FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- For the fourth time this season, the Fairfield University field hockey team will face a nationally-ranked opponent on the pitch when the Stags meet third-ranked Princeton University in the NCAA Championship second round on Friday. The two teams will face off at Bedford Field on the Princeton campus beginning at 12 pm.

Head Coach Laura Gebhart and her squad earned the right to face the tournament's number two seed by edging Boston University in Wednesday's first-round match, a 1-0 decision that was also played at Bedford Field. Rylee LaLoup tipped in a pass from Noor Hellemans for the game's lone goal which came in the first quarter. Goalkeeper Payton Rahn turned away four shots to add another clean sheet to her ledger. The victory was the program's first in the national tournament since defeating #23 American University in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Championship.

Fairfield and Princeton met just once in the programs' histories with the Tigers taking a 4-3 win in September, 2013. Ann Burgoyne scored her first collegiate goal in the game, the first step in her becoming Fairfield's all-time leader in goals (56) and points (126). Theresa Benvenuti scored a pair of goals for Princeton in the win. All seven goals were scored in the second half.

Princeton earned its berth to the tournament after capturing the Ivy League championship by defeating previously unbeaten Harvard University. The Tigers improved to 7-0 on the road with the win over the Crimson. Pru Lindsey is next in line with 21 points, tallying six goals and nine assists. Princeton has won 11 straight matches since a 3-1 defeat against Harvard on September 26. The second-seeded Tigers are led by Beth Yeager's 12 goals and nine assists for 33 points. Goalkeeper Olivia Caponiti owns a 0.83 goals against average with a .725 save percentage.

The Stags have four student-athletes above the 20-point mark this season, beginning with Konni Hofmann's 29 points off 12 goals and five assists. Alex Senior also reached double figures with her 10 goals plus her five assists for 25 points. Pilar Mengotti holds firm in the number three position among Stags scorers, posting nine goals with six assists for 24 points. LaLoup joined the 20-point club with her goal on Wednesday, giving the senior nine goals and three assists for 21 points Payton Rahn improved her goals against average to 1.26 and her save percentage to .688 after Wednesday's performance.

The winner of Friday's match between Fairfield and Princeton will meet the winner of Syracuse and Liberty on Sunday at Bedford Field beginning at 1 pm.