FAIRFIELD, Conn. – On a brisk and chilly night on Lessing Field, the Fairfield University Women's Soccer team realized one of their goals they set all the way back during the hot summer days of August as they advanced to the MAAC Championship Match with a 3-0 shutout victory over Mount St. Mary's. Maddy Theriault led the way with a pair of goals and an assist while sophomore goalkeeper Katie Wright picked up five big saves, including a penalty stop, to record her seventh shutout of the season.
 
"We're obviously pleased to get the result," Head Coach David Barrett, who will be coaching in his second MAAC Championship match said. "I thought we were a little conservative with our possession in the first half. In the second half, we were more dangerous and put them on their heels more. We were effective enough in the second half, we had some good finished. We're pleased to be moving on."
 
The Stags scored all three of their goals in a nine-minute span after seeing a scoreless first half. Fairfield finally broke through in the 58th minute as Meghan Carragher sent a corner kick towards the back post where Theriault and Allie Kirby both deflected the ball towards net with Kirby getting the final touch for her third goal of the season. Carragher and Theriault would both increase their team lead with their sixth assists of the year.
 
Theriault would be the clear goal scorer in Fairfield's next two scores, with the first one coming in the 63rd minute. Elle Scott started the breakaway chance as she intercepted a goal kick and sent the ball to Theriault who converted the chance for her MAAC-leading ninth goal of the season.
 
Theriault would create another wide-open chance just five minutes later as she ran down a ball from Reagan Klarmann and rounded the keeper and converted her chance for her second score of the night. It would also be the first time in her career she reached double-digit goals with her tenth score of the season.
 
Wright and the defense would not only keep that lead but hold the Mountaineers off the scoreboard with Wright stopping all five of her save attempts. Her biggest one came in the 78th minute as she stopped a penalty kick leading to her seventh shutout of the season. She has now posted 11 clean sheets in her career, tying her for seventh on the all-time list.
 
With the win, the Stags have advanced to their tenth MAAC Championship Match in program history and their first since 2019. Fairfield will be looking for their eighth tournament title and their sixth NCAA appearance, their first since 2008. They will have to go through top-seeded Quinnipiac in Hamden, Conn., on Sunday with kickoff at noon.