FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University field hockey team was well rewarded for their play during the 2025 season as the NEC Major Awards and All-Conference teams were announced today.
Pilar Mengotti earned the NEC Defensive Player of the Year Award, while
Catalina Ness garnered the NEC Midfielder of the Year Award.
Kaelyn Fogelson collected the NEC Rookie of the Year Award to cap the player honors. Head Coach
Laura Gebhart and her staff were selected as the NEC Coaching Staff of the Year.
In addition, forward
Alex Senior, defender
Noor Hellemans, Ness, and Mengotti received berths to the All-NEC first team while midfielder
Catherine Fitzgerald picked up an All-NEC second team nod.
Mengotti continues to excel from the back line, contributing on both ends of the pitch. She has enjoyed success in both circles, stopping the opposition from scoring while adding her own touch to the offensive scheme. In addition to her defensive saves this year, the senior has tallied nine goals with six assists for 24 points, placing second among her teammates.
Ness also has been successful from the midfield position, picking up a goal and adding five assists to her season scoring totals. She posted a point in five different games including in each of the games against this week's NEC Championship opponents. Over her last three games, Ness picked up a goal and two assists.
Fogelson is tied for third highest point total on the team this year with 19, tallying eight goals and three assists in her 18 appearances. She is one of 11 student-athletes to post 19 points in the NEC this season. Fogelson has scored a goal in each of the last three games and has a point in nine contests this season. She is a two-time NEC Rookie of the Week (October 7 & 28).
Senior places second on the team and fifth in the NEC with her 24 points this season, posting 10 goals with four assists over her 18 appearances. She owns a pair of game-winning goals this year, registering those deciding scores in back-to-back games against Wagner and Merrimack. A two-time NEC Offensive Player of the Week, Senior scored a goal in six games this year including three multi-goal games.
Hellemans is another dual player who contributes both to the offensive and defensive success. She has nine points on the season with a pair of goals and five assists with seven of those markers coming against conference foes. She brings a four-game scoring streak into the NEC Championship this week, picking up a goal and three assists with the goal representing the game winner against Rider.
Fitzgerald continues to lend strong midfield play as she has done throughout her career. Her ability to make plays in the middle third and contribute in the offensive circle have been instrumental in the team's success this season. She represents one of the team's most accurate shooters, putting seven of her 14 shots on target.
Coach Gebhart along with assistant coach
Kaelyn Long were selected as the coaching staff of the year in their first season on campus after leading to the conference regular-season title and to a 14-5 overall record against a challenging schedule that includes two nationally-ranked teams in #20 UConn and #11 Maryland. The team posted 10 consecutive wins in the regular season and posted an impressive 7-1 record at home.
The Fairfield University field hockey team opens play in the NEC Championship this week as the top-seeded Stags will host fourth-seeded Rider University on Thursday at 11 am. The winner of the game will face the winner of second-seeded Saint Francis University and third-seeded Wagner College in the championship game on Saturday, November 8 at 12 pm. All games are being played at University Field on the Fairfield University campus.
