FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The 2023 Fairfield University field hockey schedule features a 17-game slate which includes opponents from eight different athletic conferences, providing another formidable campaign for the Stags. In addition to its annual eight games against Northeast Conference (NEC) foes, Fairfield will also play multiple opponents from the Ivy League, Patriot League, and America East.

Head Coach Jackie Kane and her team will keep the suitcases packed during the first part of the upcoming season, paying just two games on campus through the end of September. The team opens the campaign at Hofstra University on August 29 before taking on the University of Iowa in a neutral setting on the campus of University at Albany on September 1.

The Stags begin the home portion of their schedule on Monday, September 4 when they welcome Bryant University at University Field. Game time is set for 11 am for the Labor Day meeting. The team plays its final neutral setting game on September 8 when it heads to The Proving Grounds in Conshohocken to match up with La Salle University.

The three-game road trip continues with a quick trip to Yale University for an evening game on September 15. Two days later, the Stags make their way to Lafayette College for a 1 pm contest on September 17. The team returns home for their second home game of the month as the Stags welcome Villanova University on September 24. The month concludes with the program's NEC opener at Stonehill College on September 29.

Fairfield starts its longest home stand of the season with a contest against Columbia University on October 1. The Stags will remain at University Field for a pair of NEC dates that includes Sacred Heart University on October 6 and Saint Francis University on October 8. The team plays its fifth straight conference game when it heads to Wagner College on October 13.

Non-conference play returns to the 2023 schedule when the Stags find their way to the University of Maine, America East's regular-season champion, on October 15. Fairfield finishes up its home slate with two more conference games, bringing Rider University to campus on October 20 and LIU on October 22.

The regular season comes to its conclusion the following weekend with matches at Merrimack College on October 27 and the College of the Holy Cross on October 29. The Stags hope to continue their season by qualifying for the 2023 NEC Tournament which runs from November 2-4. The top four teams in the regular-season standings will advance to the semifinals with the two winners of those game meeting the championship game.

The Fairfield University field hockey team finished the 2022 season with an 11-9 overall record and a 5-2 mark in Northeast Conference play. The Stags reached the NEC Tournament and won their semifinal match over host Wagner College before falling in overtime to regular-season champion Rider University in the championship match.

Senior Carmel Van Dijk represents the team's top returning scorer after registering three goals and six assists for 13 points during her 20 appearances. Sophomore Alex Senior enjoyed a strong freshman campaign with five goals and two assists for 12 points. Goalkeeper Payton Rahn made her mark by starting all 20 games in 2022, posting a 1.87 goals against average with 98 saves for a .721 save percentage.