WORCESTER, Mass. – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Preseason Player of the Year Maddy Theriault provided a highlight-reel goal and keeper Katie Wright pitched a clean sheet as the Fairfield University Women's Soccer team started their season with a 1-0 win over Holy Cross. Wright provided six saves in net including crucial stops in the final minutes to preserve the victory.
 
"It was a typical first game of the season in most ways," Head Coach David Barrett said. "Maddy had a classy finish and I thought Katie and Meg bailed us out of some trouble the way I'd expect from experienced players. Overall, a good result against a solid team."
 
Theriault tallied the lone goal for the Stags (1-0) in the 14th minute as she corralled a failed clearance and provided a left-footed strike well outside the box into the top right corner of the net beyond the outstretched arms of the Holy Cross keeper. The score was Theriault's 32nd of her career, putting her in a tie for fourth place on the program's all-time list. It was also her 12th career game-winning tally, tying her for second in the Stags' record books.
 
That was all the support goalkeeper Wright needed in net as she was impressive in her season debut. The senior recorded six saves including a diving stop to her right in the 18th minute.
 
Wright and the Fairfield back four were challenged in the final five minutes with Holy Cross putting up three shots in that span. Wright only picked up one save in that time, hitting a 1v1 chance over the crossbar. She also was aggressive off her line, intercepting passes just in front of the Crusaders' strikers.
 
The victory was Wright's 41st as a Stag and her clean sheet was the 19th of her career.
 
For the match, the Stags narrowly out-shot Holy Cross by a 15-13 margin with Theriault leading all players with five.
 
Fairfield will be back in action on Sunday when they continue their season opening road trip at Rutgers at 5pm.