FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- The Fairfield University field hockey faced a determined LIU squad this afternoon but the Stags were able to handle the challenge as they have all season long. Konni Hofmann scored a pair of goals on the day to send the Stags to a 5-2 win over the Sharks, extending the team's winning streak to 10 games.

The 10-game run is the longest regular-season winning streak in program history, eclipsing the nine-gamer set during the 2019 season. The 2019 edition went on to win 12 straight games with three wins in the postseason which is the longest overall win streak in team history.

The game was a nail-biter for the most of the first half as neither team was able to crack the opposing defense through the first 15 minutes of work. During the first quarter, Fairfield was able to create a few opportunities off four shots but saw LIU goalkeeper Emma Capparelli turn away the two that were on goal.

The second quarter actually showed the same shot totals for both teams with one very important exception. One of the four Fairfield attempts found the back of the cage, a play set up by penalty corner early in the second quarter. Konni Hofmann finished the scoring opportunity with a blast set up off a pass from Pilar Mengotti. The two teams went into halftime still separated by that one goal. 

The second half showed much more promised for both teams as Fairfield began to find more open space on the pitch which allowed more creativity from the front line. With Fairfield gaining more ground in the opening minutes of the third quarter, LIU was able to counter more which ended up providing the opening it needed to tie the game. Tess Temars ended up with a one-on-one opportunity and took advantage by pushing a shot under the charging goalkeeper, tying the match at 1-1 just minutes into the second half.

Fairfield didn't take too long to regain the lead, taking advantage of three penalty corners over the next four minutes, the last of which provided the chance that put the Stags in front for good.  il took control of the corner and sent the ball toward the goal where Rylee LaLoup was able to redirect the ball into the near corner and give her team a 2-1 advantage. The home team was able to add to its lead with two minutes left in the quarter courtesy of nifty stick work from Kaelyn Fogelson. The freshman carried the ball into the circle, beat two defenders, and sent a shot just inside the far corner of the goal to push the lead to 3-1.

In the fourth quarter, Fairfield was able to tack on two more goals to take a four-goal lead. The first of the pair came off the stick of Camille Perlov who was able to tip in a ball sent toward goal by Alex Senior in the 49th minute. The lead went to 5-1 with five minutes left in the game as Hofmann secured her second goal, completing the play started by another Senior assist. LIU picked up its second goal of the afternoon off a penalty corner, a deflection off the stick of GiGi Ranoldo with just seconds left on the clock.

"LIU battled in the first half and we knew they were going to give us a everything," Head Coach Laura Gebhart said. "We knew we would have to earn our goals today. I give a lot of credit to our team for creating a lot of opportunities especially as the game progressed. We began to take advantage of the space they gave us. We became more creative and more gritty in the circle and they finished the opportunities in the second half."

The Stags will return to the pitch for their final non-conference of the season, hosting UConn on Sunday, October 26. The game is scheduled for a 12 pm start at University Field.