ERIE, Pa. -- The Fairfield University field hockey extended its winning streak to eight games with today's 2-1 win over Mercyhurst University, keeping its pace for the top spot in the NEC. The victory also kept the Stags unbeaten in conference play with a 6-0 record.

All the numbers favored the Stags' offense but the play of Mercyhurst goalkeeper Louise Pert kept the home team in the game. Fairfield created 46 shots in the match with 27 finding their way to the target. Pert was able to save 25 of those shots on goal but it was not enough to keep the Stags out of the win column. 

Both teams kept the ball close without getting much underway offensively through the opening minutes of the match. Fairfield was awarded the first offensive opportunity three minutes into the game when the team earned the game's first penalty corner. The offense was able to generate a pair of shots off that corner with one being blocked and the other being kicked away. The Stags were awarded another penalty corner off that exchange and made good on this one. Alice Pifferi inserted the ball directly to Pilar Mengotti and the senior one-timed a shot that beat the goalkeeper for a 1-0 lead at the 3:43 into the quarter.

Still, Mercyhurst trailed by only goal despite having to defend its circle for nearly the entire first quarter. With less than two minutes remaining in the quarter, the Lakers collected their only shot of the quarter, a deflection from Delfina Magro on which Fairfield goalkeeper Payton Rahn was able to put pad but the momentum of the shot carried through to the back of the cage for the tying goal.

From that point, Fairfield was able to continue to dominate inside the Mercyhurst circle, taking 16 shots in the 15-minute period. Nine of those 16 shots were on goal but Pert was able to turn aside each of those tries to keep the game tied at 1-1 going into halftime. Among her nine saves, Pert was also challenged by a penalty stroke but the goalkeeper was able to place her stick on the stroke to thwart the chance.

The third quarter was much of the same as Fairfield continued to control possession and offer little opportunity for Mercyhurst to establish any true flow. The Stags push another double-digit shot total in the third quarter but the game remained tied until the Stags' last shot of the quarter. Courtland Schumacher, who started the scoring play with an insertion off a penalty corner, ended up finishing off a pass from Alex Senior with 15 seconds remaining in the quarter to take the lead for good at 2-1.

The Stags were more subdued in their attack during the fourth quarter, registering five shots during the time, but more importantly kept the Lakers from mounting any true threats. In the end, Fairfield allowed just one shot to the home team which Rahn pushed aside to keep the one-goal lead intact.

Fairfield will return to the pitch on Sunday, October 19 when the team hosts Rider University at University Field. Game time is scheduled for 1 pm. Prior to the match, the field hockey program will honor the senior class with the ceremony scheduled to begin at approximately 12:45 pm.