the Stags. Holy Cross visited campus often when Fairfield was a member of the Patriot League as did UAlbany when the Stags were part of America East.  The programs have continued their series with Fairfield over the last few years and adds another meeting in the history this weekend.

The Stags come off an opening weekend that resulted in a pair of 3-1 setbacks against Monmouth University and Villanova University. Senior Julianna Kratz had a hand offensively in both games, setting up a goal and scoring a goal of her own to account for the team's two scores over last weekend. Agustina Casteluchi accounted for the team's other goal as the sophomore picks up where she left off during her successful freshman campaign that resulted in four goals and two assists.

Goalkeeper Payton Rahn stepped into a starting role for the Stags and responded with 14 saves over last weekend's contests. The sophomore ended the two-game road trip with a .700 save percentage in her 120 minute of work.

Holy Cross split a pair of games on the West Coast last weekend, falling to Stanford University by a 2-1 count and edging Cal-Davis by a 3-2 score. Four different Crusaders scored during the California trip with Sinead Walsh, Isabella Henderson, Allie McDonough, and Gabby Venezia each rattling the back of the cage. Walsh added an assist as well to push into the team lead for scoring with three points. Goalkeeper Brooke Ross played all 130 minutes in the Holy Cross goal, surrendering four goals and making eight saves in the two contests.

UAlbany also earned an opening weekend split, defeating Northeastern University by a 5-2 score before falling to 22^nd-ranked Ohio State by a 3-0 margin. The Great Danes host Penn State on Saturday before making the trip south to the Fairfield campus for their first road game of the season. Alison Smisdom paced the team last weekend with two goals and one assist for a team-best five points. Blanca Orsola and Sophia Schoonmaker each added a goal and an assist in the two games. Goalkeeper Lara Behn made four saves in the two matches and finished with a 2.86 goals against average.

This weekend's dates start a four-match home stand for the Stags which continues next weekend as Drexel University and Lafayette College will visit University Field next Friday and Sunday, respectively.