FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University Women's Soccer team has announced their 2023 schedule which features 10 home matches, including their season opener on Thursday, Aug. 17 against Binghamton. The Stags, who are coming off their eighth MAAC Regular Season Championship in program history, will also be challenged in their non-conference ledger by teams from five different leagues, highlighted by a visit from Harvard and Syracuse.
 
"I am really excited for the fall," Head Coach David Barrett said. "I think we've put together an excellent non-league schedule to both challenge and sharpen us ahead of the always competitive MAAC slate."
 
The Stags will open up their 2023 campaign with three-straight home matches, their longest season-opening homestand in program history.
 
The year begins as the Stags host Binghamton on Thursday, Aug. 17 for an afternoon match. The Bearcats finished 6-1-1 in the America East last season before falling in the Championship Match on penalty kicks. Fairfield will then host another America East foe in UMass Lowell on Sunday, Aug. 20 and then close out their homestand with a visit from Harvard out of the Ivy League on Friday, Aug 25.
 
The Crimson won 12 games in 2022 en-route to winning the Ivy League and advancing to the Second Round in the NCAA Tournament.
 
The Stags will then hit the road for the first time in 2023 as they embark on road trips to Bryant (Thursday, Aug. 31) and Fordham (Sunday, Sept. 3).
 
Fairfield will then return home for back-to-back matches on Lessing Field, starting on Thursday, Sept. 7 when they host Central Connecticut State, who posted a 7-0-1 record in the NEC last season. They will conclude their homestand when they welcome ACC member Syracuse on Sunday, Sept. 10.
 
Fairfield will conclude their non-conference ledger close to home as they travel to crosstown rivals Sacred Heart on Wednesday, Sept. 13 for a 7pm contest.
 
The Stags will then return home to open up the MAAC portion of their schedule with back-to-back home matches against Mount St. Mary's (Saturday, Sept. 16) and Rider (Saturday, Sept. 23). Fairfield will also host Canisius (Oct. 7), Siena (Oct. 18), and Saint Peter's (Oct. 25) in their MAAC home slate.
 
Fairfield will travel to visit the other five MAAC schools in: Niagara (Sept. 30), Quinnipiac (Oct. 4), Manhattan (Oct. 11), Marist (Oct. 14), and Iona (Oct. 21).
 
The MAAC Championships will begin in the final weekend of October with the Semifinals and Championship match taking place on Nov. 2 and Nov. 5.
 
The Stags are coming off a 9-1 MAAC season, which gave them their first MAAC Regular Season Championship in a decade and their eighth in program history. The nine MAAC victories were the most by the program since 1998.
 
Fairfield returns 19 letterwinners form last year's successful campaign, including the 2022 MAAC Rookie of the Year Maddy Theriault and six All-MAAC selections from last season.