FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University field hockey team opens up Northeast Conference (NEC) play on Friday with a trip to Stonehill College before returning home for a non-conference match up with Columbia University.
 
About Fairfield

• After playing non-conference opponents exclusively over the last month, the Stags will not shift their focus on NEC play, a seven-game slate that culminates with the NEC Championship Tournament in early November. The schedule begins with Stonehill on the road before bringing Sacred Heart and St. Francis to University the weekend of October 5.
• Fairfield comes off an impressive 2-1 double overtime win over Villanova University in its last outing. Carmel Van Dijk scored the game-winning goal in the 74^th minute to send the Stags to victory. Goalkeeper Gabby Gober earned the win in her first collegiate start, making three saves including a second-quarter penalty stroke stop which helped her garner the NEC Rookie of the Week award.
• The Stags will play their sixth NEC opener since rejoining the conference for the 2018 season. Fairfield has won the previous five conference openers with three of those coming on the road. The team started the season with a road game against Sacred Heart in 2018 (W, 4-2), 2020-21 (W, 1-0 2OT), and 2022 (W, 3-2). Three of the team's five NEC openers have resulted in a 1-0 score.

 
About Stonehill

• The Skyhawks enter the weekend with a 1-8 overall record and also begin their NEC slate with Friday's date. The team picked up a 5-0 win over Queens College a week ago with Raegan Hickey registering two goals and an assist to support the offense. Goalkeeper Shannon Conte made two saves in the game, picking up the shutout. The team also played Davidson College, falling by a 3-1 score.
• Hickey earned the NEC Offensive Player of the Week with her three goals and one assist for seven points. Conte also collected weekly accolades with her performance, finishing the two-game run with 15 saves and a .833 save percentage. She was given the NEC Defensive Player of the Week award for her effort last weekend.

 
About Columbia

• Columbia ended last week with a 1-0 win over Rider University at home, improving the team's overall record to 3-5. The Lions are playing even in non-conference games with a 3-3 mark but are looking for their first Ivy League win after an 0-2 beginning.
• Lindsay Yu scored the game-winning goal against Rider, pushing into the team lead for scoring with 11 points. She enters this weekend with four goals and three assists for 11 points, scoring the game-winning goal against Monmouth University and Rider. Mckenzie Bloom has also had a strong start to the season with four goals and one assist  for nine points. Katie Wimmer handles the goalkeeper duties and has established a 2.13 goals against average and a .754 save percentage off of 52 saves this season.

 
Up Next

• Following this weekend's action, Fairfield will remain on campus for a pair of NEC matches next weekend, hosting Sacred Heart University on Friday, October 6 and Saint Francis University on Sunday, October 8.