FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- The Fairfield University field hockey team will play its final two regular-season home games this weekend, hosting Rider University on Friday afternoon before LIU closes out the weekend with a Sunday afternoon contest. The Stags will have two more matches left on the docket the following weekend, traveling to Merrimack College (October 27) and the College of the Holy Cross (October 29).The program will celebrate the Class of 2024 prior to Sunday's game with LIU with the Senior Day ceremony beginning approximately 10 minutes before the start of the game.

About Fairfield

• The Stags saw their season-long six-game winning streak come to an end with their 2-0 setback at the University of Maine last Sunday. With the decision, Fairfield still has been impressive in non-conference play this year, sporting a 6-3 record with all three losses coming away from campus. The team averages 2.5 goals per game against out of conference opponents (20 goals in eight games) and 3.75 goals per contest against Northeast Conference (NEC) foes. Overall, Fairfield ranks 22nd in the nation for scoring with 2.69 goals per outing. 
• Fairfield defeated Wagner last Friday to earn the program's 10th win of the season to become one of only 21 programs in the nation with a double-digit win total this season. The team is tied for 12th with Cornell University for top winning percentage in the nation, sporting a .769 mark (10-3 overall record). Excluding the shortened 2020-21 spring season (seven games played), Fairfield has won 10 or more games in five straight seasons, averaging 13 wins per season during that stretch (66 wins over five years). Fairfield still has four more regular-season matches left in 2023.
• Alex Senior scored the game-winning goal against Wagner on the road last Friday, bringing her goal total to six for the 2023 season. She is tied with freshman Lucie Vincent for the team lead in goals scored and game-winning goals with three. Vincent has one more in the total points column, checking into the weekend with 15 points which includes three assists. Goalkeeper Payton Rahn checks into the weekend with a 1.17 goals against average and a .750 save percentage off 42 saves.

About Rider

• The Broncs enter the weekend action with a 6-8 overall record with a 3-1 mark in NEC play, including a split last weekend. Rider opened with a win over Sacred Heart last Friday before falling at Lehigh by a 2-1 count. The team has won its last two NEC games defeating Stonehill College and Sacred Heart in those decisions. 
• Valeria Perales leads the team in scoring with five goals and three assists for 13 points, scoring a goal in each of the team's last two games which accounted for two of the three goals scored by Rider last weekend. Willemijn Ephraim is next in line on the statistics sheet with 12 points, posting five goals and two assists over her 14 appearances. She earned the NEC Rookie of the Week honor after scoring the deciding goal in the Broncs' conference win over Sacred Heart.
• Carlee Fulton has seen most of the minutes in the Rider goal, sporting a 1.66 goals against average with a .689 save percentage based off her 51 stops this season. She has three shutouts on the season including two non-conference decisions (Georgetown and Lock Haven.

About LIU

• The Sharks enter this weekend with a 4-8 overall record and a 2-2 mark in NEC play which includes a 2-1 double-overtime loss to Saint Francis University on the road. The team had won three of its previous four games prior to the Saint Francis result which includes a non-conference win over Saint Louis University to start the run. LIU is closing out the regular season with a pair of road games starting with Sunday's match with Fairfield and the regular-season finale at Rider University on October 27.
• Juana Laskowski and Saarah Olton represent the team's top scoring threats as both student-athletes have three goals for six points so far. Two of Laskowski's goals were game winners, deciding the Saint Louis and Merrimack games. Emilce Paez leads the team with two assists and is one of seven student-athletes to have an assist this season for LIU. 
• Fluer Hofman has spent all of the minutes in the LIU goal, playing 730 minutes over her 12 appearances. The junior a 1.40 goals against average with a .782 save percentage off of her 61 saves. She also has two shutouts against NEC opponents, picking up the clean sheet against Sacred Heart and Merrimack.