FAIRFIELD, Conn. – After nearly a two-week break, the Fairfield University Women's Soccer team will return to the pitch and open up Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play when they travel to face Iona on Saturday at 1pm. The reigning MAAC Champion Stags hold a 26-4-2 against the conference over the last three seasons including a 5-1 overall record this year.
Fairfield's 5-1 overall record is tied for the 18th-highest in the nation in winning percentage with the team also winning four-straight.
Offensively, Fairfield leads the conference in goals (14), assists (17), and shots per game (16.7). The Stags are led by the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year
Maddy Theriault who leads the league and ranks eighth in the nation with seven goals. She also is the MAAC leader and places 13th in Division I with 16 total points.
In her career, Theriault ranks second in Fairfield history with 38 goals and third with 95 points. She is also second with 14 game-winning tallies which is one shy of tying the program's all-time record set by Abby Allan in 1999.
Overall, Theriault is one of six student-athletes to register a goal with
Ashlyn Walsh and
Alex Darcy also chipping in a pair. Fairfield has nine different players who have tallied an assist with
Kelly O'Connor leading the team and conference with four.
On the defensive side, goalkeeper
Katie Wright leads the MAAC with a 0.93 goals against average and has raised her career total to 45 wins. She ranks second in program history with victories, and four shy of tying the program standard.
Iona enters play with a 2-4-2 overall record while drawing Marist in their MAAC opener. Sofia Bigeni is the team leader with two goals and five points.
The Stags and the Gaels will be meeting for the 35th time in program history with Fairfield leading the series by a 23-6-5 mark. The Stags have won three-straight against Iona and own an 11-4-3 mark on the road.
Fairfield will have another week off before welcoming crosstown rivals Sacred Heart to Lessing Field next Saturday at 1pm.
