FAIRFIELD, Conn. – For the second time in three games, forward
Rylee LaLoup scored a pair of goals, this time lifting the Fairfield University field hockey team to a 4-0 win over CAA opponent Hofstra University. The graduate student has tallied five goals in her last three contests and leads the Stags and is tied for second in the CAA with eight goals on the season.
Fairfield took control of play from the opening whistle, keeping the visitors on their side of the pitch in a defensive posture. The Stags were able to press and keep the offensive direction going their way which resulted in nine shots through the first 15 minutes.
But it was LaLoup that finally solved the Hofstra defense with a nifty backhand that beat goalkeeper Luci Hollister in the seventh minute of play. The scoring opportunity was created by
Camille Perlov, who captured the ball outside the circle, brought just inside the line before finding LaLoup present in the center.
The home team's attack was slowed a bit in the second quarter as Hofstra stepped up and kept Fairfield from gaining too much an advantage, allowing the Stags just four shots. All four of those attempts were on target, forcing Hollister to make stops to keep the deficit at one goal by halftime.
In the third quarter, the Stags found their footing once again and began to apply more pressure in the offensive third, giving the team a few more chances at the cage.
Konni Hofmann broke through in the 36
th minute when she redirected the ball which came into the circle from
Catalina Ness, bringing the score to 2-0. Fairfield added one more in the period when
Kylie Corcoran converted a penalty stroke in the 44
th minute, her fourth score from the spot in as many attempts this year.
LaLoup closed out the scoring with a goal in the 59
th minute, converting a pass from
Alyse Wanchisen with a deflection to the upper corner.
Fairfield goalkeeper
Paige Jackson made one save to earn the clean sheet while Hollister tallied 10 stops over her 55-plus minutes of work. The Stags finished the match with 27 shots, putting 14 of those on goal.
"We were getting plenty of shots but credit to their goalkeeper who was kept turning us away," Head Coach
Laura Gebhart said. "But we kept piecing things together and we started to get shots to go in. Once the shots started to fall, we were good and pushed us into another zone."
The Fairfield University field hockey will complete its weekend homestand by hosting Lehigh University in a non-conference game on Sunday. The match is slated for 12 pm at University Field. After the game, the program will honor the senior class with a ceremony.
